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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/10/1971Pledge Roll Call MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA May 10, 1971 - 7:30 P. M. City Hall Present: Emmons Blake, John C. Brown, Myron Graham, T. Keith Gurnee, Kenneth E. Schwartz City Staff Present: R. D. Young, Planning Director; P. Clark, Librarian; J. H. Fitzpatrick, City Clerk; W. Flory, Park and Recreation Supervisor; H. Johnson, City Attorney; R. D. Miller, Administrative Officer; D. F. Romero, City Engineer; Captain Englert, Police Department. ----------- ---------------------------- ---------- =--------------- =------ 1. The City Clerk reported on bids received to install a sewer lift station and sewer line for the Boise Cascade mobile home park develop- ment on South Higuera Street as follows: West Coast Construction Co. Smee's Plumbing 8 Heating R. McGray, Inc. R. Burke Corporation Jamieson Construction Co. W. M. Lyles Company ENGINEER'S ESTIMATE Alternate #1 Alternate ' #2 $36,331.33 $37,645.28 $38,175.08 $46,970.00 $477471..31 $49,796.30 $41,814.00 $23,518.90 $28,513.75 $30,175.08 $38,980.00 $39,237.31 $41, 065.38 D. F. Romero, City Engineer, stated that the bids had been much lower than the estimate and he recommended that the low bid for Alternate #1 from West Coast Construction Company be accepted. He explained the scope of the work to be accomplished under this contract and stated that the City's.share would be approximately $23,709. On motion of Councilman Graham, seconded by Councilman Brown, the con- tract was awarded to West Coast Construction Company. Motion carried. Item X. R. D. Miller, Administrative Officer, presented the prelimin- ary budget for the City of San Luis Obispo for 1971/72 and stated he hoped the Council would set hearings as soon as they were able. On motion of Councilman Blake, seconded by Councilman Graham, the City Council accepted the preliminary budget for further study. Motion carried. 3. At this time the City Council discussed the proposed work program for the next two years for the City Council with items suggested by Mayor Schwartz, Councilman Graham and Councilman Gurnee. Mayor Schwartz suggested that for ease of-.discussion'.' he had taken the thirty -two (32) items suggested by himself and the other two councilmen and had grouped them in general categories so they could all be consid- ered at one time. 1 1 City Council Minutes May 10, 1971 Page 1 -A Addenda Item #2 should be added as follows: (between item #1 and item "X ") 2. The City Council discussed further steps to be taken regarding the integration of the City and County library systems. Councilman Graham presented the following recommendation to the City Council from the Council study committee relative to the consolidation of the two systems: "Pursuant to a meeting of representatives of the City of San Luis Obispo and the County of San Luis Obispo held on April 21, 1971, it is recom- mended that the City Council and the Board of Supervisors each approve a statement of purpose relative to the proposed consolidation of the City and County libraries. It.is the consensus of the meeting that consolidation is a desirable goal toward which to work, and that the administration and staffs of the two libraries should be authorized to investigate and evaluate the legal, financial, administrative and operational aspects of consolidation in order to arrive at a mutually agreeable plan of implementing this goal. It is understood that this statement of purpose would in no way bind either body to future legal action, which would be undertaken only after a definite plan has been formulated ". Miss P. Clark, City Librarian, presented a chronological statement of discussions of possible consolidation of the library systems which started in 1962. On motion of Councilman Graham, seconded by Mayor Schwartz, that the City Council authorized the City Library Staff to work with the County Library Staff to investigate and evaluate the legal, financial, administrative and operational aspects of consolidating the two systems in order to arrive at a mutually attractive plan for consideration by the Council and the County Board of Supervisors. Motion carried. H. TRICK, CITY CLERK City Council Minutes May 10, 1971 . Page 2 I. Goals and obiectives. Mayor Schwartz reviewed for the Council's consideration the goals and objectives letter of November 17, 1969 that was approved in principle by the prior Council and asked the present Council if it could review this matter, make whatever changes were necessary and adopt this as their goals and objectives. He then reviewed the three basic criteria ' of the goals and objectives for the City: (1) trade and services development; (2) recreation and tourist development; and (3) industrial development. After discussing the criteria, the City Council agreed it could approve the goals and objectives in concept for this City Council. II. Tools Item 6 (Schwartz): Vigorously pursue the General Plan and Zoning Ordin- ance revision up- dating program (Eisner) just initiated and make all efforts