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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/14/19671 1 1 Roll Call City Staff Present MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL August 14, 1967 - 6:00 P.M. CITY HALL Emmons Blake, Frank Gallagher, Arthur F. Spring, Donald Q. Miller, Clell W. Whelchel Present: R. D. Young, Planning Director; J. H. Fitzpatrick, City Clerk; H. Johnson, City Attorney; R. D. Miller, Administrative Officer; E. L. Rodgers, Police Chief. 1. Mayor Whelchel stated that the purpose of the meeting was to meet and discuss with the property owners in the Mission Plaza block, east of San Luis Creek, what could be done to begin developing the private properties along with the City owned properties on the west side. The Mayor stated that it would be an open discussion to get ideas from the various property owners. Mr. Warden discussed with the City Council his plans for development of his property which are conditioned on cost and the retainment of parking on his property to serve his store and apartments. He felt that, without some parking.for use of his tenants, the property would be unrentable and that he would be unable to go along with the beautification plan. He stated that he has not given any consideration to pedestrian access to the rear of his property -and will not consider this until he sees the overall plan for such development. He stated that he has given temporary permission to the Johnson Estate for access through his property to Monterey Street as a second access was a requirement of the City Building Code in connection with remodeling the old Woolsworth Store Building for National Stores. Councilman Miller stated that he was hopeful that some arrangement could be made with the property owners so that a pedestrian easement along the Creek area could be achieved connecting the Warden Bridge and the City bridge behind the Cigar Factory. He continued that he also hoped that the property owners would allow their Creek area to be cleaned up and landscaped. A. Renetzky, attorney and property owner, stated that he and his associates wanted to inform the City Council that his group of property owners agreed with the. majority of the City Council on the realignment of Monterey Street in front of the Mission and to keep the street open. He stated that he was sure that all of the affected property owners in the vicinity were for keeping Monterey Street open but realigned. J. Berkemeyer, property owner, urged that the City Council keep Monterey Street open and that he would go along with any plan developed by the City to improve the Mission Plaza. Mrs. Dunklee, property owner, stated she would go along with any plan developed by the City Council for the Mission Plaza but urged that the City Council keep Monterey Street open in front of the Mission but realigned. John Kuden urged the City Council to realign Monterey Street and keep it open as planned by the City Council and that he and his principals would go along with any development planned by the City Council for the Mission Plaza. J. Berkemeyer stated he felt the closing of Monterey Street would be a detriment to the property owners in the vicinity. City Council Minutes August 14, 1967 Page 2 Mayor Whelchel stated that one of the reasons that the majority of the City Council were for keeping Monterey Street open was that they felt it would be needed for traffic use as the City grew in order to have access from downtown to other areas of the City. He continued that the City Council is still proceeding with the acquisition of property on Monterey Street for the realignment and for development of the Mission Plaza. J. McDonald, property owner, stated that the key lease on the Wickenden building was just renewed on the understanding that Monterey Street was going to be realigned and kept open. He stated that as the property owner he was planning to clean up and redecorate the exterior of this building. • Mayor Whelchel stated that he did not feel that the development of a pedestrian access along the east side of San Luis Creek needed to wait until Monterey Street was realigned but could proceed immediately with the consent of the property owners. J. Berkemeyer asked the City Council to consider paving the bottom and sides of the Creek in order to keep the water clean. He also stated he would be willing to finance some of the property owners in their development if they were short of cash. Peter Kardel, attorney representing the Johnson Estate, stated that the property owners were reluctant to proceed with landscaping or other development features in the back area of their property until the City could proceed with the realign- ment of Monterey Street because without Monterey Street being kept open, the rear portions of these properties were dead. He stated that his clients are making plans to completely remodel and redevelop their properties including pedestrian access from Chorro Street to the rear of the property but due to the tremendous cost involved, they must be sure the City will go ahead with their property development. Mayor Whelchel stated that he felt he was speaking for the City Council, that they were very interested in moving ahead with the development of a pedestrian access on the east side of San Luis Creek and Stated the City would help in any way they could to push this along. J. McDonald urged the City Council to push ahead with the development of the parking lot on Monterey Street, an extension of Parking Lot No. 11, so that parking could be put in as soon as possible. H. Johnson, City Attorney, brought to the City Councils attention the matter of the final alignment of Monterey Street at the Warden Bridge and Murray adobe as the sidewalk as shown actually goes through a portion of the bridge, and he urged that an up to date engineering plan be prepared showing final location of the sidewalk. After discussion the City Council stated that until the Murray adobe and the Madonna Apartments are acquired by the City, no final engineering plan will be considered. The Mayor thanked the property owners for attending and stated that they were available at any time to move the Mission Plaza program along, particularly a pedestrian access on the east side of the Creek. 