MINUTES OJAI CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 REGULAR MEETING 7:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS, OJAI CITY HALL 401 S. VENTURA STREET – OJAI, CA ROLL CALL Mayor Blatz called the Regular Meeting of the Ojai City Council to order on Tuesday, September 13, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Ojai City Hall, 401 S. Ventura Street, Ojai, California. On the call of the roll, the following Council Members reported present: Paul Blatz, William Weirick, Betsy Clapp, Severo Lara and Randy Haney. Also present were: Interim City Manager Steve McClary, City Attorney Matthew Summers and Amber Young, Deputy City Clerk. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Council Member Haney. PRESENTATIONS Mayor Blatz welcomed all present and introduced Council Member Haney and Mayor Pro Tem Weirick who gave a slideshow presentation on water conservation issues. Council Member Haney said that he hopes to present related information on a regular basis moving forward, possibly monthly, so that everyone can understand what is happening with the valley’s water resources. Council Member Haney introduced engineer Angelo Spandrio who presented the slideshow. Chart showed Lake Casitas water storage since 1999. He said it takes a lot of rain to boost water storage in the lake. The lake has been falling at a rate of 25,000 acre feet (AF) per year (PY) since 2011. Additionally, evaporation is 21,000 AF PY, and at the current rates the lake is expected to go dry in 2012. He also discussed water levels in other storage areas in the Ojai Valley, and noted that 18 purveyors draw from the valley’s groundwater basins. He said the State Water Project tie-in could perhaps be operational in four years, so he opined that exploring this possibility as soon as possible is imperative. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick said that hooking into the State Water Project buys City residents some time, but that for the long-term, Ojai must diversity its water resources. He said the quickest way to buy a little more time is to take the state water allocation. Council Member Haney noted that the State Water Project is not a panacea, but rather a short-term solution while the City determines a long-term solution. He suggested experts from the City of Santa Barbara come and present information on what their jurisdiction has done to solve its water shortage.
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Council Member Lara said he’d like to have experts provide more info on the upper Ojai basin if possible. Mayor Blatz closed the presentation. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS Mayor Blatz opened the floor to public communications. Deborah Pendry of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition shared information on the upcoming annual coastal Clean-up Day and said the public is welcome to participate. She noted that the group will be removing litter in Ojai waterways that drain to the ocean. The public may contact the Coalition for more information. The group is also hosting a workshop on home solar energy. Interested residents can contact the Coalition or visit solarizedojai.org. Ron Solorzano, Regional Librarian for the Ojai Valley, gave a report on the library. He noted the library just transitioned to a high-capacity Internet and Wi-Fi connection to meet growing library Internet traffic needs. James Smallwood, Ojai, noted that his company has a proprietary, non-chemical way to remove sodium from groundwater, making sodium-laden groundwater capable of growing food. He also described a non-chemical way of treating waste water. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick said Mr. Smallwood’s effluent-focused technologies address solutions could help address local water shortage issues. He asked Mr. Smallwood about treatment costs. Mr. Smallwood said his company’s saline treatment system costs about $5 a month to run. Johnny Johnston, Ojai, expressed concerns that there would possibly be no recruitment process for finding a new city manager. Norm Plott, Fire Chief, provided a report on the Fire Department. He thanked Villanova High School students for installing a display of American flags representing all the people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He also noted that a trailer fire on Gridley Road was handled swiftly, and that the Fire Department has put a video on its website of its recent 9-11 Remembrance Day ceremony. A woman (name unknown) noted that a local group of residents demonstrated at Libbey Park in solidarity of the protestors at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The residents also donated winter clothing to the Standing Rock protestors and noted that Ojai residents who wish to donate may do so by contacting her. She also noted there was a lot of smoking in Libbey Park near children Steve McClary noted that smoking is not permitted in any City park, and that enforcement will look into the matter.
