SALINAS CITY
COUNCIL/REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
DECEMBER 11, 2007
The meeting convened at 4 p.m..
Present:
Mayor/Chairperson Dennis Donohue
Council/Agency member Janet Barnes
Council/Agency member Tony
Barrera
Council/Agency member Gloria De La Rosa
Council/Agency member Jyl Lutes
Council/Agency member Sergio Sanchez (arrived at 4:20 p.m.)
Council/Agency member Steve Villegas
CITY OF CHAMPIONS
Mayor Donohue recognized Charles Dix for his generous
donation of fir trees and poinsettias to the community over many years.
Mayor Donohue presented a commendation to Terrin Eisemann,
Outstanding Youth Philanthropist of 2007.
Mayor Donohue presented a commendation to Lisa Eisemann,
Salinas School of Dance, for donating teddy bears to the Salinas Police
Department to give to young victims and witnesses.
Mayor Donohue presented a commendation to Narconon Vista Bay
Treatment Center for outstanding community service.
Councilmember Sanchez arrived at the meeting at 4:20
p.m..
Councilmember De La
Rosa recognized California Water Company for their donation of turkeys to the
community.
COUNCILMEMBERS’
REPORTS, APPOINTMENTS AND FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Councilmember
Villegas reappointed Rose Colon to the Measure V Committee.
Mayor Donohue
appointed Councilmembers Barrera, Lutes, and De La Rosa to the Education
Committee.
CONSENT RESOLUTION
Upon motion by
Councilmember De La Rosa and second by Councilmember Lutes, the Council voted
unanimously to adopt the Consent Resolution.
SALINAS CITY COUNCIL
1.
Approved minutes of
December 4, 2007 meeting.
2.
Accepted financial
claims report.
3.
Adopted RESOLUTION
19375 approving the Salinas Public Library’s Internet Public Access and Use
Policy” adding the wireless policy.
4.
Adopted RESOLUTION
19376 to amend the Salary Schedule/Classification Plan to meet minimum wage
law requirements.
5.
Adopted RESOLUTION
19377 approving plans and specifications for the West Laurel Drive/Highway
101 Off Ramp Widening and North Davis Road Median Island Modification, Project
9145; and authorizing issuance of invitation to bid with bids to be opened on
January 29, 2008.
SALINAS
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
1. Approved minutes of December 4, 2007
meeting.
2. Approved
financial claims report.
REDEVELOPMENT
AGENCY CONSIDERATION ITEM
1. Annual Basic Financial
Statements for the Year Ended June 30, 2007 including Report of Independent
Certified Public Accountant and State Required Reports.
Tom Kever, Finance Director,
and Patricia Kaufman, Brown, Kaufman and Associates, independent auditor,
presented their reports.
AGENCY
ACTION
Upon motion by
Agency member Barnes and second by Agency member De La Rosa, the Agency voted
unanimously to accept the Audited Basic Financial Statements and State required
reports for fiscal year ended June 30, 2007.
The
Redevelopment Agency recessed.
ADMINISTRATIVE
REPORT
1. Status
of Library Operations.
Elizabeth
Martinez, Library Director, stated that Salinas’ first library, the Carnegie
Public Library, was opened on September 5, 1909 with a $10,000 grant from
Andrew Carnegie solicited by the Salinas Women’s Club. She outlined actions and plans to enhance
access to the branches. She will be
recommending that libraries be open on Sundays. The vision for 2015 is that every child and resident would have a
library card, every student would know how to read, and there would be four
libraries in Salinas.
PUBLIC
HEARING
1. Salinas
Future Growth Area Applications for a Sphere of Influence Amendment, an
Annexation and Prezoning.
Bob
Richelieu, Planning Manager, outlined the recommended actions. Pat Saucedo, City consultant, reviewed the
project history dating to the September 2002 adoption of the General Plan. In November 2007, the Traffic and Planning
Commissions recommended approval of the sphere of influence amendments and
annexation.
John Bridges,
EDAW, the City’s environment and technical consultant, stated that the City’s
planning has long recognized the importance of agricultural land. Memoranda of Understanding with Monterey
County dating back to 1986 and most recently in 2006 recognize that future
growth would take place in northeast Salinas while the most important
agricultural lands to the south and west would be preserved. The City has developed in a very compact and
dense form directed to the concept of preserving agricultural land and making
the best use of urban lands. The Sphere
of Influence amendment area lies north of Boronda Road between San Juan Grade
Road and Williams Road. The Sphere of
Influence area ultimately would result in over 14,000 dwelling units and over
9,000,000 square feet of nonresidential development. The Sphere of Influence area encompasses the annexation area, and
is approximately 2,400 acres that would accommodate 11,500 dwelling units and
over 3,000,000 square feet of nonresidential development. The property of the Sattrinis, who have
chosen not to be part of the annexation area, and the area south of Williams
Road are referred to as the remainder area.
Mr. Bridges
stated that a Supplement to the General Plan Final Program Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) was prepared and the SEIR further analyzes four major areas: air quality, global climate change;
hydrology, water quality; transportation/traffic, and utilities. There would be significant and unavoidable
cumulative impacts on air quality/global climate change.
Steve Luke, hydrology
consultant, stated there are currently flooding issues in Carr Lake. Specialized mitigation basins are the
cutting edge of stormwater technology to treat residual rainfall, including a
smart box restricting flows to the creek system to predevelopment levels. Maintenance crews would remove sediment from
traps.
Dan Mathias, Wood Rodgers Civil Engineering, stated that the
worst case water use scenario shows an increase of 465 acre feet per year for
the entire future growth area. The best
case scenario shows a reduction of 819 feet per year. Averaged, there would be a slight reduction of water use and
there would be an insignificant impact on the amount of water being used.
