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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/09/1971MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA August 9, 1971 - 8:00 A. M. Silent Woman Restaurant Roll Call Present: Emmons Blake, John C. Brown, Myron Graham, Kenneth E. Schwartz Absent.: T. Keith Gurnee City Staff Present: J. H. Fitzpatrick; City Clerk; H. Johnson, City Attorney; R. D. Miller; Administrative Officer Others Present: Assemblyman William M. Ketchum and members of his staff: Bill Deaver, Carol Hallett, Dale Silva The City Council discussed informally with Assemblyman Ketchum the.status of various Assembly and Senate Bills being considered by the Legislature during this session. Those present discussed such items as welfare reform, tax relief, employer - employee relations, utility taxes, "Tippler's Tax," etc. Mayor Schwartz thanked Assemblyman Ketcum for attending this informational meeting and expressed his appreciation for Mr. Ketchum and his staff taking time to be present. 9:30 A. M., the meeting adjourned.to 7:30 P. M. August 9, 1971. APPROVED: J F ATRICK, CITY CLERK 1 MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 9, 1971 -7:30 P. M. CITY HALL Pledge Roll Call Present: Emmons Blake, John C. Brown, Myron Graham, T. Keith Gurnee, Kenneth E. Schwartz City Staff Present: R. Young, Planning Director; J. H. Fitzpatrick, City Clerk; J. Stockton, Parks and Recreation Supervisor; H. Johnson, City Attorney;. R. D. Miller, Administrative Officer; D. F. Romero, City Engineer; E. L: Rodgers, Police Chief A =1: The City Clerk reported that no bids were received for a sedan for the Police:Department. as the 1971.inodels were out of production and the dealers were unable to meet the specifications. The Administrative Officer was authorized to call for bids when the 1972 models became available. A -2. R. Younq, Planning Director, presented for the Council's consideration an application for grants'to acquire and develop land for open space purposes from the Housing and-Urban Development Department. He stated the application would be for a grant for Phase II and III of Meadow Park and would involve a total cost of $119,673 with 50% to be allocated by HUD. On motion of Councilman Brown, seconded by Councilman Graham, the following resolution was introduced. RESOLUTION NO. 2225, a resolution authorizing filing of application for a Federal grant to develop open space land. Passed and adopted on the following roll call vote: AYES: Emmons Blake, John C. Brown, Myron Graham, T. Keith Gurnee, Kenneth E. Schwartz NOES: None ABSENT: None A -3. D'. F. Romero, City Engineer, reported on his study of the use of checker block for the drainage channel improvement in the Tassajara, Foothill area. Mr. Romero stated that due to the narrowness of easement, checker block construction would require full use of the right -of -way, which would entail removal of 18 trees rather than 7 which would be removed under the original plan. The hydraulic capacity of the checker block channel would be slightly smaller than the original plan, therefore,'more suaject to flooding under peak storms. Maintenance of the checker block channel would be more difficult due to the continuing weed growth through the blocks. He continued that the cost of the construction of the drainage channel as presented by him was $52,000 and he estimated that the cost of checker block would be $62,000. 0. K. Industries who has worked with this material estimated it would cost approximately .$66,000 to do the work. D. F. Romero recommended that the low bid on the specifications previously approved be accepted by the Council. I City Council Minutes August 9, 1971 Page 2 Councilman Graham hoped that the City Council could arrange to use the checker block system on the bottom of the ditch and possibly block on the side walls due to the narrowness of the easement. He also hoped that the trees could be kept in the stream rather than sterile concrete. D. F. Romero stated that in order to use checker block in the bottom of the stream, it would necessitate the footing of the block sidewalls to be placed under private property adjacent to the creek. The City Clerk. presented a petition. signed by nine. residents /property owners of the area objecting to the checker block.type of improvement and asking that a full concrete improvement be made to the creek. Councilman Brown agreed with the property owners and favored the block walls and concrete bottom as previously approved by the City Council.. Councilman Gurnee stated he did not agree with. the need for concreting this drainage channel in the method proposed by the City Engineer. He asked why the improvements were needed in this small channel. The City Engineer answered that the channel had been designed under more lenient specifications many years ago and had flooded many many times since. In his opinion, the block and concrete construction.provided the most feasible. way to eliminate flood problems and minimize.future channel maintenance. Councilman Gurnee stated he hoped the City Council