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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/15/95_, r,f 4 � .. pn�i � B A K E R S F I E L D MEMORANDUM T0: NONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY CO FRaM: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER SUBJECT: GENERAL INFORMATION �. Srptember 15, 1995 �.2 have received word that Andrea has turned in her resignation and wi�� be ieaving us on September 29th. She is moving to Nashville to pursue other opportunities. I know all of us will miss her and she will be most �ifficult to replace. 2. A correction of some misinformation/rumors floating around the community: � First, our sewage farm contractor was allowing raw sewage to be dumped on the farm. That is a violation of all kinds of state and local laws and ordinances. We stopped it. Some people have presented that as some sort of a policy change. You may hear about it through rumors, or elsewhere. Rather than being a policy change, it is more like catching a speeder. They have to take the untreated sewage to a wastewater plant for proper disposal with an appropriate fee. • Members of B-Flag have portrayed to the City Council that the legal fight on the Battalion Chief unionization issue was won, and we haven't responded to it. That is absolute misinformation. The only thing that was decided was a routine, pre-trial �otion. This one will be years in the legal system. � �`�` ,' � 3. Enclosed is an article on the "livable cities" rating indicating why it �oes not mean much. It might be useful to you since we usually do not come �ut well on that rating. 4. The decision by the Judge that site plan review is discretionary, which is avhat led to tl�e Castle & Cooke shopping center being stopped, is a bizarre one. If we exercised discretion with developers in site plan review, we would be sued instantly by the developer, and we would lose. 5. Please remember I am going to be at the ICMA Conference in Denver September i8th, 19th and 20th. Gail Waiters will be in charge and my office will F�ave a number where I can be reached in the event of aii emergency. I will also be taking vacation time on the 28th and 29th. Jchn Stinson will be �n �harge during that stretch. S. We may as well put the stadium decision package on the September 27th agenda - at least for you to get started narrowing the scope and field of alternate decisions to be made. +_ � _ ��� HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY CO�NCIL S�ptember 15, 1995 Fage -2- 7. There is a memo enclosed discussing a target area industry study for the community and, particularly, southeast Bakersfield. These studies are recessary in order to identify the most attractive industries that we are �;lcely to be able to recruit and to indicate what training and other a�pects of our community might need to be moderated in order to prepare to a�t�act such industries. The last one was done in 1988 and it needs to be �pd�ted. 8. Responses to Councilmember inquiries and referrals are enclosed regarding the Calloway Drive/Kern River Bridge River Bypass, the Neptune Society, the status of construction of Fire Station 13, and information on Redevelopment housing Set-Aside Fund usage. 9. The hockey team and league made "Hockey News." A copy of the article is enclosed. iu. ii�e most recent map for the ward boundaries is enclosed. 11. The Operating Engineers union went on strike September 12th. Enclosed is a memo showing the list of City projects which will be delayed due to the strike. 12. Enclosed is a memo from Economic Development showing the timetable for the C�nsolidated Plan 2000 citizen participation meetings. AT.aib Enclosures c�: Department Head irudy Slater Carol Williams � -- - TO JUDGE BY ITS standings in what might be called the Livability League, Waterbury, Connecti- cut, is a municipal version of the early New York Mets: not just bad, but awful. t, � � � C, The most recent A N D T H E 1 R issue of the Places C R I T I C S Rated Almanac ranks Waterbury 341st out of 343 North American metropolitan areas. Money magazine has been saying about the same thing for years. Between 1989 and 1993, Waterbury never climbed higher than 295 on the magazine's list, and it spent two years in a row at rock-bottom 300. By clear implication, Connecticut's fourth-largest city is about the last place in America anybody would want to live. So upon arriving in Waterbury, a visitor would naturally expect a scene reminis- cent of the South Bronx, circa 1975: vast tracts of decrepit buildings and vacant lots, clusters of dangerous inner-city dwellers �� •� :� '> A - �,, � .� �� ;� � ` ''� � ' �. h ,� ; The urban rating game is fun to play— but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. � � �������� Vl�A�TERS roaming the empty streets, drug dealers and prostitutes openly plying their trades, bad air, bad water, bad weather and lousy municipal service, all set to the baleful shain of sirens. Which is why a visitor to Waterbury might be very surprised. Its compact and walkable downtown features intact rows of well kept and truly lovely turn-of-the- century commercial buildings. Neighbor- hoods of classic (and affordable) New England triple-decker homes climb the hillsides among healthy stands of hard- wood trees in full summer green. Through the center of the scene winds the still-wild Naugatuck River, which has not been paved over for flood control pur- poses, a la cities from Los Angeles to North Adams, Massachusetts. Waterbury has its rundown areas, but it feels safe (it had eight murders last year, six of which resulted in an-ests). It has a busy daylime downtown and an overarching feeling of community and identity. The whole sense of the place is positive and pleasant, inspiring one to wonder exacdy what it is these raters are looldng at when they ranlc a city's "livability." It only takes a little dig�ng to find out. Neither Money magazine, nor the Places Rated Almanac, nor the Rating Guide to Life in Aneerica's Small Cities, nor any of the other livability surveys, bases its find- ings on any meaningful field work. They don't walk the streets or interview resi- dents. Instead, they use a mixture of raw numbers on health care, transportation, climate, culture, housing and a variety of economic data, all cooked in a statistically unsatisfactory way. Diversion from 65- degree temperatures gets mixed in with available hospital beds and commuting ............................................................................ Waterbury Mayor Ed Bergin: Some public officials react with anger at a low rating, others with humor. Most try as hard as they can to stay out of the news. Gnle %ucker phanxraplr.c Waterbury, Connecticut: Does it look like the third-worst town in America? The latest edition of the Placea Rated Almanac thinks so. The city's residents can't understand why. They may have a poiat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . time. A city that has a symphony orchestra gets credit for it in the "Culture" category. What the symphony sounds like is some- thing nobody shows up to measure. "Depending on the variables and how much weight is given to each, you can make any place rank high or low," says Briavel Holcomb, who follows the Livabil- ity League standings as professor of urban studies and community health at Rutgers University. Occasionally, the raw numbers are sim- ply inaccurate. The most recent edition of Places Rated, for example, nicked Water- burv for not having passenger rail service. This came as puzzling news at the city's downtown train station, where there is connecting service to Manhattan six times every weekday and four times a day on weekends. Usually, however, the problem is not bad data. It is misleading data. Money magtiZine says clean water is one of the top three factors in its ratings, yet it uses over- <ill st�ite water quality measurements in its ranldngs, not the quality of water in each city, which can vary significandy from one to the next. "We have water," says Ed Bergin, Waterbury's phlegmatic and well- worn mayor. "Why do you think the city is named Waterbury?" The Places Rated Almanac and the Rating Guide to Life in Arneriea's Small Cities take all their categories and weigh them equally, creating some weird anomalies in the final scores. "Recreation" and "Crime" �u-e considered equally important, and to some people, perhaps they are. But placing access to a tennis court on a p�u- with freedom from <usault would appear to be maldng a judg- ment that the majority of Americans would not accept. Mone�, to its creclit, avoids this particu- lar trap. It weig}►ts some categories higher than others, according to information it gleans about reader priorities. And yet every year, many of its findings violate not only local pride but common sense. In the most recent ranldngs, for example, Brock- ton, Massachusetts, came out far ahead of Burlington, Vermont, as a`best place to live in America." Brockton tanked 193rd, Burlington 252nd. And yet Brockton is a traf�ic-clogged, crime-plagued, aestheti- cally unappealing exurb of Boston. Burlington sits on the shores of Lake Champlain, with a beautiful downtown historic district, the pristine University of Vermont campus just up the hill, and a cl��zzling array of recreational and cultural opporlunities close at hand. By any sensi- ble person's livability standards, it's not even close. The Brockton/Burlington comparison is merely one of dozens of serious head-scratchers inspired by Money. But even when the judgments seem to make sense, the scores can be far out of proportion to real differences between cities. A�nerican Demographics magazine illustrated the point using Places Rated Al�nanac's approach to weather. In mea- suring mildness of climate, the magazine c....�.....►,.,. ioo� r_ � v c o u � u r_ �o �� ' ..�G �H� �_ '88 '88 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 Year 22a '88 '89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 Year Source: Money magazine rates the 300 largest metropolitan statistical areas each year. noted, Places Rated gave San Francisco a score of 910, compared with a 105 for Grand Forks, North Dakota. Now, San Francisco's weather, by just about any- body's standard, is better than the weather in Grand Forks. But nine times better? Somehow, that seems to be going a little too far. The ordinary residents of a poorly rated town don't spend a lot of time ana- lyzing the statistical methods of the raters. What they do sometimes notice is how wildly inconsistent the ranldngs are with each other. Frequendy, what Mcmey deems as an outstanding place to live, the Almanac rates as the pits, and vice versa. Places Rated's top-ranldng eity in its eur- rent edition, Cincinnati, ranks a mere 60th in Moncy's last survey. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Provo/Orem, Utah, regular top-10 finishers aceording to 20 6 O V E R N I N G September 1995 Money, are currently 157 and 172, respectively, in Places Rated. Not only do cities vary suspiciously between one ranking and another but they bop up and down like jacla-abbits, even on the same survey fi-om one year to another. Between 1993 and 1994, Hagerstown, Maryland, leaped from 204th place on Money's list to 34th; Kenosha, Wisconsin, tumbled from 25t1� all the way to 261st. How can a city possi- bly become that much more or less `7iv- able" in just one year? Money editors attribute it to changing reader prefer- ences and new factors added to the for- mula. But that still doesn't explain the fierce ups and downs. What does explain them is d�e fact that the surveys depend on transitory eco- nomic indicators even more than they depend on the quality of the air, water, education or public safet��. In Money's forn�ula, areas experiencing such difT`icul- ties as low numbers of housing starts or incre<uing une�nployment in a given year get clobbered in d�e ratings. Waterbury, with widelv available he��ld� care, abun- dant clean water and relatively safe streets, suffers in the magazine�s ratings not because it's a bad place to live but because as its manufacturing base has declined, it has become a tough place to find a job. And one thing Money does not like is a tax increase. Under the magazine's rating formula, jurisdictions that have increased taxes or might increase them in d�e cur- rent year are penalized. Avowed tax cut- ters, meanwhile, get a bonus. For exam- ple, all Michigan cities lost points last year in Money's rating because in the magazine's view, the state's "overall tax burden seems likely to rise." New Jersey cities were given a bonus because "sales or