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Home My WebLink About03/28/2008i B A I� E R S F I E L D Ciiy Manager's 4ffice Memorandum Marc TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager �� SUBJECT: Generallnformation � 1. Attached is a recent article from the Fresno Bee that discusses the League c Cities' decision to no longer serve as the entity that appoints city Councilmember: Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Governing Board. It is yet to be deter the replacement mechanism will be. The number of seats on the Board rose fro fifteen with the passage of SB 719 (Machado) last year. A total of five seats is no� city Councilmembers (based on region and population). Staff will monitor thi: report any developments that occur. 2. We have received good news from Caltrans that two projects have been appr Cycle 7 of the Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Program. The projects are to in� yellow beacons at Pauly Elementary School and South High School on Planz F project will be paid for with $32,760 in state funds and $3,640 in local funds for a $36,400. 3. Staff is working on the proposed budget document. If the State does not "borrow' it promises to be the most uninteresting budget in memory. Simply not much c this year. Should the State "borrow" it will be more interesting but in a negative will tell! 4. The third annual Spring Festival will be held in The Park at River Walk on Saturc and Sunday, April 6th. There will be a wide variety of vendors, children's activiti entertainment on two stages. A schedule of activities is enclosed. 5. The Streets Division work schedule for the week of March 31S` is enclosed. 6. Responses to Council requests are enclosed, as follows: Councilmember Couch • C-O zoning in a commercial zone. Fr�snoBee.com: Local: Air board seats in limbo as appointing body bows out Air board seats in limbo as appointing body bows out By Mark Grossi / The Fresno Bee V.; �.) �� C�J.Iil.�}i Threatened with legal action, the California League of Cities has decided to stop appointing city council ^•^ORE fNFOR�.aA�ta� members to the regional air district board, leaving two board seats in limbo. ;� °�F;gt,t►ng t�r Air�� spec�al report The two empty seats are up for appointment at the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, which copes with one of the country's worst air quality problems. Eventually, the problem could affect a total of five board seats that the league would have filled. The league has been picking city members for the board since the air district was formed in 1992, but last year it was caught in a political battle as activists successfully fought to get their candidates on the board. This year, activists threatened to sue the league, saying that they couldn't get access to meetings about filling the next two seats. Though the league's membership is made up of California city officials, it is not a government agency and is no longer the appropriate group to make the appointments, league officials said. League Executive Director Chris McKenzie in Sacramento said his organization does not make such choices for other air districts in the state. "We're a nonprofit corporation," he said. "We don't have the same authority as government agencies. This process may have matured to the point that an established government agency should be handling it." The city-seat appointment process became contentious last year, perhaps for the first time since the league became involved. Two activist candidates, Raji Brar of Arvin and Henry T. Perea of Fresno, were elected by league members after an intense campaign. This year, the league was supposed to name two additional city members, which a new state law last year added to the board to represent large cities such as Fresno, Bakersfield and Stockton. In addition, the law, Senate Bill 719, added two other seats -- medical and science experts -- that have yet to be filled by the governor. The air board now has 15 seats, including a supervisor from each of the Valley air district's eight counties, five city representatives and the two experts. County boards of supervisors name their board members, but the state law that created the district did not specify any group to fill city seats. The cities 16 years ago decided to have the League of Cities make the choices. To back out of the arrangement, the league has asked for advice from the air district board, Frf�:snoBee.com: Local: Air board seats in limbo as appointing body bows out California pick city representatives in this way. No one knows when the issue will be resolved, but if it continues next year, it would affect the appointment for the seat being vacated by Perea. City selection committees usually have representatives from each incorporated city in each county. But the air board appointments would present considerable challenges, district officials said. The city seats would have to be rotated among the Valley's northern, central and southern regions, and no county could have more than one city representative at a time. "Each time you make a decision on one city seat, it disqualifies other cities in the county from having a board member at the same time," said district executive director Seyed Sadredin. "This requires a coordinated approach, and we have made several suggestions." Air board member Steve Worthley, a Tulare County supervisor, said the cities should also consider going beyond the selection committees and have each city council vote on nominees for the board. "You can't be more transparent than that," he said. The reporter can be reached at mgrossiC`fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6316. � B