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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/25/1996MINUTES CITY COUNCILS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY SPECIAL JOINT CITY COUNCIL MEETING Thursday, April 25, 1996 - 7:00 p.m. Embassy Suites - 333 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo Mayor Allen K. Settle called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: City of Arroyo Grande Present: Council Members Brandy, Fuller and Mayor Dougall Absent: Council Member Lady and Mayor Pro Tern Souza City of Atascadero Present: Council Members Carden, Luna, Mayor Pro Tern Johnson, Mayor Highland Absent: Council Member Bewley City of Grover Beach Present: Council Members Forister, Gates, Munroe, Mayor Pro Tem Hamilton and Mayor Amoldsen City of Morro Bay Present: Council Members Anderson, Crotzer, Unger, Vice Mayor Novak and Mayor Yates City of Paso Robles Present: Council Member Martin and Mayor Macklin Absent: Council Members Iversen, Picano and Mayor Pro Tern Heggarty City of Pismo Beach Present: Council Members Halldin and Mellow Absent: Council Member Brown, Mayor Pro Tern Stahl, and Mayor Bailey City of San Luis Obispo Present: Council Members Roalman, Romero, Smith, Vice Mayor Williams and Mayor Settle The Clerk noted that those cities represented this evening but without a quorum, would not be able to participate in voting but could join in discussion. PUBLIC COMMENT: Neil Havlik, Natural Resources Manager for the City of San Luis Obispo, said that the City's Open Space Funding Task Force had delivered its preliminary findings and invited everyone to a public Task Force's public forum to be held on Monday, April 29, 1996, beginning at 6:45 p.m. in the Community Room of the City/County library. 1 fl Joint Meeting of the City Councils Page 2 ' April 25, 1996 ACTION ITEMS: 1. The Councils considered a proposed annexation tax exchange agreement between San Luis Obispo County and the Cities in San Luis Obispo County. Bob Hunt, City Manager of Arroyo Grande, said the results of an independent study conducted by the firm of Crawford, Multari, & Starr on revenue neutral annexations had found that the numbers for the County to achieve fiscal neutrality on annexations were higher than the cities had hoped for, but did refute the County's claim that it needs a portion of the cities' sales tax or other revenue to remain whole on annexations. He recommended that the cities adopt the joint resolution presented this evening, and adopted by the Board of Supervisors at its meeting of April 23, 1996. Mayor Settle asked for public input. No one came forward to comment. After discussion, moved by Settle /Dounall to adopt Joint Resolution 01 -96; motion carried as follows: Arroyo Grande - (3 -0-2) Atascadero - (2 -2 -1) Grover Beach - (5 -0) Morro Bay - (5 -0) Pismo Beach - (no quorum) Paso Robles - (no quorum) San Luis Obispo - (5 -0) 2. The Councils considered supporting the County's efforts to ensure Unocal compliance with State and Federal law, and adherence to environmental standards. Mayor Settle, San Luis Obispo, indicated that Council Member Romero had presented an revised resolution. He added the idea behind this action was to encourage County-wide environmental protection. Mayor Settle opened the floor to comment from the audience. Bill Sherrer, a senior manager for Unocal, said that Unocal supported the action by this group to pass a corporate citizen responsibility resolution and requested that all local elected officials and government bodies contact Unocal on individual areas of concerns. Pat Mackie. Paso Robles, said he was not aware of Unocal's cooperation with local government agencies and supported the resolution. Mayor Settle returned discussion to the Councils. Moved by Munroe /Romero to adopt the joint resolution as modified by Council Member Romero and with the last sentence of the original resolution included as a "Whereas' ; motion carried as follows: Arroyo Grande (3 -0-2) Atascadero - (4 -0 -1) Joint Meeting of the City Councils Page 3 April 25, 1996 1 Grover Beach - (5 -0) Morro Bay - (3 -2) Paso Robles - (not participating) Pismo Beach - (not participating) San Luis Obispo - (5 -0) 3. The Councils considered supporting SB 1590 responding to the Guardino decision (Proposition 62). Pete Dougall, Mayor of Arroyo Grande, reported that the Guard ino.decision invalidating a one -half cent sales tax to fund local transportation projects, could expose cities throughout California to potential retroactive rebates totalling approximately $400,000,000. He said that SB 1590, introduced by Sate Senator Jack O'Connell, will protect cities from these retroactive impacts and that the resolution before the Councils would provide the additional support needed to ensure passage in the Legislature. Geoff Weg, Administrative Assistant to Senator O'Connell, urged the Councils to adopt the resolution. Moved by Dougall /Brandy to adopt a joint resolution of the Cities of San Luis Obispo County supporting validation of the act in response to Santa Clara County Local Transportation Authority vs. Guardino; motion carried as follows: Arroyo Grande - (3 -0-2) Atascadero - (4 -0-1) Grover Beach - (3 -2) Morro May - (5 -0) Paso Robles - (not participating) Pismo Beach - (not participating) San Luis Obispo - (5 -0) 4. The Councils considered adopting a resolution asking Pacific Gas and Electric to address the community impacts of its proposal concerning the valuation of holdings around the state. Council Member Carden, Atascadero, announced that he would be stepping down due to a conflict of interest. Bill Hendrix, County Administrator, said that in the environment of the utility industry to restructure the electric industry to create an atmosphere of competition, P.G. & E.'s proposal to diminish the value of its production facilities through accelerated depreciation would ultimately result in a loss of $9.6 million in revenues annually over a five -year period. He urged the Council to adopt the proposed resolution supporting the County in its efforts to work with P.G. & E. to mitigate these impacts. Mayor Settle asked for public comment. Greg Rueger, Senior Vice President and General Manager of P.G. & E.'s nuclear power generation business, asked the Council to consider that P.G.