personal taxes are likely to be cut." Reality in these states is far more com- plicated. Michigan sales taxes did go up last year but onh� because of a tax over- haul initiative passed by the state°s voters that simultaneously reduced local prop- eriy taxes. Because the property tax went down by more than the sales tax went up, the net result for residents was a tax decrease. In New Jersey, on the other hand, Governor Christine Todd Whit- man was able to cut state income taxes bv putting the squeeze on state pension and transportation trust funds, possibly por- tending serious fiscal problems down die road. Local property taxes in New Jersey are going up. If Money stays true to its rating system this year, Orange County> California (which was in the magazine's top 75 last year), should benefit from the fact that its voters rejected a sales tax increase to help bail it out of banla-uptcy. What should one ultimately make of all these numbers? In the opinion of those who have stuclied them, as little as possi- ble. "They are quite influential," says Bri- avel Holcomb, `but quite inaccurate." �f you are the mayor of Waterbury, however, or the mayor of Yuba City, California, the current cellar dweller in the Places Ratetl standings, you may not have the luxury of� ignoring a bad number. As far as you are concerned, it is not the accuracv of the st�rvev that mat- ters. lt is d�e impact Whatever the flaws may be, there is :,s little doubt that a rating ca�� have a pow- erful ef�ect on a city's psyche. Those that come out at the top enjoy basldng in the glow. Those that rate poorly get to nurse a painful kick in the civic chops. "It's a public sham'vig that I don't think has any positive value for a community," says Chris Gates, president of the National Civic League, which each year recog- nizes 10 cities for civic aclivity through its "All-America City" award progam. "It's very dispiriting to have some outsider— who has never visited the community, breathed the air, looked anyone in the eye or shaken a hand—use a computer model to tell you that you are the worst place in the country to live." Money Assistant Managing Editor Richard Eisenberg doesn't buy the criti- cism. "It isn't something that worries me," he says. "We're collecting data that's out there that any company or individual planning to move to an area would get themselves. And we're not inventing unemployment or crime rates." Many cities do the best they can to play down a low ranldng. The Waterl�ury Repuhlican-American offers only cursory coverage of the town's perennial bad A �iva��lo�r �a�ang �an �ave a �ower�ul e�fec� �n a ca�+9� ps�c�e. � 9ow one �s `a pub�ic s�aming mvithou� any �ositive �a�ue,' says the president o� the Na�iona� Cavic �.eague. news. "Our basic philosophy is that we°re going to do as little as possible to help Mone� sell magazines," says Bob Freder- icks, the newspaper's metr-o editor. Other cities, however, choose to get angry. Yuba City, which has much expe- rience with discouraging rankings, also has some experience with trying to exor- cise them. Several years back, when it ranked last in Places Rated, the residents built a pyre of symbolic almanacs and shipped the ashes to Rand McNally's San Francisco ofI'ices. The city also had but- tons and banners printed up reading: "Up Your Atlasl Rand McNally." (The Alrnanac is now published by Prentice Hall, which doesn't lend itself to as catchy a button.) Some try to get even. Tulsa, Okla- homa, sued a Cleveland geography pro- fessor for $26 million for "defaming" the city after he handed it a low livability rat- ing. Tulsa boosters estimated that they would have to spend $1.3 million a year in extra promotional dollars to counteract the bad publicity. (The suit was dropped). Still others turn to humor to counter the negative publicity, as Fresno did back in 1984 when it was rated the worst place in America to live by a geogaphy profes- sor who took Places Rated data and rejig- gered it to put greater emphasis on some categories over others. "It's the sort of khing that if you try to refute it, you're just validating the rating," says Daniel K. Whitehurst, who was mayor of Fresno at the time. "We decided the best thing to do was to have some fun with it." Before he knew it, Whitehurst was doing interviews on national television from the "Worst Place to Live in America," hamming it up with reporters about his plans to turn Fresno's image around by changing its name to "Fresneyland," and its motto to: "Fresno, Gateway to Bakersfield." Newsweek, Cn!✓ 'l.tu'(�er AhoroPrrrok Danbury, Connecticut, 40 miles from Waterbury, is a consistent winner in the ratings. Seotember 1995 G 0 V E R N 1 N G 21 �- • Heart and soul ma� be the rea� �11SBS O�i C1�` livability, but in t�e enc6 they �p�ay no p�� i� t�n� ratings process. �u� to many peop�e, �ea� an� soul are what ma�te� mo�e � meanwhile, was referring to Whitehurst as "the not-ready-for-prime-time mayor." On the whole, says Whitehurst, the strategy worked, blunting the impact of the rating and getting Fresno what turned out to be fairly positive coverage. But when he found himself on the David Letterman show a full six months after the rating had been released, it did occur to him that his strate�ry had a downside: He'd kept the story alive long after its natural news shelf life. That is why many cities tliat want to counteract an embarrassing survey begin looldng instead for a different survey on which they show up well. Flint, Michi- gan, which is threatening to unseat Waterbury as Mone�'s most kicked- around community, promotes its appear- ance as a finalist this year for the All- America City awards. Burlington, Vermont, maligned inexplicably in Money's most recent survey, touts the fact that it recendy won high honors from Zero Population Growth for being one of the environmentally safest places in the United States to live. Harrisburg, Penn- sylvania, mired toward the bottom of most livability ratings, is a perennial top finisher in the "Tree City, USA" competi- tion. The mayor's office is never shy about firing off press releases trumpeting the h-iumph. hat is less clear than the effect of the numbers on civic morale is the effect on economic vitality. Financial ratings services such as Moody's (whose evaluation unquestion- ably does mean