4. On motion of Councilman Gallagher, seconded by Councilman Blake, the following resolution was introduced. Resolution No. 1728, a resolution calling a Special Election to be held on the 10th day of October, 1967, pertaining to the annexation of the territory described as "Los Osos Road No. 1 Annexation" to the City of San Luis Obispo. Passed and adopted on the following roll call vote: AYES: E�mons Blake, Frank Gallagher, Arthur F. Spring, Donald Q. Miller, Clell W. Whelchel 1 City Council Minutes August 14, 1967 Page 3 NOES: None ABSENT: None 5. H. Johnson, City Attorney, presented for the Council's consideration the matter of the damage to the Union Oil Company pipe line through the area of San Luis Drive ' being widened under City contract. Mr. Johnson stated that this matter involved the lowering of this pipe line not only through the area of the street but beyond on school property so that no valves, etc., would be required at the property lines. The City had authorized the Union Oil Company to proceed with this improvement so as not to delay the contractor doing the street widening work. R. D. Miller, Administrative Officer, stated that D. F. Romero, City Engineer, had authorized the Union Oil Company to proceed as rapidly as possible with the lowering of the pipe at a cost not to exceed $2,000. The City Council discussed this work being requested by the City Engineer and the reason for such expense being born by the City on property outside the street right of way. The City Council requested a full report on this matter at the next meeting and the Union Oil Company was requested to cease any work on this project and if they did not, they would proceed at their own risk. 6. The City Council discussed appointing a member.of the City Council to work with the architect, John.:Ross, and the City staff�.on the design and construction of the ' new Police Building. The City Council appointed Councilman Gallagher to be the Council representative for design of the Police Station Facility. On motion of Councilman Blake, seconded by Councilman Miller, the City Attorney was requested to use the figure of $275,000 as an estimated construction cost for the Police Station for negotiation purposes. 7. On motion of Councilman Gallagher, seconded by Councilman Miller, the Mayor was authorized to accept and record on behalf of the City a grant deed and street widening agreement from Ferne E. Wise for property on Foothill Boulevard. 8. H. Johnson, City Attorney, reported on the Highland Drive Extension Contract as follows: In response to the Council's request, Cal Poly was advised that September 1, 1967 would be the expiration date for the City's offer. The College and the attorney for the Trustees of the State College System informed the City that the next Trustees' meeting was to be the week of September 20th, and requested an extension to October 1, 1967 so that action could be taken by the Board of Trustees on the City's offer. On motion of Councilman Gallagher, action be extended on the Highland carried. 9. On motion of Councilman Blake, ordinance was introduced for final amending Chapter 4 of Article VI o to Uniform Sales and Use Tax. seconded Drive Ex seconded passage. E the San by Councilman Miller, that the time for tension to October 1, 1967. Motion by Councilman Spring, the following Ordinance No. 381, an ordinance Luis Obispo Municipal Code relative 2. At this time the City Council met with members of the Chamber of Commerce and the Motel /Hotel Committee of the Chamber to discuss advertising and promotional expenditures by the City from the transient tax. City Council Minutes August 14, 1967 Page 4 The City Clerk presented a report of expenditures from the transient tax for the fiscal year 1966/67. The City Clerk also presented a report on excerpts from the Chamber of Commerce Financial Statements for the years 1963, 1965, 1966 and 1967 through June 30, 1967. On question of the Mayor, Administrative Officer Miller reported bed tax receipts for 1966 -67 of $65,205. Mayor Whelchel stated that it was the Councils original thinking in conjunction with the then officers of the Chamber of Commerce when the bed tax was first collected that 2/3 of the funds would be retained for the City for major development of tourist attractions and a convention center and 1/3 spent on current promotion and advertising. He continued that he felt the City Council had been following this original theory and in fact were. actually spending more than the 1/3 on current year programs. Mr. Jim Kimball, President of the Chamber of Commerce, stated that he was not appearing this evening to ask the City Council for any money for advertising and promotion but to discuss this program with the City Council and to investigate what actually was done to advertise and promote the City of San Luis Obispo's number one industry, tourism. He then presented a letter originally presented to the Council