& E. is the largest property tax payer in the County and the largest private employer in the County with over 1600 year -round employees whose Joint Meeting of the City Councils Page 4 April 25, 1996 contribution to the community in the taxes they pay far outweighs the property tax contributions under discussion. Bud Laurent, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said he was representing a unified, unanimous board in support of this resolution. .? Mayor- Settle turned the. discussion back to the members of the City Councils. Moved by Munroe/Johnson to adopt the proposed resolution as amended to address, in addition to P.G.& E. in the title of the resolution, the California Public Utilities Commission, and the State s Boardaof Equalization, 'also amending the final paragraph amended to include both entities in < addition to P.G.& E., amend paragraph five to delete "come in direct violation of and. add "may violate," and delete paragraph six; motion was lost, as follows: Arroyo Grande - (0 -3 -2) Atascadero - (1 -2 -2) Grover Beach - (3 -2) Morro'Bay - (1-4) Paso Robles (not participating) Pismo Beach - (not participating) San Luis Obispo - (3 -2) Moved by Dougall /Unger to resubmit this to the individual cities for consideration, with further ' documentation to be supplied as discussed; motion carried, as follows: Arroyo Grande - (3 -0-2) Atascadero - (3 -0-2) Grover Beach - (5-0) Morro Bay - (5 -0) Paso Robles (not participating) Pismo Beach - (not participating) San Luis Obispo - (5 -0) INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: S. The Councils considered a report on a tax override for safety improvements to Highway 46 East. Walt Macklin. Mayor of Paso Robles, explained that as a rural County, we are at a disadvantage as we compete for State highway transportation funds, and that the solution to fund Highway 46 Improvements might necessitate an additional gas or sales tax that would require a two- thirds voter approval. He said that he hoped this body would direct their Mayors to continue dialogue on this subject. Mayor Settle asked for public comment. _.,Pat Mackie, Paso Robles, Vice Chair of the Fix 46 Committee, urged the Councils' support of a half - cent increase in the County sales tax dedicated to Highway 46 safety projects and asked for additional support. to ask the Board of Supervisors to put the sales tax increase on the November ballot Joint Meeting of the City Councils Page 5 April 25, 1996 1 Mary Chambers. President of the Fix 46 Committee, reiterated the hope that this sales tax increase would appear on the November ballot. — - Ron DeCarli, Executive Director of San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, informed the Council that although SLOCOG has not taken a position on a sales tax measure, they are currently working With the Fix 46 Committee, the California Highway Patrol, and Caltrans on Highway 46 safety improvements and will be developing recommendations within the next two months. Mayor Settle returned discussion to the Councils. Moved by WIliams/Smith, San Luis Obispo, suggested that the Councils ask SLOCOG to prepare a draft resolution for the individual Councils to review and adopt and send on to the County if they wish to move ahead with this type of action. Discussion ensued on the timing to get a measure to the voters in November. Ron DeCarli said that it was unlikely that all the legal steps necessary to get a measure on the ballot for November could be accomplished between now and June, and that the measure would more likely be on the ballot in 1997 or 1998. In light of Mr. DeCarli's comments, Vice Mayor Williams withdrew the motion but suggested that the individual cities study this as a possibility for next year. (General consensus.) 8:45 p.m. Mayor Settle called for a ten - minute recess. 8:55 p.m. Mayor Settle reconvened the meeting. 6. The Councils received a report on the Foundation for Community Design. Rob Rossi, Rossi Enterprises, speaking on behalf of the Foundation for Community Design, said that this group was comprised of people from throughout the County attempting a grassroots effort at visioning for the future of the County. 7. The Councils considered recommendations from the planning directors on developing land use strategies for improving general plan land use compatibilities, and joint planning of the spheres of influence and planning impact around the cities. Bob Lata. Community Development Director for the City of Paso Robles, asked the Councils for direction as to whether the planning directors should pursue coordinating land use policies. The Councils approved the Planning Directors pursuing these goals. 8. The Councils considered recommendations of the California Constitution Revision Commission. John Dunn. City Administrative Officer, City of San Luis Obispo, reviewed the recommendations of the California Constitution Revision Commission, including a new state /local realignment plan with each County forming a Home Rule Community Charter Commission in 1997. The charter would provide for the assignment of local government services and their financing and would be submitted to the voters for their approval no later than November of 2000. Joint Meeting of the City Councils Page 6 ' April 25, 1996 Mayor Settle encouraged all the cities in the County to attend the League of California Cities Channel Counties Division meeting in San Luis Obispo in September when Bill Hauck, Chair of the Revision Commission will be making a presentation. r- John 'Dunn added that a series of seminars would be held this summer and fall, and that he would _ urge that one of those take place within this County. Council Member Smith. San Luis Obispo, called attention to a document relating to the politics of - politeness drafted by the California Elected Women's Association for Education and Research, and encouraged each Council to consider adopting it as a resolution. 9:15 p.m. There being no further business to come before the Councils, Mayor Settle adjourned '- the meeting. _ Recorded Kim C ndon(-Rp cording Secretary Assi tant City Clerk, San Luis Obispo - Approved by Council: 5121/96 1_