something) don't even look at the charts in Money or the Places Rated Almancrc. Still, Money boasts about its positive impact on top-ranlced towns. "After Money named relatively urilmown places No. 1," it said last year, "hordes of people explored whether our winners were right for them and many even then decided to move." Some of this probably does happen. Business recruiters in Sioux Falls, Money's top city in 1992, say they have had an easier time attracting executive talent since the rating came out. "The major corporations here have always found it fairly difT'icult to go to Chicago or 22 G 0 V E R N I N G September 1995 Cincinnati or New York City to recruit people," says Dan Scott, vice president of the Sioux Falls Development Founda- tion. "The reaction was always, `Where?' But people now lmow us. The rating has had a real positive impact on that situa- tion." Scott can also tick off a long list of civic delegations from other cities who came to town asldng, "How did you do it?" One such contingent of economic develop- ment officials walked in and asked the president of the Sioux Falls Develop- ment Foundation if he wanted a job. Those visitors evidendy believed Sioux Falls had made wise development choices that boosted its ratings and its national prestige. But the amount of con- trol cities can have over their ratings is a debatable question. Will adding a sym- phony or a ball team, an industr-ial park or a commuter rail line, influence the rat- ings? Perhaps it might move the Places Rated Almanac or Small Cities Guide needle a millimeter or two, for what it's worth. But raising a score in one narrow area is not likely to have much impact on overall standings. What really drives the numbers aze forces way beyond a city's control, whether they are the climate, large-scale demographic trends, regional and global economics, or simply the val- ues of the rater. Those facts are not enormously com- forting in Waterbury, whose somewhat improved 196 rating from Money last year was marred by its embarrassing 341 from Places Rated. Waterbury braces itself for some form of slight just about every year: In 1992, when Sioux Falls fin- ished first in the Money ranldngs, a Siotix Falls radio station held a promotional contest. The booby prize in the contest was an all-expenses-paid weekend in Waterbury. Those who collected on that prize learned something about the ratings game. They returned home declaring what a nice place Waterbury seemed to be, despite its reputation. And if they had ventured a little further, to Danbury, just 40 miles south on Interstate 84, they would have seen the genuine silliness of the entire evaluation system. For an aging industrial town, Danbury has generally done rather well in the Money magazine ratings; it is currendy number 70, solidly in the top quartile. Except in scale, downtown Danbury doesn't look a whole lot dif�erent fi-om downtown Waterbury, although Dan- bury has paved over its river, the Still, which used to help power the city's famous hat factories. The major differ- ence between the two cities is that beyond Danbury's attractive downtown, the place is much more scattered, with disconnected, hard-to-define and not- very-attractive sprawl-style satellite com- mercial developments. Beyond those are some relatively wealthy but physically rather isolated neighborhoods. With the exception of a few downtown blocks, it is very hard to get a sense of Danbury as a place. Waterbury has history, a center, close- in neighborhoods and geographic and topographic beauty. Danbury is flatter and consists in large part of what many urbanologists would describe as "slurbs." Its roots as a mill town have been dug out and discarded. Danbury now seems more a northern suburb of Westchester County, New York, than a gritty ethnic industrial town in transition. If heart and soul are the basis of city livability, Waterbury has lots more of it than Dan- bury. But that is, of course, a matter of opinion. Which is probably the key point when considering the whole city rating game. Heart and soul play no part in what Money magazine or the Places Rated Almanac or the Rating Guide to Life in Arnerica's Small Cities, or any other such rating index, chooses to measure. People in towns like Waterbury lmow that. And still, in spite of the obvious credibility problems, the ratings have the power to disturb. One of the most dis- turbed citizens of Waterbury these days is William H. Placke, co-chair of Water- bury Partnership 2000, the city's umbrella civic organization, and presi- dent of Centerbank, one of the the city's largest financial institutions. Placke views the ratings as a gratuitous exercise in rub- bing it in. They only make his job—turn- ing around the city's civic self-doubt— that much harder. And so, in an interview in his well-appointed ofi'ice overlooldng Waterbury's lovely downtown green, he delivers a three-word treatise on how Waterburians ought to respond: "Screw the ratings," he barks. It is succinct and good advice. � .�y ��;� �1�� R TO: FROM: • B A K E R S F I E L D Economic and Community Development Department M E M O R A N D U M Alan Tandy, City Manager Jake Wager, Economic Development Direct r SUBJECT: SCOPE OF WORK FOR ECONONIIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN/TARGET MARKET STUDY / September 12, 1995 We proposed that to assist the City in achieving its economic and community development goals, an economie development consultant be used to analyze the community and develop a plan which will help in developing a successful job creation/area development strategy. Within our department's 1995-96 budget is $6, 000 for the development of a Economic Development Plan/Target Marketing Study for our community. It was anticipated that KEDC would contribute $6,000 with additional contributions being raised from private sector companies such as Castle & Cooke, P. G.