MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE SOLVANG CITY COUNCIL

Transcription

1 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE SOLVANG CITY COUNCIL Council Chambers 1644 Oak Street Solvang, CA June 12, 2017 Monday 6:30 pm CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Richardson called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. ROLL CALL: PRESENT: STAFF: Mayor Richardson, Council Members Duus, Jamieson, Toussaint, Zimmerman Brad Vidro, City Manager; Roy Hanley, City Attorney; Matt van der Linden, Public Works Director; Holly Owen, Planning & Economic Development Director; Sandra Featherson, Administrative Services Director; Charlie Uhrig, Community Resource Officer; and Lisa S. Martin, City Clerk PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Led by Council Member Toussaint CITY MANAGERS REPORT: Informational report only. 1. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS - WRITTEN OR VERBAL Tracy Farhad, Solvang Conference & Visitor's Bureau Y Just returned from an international marketing show Y Discussed press release about the Highway 1 landslide and Big Sur's loss of revenue Y Handed out information on the impact of OMO (destination) websites Fred Kovol, Solvang Resident Y Would like presentation on Solvang's CalPERS unfunded liability 2. COUNCIL REQUESTS Council Member Zimmerman would also like to see a presentation on our CalPERS. There was Council Consensus to bring back the item on a future agenda. CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED BY COUNCIL No discussion - informational only. 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AS PRESENTED

2 Page 2 of9 No changes to the agenda. 4. CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF MAY 22, 2017 Motion made by Council Member Jamieson to approve the minutes as written, seconded by Council Member Duus, and carried with a verbal response of CONSENT AGENDA a. Approval of Warrant Register b. VisitSYV I st Quarter Report 2017 c. Approval of revised Accounting Assistant Job Description 1. Approve the revised job description for the Accounting Assistant position d. FTA Section 5311 Grant Agreement with the California Department of Transportation 1. Adopt Resolution Nos. 17- and 17-, two Resolutions of the City Council of the City of Solvang authorizing the City Manager to execute a FTA Section 5311 Grant Agreement with the California Department of Transportation for operations assistance for the Santa Ynez Valley Transit System for fiscal year 2016/17 and e. Amendment to Professional Services Agreement - Engineering Services for Alisa) Road Sidewalk Project I. Approve an amendment to the professional services agreement with LaChaine & Associates in the amount of $28,000 and authorize execution of the amendment by the Mayor;and 2. Authorize the City Manager to execute contract amendments if within the contingency amount of $4,200 Council Member Toussaint declares a 500 foot conflict for Item 6e. Motion to approve the Consent Agenda agenda as presented made by Council Member Duus, seconded by Council Member Jamieson, and carried with a verbal response of 5 ayes for Items a, b, c, and d and 4 ayes and 1 abstention (Toussaint) on Item e. REGULAR AGENDA 7. PRELIMINARY BUDGET REVIEW WORKSHOP Staff report by Sandra Featherson, Administrative Services Director. Council Member Zimmerman asked if we are required to participate in CalPERS. Sandra Featherson replied that the contract could be canceled however, we would have to pay off our total liability which could be over $20 million. Mayor Richardson inquired whether all of the property owners had been contacted. Planning Director Owen indicates that her understanding when she took over was that all property owners had expressed interest. Mayor Richardson opened the item with Agency Presentations of Grant Applicants Jennifer Schwartz, PCPA ),-' The funds requested will help with the summer season productions and student training

3 Page 3 of9 Hans Birkholm, Danish Days Foundation Y Danish Days is the biggest celebration of Solvang's culture and heritage y The foundation requests that the total amount requested be awarded Ashley Salvador, Jodi House Y The Solvang program only consists of one day per week currently, they would like to expand Y They are the only non-profit in Santa Barbara County whose goal is to help brain injury victims thrive Tracy Beard, Solvang Chamber of Commerce Y The objective of the chamber is to make Solvang a retail shopping destination Y Is working very hard to bring businesses to Solvang that are the right fit Y Accomplishments this year include the business guide, the State of the City, the Walk Shop Wine & Dine walking map, the Awards Banquet, the business relocation guide, and China Ready program Steve Ortiz and Katie Higgins, United Way of Santa Barbara County Y Would appreciate the grant funding to provide more opportunities to low income children Erin Zivic, Zaca Center Preschool Y The preschool is a vital resource in the valley as it is one of only two preschools Y Without it, parents would be unable to work outside of the home Y It is an investment in our children and provides important early learning curriculum Florene Bednersh, Zaca Center Preschool Y The County Education Office is no longer funding this program Y They are requesting funds for the first time as they are trying to fund the program themselves Y The preschool provides very important reading, social skills, and healthy food knowledge and serves garden produce grown by the children Y There is a 7-10% return on investment for every dollar spent on children Tracy Farhad, Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) Y The SCVB is the city's marketing agency focusing on public relations and advertisement, and their efforts are making a difference in both good times and in slow times Y Discussed handout on specific marketing initiative Y There is a 13% return on your SCVB investment Y Requesting the entire requested grant amount of $780,000 Laura Hanberg, SCVB Y We need to keep Solvang at the forefront of people's minds Angie Horn, SCVB Y TOT is over half of the city's budget Y The SCVB works very hard to bring people here and encourage them to stay Susan Williams, SCVB Y All of the SCVB team including the visitor's center are passionate and work very hard Y All businesses, their contact information, and a description are on the SolvangUSA website

4 Page 4 of9 Kim Jensen, SCVB Y Tourism is competitive in California, we need to stay on the cutting edge Y Requesting the full amount of the grant Kris Kersten, Santa Ynez Valley Rotary Y Requesting the grant to fund the 4 th of July show which is always money well spent Y Thanked the Council for their continued support Alan Davenport and Robin Serritslev, Solvang School Education Fund Y Requesting the grant to support the Music and Art Program Y They are also trying to get the GATE program back Ellen Albertoni, Solvang Senior Center Y Would appreciate funding in the full amount of $50,000 Y There are many new members due to the new senior apartments Y The funds would be used to expand the hours of operation, add activities, and perform upgrades to the building John Mathews, Solvang Theaterfest Y The Theaterfest is a non-profit organization run by an all volunteer board Y An architect is currently working on plans for a facility upgrade that they are very excited about Y No one owns the theater, it is a community asset Amy Derryberry, Veggie Rescue Y Thanked the Council for their past support Y Solvang organizations received approximately 18% of all produce deliveries, including Solvang School, Solvang Senior Center, and People Helping People Puck Erickson Lohnas, Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden Y The botanic garden is open to all residents of the Santa Ynez valley Y It is a real resource, and in addition is now a tourist destination Jeanne Johnston and Barbara Savage, Friends of the Library Y Very much appreciate your past and future support, it's what cities do Y Passionate about the children's programs and letting the children having a love for learning Stacey Otte, The Wildling Museum Y Membership is up about 6% Y Working on building their curriculum and outreach to schools Y They have a new partnership with the Santa Barbara Zoo Y Requested the increase in the grant amount to work on a special show about the Santa Ynez River watershed Dean Palius, People Helping People Y The organization has been in operation for 22 years and serves approximately 3,900 clients with only 10% overhead Y This grant is extremely important because it helps show community support which helps them be awarded other monies from the County, etc Y They have approximately 24 volunteers Y Please come to the polo event fundraiser

5 Page 5 of9 Art Kaslow, Elverhoj Museum Y The museum provides social and cultural opportunities Y This funding directly impacts the museum's ability to plan for its future Y They have over 60 volunteers and have more than 20,000 visitors annually Edgerton Lange, Santa Ynez Valle Master Chorale Y Master Chorale has been in existence since 1968 Y The grant money helps to put on the programs Mayor Richardson called a short recess and Council returned at 8:25 p.m. Council discussion regarding agency grant requests. Council Member Duus commented that he would like to address the Solvang Conference & Visitor's Bureau (SCVB) and the Chamber first, as they drive the economic well-being of the city. The SCVB is the promotional arm, they get the tourists here, and the Chamber is responsible for ensuring that we get all the retail sales we can while the visitors are here. It was decided though, to address the PCPA grant first since Council Member Toussaint has a conflict and then to review all other grant requests when he returns. Council Member Toussaint declared a conflict of interest as to the PCPA grant funding request and exited Council Chambers. Council Member Jamieson thought the $2,500 amount was adequate since we need to focus on Solvang agencies. There was Council consensus to award PCPA the amount recommended by the finance Council Member Toussaint returns to the dais. Council Member Duus stated that SCVB is our promotional and advertising agency, they get the people here. He worries about the Highway 101 landslide situation. What if visitors from San Francisco or Los Angeles couldn't get here? People need to know we're open for business. To only approve $720,000 would be a step backwards. Will support the full $780,000 requested. Council Member Toussaint noted that he has reviewed the numbers and SCVB is performing, so he concurs with Council Member Duus. Council Member Zimmerman expressed concern that the support we are providing to visitors to the city versus local organizations is disproportionate. Would like to see more local support. Council Member Jamieson explained that when we passed Measure Z it was on the premise that the funds would be used for community services. We are doing our part to support our local community agencies, however, she would like to see more collaboration between the Visitor's Bureau and the Chamber. Council Member Duus agreed that we have lived up to our community funding promise that we made with the passage of Measure Z.

6 Page 6 of9 Mayor Richardson expressed his concern with the deficit. If we grant all of the funding requests received we will increase our projected deficit. Asked the SCVB if they would be willing to match an award amount. Tracy Farhad, SCVB Executive Director, indicated that they would rather take a smaller grant as it enables them to maintain their focus on Solvang. Council Member Zimmerman suggested taking the $100,000 that the Chamber is requesting from the SCVB grant amount. So, award the SCVB $680,000. Discussion regarding the historical and current funding of the SCVB ensued. Motion made by Council Member Duus to approve an award amount of$760,000 to the SCVB, seconded by Mayor Richardson, and carried with a roll call vote of 4-1 with Council Member Zimmerman voting No. Tracy Beard, Executive Director of the Solvang Chamber, addresses the Council to explain their funding request. The Chamber protects the City's tax base. They do not receive any economic vitality funds. Priority projects would be TV spots, more Walk Shop Wine Dine maps and to have them printed in Chinese, and brochure racks at the back of the square where the buses drop off. Want to make Solvang a retail destination. Want to work with retail operators in regards to marketing trends. Council Member Zimmerman commented that if we keep throwing money at the Chamber we will never get the retailers to do their own marketing. Some businesses are not performing and if they were to close their doors we could get better businesses into town. Tracy Beard responded that we need to do some retail marketing to get better shops. Council Member Toussaint complimented Tracy on her efforts in raising the performance of the Chamber. It very valuable and recognized by the community. Mayor Richardson suggested an award amount of $50,000. Council Member Toussaint wanted to break down the award by Tracy's priority projects. Mayor Richardson questioned the jump in salaries from $70,000 to $98,000. Tracy Beard responded that she needs to hire someone for advertising and another for answering phones. Also, existing staff has not had a pay raise in over a year. Council Member Duus suggested an award of $75,000. Council Member Toussaint suggested $85,000 since the Chamber has been neglected for many years. We've got to support the tax base and complete the circle. Motion made by Council Member Toussaint to approve an award amount of $85,000 to the Solvang Chamber of Commerce, seconded by Council Member Duus, and carried with a roll call vote of 5-0. Council Member Jamieson would like to table the Solvang Library funding since we don't know yet what action the County is going to take as far as funding. There is Council consensus to table the funding of the Solvang Library to a later date.