A K E R S F I E L D DEPARTI� II�,NT OF RECREATInN & YARKS llIANI�I: �IOOVI:R_ I:>lI:l:(��I�OR PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 26, 2008 CONTACT: Terry M (6fi1) 3; Spring Festival in The Park at River Walk 11200 STOCKDALE HWY The City of Bakersfield Department of Recreation and Parks is holding its third an� Spring Festival in The Park at River Walk. This exciting and free event will be helc Saturday, April 5th and Sunday, April 6t". Events on Saturday will include the BakE Pregnancy Center's "Walk for Life", Arts Council of Kern's Gallery on the Green, �n variety of vendors, children's activities, and live entertainment on two stages. The continues on Sunday with the Ladies Active 20/30 "Quackers for Kids" Duck Race Council of Kern's Gallery on the Green, wide variety of vendors, children's activitie entertainment on the mobile stage. Take this opportunity to spend time with your � friends and neighbors as you enjoy the activities and entertainment. Please join u making this a yearly event for people of all ages to enjoy! Saturday, April 5t" 10 a.m. — 9:30 p.m. 10 am — Noon Bakersfield Pregnancy Center "Walk for Life" 10 am — 7 pm Artisan Guild's Craft Show 11 am — 5 pm Arts Council of Kern "Gallery on the Green" 11 am — 5 pm Children's Activities 11 am — 5 pm Mobile Stage Entertainment 5 pm — 9:30 pm Bright House Networks Amphitheatre 5:00 pm Hayes Field 6:15 pm Lost Ocean 7:30 pm Honky Tonk Truckers 8:45 pm Right Cross 10 am Sundav, April 6th 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. "Quakers for Kids" Rubber Duck Race — Ladies Active 20/30 t Paqe 1 of 2 STREETS DIVISION — WORK SCHEDULE WEEK OF MARCH 31 — APRIL 4, 2008 Resurfacinc�/Reconstructinq streets in the followinq areas: Reconstructing streets (Annual Contractor) in the area between No. Haif� Drive & Edgemont Drive, east of Ashe Road. Reconstructing streets (City crew) in the area between Olympia Drive & I Way, west of Ashe Road. Preparing streets for reconstruction, by City crew, in the area between PI Road & White Lane, east of Stine Road. Cold-Planning streets in prep for resurfacing in the area between Wilson Planz Rd west of So. "H" St. Also in the area between Ming Ave & N. La� from Gosford Rd to Scarlet Oak Reconstructing streets (Annual Contractor) in the area between White Lr Olympia Dr, west of Ashe Road. Miscellaneous Streets Division proiects currentiv in progress: Aera Park Project. Fire Station #5 project. Calloway Median Island Project Jastro Park Wet Play Area Page 2 of 2 STREET SWEEPING SCHEDULE Monday, March 31, 2008 No schedule street sweeping. Working on sweeping the non-scheduled routes. Tuesdav, April 1, 2008 Between California Avenue and Brundage Lane, Oak street to Union Ave� Wednesdav, April 2, 2008 City streets in the area between Panorama Drive and Columbus Street, Boulevard to East Columbus Street. Between West Columbus Street and Bernard Street, San Dimas Street ar Avenue. Between Stockdale Highway and Truxtun Avenue, Coffee Road and Hew Thursdav, April 3, 2008 Between Truxtun Avenue and Brundage Lane, Union Avenue and Washir Between Bernard Street and Niles Street, Alta Vista Drive to Owens StreE City area between Owens Street and Williams Street, Flower to Kentucky Befinreen Kroll Way and Camino Media, Gosford Road to Don Hart Drive. Between Pacheco Road and Panama Lane, Old River Road to Progress I Fridav, April 4, 2008 City streets in the area between Columbus Street and Bernard, Paladino I Azalea Avenue. Area befinreen Ming Avenue and White Lane, So. Allen Road and Old Riv� Area between Pensinger Road and Panama Lane, Buena Visa Road and Way. TO: FROM: DATE: B A K E R S F I E L D Development Services Department Staniey C. Grady, Director _�` RE C � � �a� � 1 I cIr-Y_ _�qNA _r,F M E M 0 R A N D U M ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER STANLEY C. GRADY, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTa March 25, 2008 SUBJECT: COUNCIL MEETING ON MARCH 12, 2008: RESPONSE TO USES IN A C-O ZONE Council Referral No. Ref001895 COUNCILMEMBER COUCH REQUESTED STAFF REPORT BACK ON WHETHEF SUCH AS A JEWELRY STORE CAN BE ALLOWED IN A COMMERCIAL OFFICE ZC RIGHT OF THE C-O ZONING. Councilmember Couch requested staff review whether retail uses such as a je� store should be permitted by right within a C-O (Professional and Administrative O zone district. The C-O zone was created for areas suitable for business and professional c development. The types of uses permitted by right include accounting, ban governmental, real estate, legal and medical professions. These businesses op� predominately on weekdays between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. Because these typ� businesses are generally benign, the zone serves in many instances as a t between retail commercial and residential areas. The reason retail services are only permitted by conditional use permit is to ensurE the business conforms to the office environment within which it is located. The use be found compatible if it provides a necessary service to the employees in the con such as a small restaurant, barber/beauty, dry cleaning, etc. It also enables adj� residents to voice concerns if that retail use will negatively affect their neighbor because of late night operations, increased traffic or intensive weekend acti� Additionally, some professional office projects may not desire nor are suitable fo� type of retail operations. Therefore, staff finds that it is important to retain discreti whether or not such retail businesses are appropriate in an office setting recommends that the conditional use process continue to be required in a C-O zone