& E., the Chamber, B. I. A., Employers' Training Resource for a total project budget of approximately $36, 000. Throughout the entire study process a particular emphasis would be placed on achieving successes for our most impacted neighborhoods . The following Scope of Work is anticipated to be the basis for an RFP: A) Accurate Assessment of the Community's Strengths and Weaknesses An unbiased assessment of the community's strengths and weaknesses is crucial to the preparation of a realistic plan. The assessment would include an analysis of our community in the following areas critical to businesses : Infrastructure - An analysis of the availability and costs of sewer, water, transportation, utilities, communications, etc. and the impact these would have on our ability to attract new companies to our community. The infrastructure component of the analysis would also examine our transportation capacity and highlight both strengths and weaknesses . Land Use and Zoning for Commercial and Industrial Development - This analysis would indicate the availability of industrial or commercial zoned property within our city. Based on other components of the study the city may wish to examine how mueh land is zoned for a particular type of usage . Labor Market - In the labor market segment, the analysis would detail the =-"� �"Alan Tandy September 12, 1995 Page 2 existing labor force profile (skills, labor rates, availability), as well as attempting to identify the needs of future companies attracted to Bakersfield by our other locational factors (infrastructure, land use, transportation) . Suppliers of other Services to Businesses - This component would examine the existing business infrastructure's ability to support companies we are attempting to attract . A shortcoming in this area would itself become a potential target for recruitment, expansion or start-up. These and other areas would be evaluated and measured against our competitors to prevent too much emphasis and resources being used to promote the wrong community strength or attract businesses ill-suited to our local environment. Secondly, by identifying any weaknesses we can then develop strategies intended to mitigate any constraints . B) Economic Base Analysis/Target Market Study It is also proposed that the consultant would develop an analysis of those industries that would benefit from our community's strenghts and are in a position to relocate in the near future. The analysis would include growth trends in selected industries, their geographical location requirements as to the markets they serve (whether they need a local/regional/national presence) . Also detailed would be the typical facility size and employment of each industry documented . An emphasis would be placed on growth industries as opposed to those industries that are forecasted to shrink. From the Economic Base Analysis a target market study would be derived . By applying the community's goals for economic development only those industries which meet all the criteria and have the potential for locating in our area would be selected. From these industries, the consultant would develop a list of specific companies, includin g contact names and addresses. This list of companies would be targets for a marketing plan to reach them and promote the business opportunities o f our community . C) Financial and Organizational Resources Available In this final component the consultant would be asked to provide an analysis of funding and other resources available which help the city achieve its goal of diversification, job creation and area development. Once the targeted industry study is completed, the next phase would require an examination of the marketing strategy presently in place as well as tailoring the incentives offered by the City of Bakersfield. I believe this phase would be done in- house in consultation with KEDC, ETR and the other parties participating in the funding of this project . ew / jw � �° .. � � , B A K E R S F I E L D PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager -�/ FROM: Ra�l M. Rojas, Public Works irector SUBJECT: City Council Referral #15276 Calloway Drive/Kern River Bridge River Bypass September 8, 1995 Public Works staff inet September 8th with Messrs. Rich O'Niel and Bill Cooper of the Kern River Parkway Committee regarding the Committee's suggested mitigation measures for the river bypass. Agreement was reached on all points. The Committee e�cpressed support for quick completion of the bridge project. �► � : " • ., � • � --- - - �_-_ - - -- _ __ ... .. _.._ - -- . _ . _ — -- -- -- ---- - -- ---� --- ., . :., . CITY COUNCIL REFERRAL MEETING OF: 08/30/95 RE�ERRED TO: PUBLIC WORKS R RGJAS ��a �i �d � �� 1L.1� SEP 1 1995 ?UBIIC WORKS DEPART�IENT ITEM: RECORD# 15276 Ccntract Change Order No. 2($100,000; to Contract No. 95-59 with Granite Construct�on fcr the construction of Calloway Dri:�e ard br�dges over the Kern River and Cross val'ey ��ana�. Stockdale H�ghway to ?00 feet nort!^ or ?ri�na'1 Road. (Ward j) ACTION TAKEN BY COUNCIL: 1) MOTION TO ADD =-�M TO THE .4GENDA. APPAOVE�. A8: PS. 2) MOTION TO APPROVE AND STAr=F TC ME�T WI�H THE PARKWAY ��OMMITTEE TC �EVI_w STAFr='� RESPONS� TO THEIR MITIGATIuN '�IE,�SUF.�S. �PPRC�`JED. aa. ps. SACKUP MAiERIAL ATTACH=Q: NO DATE rORWARDED BY CITY CLEF�:: 09i'01/°5 NOTE: STATUS CHANGES ARE TO BE �^lT�REu ^��R =A:;N P,E�ERRAL AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH EVEN IF NO .1CTZON HAS 3EEN -AKEN! ':-� � " - t ^. . �`. TO: FROM SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM Development Services Department r--_ Planning Division; September 1, 1995 ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER �� . �/V JACK HARDISTY, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CITY COUNCIL REFERRAL #15224 Councilwoman Carson had requested a copy of the reports concerning the Board of Zoning Adjushnent's approval of the Neptune Society's business at 210 H Street. We prepared a draft Administrative Report that presents the facts as reviewed by the BZA and their rationale for approving the project. Judy Skousen has had an opportunity to review this draft as she was one of the Board members who reviewed the request. I have also included a copy of the BZA's minutes, staff report, and letters received by both the City Council and BZA. The City Clerk has scheduled the appeal hearing by the City Council for October 11, 1995 regarding this item. jge: neptune.mmo ;� : SEP ( I 1995 � _.-.� ;. ♦ �� ��B.�AqK�F;�, �- � ti � �� U �� �� C �nn8'� 9L! 0 ADMINISTIZATIVE REPQI�T II MEETING DATE: �.�GENDA SECTION: L TO: Honorable Mayor and Cinr Council �'ROM: DATE: i t t� � ^t �\ Q � \``\ � � ITEM NO: DEPARTMENT HEAD CITY ATTORNEY CITY MANAGER APPROVED SUBJECT: Appeal of the Board of Zoning Adjustment's decision to approve a Conditional Use Permit to allow funeral consultation and related administration, and temporary storage and transfer of cremated human remains (no cremation to occur on the site) in a C-O (Professional and Administrative Office} zone district located at 201 H Street. (Ward 1) -- ItECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends adoption of the resolution upholding the Board of Zoning Adjustment's decision. BACKGROUND: The site is located at the northwe�t corner of H and 2nd Streets. There is an existing building on the propertv that is approximately 1,275 �quare feet in size. This building was an older residence that was converted for use as an antique store in 1988 under a previous conditional use permit (CUP #4747). It has since closed. No additions or major remodeling are planned other than normal interior unprovements. At the rear of the main building (to the «-est along 2nd Street), exists a garage and a carport that can each accommodate a sinale vehicle. Four additional parking spaces have been proposed which will provide a total of six spaces on the site for vehicles in order for the applicant to meet minimum off-site parking requirements for the proposed use. The applicant, Neptune Society oi California, proposes to operate an administrative office for their cremation services. Clients will be able to make arrangements or pre-arrangements for funeral services, cremation and final disposition of the deceased. However, no funeral services, cremation or storage of bodies will occur on this site. Those sen-ices will take place at other local off site locations such as state licensed mortuaries, funeral homes ana�or crematories. The applicant will also sell ums and arrange temporary storage of cremated human remains for delivery to or pick-up by family members. These remains are usuallv stored for no lonQer than a 24-hour period as indicated by the applicant. Final remains are highly regulated by the State (Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers) and disposition is lunited to cemeteries, columbariums or at sea (ashes may not be discharged into the air); however, the family may privately store them wherever they choose. August 29. 1995, 8:�am �D11�I1vISTRATIVE REPORT Page 2 The predominate use proposed by the applicant is office related as all paperwork, bookkeeping and other administrative duties will be conducted at this location. The Conditional Use Permit is required since there will be some retail sales (urns} and that cremated remains will occasionally be stored on site. If these two activities were not done, the use would be permitted by right and a conditional use permit would not be necessarv. The applicant, however, desires to provide these services on site to better serve their clients. Testimonv ��-as heard by the BZ� both in support and opposition to the proposal, though the opposition made up the majority of comments received. The major concem was that nearby property and business owners did not feel that the proposed use was consistent with the retail {antique/gift store) atmosphere that e:�sU along H Street. The other issues concerned lack of parking and increased traffic. With respect to compatibility with the neighborhood, it was noted that H Street contains a unique variety of both retail �tores, professional services and administrative offices. Retail uses consist of antique stores, gift and specialtv boutiques, flower shops and one restaurant. These uses are not generally allowed in a C-O zone and many of them were required to obtain a conditional use permit. Permitted office uses include accountants. attorne��s, bookkeeping services, credit/collection agencies, insurance and medical practitioners. In addition, other specialn� uses exist such as a driver's training school, artJphotography studio, nutritional counseling, massage therapists, metaphysical counseling and a palm reader. There are also many churches in the area, many of �_. hich conduct funeral services which is why the applicant is not proposing to conduct them on site. Man�- of the businesses operate from rehabilitated older homes while others are within ne.�.�er modern commercial buildings creating a mix of different architectural styles in the area. The applicant has not proposeci to alter their renovated home to be any different than any of these other aider buiidings in the neighborhood. The BZA tound that the applicant'� request was not aut of character with the variety of other uses and services that e��t along H Street. �ince it is predominately an office use, it is similar to other professional otfice establishments in the area that are permitted by right, and is more consistent with the intent of the C-O zone than n�pical retaii uses. Regardina trartic and parking issues, the BZA found that the applicant met the minunum city ordinance requirements for providing on site parking (6 spaces) which is unique for establishments along H Street since man<< cusinesses do not meet minimum parking. Traffic generation was found to be less than what is currentt�� generated by a near�y restaurant and retail establishments. August 29. 1995, 8:20am � B A K E R S F I E L D PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM DATE: September 11, 1995 TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER FROM: RAUL M. ROJAS, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR SUBJECT: � STATUS OF FIRE STATION 13 CONSTRUCTION Plans for the subject fire station will be complete and signed by Friday, September 15, 1995. This project will then go out to bid the following Monday. cc Chief Kelly Jack LaRochelle ' $EP I 1 1995 DeWayne Starnes -.� �, .