to thoroughly integrate the water studies (Born) and sewer studies (Adamson and Jenks) also under way. The item was referred to the Planning Consultants with cooperative study by other consultants. Item 27 (Gurnee).:. Initiate a comprehensive study for an extensive green belt system and other methods to put a physical limit on the City. The Council approved this concept with the matter to be studied by the City staff in cooperation with the planning consultants. Item 30 (Graham): Definite direction.toward establishing flood plains and scenic easements; prior to any new annexations (particularly those ' of the saddle and Laguna Lake area). . The recommendation was approved by the Council and prior to any annex- ation. discussion in the Los Osos area, the staff was to prepare a flood plain study for Council consideration. III. Capital Improvement Program Item 7 (Schwartz): Continue to refine the C.I.P. and integrate it more fully into the everyday mechanical governmental processes. At least three areas have been identified which need better definitions: (1) water system improvements; (2) traffic signal programming; and (3) utility undergrounding capital costs. It may also be that our sidewalk program, our proposed program for improving- unimproved streets and our proposed program for tree planting in older residential areas should be identi- fied in the C.I.P. The City Council.supported the recommendation and the Administrative Officer was requested to include in future C.I.P. programs the water improvements, traffic signals and undergrounding.of utilities. IV. Tax Policy Item 4 (Schwartz): Place an immediate moratorium on mobile home parks development and resolve the tax differentiation problem before permit- ' ting further development. Gerald D. Taylor, mobile home park operator, read a lengthly prepared statement opposing any moratorium on future mobile home park develop- ment and a•Iso presented arguments on behalf of the high taxes paid by the mobile home owner and by the mobile home park operator. It was his opinion that the mobile home dweller paid taxes equal to those paid by a normal residentia_I..dweller. City Council Minutes May 10, 1971 Page 3 Bernard Rocka, representative of read several statements from his taxes being paid by mobile home . that the mobile home owner needs tial property owner. The matter City Clerk and Planning Director for mobile homes and mobile home the Trailer -Coach Owners Association, organization regarding equity of owners and further stated his opinion less service than a normal residen- was referred to the City Attorney, for a report on the taxing policies parks. The report was to be discussed at the August 9, 1.971 study session. Item 8 (Schwartz): Carefully study our on -going City services and programs along with prospective new services and programs in light of potential revenues. Already in critical condition are Library and Park and Recreation services due to the 200 maximum tax levy im- posed by our Charter. Additional sources of tax revenues may have to be sought; some of these are: (1) establishment of a utility tax; (2) establishment of a sales tax on gasol.ine; (3) increasing our sewer charges; and (4) initiation of .a City personal income tax. Certainly an increase in the property tax is possible. Item 25 (Gurnee): Consider a broad expansion of the recreation pro- grams for youth - from grade school level to college. The recommendations were accepted and referred to a joint study session with the Park and Recreation Commission.. Item 18 (Schwartz): Commence work to reverse the present property tax system from property improvement /tax penalty to..property improvement/ tax reward. It is long past time that we devise a system to penalize overt speculation and to align our taxing policies with the fundamen- tal American principle of rewarding individual incentive and creativity. This work will necessarily call for creativity itself in that property tax policies are so interwoven with other levels of government and are regulated by State law; we might well initiate a "first movement" in the re- thinking of a patently unjust tax policy. The City Council and staff discussed the Mayor's proposal and the City Attorney was asked to review the law as to how the property .tax system could be reformed. The other items in the package were continued for discussion at the June 14, 1971 study session. Mayor Schwartz asked specifically that the.City Council review his pro- posal #15: Undertake a complete reworking of the entire Municipal Code. Specifically, fees and charges must be removed.from ordinance and adop- ted in a separate "Fee Schedule" by resolution in order to give.the Council flexibility to regulate charges for services realistically in periods of economic fluctuation. A change in format to 82 x 11.would appear appropriate as well as a change in printing process. He placed particular emphasis on his suggestion to remove all fees and charges from the ordinance code but adopt them in a varied schedule by resolution. The meeting adjourned. APPROVED: June 7 , 1971 �l ATRICK, CITY CLERK 1 1 n