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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 1993-01-20 Mayor Roberta Cerri Teglia Council: Jack Drago Joseph A. Fernekes ~John R. Penna Robert Yee _M_ _NUTaS VOL. 6 . 036 City Council City Council Conference Room City Hall January 20, 1993 AGENDA ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING CALL TO ORDER: (Cassette No. 1) ROLL CALL: 1. Discussion of Employee Attitude Survey. ACT!O_N TAKE_N ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING 7:13 p.m. Mayor Teglia presiding. Council Present: Drago, Femekes, and Teglia. Council Absent: Penna, and Yee. City Manager Armas stated that Council Yee was on vacation. Vice Mayor Fernekes related: approximately 600 surveys were distributed; 288 were returned; charts reflect general categories, and written comments were put in major categories; major categories were communications, wages and benefits, personnel rules, team effort and trust, training childcare ser- vices, City Council, comments on a specific depart- ment were shared with the department, etc. Discussion followed: cafeteria plan should be ex- plored first by the Council; Council retreat and the survey should be earmarked for discussion, and look at the employment brochures; whether the City had a simple retirement brochure; the City only had a brochure for workers compensation; one should be made for retirees showing the retirement steps, one for benefits, and one for layoffs; going to the work place with information for employees; team effort and trust; employees sharing in strategies during economic cutbacks; getting information to employees on child care services available; recreational classes available to employees free of cost; sending the leisure brochure to employees in-house; criticism of training programs; employee suggestion box; a follow-up to suggestions to employees; increasing the frequency of the newsletter, and responding to employee suggestions; to have an incentive program for suggestions that save money; allowing the de- partments to use the savings to purchase computers 1/20/93 Page 1 Discussion of Employee Attitude Survey - Continued. Councilman Penna Arrived at the Meeting: 2. Discussion of Street Medians/Islands. 037:- or equipment needed; on the job training; Genentech's training programs. Councilman Penna arrived at 7:42 p.m. Director of Recreation, Parks & Community Ser- vices Nagd stated that Councilman Yee had brought this to their attention and wanted an assessment of all medians and islands throughout the City: He stated that they had also included the major entranc- es to the City, and slides would be presented by Dennis Crossland showing the existing state and the major repairs needed. Mr. Crossland presented the slide show and re- sponded to questions. Discussion followed: going after Samtrans and Caltrans to maintain their landscaping, and enlist Senator Kopp and Assemblywoman Speier's support; create landscape district in commercial areas; also look at a district for residential; City Manager to look at and create figures and impacts to industrial district by itself, and the whole City; Councilman Penna in support of landscape district; Councilman Drago had a problem doing this and saying this would cost $100,000, and not do anything - and would rather do it in industrial areas; Mayor Teglia was in support if it were specific and stated for a specified period of time and what it was for; private sector wants to see a return on their money when there are new sources of tax revenue; Manager to develop information on citywide median develop- ment benefits, look at industry lighting and land- scape district, and look at other areas; public should be notified for their right to protest; to do a benefit assessment district there would have to be an engi- neering report and prove that it benefits the area; creating different districts; that Daly City formed a district over the protests of the public; City Attorney was not sure the argument could be made for a citywide district; that private groups could be ap- preached to maintain islands in that the Boy Scouts had taken on Buri Buri at their own cost. Recreation Commissioner Patane stated that Daly City had received free trees from the government, and questioned why this City not apply for trees. Discussion followed: that the problem was mainte- nance and trimming; going ahead and taking out the 1/20/93 Page 2 A~ENDA ..2. Discussion of Street Medians/Islands - Continued. Discussion of Code Enforcement and Weed Abatement strategies. 