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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 1996 0622 CC SPCMinutes of the Town Hall Meeting Moorpark, California June 22, 1996 A Special Town Hall Meeting of the City Council of the City of Moorpark was held on June 22, 1996 in the Community Center, located at 799 Moorpark Avenue, Moorpark, California. 1. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Lawrason called the meeting to order at 9:12 a.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Councilmember Hunter led the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL: Present: Councilmembers Brown, Hunter, Perez, Wozniak and Mayor Lawrason Staff Present: Steven Kueny, City Manager; Richard Hare, Deputy City Manager; Ken Gilbert, Director of Public Works; Don Reynolds; Administrative Services Manager; Mary Lindley, Assistant to the City Manager; Nelson Miller, Director of Community Development; Lieutenant Marty Rouse, Sheriff's Department; Lillian E. Hare, City Clerk, and Dorothy Vandaveer, Deputy City Clerk 4. PRESENTATIONS /ACTION /DISCUSSION: A. Consider Goals and Objectives for Fiscal Year 1996/97. Lori Rutter, addressed the Council and expressed concern regarding how future developments will affect the quality of life in Moorpark. She also suggested that a weekly job sheet might be a way of assisting the Day Laborers and prospective employers. She also said she believes the landscaping in the industrial parks in the City is far superior to that found in the retail centers. Bill LaPerch asked the Council to permit the Environmental Impact Report consultant to look at all options for a northerly bypass and not just the narrow options being considered now with regard to Specific Plan No. 2. In response to Council question, Mr. Kueny said staff can provide more information regarding the northerly alternatives, place it on the July 2 agenda and have the City Attorney review the process to see if it can be included in the Environmental Impact Review process. Minutes of the Town Hall Meeting Moorpark, California Page 2 June 22, 1996 Jim Hartley said the maintenance and marking of bike paths on Tierra Rejada Road needs to be improved. Mr. Hartley continued by stating that bike racks need to be included in the planning of shopping centers. Donald Drowty spoke as a representative of Cine -Max Theaters, 44 -100 Monterey Avenue, Suite 216, Palm Desert. He said he is looking forward to working with residents of the City to start the new Cine -Max theater in Moorpark. Carolyn Poleri, 6863 Trojan Court, addressed the Council and inquired about what new restaurants are going to be opening in the City. AT THIS POINT in the meeting, the Council began discussion of the stated Citywide Goals and introduced ideas they would like to see considered in the overall discussion of Fiscal Year 1996/1997 Goals and Objectives. The Citywide Goals are as follows: 1. "Expand and encourage community involvement in establishing the general policies of the City and _ increase the public's understanding of local government operations." Councilmember Wozniak asked if the Citizen Academy is part of this focus. In response to Councilmember Wozniak, Mr. Kueny stated that the City might consider publishing four newsletters per year, having a focus group, and organizing a Citizens Academy. Councilmember Wozniak said he would like to explore reestablishing the Neighborhood Councils. He said the Homeowners' Associations could be used to determine the boundaries. Mr. Kueny suggested that the Neighborhood Watch groups could also be a boundary definition point. These groups could be provided information regarding upcoming projects that are being considered by the Planning Commission and the City Council. Councilmember Brown said a periodic report could be made on projects that have been filed, a City staff member reading the report on camera before Council meetings. The cable character generator could also contain a Minutes of the Town Hall Meeting Moorpark, California Page 3 June 22, 1996 message directing the caller to a phone line with the recorded report information. Councilmember Hunter said we need to appeal to a wide variety of mediums to reach the maximum population. Councilmember Perez said he would like to see designated bulletin boards at the library, markets, and the post office where notices regarding community projects can be placed. Mayor Lawrason stated that we need to do some television programming that could be run separately from City Council meeting announcements. Councilmember Perez said we need to highlight the High Street area relative to the Moorpark Redevelopment Agency's accomplishments. The same information should be provided during the Citizen Academy. Councilmember Brown suggested that the Citizen Academy be televised. Councilmember Perez asked if Town Hall Meetings should be televised? Councilmember Wozniak said Town Hall meetings should possibly allow telephone questions to be answered on camera by the Council. In response to Council question, Mr. Kueny said the Citizen Academy would probably be conducted at the Community Center. Councilmember Wozniak suggested that the Academy be held at the Melodrama to focus on the downtown area. Mr. Kueny said the Moorpark Community College has also been suggested for the Citizen Academy location. Mayor Lawrason said he thought a community survey should be done by a professional survey consultant. Councilmember Wozniak said it should be presented in a newspaper design to make it more readable and distributed separately from any other publication. Councilmember Brown said that the City should request the results of the survey the Moorpark Unified School Minutes of the Town Hall Meeting Moorpark, California Page 4 District recently conducted surveys that were returned. June 22, 1996 and get the percentage of Mayor Lawrason said Councilmembers could go to the different shopping centers in the City and poll the patrons. 