+ .. • B A K E R S F I E L D Economic and Community Development Department M E M O R A N D U M September 12, 1995 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Jake Wager, Economic Development Directo SUBJECT: Information on Redevelopment Housing set-Aside Fund Usage Requested by Councilmember Carson. Recently Councilmember Carson asked me to review for her the criteria established by California Redevelopment Law on the use of the low and moderate income housing set-aside. As you know each year the Central District Development Agency is required to set-aside 20% of the total tax increment it receives for the purpose of assisting in the development, rehabilitation or preservation of affordable housing. ❑ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ The moneys in the set-aside housing fund shall be used to increase, improve and preserve the supply of low and moderate income housing within the territorial jurisdiction of the Agency. The Housing Set-Aside Fund is to be used to the maximum extent possible to defray the cost of production, improvement and preservation of low/moderate income housing. The expenditures for planning and general administration for production, improvement, and preservation should not be disproportionate to the cost associated with the actual housing units affected. Funds may be used inside or outside the project area. The funds may only be used outside the project area upon a resolution of the Agency and the legislative body that the use will be of beneiit to the project. Replacement housing is alwavs of benefit to a project area. Housing set-aside funds may not be used for admin cost, salaries or wages except for legal architectural and engineering costs and other salaries wages and costs directly related to the planning and execution of the development of housing. Housing Set-Aside Funds may be used to replace (within four years) housing that is removed or destroyed as a result of a redevelopment project. Replacement housing must be one for one of a like nature. . - � _ �J l ♦ The funds may be used to: - Acquire real property or building sites. - Improve real property or building sites if: 1)The improvements result in new construction or rehabilitation of existing units for low/moderate individuals; 2) The Agency finds that the improvements eliminates a specific condition that jeopardizes the health and safety of low/moderate residents. - Purchase and donate real property to private or public persons or entities. - Finance insurance premiums during construction or rehabilitation of properties that are administered by public agencies or non-profits. - Construct buildings and structures. - Acquire buildings and structures. - Rehabilitate buildings and structures. - Provide subsidies to very low income households, lower income households and low and moderate income households to the extent those households cannot obtain housing at affordable cost on the open market. - Develop plans, pay principal and interest on bonds, loans, advances or other indebtedness or pay financing and carrying charges. - Maintain the community's supply of mobilehomes. - Preserve the availability of affordable housing units in housing developments which are assisted (subsidized) by public entities and which are threatened with imminent conversion to market rates. ♦ Housing funded through the use of the Housing Set-Aside Funds shall remain available at affordable amount for not less than the following period of times (unless a longer period of time may be required by other provision of law): Fifteen years for rental units Ten years for owner-occupied units. ♦ Housing includes residential hotels. ♦ Housing Set-Aside Funds originating from any one year must be expended within five years of its origin. ♦ In the event funds are not expended within the five years the Agency may: 1) Voluntarily disburse the excess funds to the County Housing Authority or to another public agency housing development powers within the territorial jurisdiction of the Agency; or 2) Expend or encumber its excess surplus within two additional years. aic:�Wa setaside.mem 2 4 ��§' INSIDE�� N - ._. �..,- —`- KEY � F:wTi�.;HQNr (ey���8 �. 1.� 1�J �� .. . __ . ew � est Co^,ast ti 4League , a�ms� for }ECN L success . , .� " 4:. ' � ,." . � ...: . jv ... . .� . . . :i h. ' . '. : �,�� j�.�' r... i �R.,'rt .. .1: f Y'�... .' t Organizers of the new West Coast Lea=_� ' season Oct: � 26 A� tounug Russian r that of the ECHL and beyond." ;" '� " sistant coach. -Trainuig' camps begin Gasparini (Anchorage Aces), as well gue project it to one day be as success- team from � Khabaroysk� „plays.; each',�"` " Zhe :.league ' is the brainchild of �' Oct. 14. � as Fairbanks, which dcesn't have a ful as the thriving Fast Coast League. team twice ; �: '� ::. ' Bnice . Taylor, whose company,- �.: Free-, agents- are being sought by'.. coach or nickname. Olver said, "Cali- With teams in San Diego, Fresno '"Our calibre:' of play will ,be �close .:' Sports-R-Us, owns the franchises m�`�coaches Keith. Gretzky (Bakersfieid fornia is a desirable place to play even and Bakersfield, Calif., Reno, Nev., ' to the Cenmal I.eague our fust year,". ; Fresno, Bakersfield and Reno. ���: Fog), ��Ron �`Ftockhart (Reno� Rene= if the money isn't great " Interested Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska, the §aid acdng commissioner John Olver: _,�"= '�Teams.have a salary cap of $5,100 '. gades), Olver (Fresno Falcons), Steve players should call or fax (604) 882- WCHL begins its 60-game regulaz "Eventually, we'd like,our level to be �� per week for 17 players and one as- ' Martinson (San Diego) and Steve 8981. -Brian Costello ;�� ��ti� ��; � �„�:��.� >,.,��.� ^ �� __4� � C • B A K E R S F I E L D PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Raul Rojas, Public Works DATE: September 14, 1995 i� , SUBJECT: OPERATING ENGINEERS STRIKE 0 Attached for your information is a copy of the Construction Superintendent memorandum regarding the Operating Engineers Union going on strike and the list of projects being delayed due to the strike. STRIKE.mro Attach. .. _. ._.�.I. ._ .. � SEP � Q i995 � ,,,, __ : ,� .�„;'�' • J �� = ; ;= _ ,, ':: ?`�_ � � Tri,�...� ny� - ' `" \/C�. - �! �:.'(�`,;• TO: FBOM: RE: MEMORANDUM RAUL M. ROJAS GERALD G. CLAASSENi�' OPERATING ENGINEERS STRIKE September 13, 1995 Yesterday, the Operating Engineers union went on strike. Due to this strike, completion of the following projects will be delayed: 1. Calloway Drive, Hageman Road and Stockdale Hi�hway - roadway widening, 2. Chester Avenue underpass brid�es - seismic retrofit, 3. Monitor Street and Fairfax Road sewer lift station modifications, 4. Oleander and Sunset area - curb and gutter installation, 5. Park Stockdale - street resurfacing, 6. Stockdale Highway from Gosford Road to Old River Road - road reconstruction, 7. Union Avenue and Mount Vernon Avenue - median surface construction, 8. Convention Center parking lot construction, and 9. Various streets - resurfacing. � � ;�'". _� - r... . , �.