would reject the bids received on this project and re- advertise for checker block construction for this creek channel and for other channels in the City. He felt this type of construction would still allow the water to percolate into the ground and stimulate growth along the channel. Councilman Blake did not.feel the Council should delay construction oh.this project as bid.as he felt this was a good bid and that a new call-for bids would only increase construction costs due to.the uncertainty of.weather.. Mayor Schwartz stated that everyone should keep in mind that this was not a natural creek but was created by the developer of the adjacent tract to handle rain water around his development.. He continued that whi.le he.could appreciate Councilman Gurnee's.point.of using the checker block, he felt that due to the narrowness of the channel, it was better to keep the trees and improve the drainage capacity of the.creek. .He felt that if the easement could be widened so that proper use of checker block could be made to enhance the physical beauty of the creek he could go:;along.with.the suggestion, but he did not wish to lose the.existing trees in.the channel. Councilman Gurnee felt this project was just passing flood waters and flood problems further downstream without any provisions for the water to go into the banks and the bottom of the channel. Mayor Schwartz stated this was an old development and the creek was placed in.such a narrow channel that the City was now requiring a more natural development of the creeks which would not require such compact channelization. A -4. On motion.of Councilman Blake, seconded by Councilman Brown, that the low bid of Walter Bros-Construction of $52,004.69 be accepted. Motion carried with Councilman Gurnee voting no. A -5. The City Council received a communication from the Planning Department requesting permission to call for bids for lighting the south bank of.the creek in Mission Plaza with three ornamental electroliers similar to the existing lights in Phase l at an estimated cost of $3,000. They.also asked permission:to include an electrical connection for the sprinkler system on . the south bank in this contract with an estimated.cost of $300'. On motion of Councilman Brown, seconded by Councilman Graham, the staff was authorized to call for bids on the lighting and sprinkler system. Motion carried. A -6. The City Council discussed holding a public hearing regarding Broad Street between Monterey Street and Palm Street as a one way street. 1 1 City Council Minutes August 9, 1971 . Page 3 On motion of Mayor Schwartz, seconded by Councilman Graham, the public hearing was set for September 7, 1971 for the possible one way traffic in either direction. A -7. Complaint for personal injuries and propetty damage on behalf of Louise Crane was referred to the insurance carrier on motion of Councilman Brown, seconded by Councilman Graham. Motion carried. A -8. Communication from Lane Wilson, Park Foreman, regarding informal bids received for planting street trees in Tract No. 317, Ann Arbor Estates. He stated that the request for informal bids was sent to all local landscape contractors and specifications were based on 15 gallon trees and several other conditions. One bid for $1260 from Karleskint Crum met all specifications. The other bid of $539.37 from Troutner Bros. was for bare root trees of the same size as. -those required by the specifications. Lane Wilson stated that at first glance, it would appear the City would get a savings of $721.63 but that if bare root stock was to be planted, then the specifications of the bid would have to be changed in order to protect the City and insure the growth of the trees. A change in the bid would be necessary because of the greater risk involved 'in planting bare root stock and also the lack of manpower by the City to adequate care for the trees. He stated that if the City Council wished to use bare.root trees, he would suggest that new bids be called for so that all suppliers would have an opportunity to bid the specifications. H..Johnson, City Attorney, stated that after studying the bid specifications and the birds received that only the Karleskint ,Crum bid . met the specifications. He felt that,if the Council wished to make a change, they would have to call for new bids. Councilman Brown suggested the City Council accept the only qualified bid and get the trees planted due to the great delay ;that h,ad already taken place, in completing this tract. On motion of Councilman Brown, seconded by.Mayor Schwartz, that the low bid of Karleskint Crum be accepted as the only qualified bid based on the spec- ifications. Motion carried. B -1. Discussion on mobile homes and mobile home parks and their taxation in the City of San Luis Obispo. Mayor Schwartz explained that the discussion was to review whether the mobile homes and mobile home parks were - paying an equitable share of City taxes . in comparison with normal residential properties in the city. He continued that to be fair this must be compared on a per dwelling basis of mobile