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Brian Aikens of the Ojai Valley Museum Board of Trustees shared information on upcoming activities and exhibits at the museum. Mayor Blatz closed public communications. REPORTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS Mayor Blatz opened the meeting to reports from Council Members. Council Member Clapp commented that the Council should report more for the public regarding its recruitment process for a new city manager. Council Member Lara reported on the recent Ventura County Transportation Commission meeting he attended. He said the commission may consider taking out some highway call boxes, but will confer with other relevant agencies before acting. He also noted that the Southern California Transportation Policy Committee agenda had an item of interest for Ojai, which was that the Southern California Association of Governments is reinstating a sustainability grant program that is open to school districts for active transportation. He said it dovetails with the City’s Complete Streets program and other programs. Council Member Haney said that the Ojai Unified School District is discussing possible school closures. He also noted that a study on the number of children who ride bikes or get to school in Ojai via other transportation modes than buses: 77 percent of kids are dropped off at school and the balance are riding bikes or walking to school. Council Member Lara noted attending the Planning Commission’s joint meeting on cultural resources, and that the panel is discussing implementing the conservation element of the City’s General Plan. He said any members of the public who want to review the panel’s process can review the tape of the meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick reported on a project to improve the sight lines at Libbey Bowl’s lawn area. He said feedback has been positive, if implemented the improvements could increase attendance capacity at the bowl. Council Member Haney showed images of the proposed improvements, which would create a terraced area in the first 50 feet behind the permanent seating, for lawn chairs and improved views of the stage. He estimates the cost of the preferred improvement design would be approximately $150,000. He said the next phase is to see on-site if the preferred conceptual drawing will work. Mayor Blatz asked if some ground cover other than grass could be used. Council Member Haney said the images are just a visual aid and that a number of other ground covers could be used. Mayor Blatz reported on a meeting of the Ground Water Basin Board. He said the ground water basin does not rely entirely on rain for replenishment. He also reported on the Gold Coast Transit District meeting. He said Ojai’s route 16 is the 6th most used route in the system.
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Mayor Blatz closed the report portion of the meeting. CONSENT CALENDAR (Items 1. a through g) Mayor Blatz asked if any Council Members wished to remove any items from the Consent Calendar for discussion. None did. Mayor Blatz asked if any members of the public wished to discuss any items on the Consent Calendar. None did. 1. a) Waiver of Reading in Full of Any and All Ordinances Listed on this Agenda and provide that they be Read by Title Only and Directing the Clerk to Assign an Ordinance Number Upon Successful introduction b) Treasurer’s Monthly Report of Investments for the City of Ojai and the Redevelopment Successor Agency for the month of February 2016. RECOMMENDATION: Receive and file. c) Treasurer’s Monthly Report of Investments for the City of Ojai and the Redevelopment Successor Agency for the month of March 2016. RECOMMENDATION: Receive and file. d) Treasurer’s Monthly Report of Investments for the City of Ojai and the Redevelopment Successor Agency for the month of April 2016. RECOMMENDATION: Receive and file. e) City of Ojai Warrants for July 29, RECOMMENDATION: Receive and file.
2016
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August
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f) Adoption of an Ordinance Establishing a Historic District for the Taormina Community RECOMMENDATION: Adopt an Ordinance establishing a Historic District for the Taormina Community. g) Modification to the policy providing employer contributions to retiree medical insurance RECOMMENDATION: Adopt Resolution No. 16-__ establishing the employer contribution to medical insurance coverage for retired City employees. MOTION It was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Weirick and seconded by Council Member Lara to approve all items on the consent calendar. On roll call the vote was: AYES: Blatz, Clapp, Haney, Lara, Weirick. NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None
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PUBLIC HEARINGS - None Mayor Blatz noted that there were no public hearings before the Council tonight. DISCUSSION ITEMS Mayor Blatz opened the discussion items portion of the meeting. 2. Letter to Casitas Municipal Water District Regarding the State Water Project Allocation Access RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the Mayor to sign a letter, on behalf of the Ojai City Council, addressed to the Casitas Municipal Water District concerning the State Water Program Access. Mayor Blatz opened the discussion. Interim City Manager McClary described the letter in question. He said an amended letter was distributed to the Council members. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick said the amended latter’s changes are important. He said he and Council Member Haney have had productive discussions with the Casitas Municipal Water District (CMWD) and made the changes based on those discussions. He said the letter is a support letter for CMWD because the area’s water issues need to be addressed collaboratively and that all local water users should show support for each other and act together. Mayor Blatz asked Russ Baggerly of CMWD if he has any comments regarding the letter. Mr. Baggerly thanked the Council for the letter of support to release water from the state water project for Ventura count. He concurred that all of the organizations and jurisdictions must act together Steve Bilson, Ojai, owner of a water systems company, noted that many other municipalities and jurisdictions are also requesting water from the state due to their own water shortages, creating more demand on the state system and possibly limiting Ventura County’s access. Mayor Blatz retuned the discussion to the Council. MOTION It was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Weirick and second by Council Member Clapp to approve the letter for conveyance to Casitas Municipal Water District concerning the State Water Project Allocation Access. A discussion ensured on the dais regarding the motion. Council Member Clapp noted that she too has been concerned with the City’s ability to access state water. She noted that the City also needs to consider how it moves forward managing its development, and examine its policies for conserving its water.