7 Page 7 of9 Discussion on the Solvang Senior Center request. Council Member Duus noted that this, and PHP, are our social service providers. Would like to see the senior center grant go to $45,000. Motion made by Council Member Duus to approve an award amount of $45,000 to the Solvang Senior Center, seconded by Council Mayor Richardson, and carried with a roll call vote of 5-0. There was Council consensus to award the Elverhoi Museum the amount recommended by the finance There was Council consensus to award the Solvang Theaterfest the amount recommended by the finance There was Council consensus to award Danish Days Foundation the amount recommended by the finance Discussion on the People Helping People request. Council Member Duus noted that it is not often that we see a request amount go down. We should give them the amount they requested, not as lowered by the finance Motion made by Council Member Duus to approve an award amount of $22,000 to Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People, seconded by Council Member Jamieson, and carried with a roll call vote of 5-0. There was Council consensus to award the Rotary Club of Santa Ynez Valley the amount recommended by the finance There was Council consensus to award Veggie Rescue the amount recommended by the finance There was Council consensus to award the Solvang School Education Foundation the amount recommended by the finance Council Member Duus commented that he would like to see vocational education added. There was Council consensus to award the United Way the amount recommended by the finance There was Council consensus to award the Sheriff's Benevolent Posse the amount recommended by the finance Discussion on the Jodi House request. Mayor Richardson acknowledged that this agency is very important in making brain injury patient's lives better. Council Member Zimmerman agrees, and would like to give them their full request of $5,000. Motion made by Council Member Zimmerman to approve an award amount of $5,000 to Jodi House, seconded by Council Member Toussaint, and carried with a roll call vote of 5-0. Discussion on the Zaca Creek Preschool request.

8 Page 8 of9 Council Member Zimmerman would like to award the full request of $5,000 due to the importance of early education in children's lives. Council Member Toussaint agreed. Motion made by Council Member Toussaint to approve an award amount of $5,000 to Zaca Center Preschool, seconded by Council Member Zimmerman, and carried with a roll call vote of 5-0. Discussion on the Wildling Museum. Motion made by Council Member Jamieson to approve an award amount of $2,500 to The Wildling Museum, seconded by Council Member Toussaint, and carried with a roll call vote of 5-0. There was Council consensus to award the Master Chorale the amount recommended by the finance There was Council consensus to award The Valley Wind Ensemble the amount recommended by the finance Discussion on the Botanic Garden. Council Member Jamieson would like to go back up to their requested amount since the garden is part of the Solvang School's education program. Motion made by Council Member Jamieson to approve an award amount of $1,000 to the Santa Ynez Botanic Garden, seconded by Council Member Toussaint, and carried with a roll call vote of 5-0. Council Member Jamieson thanked the Council for making Solvang a better place and giving back to our citizens and agencies. Mayor Richardson added that this is our way of helping our citizens and community who are sometimes inconvenienced by the tourists, who typically double our population. There was Council consensus to continue the remainder of the budget review to the meeting of June 26, COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS (Oral reports: Each Council Member will give oral reports on their activities in relation to the following committee or agencies. In addition, each member may report on items that will be included on the agenda for such committee or agency and seek guidance from the Council as a whole on such items, including on what position to take on behalf of the City) Joint Wastewater Committee Council Member Toussaint reported on the last meeting. He was pleased with the way the Public Works Director handled the meeting. Would like to see us continue to make efficiency improvements. We need to keep informed on the Los Olivos CSD status. 9. ADVANCE CALENDAR Information only, no action.

9 Page 9 of9 10. CLOSED SESSION Council adjourned to Closed Session at 9:22 p.m. and returned to Council Chambers at 10:24 p.m. to adjourn the City Council meeting and report that there was No Reportable Action from Closed Session. 11. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Richardson adjourned the City Council meeting at 10:24 p.m.