homes, single family dwellings and multiple dwelling units. R. Young, Planning Director, reviewed for the City Council the report prepared under his direction comparing taxation of mobile homes and single family residences-. He presented charts showing the comparison of. taxes . on a $15,000 mobile home; and a $14,000 single family residence and the spread of taxes between the County, City and various districts. He submitted several pieces of pending legislation regarding changes of;taxation of mobile homes, and a report by the Western Mob4d e_Home Association on taxation. He also presented for the Council's information a comparative study on the number of children attending the elementary and high schools of the City from mobile homes and from single family residences. He also presented a comparison of utility rates paid the City by a single family dwelling and a mobile home. The City Council discussed some of the more salient points: of Mr. Young's presentation dealing with specific taxation of a mobile home in a park and the taxes paid by.that park versus the single family dwelling and its taxes. City Council Minutes August 9, 1971 Page 4 Gerald Taylor, mobile home park operator, appeared before the City Council to discuss mobile homes and their taxation. He felt that the City Council should look to other facts than just the direct property tax and assessment on mobile homes versus other types of homes within the community. He suggested that the City Council should actually look at the tax yield based on a per acre tax basis rather than as an individual unit, as a mobile home park averaged eight units to an acre where a single family dwelling had about four units to the acre. He stated that a mobile home park would yield approximately $20,640 per acre and a single family subdivision would yield $19,170. He also commented that the per space land as assessed.by the assessor in mobile home parks was too low in comparison to its value although he felt that all land in the City was assessed below the state average. Bernard F. Rocha, representing the Mobile Home Association, reviewed a report which he was having prepared, but had not yet received, on the existing conditions in the mobile home parks and trailer parks in the city, listing their assessed values and tax returns for mobile homes, trailers and the parks. He stated that as soon as the reports had been received, he would distribute them to the City Council members for their information. Charles Long., owner of the Village Motel and mobile home park on South Street, felt that the problem of inequities in taxes on mobile homes was that the County Assessor did not keep land and building values current. A. Volny suggested that nothing could be accomplished at a meeting such as this regarding taxes on mobile homes due to the complexity of the problem and he suggested that the City Council consider the appointment of a citizens committee to look into this matte r and make a full report to the City Council with recommendations for equilization of taxes on mobile homes, trailers and other taxable improvements. Mayor Schwartz felt that to really have a fair comparison between mobile -home taxation and other types of dwellings, the study should include developments other than single family dwellings and should include apartments and multiple dwellings of the same density as a mobile home park as he agreed with the statements that a more equitable tax comparison could be made on a per acre basis. Council.man Blake felt the City could do little to change the tax system on mobile homes as the State had preempted the field but the City Council could increase the requirements for the construction of mobile home parks which would force higher standards and a subsequent increase in assessment and then the tax differential would be inconsequential. Mayor Schwartz asked the staff °to continue the study of this matter to include apartments and other multiple units on a per acre basis including the land assessment in order to come up with a City tax per unit basis. B -2. The City Council again discussed the City's participation in a Federal Flood Insurance Program. H. Johnson, City Attorney, explained the work that must be accomplished by the City staff prior to going into this program and suggested that the Council continue discussion of the program until the planning consultant had made some recommendations dealing with flood plains and their zoning. The matter was continued for Council discussion with the Planning Consultant on November 8, 1971. C -1. Claim of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Jordan, 1230 Woodside Drive, for alleged damages caused to their property by a water pressure problem was denied and referred to the insurance carrier on motion of Councilman Gurnee, seconded by Councilman Brown. `Motion carried. On motion of Councilman Gurnee, seconded by Councilman Brown, that upon filing of other claims similar to the Jordan claim in the Southwood area that the claims be denied and referred to the insurance carrier. Motion carried. 7 LA