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She also said the Council should consider going beyond the actions to be discussed in Agenda Item 3, to consider all ways that Ojai can ensure it can deliver water to its residents. She said that the City should restrict all development until the water resources issues are adequately addressed. She said for that reason she will be voting “no” on the letter. Council Member Lara said the Council needs to plan for the long term, and that while tapping into the state water system will not solve all the City’s water problems, it is still important to pursue, and he supports the letter for that reason. Council Member Haney said Ojai’s water issues change daily. He said the state water project is not a panacea; it is a stop-gap, short-term solution to extend Ojai’s ability to provide water while the City looks at longer-term solutions. He also noted that state water is not the only option, and that other entities can provide Ojai with water via any existing water system. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick said the biggest draw on Lake Casitas is water going through Ventura. He said we also need to diversify our sources of water. Mayor Blatz said that the City would be derelict if failed to investigate every option that it can to bring water to the valley. Mayor Blatz called for a vote on the motion. On roll call the vote was: AYES: Blatz, Haney, Lara, Weirick NOES: Clapp ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Council Member Clapp shared an anecdote that she met a long-haul trucker on a recent road trip. The trucker said that his company transports 70.000 gallons of water a day from the City of Hawthorne, to keep dust off solar panels in the Nevada desert. She said that the anecdote illustrates how complicated energy and water issues are. 3. Consideration and Potential Adoption of an Urgency Ordinance Under Government Code Section 65858 Imposing a Limited, 45-day, Moratorium on Certain New and Expanded Commercial Development Projects Requiring New, Expanded, or Greater than 10% Additional Capacity Replacement Water Service Connections and New Swimming Pools RECOMMENDATION: 1. Receive public comment. OPTIONS 1. Consider Adoption of an Urgency Ordinance Under Government Code Section 65858 Imposing a Limited, 45-day, Moratorium on Certain New and Expanded Commercial Development Projects Requiring New, Expanded, or Greater than 10% Additional Capacity Replacement Water Service Connections and New Swimming Polls, [requires a 4/5 Vote]; or 2. Modify the development moratorium as desired and adopt as modified [requires a 4/5 Vote], or
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3. Defer consideration of a development moratorium to the September 27, 2016 Council Meeting, to consider a potential moratorium at the same time as the City Council is scheduled to consider options for water conservation development standards; or 4. Not adopt a moratorium at this time. Mayor Blatz described the agenda item. City Attorney Summers opened with a brief staff report. Mayor Blatz asked if the City has any more control within its franchise agreement with Golden State Water Company over Will Serve letters than the City does with CMWD. City Attorney Summers said no, that the same rules apply to both purveyors. If they are able to deliver Will Serve letters to customers, the City cannot force them to stop. Mayor Blatz opened the floor to public comment. Steve Bilson, Ojai, spoke about his company’s business of installing gray water systems. He noted that state funds are also available to cities for installing such systems. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick asked Mr. Bilson if he can provide examples to the Council of cities with gray water programs. Steve Bilson said he will provide the requested information. Council Member Haney commented that in his experience as a landscape contractor, the gray water systems as described by Mr. Bilson can indeed be cost effective. Deborah Pendry of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition said that Ojai residents should be both proactive and reactive in addressing water conservation standards. Ted Moore, Ojai, a commercial real estate developer, said that Ojai is possibly not maximizing its use of the Ventura River groundwater, and groundwater elsewhere in the valley. He discussed data supporting his statement. Council Member Haney said he has seen the same data and noted that it is certainly worth examining as a possible source of lake replenishment. Meg Goodwin, Ojai, suggested converting the sewage system in Ventura into a “toilet-totap” system, or build such a system at the former Honor Farm county property on Baldwin Road. She added that Portland, Oregon has put a power generator at the water intake pipes that come into the City. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick noted that Ventura is interested in the same ideas that Ms. Goodwin discussed. Myles Steimle of California Pools shared information on water use related to pools. He noted that a pool uses about 50% less water than a lawn does. He also noted that there are drought-resistant pool technologies, such as bubble covers and no overflow sensors.
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Mayor Pro Tem Weirick asked if Mr. Steimle is aware of municipalities that have ordinances in place regarding pool covers. Mr. Steimle that Santa Barbara considered one, but voted it down. Mayor Blatz closed the public comments section. Discussion ensued on the dais on the agenda item. Council Member Lara asked staff how many pool permits Ojai gives each year. Community Development Director Wold said the City had sold four permits this year for pools. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick asked City Attorney Summers if staff had conducted any analysis on what exactly this proposal will do as far as making a difference in conserving water. City Attorney Summers said that he is not sure. Mayor Blatz said that the proposed moratorium specifically addresses new and existing commercial development, then it addresses swimming pools. He asked if that is a separate item for the Council to consider. City Attorney Summers said that as the item is presently drafted it is two separate things: Commercial structures and then any new swimming pools. Council Member Lara asked if there are water agencies still offering Will Serve letters, how will this play into the permitting process. City Attorney Summers explained Will Serve letters and the permitting process. A Will Serve letter is issued after a new project is approved. The letter is the penultimate step before the occupancy permit. Council Member Lara asked that if the moratorium goes into place, then projects would not even get to the point of getting a Will Serve letter? City Attorney Summers said that is correct. Council Member Haney noted that in the past year within the City there have been six Will Serve letters, including four for pools. Mayor Blatz asked that if the Council puts a moratorium into effect for 45 days, how quickly will it be possible for the City to get any new building codes implemented City Attorney Summers said that all together it would probably be two months or two and a half months at the soonest.
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Mayor Blatz said that then realistically implementation would require a 90 to 120-day moratorium. He asked if the Council wants to put the moratorium in place first or to start working on the ordinances before implementing the moratorium. Council Member Lara asked how many new building project permits does Ojai get on average in a year. City Attorney Summers said that that the City is mostly in a redevelopment phase, so there is very little new commercial development going on. Therefore, the moratorium is based more on changes to the existing water meters. He added that the Council could choose to approach the moratorium differently and apply it only to new development. Mayor Blatz said that if the City doesn’t have a lot of development affected by the moratorium, then it doesn’t make any difference if the City has the moratorium in place or not. He added that, however, if a major project comes through and there is no moratorium in place, would the City want the project to wait until the new standards are in place. Council Member Clapp said that the moratorium should apply to any development, including residential. She said that what is relevant is a development’s impact on water resources. She said any additional demand is negative, so the City would need to have the standards in place. She added that she thinks the moratorium needs to be done immediately. Mayor Blatz concurred. Council Member Clapp said that what is relevant is that the City has the standards in place. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick said that a broad brush may have unintended consequences. He said he is interested in targeting things that will have a measurable impact in conserving water. Council Member Haney noted that if the moratorium covers everything, then it could have an economic impact, too. Council Member Clapp said that everything matters, as the impact is cumulative. She said that she would like to see the Conservation Element of the City’s General Plan. She added that the City’s use is a small percentage of the valley’s water use, and questioned whether the moratorium is something symbolic or something that will truly impact water conservation in the community. She said there is nothing symbolic about laying the grounds for a 40-room hotel and brewery or in delaying a 30-unit housing project on south Montgomery Street.
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City Attorney Summers reminded the Council to refrain from making the decision based on any particular project. Council Member Clapp said that the Council has a duty within the General Plan to conserve. It does not say it is relevant to water use in the rest of valley. It just says the City has a duty to conserve. Mayor Blatz asked if the item is an emergency item. City Attorney Summers confirmed. Mayor Blatz said that he doesn’t believe the moratorium will have that big an effect on the City now, but once the new water-wise building standards are in place, those will have an impact. He said he would like to see the moratorium imposed so that the building standards can be implemented, to ensure that future projects adhere to water-wise standards. He asked City Attorney Summers if the Council can make a moratorium with that in mind. City Attorney Summers said the key finding is whether the Council would find if not imposing the moratorium would impose an immediate threat to the public’s health, safety and welfare, including its quality of water issues relative to the agenda item before the Council. Mayor Blatz said if that is the case, then he would want to wait until the new water-wise standards are in place before allowing construction on any new major project. MOTION: It was moved by Council Member Clapp and seconded by Mayor Blatz to delay any development entitlements requiring a new water service connection, additional water service connection, or greater than additional 10 percent additional capacity replacement water service connections on any lot or any zone within the City, until new water-wise development standards have been written and adopted by the City Council within 45 days, and that the moratorium will come before the Council for extension if the new standards have not yet been adopted. On roll call the vote was: Ayes: Blatz, Clapp Noes: Haney, Lara, Weirick ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Mayor Blatz asked if any Council Members wished to make an alternate motion. No Council Members did. Mayor Blatz asked if anyone wished to make a motion regarding the proposed moratorium on swimming pools.
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MOTION: It was moved by Council Member Clapp and seconded by Mayor Blatz to delay construction on new swimming pools until such time as there is determined to be adequate water within the City to allow new pools to be constructed. On roll call the vote was: Ayes: Clapp Noes: Blatz, Haney, Lara, Weirick Absent: None Abstain: None Mayor Blatz called for a five-minute break. Mayor Blatz reconvened the meeting after the five-minute break. 4. Agreement with Sterling Venue Ventures, LLC, for the Use of Libbey Bowl RECOMMENDATION: Approve the Agreement with Sterling Venue Ventures, LLC, for the use of Libbey Bowl, with a determination on whether to reduce the advanced deposit to the Maintenance Fund from $10,000 to $5,000 for the 2017 season. Interim City Manager McClary provided a brief staff report. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick asked who handles bookings at Libbey Bowl. Interim City Manager McClary said Sterling Venue Ventures would handle bookings except for dates of City events. Those dates’ bookings would be handled by the City. Council Member Lara asked if an entertainment attorney had reviewed the contract Interim City Manager McClary said that an entertainment attorney did review the contract pro bono and returned it to the committee. Mayor Blatz invited Lance Sterling to speak. Mr. Sterling said that he was happy with the agreement. Mayor Blatz opened the floor to public comments. Dennis Jones, Ojai, member of the Libbey Bowl ad hoc committee, said he is in favor of the contract, and that he is in favor of lowering the security deposit amount. Mike Donohue Ojai, member of the Libbey Bowl ad hoc committee, said he considers the contract a good contract, Sterling Venue Ventures a great partner, and that the contract will have good fiscal impact on the City. Mike Etchart, Ojai, supports the contract and considers Sterling Venue Ventures a good partner for the events. Richard Kemp, Ojai, who supports the contract, stated he has enjoyed the concerts that he attended at the bowl.
