CITY OF NORCO CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, City Council Chambers, 2820 Clark Avenue, Norco, CA 92860 CALL TO ORDER: ROLL CALL: 6:32 p.m. Present: Ted Hoffman, Mayor Robin Grundmeyer, Mayor Pro Tem Berwin Hanna, Council Member Greg Newton, Council Member Absent: Kevin Bash, Council Member The City Council recessed to Closed Session (Section 54954) to consider the following matter: CLOSED SESSION: 54956.9(c) Conference with Legal Counsel Anticipated Litigation One Case RECONVENE PUBLIC SESSION: 7:04 p.m. REPORT OF ACTION(S) TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION - 54957.1 (City Attorney) City Attorney John Harper indicated that there is no reportable action from Closed Session. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: INVOCATION: PRESENTATIONS: Council Member Hanna Pastor Phil Wozniak, Grace Fellowship Church I-15 Express Lanes Project Update, Riverside County Transportation Commission Project Manager David Thomas presented an overview of the I-15 Express Lanes Project. The project features two express lanes in both directions from Cajalco Avenue in Corona to the 60 Freeway, approximately 15 miles. Construction will take place
Page 2 primarily in the median, will include multiple entry and exit points, and will involve bridge widening. Mr. Thomas commented on some of the benefits of the project such as traffic congestion relief, design-build delivery, and travel time reliability. The project began in early 2016 with the procurement process, environmental approval and award of contract. Construction began in Spring of 2018 and the Express Lanes are expected to open in 2020. A northbound Express Lanes connector from the 91 freeway is expected to be completed in the Summer of 2022. Mr. Thomas added that Norco-area work related to the Express Lanes includes Second Street and Third Street bridge widening. As a result, some daytime closures will occur for construction as well as nighttime street closures for demolition and girder placement. Express Lanes paving is underway north of the Santa Ana River Bridge. Mr. Thomas briefly commented on the trail closures around the Santa Ana River. Wildfire Mitigation and Grid Resiliency Program Public Safety Power Shutoff, Southern California Edison Government Relations Manager Aileen Flores and Principal Manager Chris Abel presented information about Southern California Edison s Wildfire Mitigation, Safety and Grid Resiliency Program, which includes a number of safety practices to make the grid more resilient. Mr. Abel commented on SCE s wildfire mitigation strategy and the steps SCE has taken to reduce the risk of wildfires. SCE continues to proactively enhance operational practices and infrastructure through comprehensive wildfire mitigation strategy, which includes: long-standing operational practices of special procedures during Red Flag warnings, restricted work practices, and joint patrols with fire agencies; investing in system hardening of electric grid with fire-resistant poles, covered conductors, and new technology; bolstering situational awareness capabilities with fire and severe weather monitoring and rapidly advancing analytics to improve weather prediction; and enhancing operational practices with extra-sensitive relay settings, community engagement, and vegetation management. Ms. Flores commented on Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). In alignment with its operational safety practices, she said that SCE may proactively shut off power in high fire risk areas when extreme fire conditions present a clear and imminent danger to public safety. It is an operational practice of last resort that may reduce fire risk in limited high fire risk areas. This practice is not taken lightly and is only sparingly used in the most extreme conditions. In such a case, SCE will make every effort to notify local governments and customers ahead of time, especially to critical care and medical baseline customers.
Page 3 CALFIRE Battalion Chief Scott Lane indicated that there was an initial meeting with SCE approximately two months ago and requested to know which circuits are of concern to SCE in the City. Ms. Flores stated that she will email the information along with the GIS layers. In response to Council Member Newton, Mr. Abel stated that the basis for this program is that the California Public Utilities Commission in partnership with CALFIRE identified high fire risk areas throughout the state and ranked them in tiers. SCE took that information and identified where the circuits are in those various tiers. Mr. Abel said that fire does not discriminate and therefore the tiers can be in either urban or rural areas. Council Member Newton commented on SCE s vegetation management and expressed concern on how trees are trimmed. He commented that the way in which SCE handles vegetation management seems to accelerate death and disease of trees, which causes damage to local trees. Council Member Newton also stated that this presentation provides a good case for placing transmission lines underground. PROCLAMATION: Constitution Week - September 17-23, 2018 Mayor Hoffman presented the Proclamation to Mary Katherine Coovert and Lee Kleppe of the Aurantia Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and asked Norco residents to reaffirm the ideals of the Framers of the Constitution by vigilantly protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us through this guardian of our liberties, remembering that lost rights may never be regained. CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS ITEMS: 1. CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS / REPORTS ON REGIONAL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Council Member Hanna: Attended a meeting of the Riverside County Transportation Commission. Attended a meeting of the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA). RTA is taking delivery of 64 new Dial-a-Ride busses. Attended a meeting of the Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District. The District will be treating areas by the Santa Ana River and SilverLakes. Mayor Pro Tem Grundmeyer: Attended an UNLOAD Committee meeting in August. UNLOAD will be hosting a Town Hall in March 2019 at Nellie Weaver Hall. The Town Hall will be an interactive event for youth regarding the dangers of drinking and driving.