Sohrab Rashid, Fehr and Peers, stated that there would be
significant and unavoidable project and cumulative-level traffic impacts on the
regional transportation network. A
substantial amount of traffic stays within the City and within the area. In some cases, expansion to eight lanes is
needed, which may conflict with City policy.
The project’s pro rata share of the costs is insufficient to construct
improvements in many cases.
John Bridges outlined the public services and facilities financing
plan. The demand would result in a need for assessments districts to
maintain landscaping, parks, streets and local storm drains. General taxes and fee revenues would cover
ninety percent of the remaining costs for City services by year 20, and a
Community Facilities District (CFD) bond would be needed to bridge the
difference between general taxes and the project costs. New City facilities totaling $25.4 million
would be needed. Existing development
impact fees would bring in $214.5 million and additional development impacts
fees of $29.1 million would be needed for offsite traffic improvements. The financing plan feasibility concludes
that the development has the capacity to fund about $224.5 million in costs
thru an assessment district or CFD bond.
The City Council recessed to closed session at 7 p.m.
pursuant to:
a. Government
Code Section 54956.9(b), conference with legal counsel regarding anticipated
litigation – two potential cases.
b. Government
Code Section 54956.9(a), pending litigation, Baughn v. City of Salinas, Sixth
District Court of Appeals, Case No. H030040.
c. Government Code Section 54957, public
employee performance evaluation (City Manager.)
d. Government Code Section 54957, public
employee performance evaluation (City Attorney).
The
Redevelopment Agency met in closed session pursuant to:
a. Government
Code Section 54956.8, conference with real property negotiators Dave Mora, City
Manager, Alan Stumpf, Redevelopment Director, and Maria Orozco, Assistant
Redevelopment Project Manager, to discuss the price and terms of payment for
the purchase of properties located in the Sunset Avenue Redevelopment Project
Area, at 123 Division Street, with David and Madeline Clark.
The public hearing
reconvened in the Rotunda at 7:45 p.m.
Tom Carvey, Common Ground of Monterey County, stated that
development should occur in the northeast area, and the traffic will remain in
Monterey County. The housing supply
must be increased to provide affordable housing.
Bob Taylor, Higashi interests in Carr Lake, stated that he
did not receive the technical drainage reports until fourteen days before the
end of the review period. They believe
that the response to their comments on General Plan policy LU-18 is inadequate. The drainage portions of the SEIR and appendix
should be recirculated. A delay would
be inevitable without a standstill agreement.
Eric Petersen stated that that multiple-lane roads encourage
the use of cars. The area should be
designed to be bus friendly. A
municipal water district is needed to protect residents. Solar power should be used. Drainage would be improved by roof
landscaping. Adequate street lights are
needed.
Bill Carothers, Salinas resident, stated that agricultural
land would be consumed. Climate impacts
will have an effect on residents. The
concentration of carbon dioxide will result in planting of crops that use less
water and require more acreage.
Mike Zeller, Transportation Agency of Monterey County
Planner, stated that they support the mitigation measure for payment of fees
for transportation impacts. Fees should
be collected on a project by project basis while the nexus study is ongoing.
Brian Finegan, representing future growth area owners, spoke
in support of the staff recommendations.
John Olejnik, CalTrans, stated that mitigation of cumulative
impacts are needed to avoid complete crumbling of the transportation system.
Jim Smith, California Water Service Company, stated that
they provide good service and good quality water.
Councilmember Barnes emphasized that the developers would be
paying their fair share of project crosts, and the development would be on the
least productive agricultural land.
Councilmember De La Rosa stated that housing is a needed and
impacts are being addressed.
This is an opportunity for Salinas to go forward with a
vision that dates back to the 1988 General Plan.
Councilmember Barrera spoke in support and stated that the
project would be good for the community.
Councilmember Lutes spoke in support of the project’s new
urbanism approach, connectivity, and cutting-edge innovation. The development would be compact, dense, and
become a walkable community to protect land and create healthy, sustainable
environments and neighborhoods.
Councilmember Sanchez expressed concerns regarding Monterey
County’s comments regarding agricultural impacts. He referenced the agreement with Monterey County that Salinas
grow to the north and east and not to the prime agricultural land south and
west of Salinas.
Mayor Donohue stated that sufficient housing stock is needed
for Salinas’ residents. He expressed
confidence in the continued viability of local agriculture.
City Attorney Vanessa Vallarta referenced the distribution
of the revised mitigation monitoring plan reflecting clerical corrections.
COUNCIL ACTION
Upon motion by Councilmember Lutes and second by
Councilmember De La Rosa, the Council voted unanimously to adopt RESOLUTION
19378 certifying the Final Supplement to the Salinas General Plan Final
Environmental Impact Report and adopting Findings of Fact and a Statement of
Overriding Considerations.
Upon motion by Councilmember Barnes and second by
Councilmember De La Rosa, the Council voted unanimously to adopt RESOLUTION
19379 adopting the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Salinas
Future Growth Area Project.
Upon motion by Councilmember Barnes and second by
Councilmember Villegas, the Council voted unanimously to adopt RESOLUTION 19380
requesting the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission to amend the Sphere
of Influence for the City of Salinas in accordance with the City of Salinas
General Plan Future Growth Area Designation and RESOLUTION 19381 making
application to the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission for the
Reorganization of the approximate 2,400 acre Salinas Future Growth Annexation
Area.
Councilmember
Sanchez introduced the ORDINANCE prezoning the Salinas Future Growth Area
Annexation Area to the New Urbanism Interim – Specific Plan Overlay District,
for adoption on December 18, 2007.
The public hearing adjourned at 8:50 p.m..
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