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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2012-08-292 ocol eZIFDR 2 91 None. 4. 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 CITY HALL CONFERENCE ROOM 400 GRAND AVENUE SOUTH ,SAN FRANCISCO WEDNESDAY AUGUST 29, 2012 Call to Order: Time: 6:32 p.m. Roll Call Agenda Review. Public Comments. Present: Councilmembers Addiego, Matsumoto and Mullin, Vice Mayor Gonzalez, Mayor Garbarino. Absent: None. Ellouise Patton, Special Projects, Regional Political and Community Coordinator for IJFCW Local 5 encouraged Council to consider the 3000 local workers that would be impacted by a large box grocer. She opined that irresponsible grocers would cause displacement of these workers. She noted she would monitor discussions related to potential zoning amendments related to grocery stores moving forward. Paul Stewart of SAMCAR appeared to urge Council to agendize an item pertaining to Point of Sale Hoene Inspections by the Fire Department at its earliest convenience. Council advised it would agendize Point of Sale Home Inspections sonictime after October 1st. S. Study Session: Consideration of Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center Contract Amendment. City Manager Nagel introduced the item which was a review of the South San Francisco Coalition for Safe Neighborhoods' Annual Report and Objective Projections for 2012 -2013 by Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center ( "PCRC ") and consideration of issues relevant to upcoming contract renewal. PCRC staff, including Executive Director, Miclielle Vilcliez was present to advise of' potential funding partnerships that could leverage city funds. Ms. Vilchez introduced PCRC staff in attendance at the meeting. She next provided a suminary of the work the Coalition has done in the community and encouraged Council to advise of its interests and priorities looking ahead at the year to conic. In reviewing the contract objectives, she noted three primary services: (1) coordinate and facilitate the strategic planning process; (2) support existing efforts through partnerships with the South San Francisco Police Department; and (3) staff on -going support of the Community Coalition for Safe Neighborhoods. Relative to the goal of coordination and facilitation of a strategic planning process, PCRC co- hosted and facilitated 21 community dialogues in order to develop the Strategic Plan. The dialogues were with community residents, service providers and small business owners in English and in Spanish and in collaboration with Coalition Members. PCRC also facilitated 18 monthly meetings with over 30 members since February 2011. PCRC developed the South San Francisco Coalition for Safe Neighborhood's Strategic Plan based upon information gathered during these meetings and dialogues. Regarding goals 2 and 3, PCRC proposed to support Chief of Police Massoni and lie Police Department's Neighborhood Response Team ( "NRT ") by: (1) offering technical assistance and training on strategies for effectively engaging with the community residents, methods for building trust, ways to overcome barriers to residents working with law enforcement and skills for working with diverse cultural communities. PCRC would further facilitate opportunities for residents to forge positive connections with law enforcement and available educational and social service resources. It would further coordinate community activities and identify emerging neighborhood leaders. Finally with respect to staffing, PCRC would staff, coordinate and facilitate monthly coalition meetings. Councihnan Mullin questioned the number of participants in the Parent Leadership Academy PCRC had offered at local schools Angelica Mariano of PCRC advised that 15 parents of South San Francisco High School and local middle schools attended. She noted the success of tine program which helped families to forge relationships and strengthen leadership skills. Councilman Addiego and Vice Mayor Gonralcz encouraged continued work on this program, which they saw a beneficial. Councilman Addiego encouraged starting lie program in the elementary schools as well. He further noted that he saw more lasting benefit to enrichment programs like the Parent Leadership Academy as opposed to the Peace Walk. Councilwoman Matsumoto encouraged the Coalition to reach out to the Westborough Community, which included Asian and African American communities. Executive Director Vilchez and Melissa Netane of PCRC noted that residents and community members reported feeling empowered by events like the Peace Walk and National Night Out, which were essential to relationship building and healing in the sector of the community recently impacted by violence. Ms. Netane further commented that such events raised the visibility of the Coalition and sent a message to the convnunity that there is solidarity in reducing violence. SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 29, 2012 MINUTES PAGE 2 In addition to larger events like National Night Out, Councilman Mullin encouraged smaller, neighborhood coflee -type events as an option for neighborhood building activities. Executive Director Vilclicz advised that neighborhood watch groups and living room dialogues were part of the Coalition's plan for the future. Council generally encouraged a focus on youth and building social capital in the community. Regarding the upcoming contract renewal, Council requested that PCRC's activities and measured success rates in the community be reported on a quarterly basis. Executive Director Vilcliez advised that certain community partners, including the Peninsula Health Care District, Kaiser Permanent, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Juvenile Probation and the South San Francisco IJnified School District, among others, were willing to fund the coalition for a combined amount of roughly $150,000- 175,000. A commitment from South San Francisco to renew the contract was essential to receipt of the funding. City Manager Nagel advised that the proposed 2 -year contract renewal would cost the City $35,000. $15,000 remained in the prior budget, and $20,000 in Police Department Seizure funding was available for the balance. Council directed staff to bring the contract renewal for approval at an upcoming Regular Meeting. Councilwoman Matsumoto requested that PCRC provide minutes of Coalition meetings to Council in the future. 