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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/19/1977M I N U T E S ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1977 - 12:10 P.M. HEARING ROOM, CITY HALL, 990 PALM STREET ROLL CALL Councilmen PRESENT: Councilmen Dunin, Jorgensen, Petterson, Settle, and Mayor Schwartz ABSENT: None City Staff PRESENT: J.H. Fitzpatrick, City Clerk; Allen Grimes, City Attorney; R.D. Miller, Administrative Officer; Henry Engen, Director of Community Development; Don Englert, Police Captain; Richard Minor, Fire Chief; Roger Neuman, Police Chief; Terry Sanville, Planning Associate 1. At the request of Councilman Settle, the City Council discussed the advisability of placing the amended City Charter on the June 6, 1978, State Primary Election Ballot, for the voters' consideration. The City Council reviewed the results of the November 19, 1976, defeat of the amended Charter and how to present this issue :to the voters for their consideration. Foster Gruber, Chairman of the Charter Review Committee, reviewed for the City Council, the activities in updating the City Charter.. He reviewed sections.that were controversial in the 1976 General Election and led to its defeat in that election, he felt. The City Council discussed various alternatives to placing the amended Charter on the Primary Election and also ways to present the so- called "controversial" items to the voters. Discussion was held whether the entire Charter should be presented for consideration or whether it.should be done over a period of years with various sections being presented at each election. On motion of Mayor Schwartz, seconded by Councilman Settle, that the City Staff be directed to meet with the Charter Review Committee to go.over Charter update and make necessary modifications in a form for Public Hearing to be held on Tuesday, February 14, 1978. Motion carried on the following roll call vote: AYES: Councilmen Settle, Jorgensen, Petterson, Dunin and Mayor Schwartz NOES: None ABSENT: None 2. Councilman Settle suggested that the City Council make arrangements with David Brodie, Cal Poly Instructor, to view a class project of several alterna- tives for a parking structure in downtown San Luis Obispo, particularly in the block on Palm Street across from City Hall. Councilman Settle . also suggested that the Board of Supervisors should be invited to view these alternative park- ing structures or rather than meet with the Council, to make their own arrangements to view the project for discussion purposes. After discussion of the type of project, it was the general concensus of the City Council to go and look at these Senior Projects and authorize the City Staff to make the necessary arrangements for some evening early in January, 1978. The Staff, after arrangements have been made and cleared with the Council, are also to invite the B.I.A., Chamber of Commerce and County Supervisors. 3. At the request of Councilman Settle, the City Council discussed the next step for their consideration in the General Plan process. City Council Minutes December 19, 1977 Page 2 Mayor Schwartz reviewed for the Councilmen, the action taken on June 21, 1977, with the following General Plan Work Schedule: A. Consistency between Zoning Ordinance and General Plan. B. Zoning Ordinance Revisions: 1) Planned Development Regulations 2) Parking in driveway requirements C. Seismic Element Revision D. Annual review and revision of the General Plan E. Circulation Element F. Housing Element G. Scenic Highways Element H. Public Safety Element I. Open Space Element This work schedule was approved by the Council for direction of the City Staff, and this was the schedule the Council was presently adhering to. Henry Engen, Community Development Director, reviewed the scheduling of the various elements of the General Plan for the City Council's information and the timing in the next calendar year. Finally, Henry Engen discussed with the Council, the best approach to,have the City and County approve the General Plan in the areas surrounding the Community. He stated that the County Planning Staff had prepared a draft Land Use Element for the San Luis Obispo Planning Area. The City's Community Development Department had reviewed these documents and had sent a detailed list of comments to the County Planning Department. Following was a schedule of the City's Department on review of this matter: 1. During December and January, schedule joint conferences between City and County Staff to discuss and attempt to resolve differences between the City's General Plan and the Draft County Land Use Element. 2. During January and February, request that the County Staff present the County Land Use Element to the City Planning Commission and City Council at a Work Session. The purpose of these sessions would be: a) To identify significant differences between the City's Plan and the proposed County Land Use Element. b) Put together the City's official recommendation on how to deal with these differences. 3. During February, City Staff would transmit Council comments and recommendations to the County Planning Department for review by the County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission. 4. Prior to any action to adopt the County Land Use Element by the Board of Supervisors, the Staff would keep the City Council informed as to the status of any differences in the Land Use Element Policies to enable timely City action. The City Council accepted the report and urged that the City Community Development Department proceed on their schedule. 1:18 P.M., the City Council adjourned to Executive Session. 1:25 P.M., the City Council reconvened into Regular Session with all Councilmen present. 4. At this time, Fire Chief Richard Minor, and Police Chief Roger Neuman, presented a program on the proposed Joint Communication and Dispatch Center for the City of San Luis Obispo as an outgrowth of the "Arthur D. Little Management Audit of 1977." 