-, TO: FROM: SUBJECT: • B A K E R S F I E L D Economic and Community Development Department M E M O R A N D U M Alan Tandy City Manager Jake Wager Economic Development Dire r Timetable for Citizen Participation and Consolidated Planning for FY 96-97 Action Plan Sept. 12, 1995 Enclosed for your review is the referenced timetable outlining the schedule of events for the second planning year of the Consolidated Plan 2000. As you aze aware, the Action Plan is the only submission required this year to access FY 96-97 HUD entitlement programs (CDBG, HOME, ESG). We have not been officially informed by HUD on the budget for next year entitlements, however, we anticipate that entitlement funding levels will be similar to last year or marginally reduced. The amount of funds available for each jurisdiction for the next fiscal year are typically coniumed by HiJD in late January. We will be launching our cirizen participation process with two community meetings and one agency application workshop. T'he attached timetable idenrifies the meeting dates and locations. The meetings will allow staff to discuss the application process, funding regulations, consolidated planning requirements, and prior year performance. They will also provide an opportunity for citizen feedback on unmet housing and community development needs and the priorities identifed in the Consolidated Plan. The deadline for submission of the FY 96-97 Action Plan to HUD is May 16, 1996. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding this matter. �le:\CMTIFY96.v24 SEP 131�5 ,,�, , 4 � ;� 1 •� !� _ � -ProposedTimeline - FY 96-97 Action Plan of the Consolidated Plan 2000 (City of Bakersfield) �N a�} y. !!'� ��i��<`<'<`<:::::�;<::<.:::;::::<::;;:::::;.:i:i;;::;;;;;;;;::::;;:';::;';>:::::::i:;`::;>::>:::<::s»?:':.':.;;;i::<:::<s::;:;:<:::>;;;:>:::;:::<;:: ;,;,,r.;,;:.:::;;s:::i:(>•:,;:�:(: �' :::::;:::.`:'•:.::22:j'•;�:...;::•,`:;:::`::':`:::::::::::.:::'i::':<::::::;::':;:`::;y:::;::':;::::;::'::;;i::::;;r:.::::':;iy;; .;,:;;: :;. .... �.,�.i..Jti..:F�i/::1�� l �r' �L'`e .. . ....... ........ . . � .: .:: :... .:::.>:.>:.>:.>::::.>:.>:.>:.»:.:.>::::.>:.>:::.:.:.>.::::.:::;:.:::::.:::::::.>:.s:.>:.::: .:::.:::.::.:::.:::::::::: 9/14/95 Public Notice to Newspapers & Mailings (agencies and departments) 9/17/95 Public Notice Published in Newspapers for Public Meetings 9/26/95 Application Workshop for Agencies - Convention Center - 3 P.M. 9/26/95 Citizen Public Meeting - Convention Center - 6:30 P.M. 9/28/95 Citizen Public Meeting - MLK Center - 6:30 P.M. 11/22/95 Deadline to receive applications for funding (agenices/departments) 2/1/96 Optional Peer Group Meeting 2/29/96 Submit Draft Action Plan to Council & Request to Publish 30 Day Notice 3/14/96 Publish Notice of Summary of Draft FY 96-97 Action Plan 4/1/96 Final Citizen Public Meeting - Convention Center 4/15/96 Complete Fina1 FY 96-97 Action Plan 4/26/96 Request City Council to approve Final FY 96-97 Action Plan 5/O1/96 Submit FY 96-97 Action Plan to HUD 5/16/96 Deadline to HUD for FY 96-97 Action Plan prepare fi1e:96dmeli.v25 , � � � B A K E R S F I E L D September 12, 1995 Banducci-Walker Enterprises Atten: General Partner 1700 K Street, Suite 200 Bakersfield, Ca 93301 .. . _ _�. ._,—,_.: � ,:. - - , , . �-� '�..�i` ;_. �-_---'-` -=--.__. `.� --- - SFP I 3 i�95 :�,..,, �f, - RE: Exchange Agreement between Central District Development Agency and Banducci-Walker Enterprises Dear Sirs, An Exchange Agreement betweer. the Central District Deve:opment Agency (CDDA) and Banducci-Walker Enterprises was executed August 20, 1990 (Contract No. RA90-4) . The CDDA arranged for the City of Bakersfield to convey the parcel at 17th and G Streets to the CDDA, which the CDDA then exchanged for the parcel owned by Banducci-Walker at 1400 18th Street . The fair market value of the parcel at 17th and G Streets was $425,000, the value of the parcel at 1400 18th Street was $125,000 at the time of the agreement. The $300, 000 difference in value was provided to the CDDA in the form of a "Conditional Purchase Money Loan" . This letter is to inform you that the deadline for beginning construction on a project is December 31, 1995. Below is a summary of the options provided for within the agreement : Pursuant to Section 3.06 of the agreement, commencing January 1, 1991, Banducci-Walker began paying simple interest of 10% per year, in monthly payments totaling $2,500 until one of the following events occurred: A) If construction does not begin on a project (valued at least $4,500,000) by December 31, 1995; Banducci-Walker shall make equal monthly principal and interest payments of $4,980.36 for 84 months beginning January 31, 1996. B) If construction begins prior to December 31, 1995 but the project is not completed within 24 months; Banducci-Walker shali make equal monthly payments of $6, 374 .11 for 60 months beginning 24 months after the commencement of construction. Banducci-Walker shal? continue to pay equal monthly interest payments of $2,500 during the 24 month construction period. C) If construction begins prior to December 31, 1995 and is completed within 24 months of commencement; Banducci-Walker's "Conditional Purchase Money Loan" is deemed to be paid in full, with no further obliga�ion to pay the CDDA. If the value of the improvements are at least $4.5 Million. Banducci-Walker shall continue to pay equal monthly interest payments of $2,500 during the construction period. City of Bakersfieid • Economic and Community Development Department 515 Truxtun Avenue • Batcersfield • Califorriia 93301 (805) 326-3765 • Fax (805) 328-1548 � TDD (805) 324-3631 •„ : �r` Banducci-Walker Enterprises September 12, 1995 Page 2 � Please refer to your executed agreement for additional details. We would appreciate receiving a letter no later than November 1, 1995 indicating your intentions as to the agreement . If you have any questions or would like to discuss the matter further please call. 5incerely, �� John F . Wager, Jr . Deputy Executive Director Central District Development Agency cc: Barry L. Goldner, Attorney Herb Walker James Banducci Judy Skousen, City Attorney Alan Tandy, City Manager cw / jw