6. Consideration and direction to staff regarding potential zoning amendments related to grocery stores, retail sales and superstores; and approval of a motion allowing the City Manager to enter into a contract not to exceed $50,000 for the purpose of hiring consultants to assist with the preparation of the environmental review and economic analysis related to the Zoning Code amendment. Principal Planner Beaudin addressed Council noting that the purpose of tlrc item was to address Councilinnembers' expressed concern that grocery superstores have a negative impact. on smaller grocers and reduce the possibility of a quality grocery store addition or renovation in the community. In response to this concern, staff generated two possible alternatives for amendments to the Zoning Code. Alternative A would amend the use classifications definition section of the Code and expressly delineate three categories - Large Format Retail, Membership Warehouse Clubs and Superstores. The definitions would then be implemented in the appropriate Land Use Regulation Tables to ensure that grocery uses are sufficiently addressed. If Council opts for Alterative A, staff recommends that Council approve a motion to authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract not to exceed $50,000 for the purpose of hiring consultants to assist with the preparation of the environmental review and economic analysis related to the Zoning Code amendineiits. Alternative 2, which staff was not recommending, would impose a limitation on the land use regulations for Large Format Retail in the Freeway Commercial District. A Conditional t Ise Permit for any Large Format Retail that includes grocery stores would likely be imposed. This option would require an ainendnient to the Zoning Code Table to differentiate the review and SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 29, 2012 MINUTES PAGE 3 approval process required for Large Format Retail uses that include grocery uses and those that do not. If' Council favors this option, stall' also recommends a motion authorizing the City Manager to enter a consulting contract for environmental review and economic analysis related to the proposed amendment not to exceed $50,000. Staff preferred Alternative 1 for its specificity with respect to definitions and its ability to best serve the needs of the community as whole. In response to questions from Council regarding where Costco, Lowes and Trader Joe's, as exainples, would fit into the modified definition format proposed in Alternative 1, Principal Planner lieaudin advised that I.owes would be Large Format. Retail, Costco would be a Membership Warehouse Club and 'Trader Joc's would not fall under these definitions. City Attorney Mattas advised lie code draws a distinction at 80,000 square feet whereby 80,000 square feet and below can fall under general retail categories. Councilman Addiego noted that some of the worse traditional supermarkets are operated in town. He believed that part of the reason might be that due to the dual presence of Costco, it might not make economic sense for the stores to put money into improvements. Director of Economic and Community Development Van Duyn indicated such correlations would be part of the economic analysis incorporated in the consultants' study. The analysis would determine whether a distinction amongst these types of stores and their location(s) makes a difference. Councilwoman Matsumoto questioned whether the study would look at the East of 101 area or the City as a whole. City Attorney Mattas noted Council expressed concern about the absence of quality grocery stores throughout lie City as a whole. The consultant would look at the causes of this disparity, analyze those issues and report back to Council. At present, Council is not deciding anything related to the Zoning Code definitively, but rather looking at what needs to be assessed further given the preference for a quality grocery store within City limits. Councilman Mullin observed the issue is not whether Wal -Mart is coming to South San Francisco, but whether a quality grocery store will come to South San Francisco. Accordingly, if Council is generally supportive of Alternative A, it should authorize the study. He questioned the length of tune before the study could begin. Assistant City Manager Van Duyn advised a lot depended on the availability of the consultant. Once retained for the work, it might take 2 -3 weeks to 30 days to complete the study. Vice Mayor Gonzalez noted his concern that prospective duality grocers and small market vendors not be discouraged from doing business in fie City. He further commented that Safeway Stores in neighboring cities have upgraded while the two in South San Francisco have not. Assistant City Manager Van Duyn advised the economic analysis by the consultant would consider the potential market for grocery stores throughout the City against a number of variables. Councilman Mullin encouraged consideration of why Safeway will upgrade in one community and not in another. He queried the economic threshold for such improvements and the demographic SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 29, 2012 MINUTES PAGE 4 profile grocery chains consider when making the decision to invest in their stores in certain communities. CouncihneYnbers expressed a preference for Alternative A. Motion— Councilman Addiego /Second— Vice Mayor Gonzalez: authorizing the City Manager to enter into a contract not to exceed $50,000 for the purpose of hiring consultants to assist with preparation of the environmental review and economic analysis related to Zoning Code amendments consistent with Alternative A. Unanimously approved by voice vote. 7. Adjournment. Being no further business, Mayor Garbarino adjourned the meeting at 8:20 p.m. Submitted- s Jo ell' City Clerk, ity of an Francisco SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES A r)ved: Ric Garbari Mayor, City of South San Francisco AUGUST 29, 2012 PAGES