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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2018-08-08 @6:000 o c�L1F0R��� CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL AGENDA REVIEW None. MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO P.O. Box 711 (City Hall, 400 Grand Avenue) South San Francisco, California 94083 Meeting to be held at: MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING COUNCIL CHAMBERS 33 ARROYO DRIVE SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2018 6:00 p.m. TIME: 6:00 p.m. PRESENT: Councilmembers Addiego, Garbarino* and Gupta, Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto and Mayor Normandy. ABSENT: None. *Councilman Garbarino recused himself from the meeting at 6:20 p.m. and re- entered the meeting at 6:34 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS - comments are limited to items on the Special Meeting Agenda. None. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS 1. Presentation regarding update on the City of South San Francisco's FEMA Flood Zone Map. (Eunejune Kim, Director of Public Works) Director of Public Works Kim provided a PowerPoint presentation regarding the Revised FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS). His presentation explained that FEMA was changing the 100 -year flood plain boundaries established in the City as part of the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). By participating in the program, the City ensures the community is eligible for future flood - related financial assistance, flood improvement grants and loans from federal agencies and that property owners in the flood plain are assured the ability to purchase flood insurance. Such policies cannot be canceled for repeat losses. As a participating community in FEMA's NFIP, the City has adopted and administers a flood plain ordinance to minimize public risk by regulating building permits in flood zones. Director Kim continued advising that in 2015, FEMA updated its Bay Area Mapping Model based on a new Coastal Flood Model that takes into consideration wave, weather and time. Together with San Bruno, the City challenged that model as conservative with an overestimation of the flood zone areas. In 2016, working with a consultant, the City appealed FEMA's modeling to no avail. Accordingly, FEMA's maps will become final in spring 2019. In 2020, newly mapped property owners with federally backed mortgages will need to obtain flood insurance. The City's new flood insurance rate maps result in an approximate 50% reduction in parcels located in delineated flood zone areas. It will retain 687 parcels already in the flood plain while adding 187 new parcels and removing 854 parcels. Of the 187 newly added parcels, 36 are single - family residences primarily in the Francisco Terrace Neighborhood, 101 are commercial including warehouses, parking lots and businesses. They are primarily in the Lindenville neighborhood west of 101. Six (6) are local government and 44 are vacant land parcels or undeveloped underwater marshland. Director Kim explained next steps included arranging a community outreach meeting to engage FEMA with the affected property owners in the new flood zones. Mayor Normandy invited public comment. San Bruno resident Robert Riechel addressed Council. He advised his home would be included in the new flood plan map. He called on FEMA to sit down with the cities of South San Francisco and San Bruno to review and discuss the findings of the City's consultant who differed with FEMA on future flood projections. Mr. Riechel quoted Hon. U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier's February 16, 2018 letter to FEMA in which she wrote: "[I]t is deeply troubling that an entirely different rationale was offered without adequate notice to either community or a chance to adjust their presentation based upon this line of reasoning. In fact it makes sense that someone might want to study river rain flow in combination with the actions of the bay. However, my staff reports that FEMA didn't offer data during their presentation to support its own assertions." Mr. Riechel closed his comments by reiterating his request that FEMA hold -off finalizing and publishing its existing map until it meets with the cities of San Bruno and South San Francisco. Councilman Garbarino recounted the history of the City's dispute with FEMA. He noted that while he didn't live in a flood zone area, he knew people that did and were being overburdened by the requirement of purchasing flood insurance. He further opined that living in a flood zone most likely decreased the value of the impacted property. He encouraged staff to try to bring FEMA to the table again. He understood there was flooding in South San Francisco, but didn't believe the new maps were fair. Director Kim advised there would be additional opportunities for challenging the determination upon finalization of the maps. For example, the Letter of Map Revision Process or Elevation Certificate could be utilized. Councilman Gupta queried the significant difference between the old and new flood maps. SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2018 MINUTES PAGE 2 Director Kim responded that the model formulation and underlying assumptions were changed. Councilman Gupta commented on the significant impact to affected property owners. He stated that if the maps stand, he would like to better understand FEMA's assumptions. Councilman Addiego was interested in means to assist single family residences included in the 187 new impacted properties. He noted that some Peninsula communities have mitigated the impact with creative solutions. For example, Measure P in Foster City increased the levy. A few years prior, in the City of San Mateo, a citywide bond measure facilitated blocking water from the estuary to prevent flood problems. He queried whether there was anything the City of South San Francisco could do along these lines to save residents from this burden. Director Kim advised that the Public Works Department had been addressing flood improvements for the Francisco Terrace Neighborhood including installing backfill preventers and bolting down the manholes. At tonight's regular meeting the Council would consider a Francisco Terrace crosswalk/overland release path that is currently stalled because bids came in too high. The release path was designed to work in conjunction with the backflow prevention and the tightening of the storm drain system in Francisco Terrace. This would significantly improve the flood resistance of the neighborhood. He further hoped to work with the consultant to remodel the area and possibly go back to FEMA for a Letter of Map Revision. Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto discussed the significant flooding that occurred in the City a few years back. She noted deep water required Fire Department personnel to use boats to rescue residents. One of the major issues with the excess water involved lawn fertilizer from the California Golf and Country Club, which was also involved in mudslides that physically impacted Ponderosa and Brentwood homes. She believed the Club should be involved in flood control discussions. Michael Barber of Supervisor Dave Pine's Office addressed Council. Mr. Barber was engaged in the FEMA Map Process and had worked with the City's Public Works Department to advocate before FEMA. He addressed FEMA's convoluted mapping process and offered kudos to South San Francisco and San Bruno for appealing the map. He stated the Supervisor's Office would continue to work with the City on the issue through the Colma Creek Advisory Committee. He encouraged the City to pursue a Letter of Map Revisions for any improvements. In response to a question from Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto, Mr. Barber confirmed that he would continue to be a point person on the issue as he had been since 2014. 2. Study Session - Update Regarding the Traffic Circle in Avalon Neighborhood (Richard Cho, Principal Engineer) 6:20 p.m.: Councilman Garbarino recused himself from this discussion due to the proximity of his residence to the structure at issue Principal Engineer Cho introduced the Study Session regarding the Traffic Circle in the Avalon Neighborhood. He provided a PowerPoint presentation on the issue. He advised that at a community meeting held in November 2017 the conceptual design of the traffic circle was presented to the SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2018 MINUTES PAGE 3 neighborhood. The design was finalized in January 2018 and the pilot traffic circle was installed in February 2018. The objectives for installing the circle were to increase stop sign compliance and to slow vehicular movements through the intersection. Community concerns regarding the circle and voiced at a recent meeting included vehicles not yielding to allow pedestrian crossings, loss of street parking and limited stop sign compliance. There was also concern over trajectory of the vehicles as they crossed the intersection. Residents were scared that if the vehicles lost control they would crash into front yards. A big concern was the unpleasing aesthetics of the circle. As the pilot is now complete, there are now two options: 1) remove the traffic circle; or 2) replace it with a smaller, more attractive circle. Principal Cho then presented a slide depicting an option including a landscaped circle with dome shaped mountable edges. The crosswalks would be marked in advance of the circle resulting in more potential parking loss. In response to a question from Mayor Normandy, Principal Cho stated that staff would need to study whether the stop signs could be removed if the traffic circle remains. Councilman Addiego stated that roundabouts have some merit since they move traffic in a tremendous fashion. He believed there were some intersections in the City where roundabouts would be viable. However he believed the City should walk -away from this particular pilot. Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto noted that attractive examples of roundabouts could be found in the City of Berkeley. Councilman Gupta stated concern for the impact of roundabouts on pedestrians and bicyclists. Councilman Addiego stated that over 200 residents recently attended a Brentwood and Avalon Community Meeting and the majority expressed frustration with the roundabout. He further stated that a moderate to heavily trafficked area where a roundabout could work is around Hillside Blvd. at Lincoln. Principal Cho responded that the grading in the area of Hillside Blvd. might not be optimal for a roundabout installation. Councilman Addiego believed a roundabout in the area of Hillside Blvd. that he mentioned could handle the 35 mph speed limit on the street. Director Kim advised that at the Avalon Brentwood Community Meeting it was made clear by the residents that both pedestrians and drivers were confused by the roundabout and larger vehicles had difficulty navigating the design. Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto supported the neighborhood in its desire to remove the roundabout. Councilman Gupta appreciated the roundabout as a traffic calming measure but did not believe it was appropriate at the impacted intersection in the Avalon Neighborhood. Mayor Normandy summarized Council's directive to remove the pilot traffic circle and look at alternative solutions or concepts for the neighborhood. 6 :34p.m.: Councilman Garbarino rejoined the meeting. SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2018 MINUTES PAGE 4 3. Report regarding General Plan Update Overview and Process. (Mike Futrell, City Manager and Sailesh Mehra, Chief Planner) City Manager Futrell introduced the staff report and provided a brief overview of the upcoming General Plan revision process. He advised that the current Plan is 19 years old. It is recommended that cities revise their plan every 20 years. Mr. Futrell presented the concept of the General Plan Community Advisory Committee, or GPCAC. He noted that in the United States, when a city revisits its general plan it is common practice to have a community committee of various individuals that would provide advice and work day -to -day with staff on the issue. Staff recommended an 11 member GPCAC. The proposed membership included (2) members of the City Council, a member of the Planning