HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2013-01-121. Call to Order
2. Roll Call.
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5.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 2013
8:30 a.m.
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Present: Councilmembers Garbarino, Addiego*,
Gupta, Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto and
Mayor Gonzalez.
* Councilman Addiego arrived at 8:58 a.m.
Agenda Review,
None.
Public Comments — comments are limited to items on the Special Meeting Agenda,
None.
Items for Discussion:
Council Goals/Objectives
Councilman Garbarino began by expressing interest in providing new community outreach
programs. He suggested creating a new South San Francisco Community Garden and expressed
interest in starting a City League consisting of community members to keep citizens connected.
Councilman Gupta expressed a desire to get a quick start on his new duties as an appointed
official. The Councilman wants to create a connection with South San Francisco youth. His goal
is to get the younger generation of South San Franciscans to learn how cities are run. He believes
it is important for younger citizens to perform civic duties in the interest of cultivating better
citizens of tomorrow. Councilman Gupta would also like to utilize his technical skills to
improve city management. The Councilman plans to be an active participant of many City
subcommittees and regional assemblies. Councilman Gupta also added that he will participate
on the effort to improve the Downtown.
Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto announced she has partnered with Maria Martinucci of the South
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce on Lunar New Year events in the Downtown area.
Regarding her housing goals, the Mayor Pro Tern and the Housing Committee met with three
developers who have proposed projects for the Grand Avenue/Cypress Avenue area. The Mayor
Pro Tem expressed pros and cons of each proposal in relation to the Downtown at each meeting.
In respect to her transportation goals, the Mayor Pro Tern also met with City Councilmembers
from various neighboring cities. Discussions included how to get additional funding for the
Caltrain project and to create outreach targeting biotech industry contributors. A capital project
proposal for transportation will be submitted to the Council in July of 2013. In regards to
enhancing the Adult Education Program at Baden High School, the Mayor Pro Tern would like to
find scholarship funding for potential adult education graduates. Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto
reported a final goal of facilitating outreach towards the Improving Public Places (IPP) program.
The Mayor Pro Tem would like a succession plan in place for future years after her service on
City Council.
Mayor Gonzalez mentioned his goal of improving ferry ridership at the South San Francisco Bay
Ferry Terminal to benefit not just South San Francisco residents, but all of North County. Mayor
Gonzalez would like to create more outreach with the Water Transit Advocates of San Mateo
County. Regarding commerce, Mayor Gonzalez said that in the past, the City was more involved
with establishments east of Highway 101. City Council used to regularly participate in
commerce meetings targeting businesses in the east of Highway 101 area.
City Staff Goals/Objectives
City Manager Nagel indicated that staff has made preparations to enhance pre-existing shared
service contracts with other cities on a regional scale. The City Manager mentioned examples of
successful City shared service programs. The City of South San Francisco has a traffic signal
maintenance agreement with the City of San Bruno that works well. In addition, The City has a
monthly street sweeping agreement with the City of Bfisbane. City Manager Nagel also
discussed an offer that has been extended to the City of San Bruno to expand sewer camera
services for spot inspections.
Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto noted that owning such maintenance equipment would attract
interest from other cities to join the shared services program.
City Manager Nagel added that the inventory of equipment would save the smaller neighboring
cities from having to purchase their own equipment.
The Mayor Pro Tem stated she would like City Staff to launch and present the shared
maintenance service program as a proposal to other cities through the City/County Association of
Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG).
Councilman Gupta expressed concern regarding the City's maintenance schedule in
consideration of proposed equipment sharing.
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City Manager Nagel assured him the City's service schedule would not be affected by the
program. He advised that in the event more staff is needed to support a successful program, the
cost of new hires would be incurred within the project budget.
City Manager Nagel also proposed a shopping cart retrieval ordinance to address the issue of
abandoned carts all over the city. The City spends $12,000.00 per year to collect and return
abandoned shopping carts.
Mayor Gonzalez discussed how 6-8 carts were left in nearby areas, including Commercial
Avenue / Railroad Avenue and South Canal Street.