Committee on advertising which presented a program for 12 months advertising throughout the State of California including advertising of the Fiesta, Poly Royal, etc. Mr. Kimball continued that the tourists convention center report recently completed by the staff members at Cal Poly, showed that San Luis Obispo is virtually unknown outside of its own area and that before conventions could be attracted to this area the report urged an advertising publicity campaign to let people know where San Luis I Obispo is and what it has to offer. Mr. Kimball stated that he agreed that the City had spent some money on promotion and that the $25,000 spent in 1966/67 was well spent but really how much was used to advertise the number one industry, tourism. Mr. Gessler, Manager -Co -owner of the San Luis Travelodge, stated he felt that San Luis Obispo had much to offer in the way of climate and scenery. He stated that he personally spends about $6,000 per year advertising his motel and the City of San Luis Obispo. He stated that it was his understanding when the bed tax was first initiated that it was to get funds to advertise the City and encourage tourists to visit here. He suggested that the City Council should set aside 25% of the bed tax collections for advertising and promotion. Robert Brown, Past President of the Chamber of Commerce, reviewed for the City Council the history of the initiation of the bed tax ordinance in the City at which time the tourist businesses in the City were promised an adequate amount of money for advertising and promotion. He stated that he felt that an adequate advertising and promotional budget promoting the City of San Luis Obispo would reap returns to the economy of the City and urged the City Council to set aside funds for the advertising and promotion of San Luis Obispo. J. Kimball, President of the Chamber of Commerce, presented for the Council's• consideration a list of California Cities and their allocation of bed tax funds for Chamber of Commerce and promotional expenditures. He listed Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Santa Cruz and the Monterey Peninsula Visitors and Convention Group. He continued that if the City sees their way to set aside funds for advertising and promotion he hoped they would be spent through an advertising agency so that all promotional information would be done on a professional basis. City Council Minutes August 14, 1967 Page 5 Ron Dunin, Chairman of the Motel /Hotel Committee of the Chamber, urged the City Council to set aside a substantial amount of bed tax funds to advertise. and promote the City of San Luis Obispo on an annual basis. He then presented figures on the amount of money spent daily by tourists visiting a community in accordance with travel statistics. ' Mayor Whelchel reminded the Chamber representatives that the bed tax is a general tax of the City and that the City Council could spend all of these funds for general expenditures and he wanted to know just what the Chamber of Commerce wished to be dropped from the existing bed tax expenditures and substituted with advertising and promotion. Mr. Kimball urged that the City Council appoint a committee to meet with the Chamber of Commerce group to go over the complete bed tax expenditure program and to develop a policy for these expenditures while still granting funds for a promotional program for the City. • Councilman Gallagher stated that he agreed that the bed tax funds should be spent on a percentage basis with a portion being spent for economic development, a portion on advertising and a portion on tourism. Ron Dunin stated that the Motel /Hotel Committee of the Chamber was asking that the City Council set 25% of the bed tax aside for advertising with the funds to be spent by an advertising committee consisting of .a Councilman, a City staff member, and a representative from the hotel /Hotel- Industry. Bob Brown stated that he was not asking for.funds for the Chamber but was asking that the City Council restudy their overall promotional expenditures for the City. On motion of Councilman Blake, seconded by Councilman Gallagher, that the City Council appoint a. committee to meet with the Chamber of Commerce and Motel /Hotel ' Association on an advertising and promotional program. Motion carried. Councilman Miller and Councilman Blake were appointed to represent the Council on this committee. 3. At this time the City Council again considered bids for sale of the former Cornet Store Building on Higuera Street at public auction. The City Clerk reported that he had received no written bids. Mayor-Whelchel declared the public auction open. Mr. Bob Brown stated that he was one of the members of the investors group who were going to buy the property but had withdrawn their negotiations at this time. Mayor Whelchel declared the public auction closed. Councilman Blake moved that the City withdraw the building from the market. Motion lost for lack of a second. On motion of Councilman Gallagher, seconded by Councilman Miller, that the sale be continued to August 21, 1967. Motion carried. ' 10. Mr. T. Maino, Maino Construction Company, appeared before the City Council regarding the paving of Los Osos Road between the curb, gutter and sidewalk in Tract No. 347 and the existing paving on Los Osos Road. Mr. Maino stated that originally the City agreed to pave this strip after being brought to grade by the developer but now that the annexation does not include Los Osos Road, what is to be done as far as paving is concerned. The matter was continued to August 21, 1967 for report by the City Engineer.