035 dead material from the medians; level of service; street tree maintenance, etc. Director of Economic & Community Development Costello presented her staff report suggesting: 1) a reinspection fee program for code violators who fail to comply within a timely fashion; 2) a relocation ordinance for tenants of substandard dwellings; and 3) a construction performance bond ordinance to guarantee completion of privately owned construc- tion projects. Discussion followed: Councilman Drago supported the reinspection fee; Councilman Penna felt that tenants are often responsible for the substandard housing, but the burden of proof is on the property owner; definition of substandard housing; water flowing in from the roof, poor electrical flow and heating that create health and safety problems; Councilman Penna knew of a case where tenants lived in the building for 15 years with a tub leaking, had not notified the owner, and the tub fell through to the subbasement; Mayor Teglia owned property and made it a point to inspect the property periodi- cally; some units have been improperly constructed and are substandard which leads to the relocation of tenants; staff should check with Sacramento for their track record on the relocation ordinance; slum land- lords; that code enforcement and building inspec- tion make the decision on whether the tenants can stay in the housing or must leave, and the question was bow to pay for the relocation; Mayor Penna was opposed to that, and felt it was discretionary; Coun- cilman Drago wanted to see Sacramento's documen- tation on the relocations; that it was difficult to relocate people who could not pay the rent. Further discussion followed: issue of performance bonds for projects that get started and never fin- ished; with a bond a contractor could be hired to demolish the unfinished project; the problem was how to price the bond because its need was several years down the road; that a letter of credit could be given rather than a bond; Colinga, Sunrise, and Terrabay were examples of delayed or unfinished projects; house in Brentwood was still not completed and was an eyesore; that this was not intended to apply to family additions; whether shortening the permit process would help on unfinished projects; prosecution for nuisance abatement; Brentwood 1/20/93 Page 3 Discussion of Code Enforcement and Weed Abate- ment strategies - Continued. Closed Session for the purpose of the discussion of personnel matters, labor relations, property negotia- tions and litigation. owner to come in town and will either show plans to finish or City will take him to Court to remove or finish construction; when does it become structural- ly unsound in Sunrise in that they are just shells; Verona and Arroyo property has scaffolding that has been up for three years; Banir of West took over the Sunrise project; St. Francis project has not gotten off the ground; Council has no interest in perfor- mance bonds. Consensus of Council - To approve the reinspection fee; and there is an interest to pursue of not leaving someone in an unsafe position that deals with a true hazard. Fire Chief Stark presented his staff report to allow modification of procedures to abate properties within the City with hazardous weed conditions which would include a charge to the property owner for actual cost to carry out the abatement in a more timely m_a_nner. Discussion followed: that there was not a charge at present; to shorten the process by ten to fifteen days, and have the work done in a timely fashion, pay the contractor, and seek reimbursement; the current proce, s for abatement; Councilman Drago felt that there should be a list made by district once a year, owners should be notified to abate, and then lien the property; that the plan was to notify the owners in early spring that the property is in need of attendance, and at that point go back with educa- tional efforts; in previous years there was a list of 21 properties, but only a few would not take care of the problem prior to City action. Co~isensus of Council - No problem with charging for inspections, and to cut out two weeks in the process. Council adjourned to a Closed Session at 9:37 p.m., to discuss labor relations on the Police Officers Assoc. pursuant to GC 54957.6, personnel matters, City's Manager's departure from the City, pursuant to GC 54957, and revocation of Golden Gate Ambu- lance license agreement with the City pursuant to GC 54956.7. 1/20/93 Page 4 ~END~ ...RECALL TO ORDER: ADJOURNMENT: RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, arbara A. Battaya, City City of South San Francisco AC_T!QN TAKEN 04O Mayor Teglia recalled the meeting to order at 10:38 p.m., all Council present, no action was taken. City Manager Armas advised the Council that the consultant would be available on the 25th and 26th to interview individual Councilmembers, department heads, employees, and Commissioners for input on the selection of a new City Manager. Consensus of Council - for the City Manager to set meetings for members of Boards and Commissions to gather data on the hiring of a new City Manager. M/S Fernekes/Drago - To adjourn the meeting. Carried by unanimous voice vote. Time of adjournment was 10:45 p.m. APPROVED. City of South San Franciscoc~ The entries of this Council meeting show the action taken by the City Council to dispose of an item. Oral communica- tions, arguments, and comments are recorded on tape. The tape and documents related to the items are on file in the Office of the City Clerk and are available for inspection, review and copying. 1120/93 Page 5