Page 4 Attended the Norco Schools Committee meeting. Members of the Corona-Norco Unified School District provided updates on the construction at Norco Elementary and stated that upgrades to Norco Intermediate will begin next year. Council Member Newton: Attended Chino Basin Special Board meeting. The Board moved forward with an addendum to the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approved design of the dual water line under the Santa Ana River. Mayor Hoffman: Attended a Corona-Norco Unified School District Unity meeting. Commented on the current recruitment for the Norco Youth Advisory Council. Commented on the Patriot Day Event on September 11 th at 8:30 a.m. at Fire Station 47. Attended a photonics regional meeting at the Corona Chamber of Commerce. Photonics is the study of light and lasers and the group discussed bringing a center to Norco College under a consortium model. 2. CITY COUNCIL CONSENT ITEM: M/S HANNA/NEWTON to approve the Consent Calendar Item as presented. The motion was carried by the following roll call vote: AYES: GRUNDMEYER, HANNA, NEWTON, HOFFMAN NOES: NONE ABSENT: BASH ABSTAIN: NONE A. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of August 15, 2018. Action: Approved the City Council regular meeting minutes of August 15, 2018. (City Clerk) 3. ITEM(S) PULLED FROM CITY COUNCIL CONSENT CALENDAR None. 4. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Pat Overstreet commented that Norco Horsemen s Association and RURAL are hosting a Candidates Forum on Thursday, September 20, 2018 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Nellie Weaver Hall. The forum will include City Council candidates as well as Riverside County Supervisor candidates. On Thursday, September 27 at RURAL s regular meeting, 60 th Assembly District candidate Bill Essayli will be the guest speaker.
Page 5 Tara Tolan indicated that she spoke before the Council three weeks ago. She expressed her concerns frustrations again regarding her neighbor. Her neighbor is moving dirt around and dumped buckets of dirt on her property line further damaging her chain link fence. Ms. Tolan said she does not understand how her neighbor is getting away with not having permits. In April 2017, she said she was told that her neighbor needed permits. She said she wasn t told until last week that he is not required to have permits. Ms. Tolan said she has researched the Norco Municipal Code and her neighbor is violating certain sections because he is impacting neighboring properties. She displayed photos of what has been occurring. Ms. Tolan requested assistance from the Council. Bonnie Slager commented on the Candidates Forum hosted by Norco Horsemen s and RURAL on September 20 th. She encouraged residents to submit questions for the candidates to Ms. Pat Overstreet. Ms. Slager commented on the Navy Birthday Ride on Saturday, October 13 th. Harvey Sullivan thanked the Norco Fair Committee for an excellent event over the Labor Day weekend. He thanked Lt. Briddick for the recent DUI checkpoint. Mr. Sullivan expressed concerns about the Ron Mugar case. He said that the Council Members did not do their jobs by visiting the site and investigating the case to ensure Mr. Mugar s constitutional rights. He said that each Council Member received a packet of documents to review on the Mugar case. He also asked why the Council Members are not assisting Ms. Tolan with her situation. 5. DISCUSSION / ACTION ITEM: A. Verbal Report on the 2018 League of California Cities Conference Resolution Calling Upon the League to Respond to the Increasing Vulnerabilities to Local Municipal Authority, Control, and Revenue. (Mayor Hoffman) Mayor Hoffman indicated that next week, he and two Council Members will be attending the 2018 League of California Cities conference. Part of the conference includes a Committee meeting in which cities use the League as lobbyists to fight for legislation. One important resolution is from the City of Beverly Hills calling upon the League to respond to the increasing vulnerabilities to local municipal authority, control and revenue and explore the preparation of a ballot measure and/or constitutional amendment that would further strengthen local democracy and authority. The intent of the resolution is to prevent Sacramento overreach throughout the state. Mayor Hoffman asked for Council consensus in support of the resolution in the form of a letter. Council Member Hanna supports the resolution and provided an example of fighting overreach when he and Council Member Bash stood on the steps of the Capitol Building in Sacramento last year to fight Senate Bill 649. He said that the League does
Page 6 have a voice and supports submitting a letter to the Committee next week. Mayor Pro Tem Grundmeyer said she supports submitting a letter to the League Committee but requested that the letter be specific to include impacts to Norco, rather than just a form letter. M/S HANNA/NEWTON to submit a letter to the League Committee in support of the Resolution from the City of Beverly Hills regarding local authority. The motion was carried by the following roll call vote: AYES: GRUNDMEYER, HANNA, NEWTON, HOFFMAN NOES: NONE ABSENT: BASH ABSTAIN: NONE 6. CITY COUNCIL / CITY MANAGER / STAFF COMMUNICATIONS Mayor Pro Tem Grundmeyer reported that Bob Tallman, famous rodeo announcer, visited Norco. He was given a tour of the Veterans Memorial and the George Ingalls Equestrian Event Center. Mr. Tallman has been to event centers around the country and he said Norco is amazing. Mayor Hoffman commented on the upcoming POW/MIA Day event on September 21 st at the Veterans Memorial. Mayor Hoffman asked Director Blais to have the Streets, Trails and Utilities Commission review parking issues on Belgian Drive as a result of Norco College traffic. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Hoffman adjourned the meeting at 8:37 p.m. Cheryl L. Link, CMC, City Clerk