1 1 1 City Council Minutes December 19, 1977 Page 3 Chief Neuman stated that, based on the recommendations, he was planning the relocation of the existing Police Communication Center to a more secure loca- tion within the facility, and eventual consolidation of the Police and Fire Dispatching Programs within one year. Also, this consolidation would accommo- date the "911 Emergency Answering Point "at the Police Department. He stated that the State would ultimately pay for the 911 installation and the recurring costs, but not for personnel, and it was his feeling that the most logical time to implement the system was concurrently with the planning for a consoli- dated Communications System. He continued that the plan was to move communica- tions to the relative security of the current Evidence Room and move the Evidence Room to the Juvenile Detention area, now leased to the County. He stated that joint meetings had been held with the Fire Department Consultants to carefully plan a cost - effective consolidated Fire and Police Communications System, including the 911 provisions. He concluded that the initial design of the Police Facility anticipated the relocation of the Communications and that the assembly room could be used as an Emergency Operating Center in time of disaster. All necessary electrical systems had been provided to accommodate the move to the basement of the Police Facility. Concentration by the Dispatcher on radio or telephone messages is vital to the safety of Police Officers and the citizen who is experiencing an emergency or needs help. This required a well - planned, secure, and distraction free setting. He believed that a.consolidated Public Safety Communications System would be the most cost - effective and efficient concept that could be developed with respect to City Communication needs. The proper selection and use of modern communication equipment would minimize labor, intensive cost over the long term and provide a safer and faster level of service response to the Community. There is a major need to improve Fire Communications now and implementation of this system would bring the Fire Department up to acceptable standards. Chief Minor stated basic agreement with Roger Neuman's statement, and added that a major weakness he had observed since taking over as Fire Chief, was the ' delivery of Fire Protection to the residents of San Luis Obispo is the manner of receiving emergency. calls for assistance and in dispatching fire companies to the scene. Critical elements of emergency dispatching were reliability, expediency and efficiency, all of which were difficult to improve on under the present system of operation. He stated that he had been working closely with Police Chief Neuman to combine the dispatching functions of the Police Depart- ment and Fire Department into one common dispatching system. He stated that both Chiefs concurred that such an arrangement would lend itself to greater benefit of economy of scale, improved dispatching and reduction in the time lag in dispatching an emergency unit to the scene. He then reviewed, for the City Council, some of the problems that he had encountered since assuming command of the local Fire Department in the area of Communications. He concluded that the Fire Department, for several years,.had failed for one reason or another to modernize its communication capability. The radio equipment at present was old and inadequate in performing a most reliable function. In the very near future, the City would out of sheernecessity, have to invest a fair sum of money to modernize its Fire Communication System. For example, the Police Department had experienced concern for their nine (9) year old Radio System and the Fire Department was presently working with a radio system that was over twenty (20) years of age. One major impact affecting the feasibility of combin- ing the Fire and Police Dispatching functions was the improved reliability and efficiency they hoped to derive from the move. He then submitted some cost estimates on radio equipment that would be necessary in the 1978 -1979 year to help improvements to be made. He thanked the City Council for the opportunity to present his concerns on the communications and the hope that they could pro- , ceed on a joint communication and dispatch center with the Police Department. 1:35 P.M., Councilman Jorgensen left the meeting. The City Council then continued their discussion with Police Chief Neuman and Fire Chief Minor on their plans for improving the Communications and Dispatch- ing capabilities of the City of San Luis Obispo and also the inclusion of the "911" System in the Dispatch Center. City Council Minutes December 19, 1977 Page 4 City Clerk, J.H. Fitzpatrick, remarked that an adequate Police and Fire Communication System would be of much help to the City during a time of emergency because, as Emergency Services Coordinator for the City, one of the major problems, was lack of a decent integrated Communications System between Police, Fire and other emergency services. On motion of Councilman Dunin, seconded by Councilman Petterson, Police Chief Neuman and Fire Chief Minor were authorized to proceed with a program for Council's consideration for the establishment of a joint communications system at the City Police Facility. Motion carried on the following roll call vote: AYES: Councilmen Dunin, Petterson, Settle and Mayor Schwartz NOES: None ABSENT: Councilman Jorgensen 5. There being no further business to come before the City Council, Mayor Schwartz adjourned the meeting at 2:30 P.M., December 19, 1977. APPROVED: February 21, 1978 if J,r Fitzpatrick, City Clerk M I N U T E S REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1977 - 7:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL Pledge POT.T. r.AT.T. Councilmen PRESENT: Councilmen Dunin, Jorgensen, Petterson, Settle, and Mayor Schwartz ABSENT: None City Staff PRESENT: J.H. Fitzpatrick, City Clerk; Allen Grimes, City Attorney; R.D. Miller, Administrative Officer; Henry Engen, Director of Community Development; Dan Smith, Senior Planner; Terry Sanville, Planning Associate; Wayne Peterson, City Engineer; Roger Neuman, Police Chief; Dave Romero, Director of Public Services 1. City Council held a Public Hearing on the appeal of Frank Truchan on behalf of Burger King, Inc., from requirements proposed by the Planning Commission for the Burger King site at 963 Foothill Blvd. 1) Appeal from the Planning Commission requirements for the preparation of a Master Plan for parking and circulation on the entire parcel. 2) Appeal from the Planning Commission requirement for the preparation of an expanded initial environmental study to evaluate traffic access and circulation as it relates to the subject property. 3) Appeal from the Planning Commission decision to classify the Burger King Restaurant as a "Drive -in Restaurant." I� 1