Councilman Garbarino believed this might be due to the recycling center near the area that the
Mayor had mentioned.
Mayor Pro Tem. Matsumoto added that she has seen people take carts from Pacific Market,
located by Westborough Boulevard / El Camino Real.
Staff would draft an ordinance for Council to review and consider.
City Manager Nagel explained in detail that the reorganization of the Public Works Department
was necessary to save costs. He included changes in roles and responsibilities and reviewed
potential key retirements.
City Manager Nagel continued by giving a detailed report on goals for Other Post-Employment
Benefits (OPEB). Staff will continue to explore placing OPEB funds into a trust. Risks must be
weighed against the affects of the current fiscal cliff. The largest risk of utilizing a trust would
be lack of access to the funds. Staff will continue to explore whether or not locking $10 million
dollars into an OPEB trust fund would be in the City's best interest. The last actuarial analysis
on all OPEB funding showed that there would be an estimated final impact of $82-S90 million
dollars towards City budgeting. Another actuarial study is scheduled to be done during this fiscal
year. For newer employees, retirement funding requirements have changed, thus changing the
formula for calculating the OPEB budget. This is because newer City employees are required to
save 1.5% of their earnings, which will show a level-off in long run spending on the OPEB
budget.
City Manager Nagel spoke to another goal of improving technology within the City. Staff will
work to provide more online services to the community. In addition, technical cross-functional
training has been implemented within the City's departments of Human Resources, Finance and
Computer Service, This will help with succession planning.
City Manager Nagel advised that the Department of Parks and Recreation has prioritized its focus
on staff reorganization and the restructure of the fee ordinance. The Department has key
vacancies under a budget that is being reviewed. Moreover, the Department would have to work
towards capturing South San Francisco's new residential demographic. Today's South San
Francisco community has less single family residences and more multi-unit dwellings.
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 12, 2013
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Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto added that staff should also capture maintenance costs in the new fee
ordinance formula since park upkeep is expensive.
Councilman Addiego contributed that he would also like the fee revision to include planning for
niche demographics that are in need of park and recreation services, such as the youth and the
senior population.
City Manager Nagel discussed the Library Department's efforts towards staff reorganization and
succession planning. The Department will be presenting a proposal for changes this year. The
Library has implemented a new conveyor belt system that is already up and running. Online
cataloguing will also be introduced as a new service.
Mayor Gonzalez suggested the possibility of having the Grand Avenue Library open on more
days of the week, especially on Fridays. City Council agreed this was a worthwhile proposition.
The Fire Department has been having regular meetings regarding aspects of point of sale,
Department reorganization, and staff roles and responsibilities. The Fire Department's goal is to
create better coordination amongst itself and the Building and Planning Divisions.
City Manager Nagel advised that this year's Emergency Response Services focus is on tight,
regional response since all cities will be on their own during a major catastrophic event. He
advised that certain City employees are members of the Red, White, and Blue Emergency
Response Teams for City Staff. Earthquakes are of highest concern for emergency response.
Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto would like to see the City's emergency response plan to ensure that
the procedures for obtaining federal aid are in place.
The City Manager and City Council also discussed measures that would be taken for first
responders and crowd control, The City Manager pointed out that it would be crucial for staff to
have the ability to get in touch with the Red Cross quickly and before emergency services.
Councilman Addiego expressed confidence in the City's public safety staff. He noted that South
San Francisco public safety was the first to respond during the San Bruno gas line explosion in
2010,
Mayor Gonzalez's concerns regarding emergency response included facilitation of transportation,
such as bus to ferry evacuations and the ability to dispatch for help.
City Manager Nagel advised that there is a new work schedule for communications, and that the
City has shared dispatching services with the cities of Colma and Pacifica. The City Manager
stated the goal for communications is to have the City of Pacifica extend its agreement with the
City for 5 more years. The current agreement is a standard 90 day contract.
Mayor Pro, Tem Matsumoto commented on upgrading City guides by the use of scan codes.
Councilman Addiego raised the challenges of keeping outreach material updated.
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 12, 2013
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Councilman Gupta observed navigating the City's website could be frustrating, The City
Council agreed and would like more frequent updates to the system.
Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto noted that each Department is responsible for updating its
proprietary information.
Assistant City Manager Van Duyn, reported on the Downtown Area Station Plan/ Metropolitan
Transportation Commission (MTQ Project. The Assistant City Manager referenced goals for the
study analysis map, Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and outlined activities of the study.
Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto requested continued review of community meetings for the
Downtown Area Station Plan/MTC Project. The Mayor Pro Tem advised that more effort is
needed to gain community participation, stating that no input was gained from the City as a
whole.
Assistant City Manager Van Duyn responded by assuring Council that a significant amount of
planning has gone into the meetings. He stated that the meetings were conducted -using City
policy as guidance. The Assistant City Manager stated that at this stage, the proposed planning
alternatives are in place, the community is involved and public hearings can also be utilized.
Mayor Pro Tem. Matsumoto stated that the Community Alliance needs to participate in the
community meetings, along with citizens of all South San Francisco neighborhoods. The Mayor
Pro Tem emphasized the goals of creating higher density development and a better market rate
for residential homes within the Downtown area, She would like this information in the libraries
and the Council Chamber. She concluded her comments by reiterating that because South San
Francisco only has one Downtown area, citizen input is important.
Councilman Addiego stated that engaging interest from outside parties might be premature and
not in line with the City's current interests in the project. He recounted detail related to
successful implementations of revitalized Downtown projects in neighboring cities. Planning
usually includes entertainment elements, such as theater or dining. The Councilman pointed out
that not all community members were involved in making these decisions. He concluded by
stating that the stakeholders will have to step forward.
Assistant City Manager Van Duyn reconfirmed that the stakeholders are participating in the
meetings. He confirmed that there is nothing that prevents other concerned citizens from
showing up to these community meetings. He also emphasized that the public hearings will be
an additional outlet for the community to get involved.
Mayor Gonzalez suggested using the chamber of commerce to advertise these meetings and/or a
newspaper publication.
Assistant City Manager Van Duyn continued with discussion of other goals, including updating
the City Housing Element by the end of the summer. He also provided an update on the Climate
Action Plan Project. A master plan is close to completion and staff is in the final stages of the
pedestrian plan. Workshops have been well attended for this project. Staff has also created an
electronic records retention project to expand the process of maintaining documents
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 12,2013
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electronically. The goal is to create more efficiency for searching public records. Regarding
Recognized Obligation Payment Schedules (ROPS), the audit for non-housing activities is going
to the Oversight Board, Reports on housing plans and the dissolution of the Redevelopment
Agency activities will be provided to the Oversight Board as well. Assistant City Manager Van
Duyn also advised that the Due Diligence Plan (DDR) has been completed.
Goals for the Housing Subcommittee include planning for asset redevelopment and current
development. Next year's goals will include planning for management and/or disposal of the
property assets that the City still has. The Oversight Board will be in place for three years,
Assistant City Manager Van ►uyn advised that there won't be a lot of variance for the budget
within the next 6 months. There will be continued public use of the properties until the
Oversight Board sets its Long Range Property Management Plan in place.
City Attorney Mattas reported goals for the City Attorney's Office. City Attorney staff will assist
City Council with AB 1484 implementation and will continue to provide support towards the
Climate Action Plan project,
Regarding Downtown area improvement initiatives, the City Attorney stated there are different
Processes and options to consider. City Attorney staff will also work on issues related to the
superstore moratorium by working with staff to provide options for dealing with the issue. He
also advised that New Market Tax Credits are available in more economically depressed areas.
The City Attorney will assist with public and private approaches and partnerships.
The City Attorney's Office will also look at City codes to bring provisions up to date. New City
Attorney Office staff member, Melissa Andrikopoulos, will assist with the city code enforcement
and code updating. Robin Donahue is also new to the City Attorney's office and has taken over
Redevelopment Agency and Successor Agency work. Assistant City Attorney Jason Rosenberg
will continue to work directly with City staff on Redevelopment Agency/Successor Agency
issues. The Assistant City Attorney will also continue working on technically updating city
codes.