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Stewart Kroner, Ojai, who supports the contract, stated he has enjoyed concerts he has been to at the bowl. Scott Weiss, Ojai, member of the Libbey Bowl ad hoc committee, spoke in favor of the contract, but with modifications. He has submitted a list of his proposed modifications, including compensation, office supplies and management fee, among other items. He also would like to see financial projections done. Doug Sullanger, Ojai, supported the contract and stated he considers Sterling Venue Ventures a good vendor partner for Ojai. Patricia Cardinelli, Ojai, supported the contract and stated she has enjoyed the concerts so far produced by Sterling Venue Ventures. She would like to see broader geographical marketing outreach. Joan Kemper, Oak View, said people who attended the concerts enjoyed them and that restaurants benefitted too. She supports the contract. David Bowen, Ojai, supports the contract. Speaker, unknown, male, supported the contract. He said many people have been waiting for the sort of commercial events lately in the bowl. Ray Powers, Ojai, supported the contract and enjoys concerts at Libbey Bowl. Meg Goodwin, Ojai, supported the contract and likes the ticket prices. Mayor Blatz: closed the public comments. A discussion ensued on the dais Mayor Pro Tem Weirick expressed concerns about the contract’s net provision. He is concerned it may lead to disagreements. He suggested having a flat-fee per concert instead. He also expressed concerns about the depreciation schedule and about the option to extend. Council Member Clapp agreed and said she would like to have Mr. Weiss’ comments considered, and then have the contract brought back to the Council. Council Member Lara said he is concerned that having commercial events at Libbey Bowl 26 weeks of the year might be too many for the community. Council Member Haney noted that 26 weeks doesn’t mean every other week, but rather gives Sterling Venue Ventures a window within which to book concerts. Mr. Sterling addressed the questions raised by each of the Council Members. He noted that the 26 weeks was just a window to have dates on which to offer shows. Mayor Blatz said the bowl is a unique venue, it is underutilized, and has little branding.
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He noted that while the City will get $2.50 per ticket, the benefit from holding more concerts in the bowl extends farther, in that it brings tourism to the City. Residents have enjoyable concerts to attend and merchants benefit. He said that this contract will bring benefits to the community that we will be proud of. Council Member Haney said that Sterling Venue Ventures is unique to the concert booking industry, and that it will be a good fit for Ojai. He noted a few minor concerns: Events should have more porta potties, better training for ushers, local food vendors, and an event checklist. He also said that he has questions about net and gross and the amount of money the City gets per the contract. Lance Sterling said that is why the contract came to the agreement of $2.50 per ticket and a bonus for any profit above $30,000. Council Member Haney said that the value that the concerts bring to the City is priceless and that he supports the contract. Mayor Blatz asked about concerns about getting tickets via Ticketron. Mr. Sterling said that Ticketron’s cut is based on the price of the ticket. He added that people who live in an Ojai ZIP code get the Ticketron fee back in the form of a discount off the ticket price. Council Member Lara asked Mr. Sterling if the City can we have a maximum number of concerts, such as a maximum of 17. Mr. Sterling said that yes, he believes the total number of concerts will be between 10 and 15 – basically two or more concerts per month for the four or five months of guaranteed good weather. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick asked if some language changes could be added to the contract related to the total amount of dates stating, “unless waived by the City.” Interim City Manager McClary said he has some specific language to address Mayor Pro Tem Weirick’s concerns. Mayor Pro Tem Weirick suggested deleting the contract’s final sentence. Interim City Manager McClary said that sentence was in there to note that both parties have to approve it, there is not silent approval. Deputy City Clerk Amber Young noted that the sentence was there to address timeliness issues regarding possible needs to cancel a production. Interim City Manager McClary also clarified for Mayor Pro Tem Weirick that the security deposit was reduced from $10,000 to $5,000.
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MOTION It was moved by Council Member Lara and seconded by Council Member Haney to approve the Agreement with Sterling Venue Ventures, LLC, for the use of Libbey Bowl, reducing the advanced deposit to the Maintenance Fund from $10,000 to $5,000 and including the following changes: • Section 5.i.: SVV shall book a minimum of 10 events and a maximum of 17 events each year per the terms of this agreement, unless waived by CITY. • Section 9.a.: For each year, the agreement is in effect, CITY and SVV shall mutually determine in writing no later than October 1 for the initial term and September 1 for the following terms, those dates to be under exclusive CITY and SVV control. • Section 9. a.5.: Art in the Park Weekend of Memorial Day • Section 9.b.: SVV shall have exclusive rights for booking all commercial events scheduled at the BOWL. The CITY may book its own events including non-profit events or CITY-sponsored events. • Section 14.a.ii.: Either party may terminate Agreement 180 days after service of notice of proposed termination without cause. SVV intends to invest up to $200,000 in sound and lighting equipment during the initial term of the agreement. If the CITY terminates without cause during the initial term, it shall reimburse SVV for the un-depreciated value of the equipment per the depreciation schedule submitted at the time of purchase or return the sound and lighting to SVV at SVV's option, and submitted and accepted in writing by the CITY prior to purchase. • Section 15: Option to Extend: Delete the following language: If one party serves a notice of proposed extension and the other party is silent, then the agreement shall be extended for a further four-year period, provided that the City's approval must be in writing after City Council approval of each extension. On roll call the vote was: Ayes: Blatz, Clapp, Haney, Lara, Weirick Noes: None Absent: None Abstain: None Attorney Ryan Blatz requested to speak on Consent Calendar Item #f, Adoption of an Ordinance Establishing a Historic District for the Taormina Community. Mr. Blatz said that the resident vote tally for the Taormina Community Historic District was different at different points in the process. He said this was not acceptable to his clients. He also said he had concerns regarding the Council’s decision upon legal advice to waive the seven-day notice period CONTINUANCE OF AGENDA ITEMS 5 THROUGH 8 AND RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION Mayor Blatz continued the following agenda items to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 20, 2016 and recessed the meeting to a closed session.