Commission, a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, five (5) residents from across the City, including one (1) from each of the recently adopted electoral districts, and two (2) members from the business community. Staff believed anything larger than 11 members would become unwieldy. The General Plan Update Process would be managed by the City Manager's Office. The principal actors would be the Economic and Community Development Department, but the process would involve all departments. Staff work would be coordinated through the City Manager's office and specifically led by Assistant City Manager Lee. Mr. Futrell stated that per the proposed timeline, staff recommended that Council select the consultant this year and have the GPCAC appointed and operating by November. That would permit a January kickoff. He invited Council's comments and direction relative to the timing of the Plan but also, more specifically, the need for an Advisory Committee. Councilman Gupta queried the process for retaining a consultant and suggested that Council be included in the retention. Mr. Futrell advised the consultant selection would come to Council for approval. He would consult the City Attorney regarding how to include Council in the selection process prior to approval. Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto disagreed with Councilman Gupta regarding the Council's involvement in the selection process. She believed the GPCAC could handle this process working with staff and make a recommendation to Council for approval. City Manager Futrell believed the GPCAC could be involved with interviewing the consultants. Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto stressed the importance of transportation. She noted the importance of bringing businesses that had hired traffic consultants into the fold on this process. She further queried why the update process was being coordinated through the City Manager's Office and not by the Planning Division. She didn't believe the Assistant City Manager had experience with a General Plan Update. City Manager Futrell responded that the Assistant City Manager would coordinate the update due to its impact on every department. He further advised the Council that Assistant City Manager Lee has a Master's Degree in Urban Planning from New York University. Councilman Addiego agreed with Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto that the General Plan should come out of Economic & Community Development. He also didn't want to micromanage what should be an open process undertaken by the GPCAC. He wasn't sure that it was necessary to have two (2) members of the SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2018 MINUTES PAGE 5 City Council on this panel. He stated the Planning Commission could certainly have two (2) and the Parks and Recreation Commission could have two (2). He thought it would be interesting if the Councilmembers could appoint a single individual from the electoral district in which they respectively reside. After further Council discussion on this topic, City Manager Futrell confirmed Council's recommendation for the GPCAC to have no City Council membership. Planning Commission membership would be increased from one (1) to two (2) members. He also confirmed the suggestion that each district community representative would be an individual appointed by the sitting councilmembers. Effectively each Councilmember would pick someone in the community that represented his or her views and the views of the neighborhoods as opposed to going through the interview process that would be undertaken for some of the other members. The City Manager advised he would use this input to craft a resolution to propose to Council in September. Mayor Normandy requested clarification about proposed Parks and Recreation Commission membership on the GPCAC. Mr. Futrell confirmed that one (1) Parks and Recreation Commission representative was recommended for the GPCAC. Recess 6:57 p.m. Meeting resumed: 7:35 p.m. 4. Report regarding a resolution approving a Back to Business (B2B) Program and authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to implement and administer the B2B Program to facilitate the timely inspection of damaged structures in the event of a major disaster. (Phil Perry, Chief Building Official) 4a. Resolution No. 122 -2018 approving a Back to Business (B2B) Program and authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to implement and administer the B2B Program to facilitate the timely inspection of damaged structures in the event of a major disaster. Chief Building Official Perry presented the staff report recommending that Council adopt a resolution approving a B2B Program and authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to implement and administer the B2B Program to facilitate the timely inspection of damaged structures in the event of a major disaster. He presented a PowerPoint presentation explaining the proposed partnership between the City and local business community that would pre - certify private architects and engineers for post disaster situations. The ultimate purpose of the program was to expedite the process of getting businesses back up and running after a disaster. The B2B program puts the City in a proactive stance to permit rapid economic recovery after a flood, fire, earthquake, etc. In response to a question from Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto, Chief Perry advised that after a disaster, a local business owner could find ACT20 certified professionals. Councilman Addiego commented that he believed this proposal to be a great program focused on safety and the need to get businesses back up and running after a disaster. SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2018 MINUTES PAGE 6 Motion — Councilman Garbarino /Second — Councilman Addiego: to approve Resolution No. 122 -2018. Unanimously approved by roll call vote. ADJOURNMENT Being no further business, Mayor Normandy adjourned the meeting at 7: 49 p.m. ubCKri elli, Ci Clerk City of South San Francisco SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Approved: (3,)5­6 Liza Normandy, Mayor City of South San Francisco AUGUST 8, 2018 PAGE 7