Councilman Gupta questioned the City Attorney about code enforcement issues. He wanted to
know the risks involved in a proposed specialized code enforcement system.
City Attorney Mattas advised that the City of South San Francisco is a general law city, with
budgetary constraints limited by state and federal law, The City must ensure that state and
federal laws are not violated. Errors in interpretation of the law would be costly. He advised the
City must continue dealing with code enforcement issues that are not covered by the general code
or plan on a case by case basis.
Recess: 12:00 p.m.
Meeting resumed: 12-05 p.m.
2013 City Council Committee Assignments
The 2013 City Council Committee Assignments were confirmed as follows:
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 12, 201.3
AGENDA PAGE
Community Coalition
Community Development Block Grant
Conference Center Authority
Downtown Subcommittee (Ad Hoc)
Finance /Budget /Audit /Investment
Housing
Improving Public Places
Kaiser Subcommittee (Ad Hoc)
SSF School District
BIO 2013 Conference
Gonzalez/Gupta
Garbari no /Ma tsumoto
Garbarino/Matsumoto
Gonzalez/Matsumoto
Addiego/Garbarino
Matsumoto/Gupta
Matsumoto
Garbarino/Matsumoto
Matsumoto/Gupta
City Manager Nagel confirmed the BIO International Convention 2013 will be held on April 22-
26. The City's Convention attendees were confirmed as Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto,
Councilman Addiego and Economic Development Coordinator, Mike Lappen,
City Council Term Limits
Mayor Gonzalez requested feedback from Council regarding the concept of term limits for City
Council seats.
City Attorney Mattas noted that term limits would have to be set by the electorate.
Council believed there was adequate opportunity for Council turn-over.
City Council Meeting Communication Guidelines
Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto stated a preference for higher standards of decorum at public
hearings.
Council discussed the behavior of citizens who attended the Regular Council Meeting of
December 12, 2012. Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto received two phone calls and one email from
community members who were afraid to come to the podium that evening. She expressed
concern about the anger and tone of citizens not in support of having a superstore in South San
Francisco.
Council commended Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto for her composure at that meeting and for
handling the crowd well under confrontational circumstances,
City Attorney Mattas recommended that Council be more selective when reopening a public
hearing after it has already closed. He suggested providing a final opportunity or invitation to
speak before permanently closing the hearing. The City Attorney said that the recommendation
could be written into a communication policy.
Mayor Pro Tem. Matsumoto also suggested more stringent enforcement of room capacity rules at
City Council meetings.
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 12, 201.3
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Qualifications for City. Clerk/City Treasurer
Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto suggested more stringent requirements for the positions of elected
City Clerk and Treasurer,
City Attorney Mattas reminded Council that the qualifications for elected positions are set by
state law.
Councilmembers expressed a preference for keeping these positions elected since the
appointment process has its drawbacks.
Recess: 12:45 p.m.
Meeting resumed: 12:50 p.m.
City Council Credit Cards
Councilmembers did not believe a Council credit card was entirely necessary.
City Manager Nagel suggested that Councilmembers keep their credit card in-house, making it
carry optional.
Council agreed and submitted their respective credit cards to City Manager Nagel.
City Seal
Mayor Gonzalez expressed concern related to citizens losing respect for City Council and City
Departments. He also suggested adding the phrase "In God We Trust" to the City Seal in order
to promote respectful citizen behavior.
Councilman Addiego disagreed with this suggestion referencing South San Francisco's very
diverse community. He observed that not all citizens are Christian and/or God-fearing.
Accordingly, the phrase would not resonate parallel with values in some instances.
Council noted that praying is not part of meeting Agendas, but it is optional.
Council generally acknowledged the need to enforce policy promoting more respect for the City
of South San Francisco during Council meetings.
Meeting with Businesses
Mayor Gonzalez advised Council that local business owners prefer afternoon meetings with City
officials and staff, rather than morning meetings, due to conflict with morning operations.
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City-Wide Special Event
Due to the loss of the annual South San Francisco Day in the Park event, Mayor Gonzalez
wanted to explore the possibility of creating a revenue earning replacement event. He believed
the event should target children and families.
Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto observed that large events bring in revenue, but at very high
maintenance and public safety costs.
Councilman Garbarino agreed that large annual events are too expensive to do in current times.
He suggested 2-3 smaller events per year.
City Manager Nagel suggested that Council review a roster of events currently scheduled in order
to create a budget for event enhancements.
Mayor Gonzalez requested that City Manager Nagel look into how other cities make large events
affordable.
City Manager Nagel agreed to look into the budget inventory of current events to help assess the
cost of new events.
Council of Cities Dinner — June 28, 2013
Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto asked City Council for permission to host the Council of Cities
Dinner at Solazyme. The goal was to showcase the South San Francisco biotech industry. City
Council agreed.
Community Gardens at Cypress and Pine Avenue.
Councilman Addiego suggested consulting the Planning Commission's recommendations for
creating a Community Garden at Cypress and Pine Avenue. He stated a preference for removing
the park due to problems with crime and other activities.
Councilman Gupta liked the idea of a community garden, which would promote sustainability
and cultivate citizen pride in ownership. He queried whether such a project could be part of the
City's development plan.
Assistant City Manager Van Duyn advised that doing so would assume civil liability.
Due to the level of code enforcement violation in the neighboring area, Mayor Gonzalez had
concerns that the garden would not be properly maintained by the community. He also believed
the park in the area was no longer necessary.
Council discussed other possible locations for a community garden.
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Parking and Storage of Cars in Public Areas.
Mayor Gonzalez expressed concern regarding large vehicles parked and stored in public areas,
such as limos and trucks.
City Manager Nagel referenced current vehicle size requirements from the municipal code.
Mayor Pro Tein Matsumoto stated there have been instances in which persons owning
commercial vehicles save parking spaces with personal vehicles, while using the commercial
vehicles. She advised that the Code Enforcement Division has been working on this issue.
City Attorney Mattas stated he would work with Code Enforcement on this matter.
City Council discussed various instances of parking issues, including hazards and permit required
parking.
City's Espresso Cart.
Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto reported that Lisa Demattei who operated a coffee cart that was paid
for by Day in the Park funds has returned the cart back to the City. The Mayor Pro Tem has had
discussions with the former owner of Caffino, Nita, regarding contracting to operate the cart at
City events.
Councilman Addiego stated this would be good for special events, including South San Francisco
Farmers Market, movie night, and little league.
City Attorney Mattas noted Nita would get a share of the revenue from coffee sales. He
suggested trying a short term initial agreement to figure out how much the City would use the
cart versus Nita using it for non-city events. The City Attorney went on to advise that once there
is a better idea of usage, the contract could be renewed on more acceptable terms. He reminded
Council that Nita will also be leasing a retail space at 636 El Camino Real to operate a coffee
shop that will serve pastries, panini and coffee.
Councilman Gupta asked to confirm proposed division of responsibilities for the coffee cart.
City Attorney Mattas confirmed that Nita would be responsible for covering service at the events
along with acquiring insurance coverage. The City of South San Francisco would be responsible
for the equipment, while Nita would cover the cost of supplies and possibly labor. Nita would
operate under her business license and name, He recommended that Council not negotiate
revenue share at this time.
Councilman Addiego expressed his preference to exchange the coffee cart for the value add of
having the service available at City events.
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AGENDA PAGE 10
Time entered Closed Session. 1:45 p.m.
Open Session resumed: 3:00 p.m.
6. Closed Session: Public Employee Performance Evaluation
(Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957)
Position: City Attorney.
Report out of Closed Session: No reportable action taken,
7. Closed Session: Public Employment
(Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957)
Position: City Manager.
Report out of Closed Session: No reportable action taken.
S. Adjournment.
Being no further business, Mayor Gonzalez adjourned the meeting at 3:00 p.m.
Submitted:
Krista Joy Mar' elli
City Clerk, Cs of South San Francisco
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
AGENDA
Approved: Y/
Pedro Gonzalez V
Mayor, City of South San Francisco
JANUARY 12, 2013
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