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5. Agreement for Building and Safety Services RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Determine if City Council wishes to include Fire Safety (Optional Element P) in the agreement. 2. Determine if City Council wishes to include Building and Safety Code Compliance (Optional Element M) in the agreement. 3. Authorize the Interim City Manager to sign the Professional Services Agreement with Charles Abbott Associates, Inc., including direction on the optional elements. 6. Introduction of Ordinance Adding Chapter 25 to Title 4 to Allow Beekeeping, with prescribed restrictions, in All Zones within the City of Ojai RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Receive public comment; and 2. Introduce an ordinance adding Chapter 25 to Title 4 of the Ojai Municipal Code to allow beekeeping, with prescribed restrictions, in all zones of the City of Ojai, and 3. Ask the City Clerk to read the title of the ordinance. 7. FY 16-17 Budget Discussion (Updating and Amending the Salary Schedules for Management and Non-Management Employees, Updating the Employee Handbook; Modifying the Standard Work Hours and Schedule for all Full-Time Employees, Amendments to the FY 2016-17 Budget) RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Hold a discussion of the structure and details of the amended budget for FY 1617, including but not limited to, determinations on the following: • Changing (increasing) the compensation for City Clerk and City Treasurer • Allocating funds, recommended at $10,000, to conduct a Space and Needs Assessment for Ojai City Hall, from the one-time repayment of the RDA loan to the City • Increasing the full-time work week for all full-time City employees • Whether to continue to fund allocations for the PEG agreement with the Ojai Unified School District 2. Adopt Resolution No. 16 ___ amending the salary resolution retroactive to July 4, 2016 and updating the Employee Handbook (Attachment A) 3. Modify appropriations and anticipated revenue as directed (Attachment B). 8. Acquisition of vacant property at 205 Grand Avenue, Assessor’s Parcel Number: 021-0-043-170 RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Receive public comment, and 2. Adopt a resolution approving the acquisition of the vacant property at 205 Grand Avenue, Assessor’s Parcel Number 021-0-043-170, appropriating funds for the acquisition, and directing the Interim City Manager to execute escrow and sale documents and a certificate of acceptance on behalf of the City concluding the purchase of this property and 3. Allocate $200,000 in funds for the purchase of the land from the unallocated General Fund Reserve, or identify an alternate, appropriate funding source for the allocation.
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CLOSED SESSION 1. Public Employee Performance Evaluation (Gov. Code Section 54957) Title: Interim City Manager 2. Conference with Labor Negotiator (Gov. Code Section 54957.6) City of Ojai City Council Negotiator to attend closed session: Mayor Paul Blatz Unrepresented employee: City Manager Mayor Blatz called the Closed Session to order with the following present: Mayor Blatz, Mayor Pro Tem Weirick, Council Members Clapp, Haney and Lara, Interim City Manager Steve McClary and City Attorney Matthew Summers. Absent: None. At 11:09 p.m. Mayor Blatz recessed the Closed Session and reconvened the Regular Meeting. There was no reportable action from the closed session. ADJOURNMENT At 11:10 p.m. Mayor Blatz adjourned the Regular Meeting. Respectfully submitted:
Approved by:
Amber Young, Deputy City Clerk
Paul Blatz, Mayor