2. "Revitalize downtown Moorpark with a focus on High Street and the surrounding business district and residential neighborhoods." Bill Poleri, 6863 Trojan Court, said the downtown area could be revitalized by focusing on the arts. He suggested using local citizens' art in a show or gallery to bring people downtown, rather than relying solely on stores. Councilmember Brown stated that doing a small arts show during Country Days at a City owned building would be a possibility. Mr. Kueny suggested that the Community Center could be considered as a possible site for the art show. Councilmember Wozniak said the empty City owned lot on the southwest corner of High Street and Moorpark Avenue or the South Metrolink parking lot could be a site on which to erect a tent and have an art show. He continued by stating that he believes there should be a museum in the downtown area to trace the history of the City. He said it could be located in an existing building or one could be constructed. Bill Poleri said the museum could include a revolving art gallery. Councilmember Brown said the Arts Committee might be able to help with funding for a tented pavilion and art show for Country Days. Bill Poleri said volunteers could be recruited to help with it. Mayor Lawrason indicated that information regarding the Downtown Specific Plan needs to be communicated to citizens. Mr. Kueny said that staff can explore the possibility of making one of the remaining hearings regarding the Minutes of the Town Hall Meeting Moorpark, California Page 5 June 22, 1996 Downtown Specific Plan a joint meeting with the Planning Commission. Councilmember Perez said there is a need to look at the feasibility of designing a left turn lane for westbound traffic at the intersection of Spring Road and Peach Hill Road. He requested that it be added to the Public Works list of goals for FY 96/97. 3. "Improve traffic circulation and mitigate impacts on the movement of traffic through the City." In response to Jim Hartley, Mr. Kueny said we are still negotiating the condition of Los Angeles Avenue and Spring Road with Caltrans before the City accepts it. Mayor Lawrason said this item should remain a goal as it is very important to the City. Lieutenant Rouse said signs should be posted on New Los Angeles Avenue soon that will restrict trucks to the right hand lanes. 4. "Strengthen the City's fiscal well -being and long -range financial growth." Mr. Hare indicated that staff needs to provide the five year financial projections with the inclusion of the Messenger project model. He said with regard to Fund 41, the model needs to project it to buildout and work backwards to see if developer fees will keep up with the revenue the City will need. Mr. Kueny added that the County has a Master Agreement for Annexation which would make the City of Moorpark's tax rate 3.9% as opposed to the standard rate of 7.9 %. He said the City's tax rate should prevail since it was set before the agreement was put in place by the County. 5. "Reduce the potential for juvenile crime through intervention and prevention efforts." Mr. Kueny said that the City has added the DARE program and has added staff to support the Teen Program at Arroyo Vista Community Park. In response to Council question, Lieutenant Rouse provided a summary of the proposed curfew ordinance. Minutes of the Town Hall Meeting Moorpark, California Page 6 June 22, 1996 Councilmember Hunter left the meeting. The time was 10:58 a.m. 6. "Enhance the delivery of services and expand program efficiencies." Mr. Kueny said the City has implemented the ongoing Customer Service Program, and is reviewing various reorganization opportunities. He indicated that some items being explored are the GIS system, the chart of accounts modification, processing of permits, and action minutes. In response to Councilmember Perez, Mr. Kueny said the Department Heads are soliciting ideas from their respective department personnel and those are brought forward for consideration. Jim Hartley stated that the City Council Monthly Report is a good tool and some of that information could be placed on the character generator. 7. "Reinforce and enhance Moorpark's attractive community character and safeguard its desirable resources." Mr. Kueny explained that Moorpark is projected to reach a maximum population of approximately 42,000 people at buildout. Councilmember Wozniak said that figure is based on each project being built out at the proposed maximum and that might not be the case so the population figure could be less than the projected 42,000. Mr. Kueny explained that with the Council direction today, staff will identify 10 or fewer of the highest priorities to support the goals just discussed and bring a report back to the Council in August or September. Minutes of the Town Hall Meeting Moorpark, California Page 7 June 22, 1996 5. ADJOURNMENT: Paul Lawrason ` Mayor ATTEST: