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Home My WebLink About05/31/96- .. - .. � �� "►. B A K L� S F I E L D MEMORANDUM May 31, 1996 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY CO FROM: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER SUBJECT: GENERAL INFORMATION 1. On June 7, 1996, HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Relations, Choco Meza, will be in Bakersfield to recognize our community for its efforts and success im implementing HUD programs. The Kern County Housing Authority has extended an invitation for lunch at the Holiday Inn Select to all Council members to meet Mr. Meza. Several projects within the City of Bakersfield have been recognized as successes -- Plaza Tower Development, Holiday Inn Select, Auburn Heights, etc. -- so this would be a good opportunity to make a strong statement for the future of Bakersfield. The Mayor has a previous engagement and will not be in attendance. Attached is a copy of the letter sent to the Mayor, which will provide you with additional information and Mr. Meza's itinerary. Please RSVP to the City Manager's office if you will be able to attend. - 2. A status report is enclosed detailing the progress of our annexation information strategy. The second newsletter was mailed this week, and a copy of that is also attached. We expect to send out the next newsletter during the first week of July. Also enclosed is our testimony that was presented at the DTSC hearing in Sacramento this week. They have granted approval for our participation in the Expedited Remedial Action Program, and we intend to make all processes connected with it to be a high priority. 4. A memorandum is enclosed from Public Works regarding the inspection of City sewer projects � that were constructed by Kenko. Other than the LaBorde trunk line, the projects were inspected by City staff, and recent videos of the remaining lines indicate there are no problems. There is a memorandum enclosed from Development Services concerning their plan for dealing with property owners, particularly repeat offenders, who do not clean up or maintain their lots to standard. 6. A response to a Council referral regarding the status of the Panama Lane widening project is enclosed, as is a Graffiti update. 7. I am trying to get clarity on the future of the FOG hockey team -- no luck, so far. \ � f'� Honorable Mayor and City Council May 31, 1996 Page 2 8. The County Board considered universal collection this week. County staff had recommended approval in concept without rates, etc. The Board refused to do so and only approved further study on a 3-2 vote. What all that means isn't clear but, in any case, it's less than unqualified approvaL 9. The second set of budget questions is enclosed. AT:rs cc: Department Heads Carol Williams, City Clerk Trudy Slater, Administrative Analyst , - �.... �� ^ � (S0�) 593-21�0 o�c� ItUB&N BLU1�P Chaum�o MAX P. SACE�((p v�e P�WL 1- CAb'IRO sa,�r�r/'n� aor�s�ssoNerc� GEDIE SMITH FUCEiSIA WARD FttED RODBIOIJBZ HAZEL PERRY COUFb"EI., HOUSiNC� AUTHtJRI7� OF 7HE _ covhn-� afi �Arr 525 ROBERT5IANE BA�'sRSFlD.U, CA 9�530$-4799 �.y2a, x�� Robert P�ice Mayor G4ty o£�ak�rsfield. 1$Oi ?�vxt,D�►.f�,Venue Bskersfield, CA 933Q1 ($OS) 326-3751 (SOS) 323-3780 i�P.3Y' Ma.�'Oi PIlL:E: F,�7(: {$05) 893-3255 ,r,,,u„ w,u,L We lvave beem invited b� the �,os Augeles �IJD field of�ce to host a�r;sit by � e� Clioco Mezs, the l�ePutY Assista�t Secretazy for �z�t�rgavernme�l Relations. Kera Cuumy was seiected bec�use o� our success in ix3aplementing HiJD grqg�rams. AIl citize�,s of �em Cou�ty including the GSity of Bakersfie�d benefit sa�y from HUD housaIIg and cammwoaty developme�t pro�u dolia�s spe�t in our commwaities. T1� �ve c'�ate scheduled �or the event i.s June 7, 1996. The p�oposed itin+e�y is as follows: b/E 3�Hd 93U-�U_(� Meet ia Arvin wrt� C�ty Manager andlor Council a�ez�►bers aand Bcard of Super.visors repz�esentative for a tour, phato oPPo��Y� � iur�tervic�.vs wit� uew homsowiae�rs in tb.e Job:n Sams public hoUSing deve�opment 10�30�11:U0 Trave� to Bak�emsfield to #he Little Village public hous�i�g dev�l�opm� to view ihe modezuiz�tion aad Ci�tylCouuty CABG sports cornplexes {�'riendship House). X 1;3Q-12:3Q Meet with local elected offi�ials to tqyQ the HOPE Zmpieme�tation I�omeownershxp c�v�Lo�am,ent . (Om Vista.) c�iid ca� center s►ie and �e Cliz�i�ca Sierra Vista ,4;�- '�'t;?: � ��I 'L'—'�'I � � t �1 = :F � • _• �N L 3[1aH � WOT�3 [ E•[ l 9B-BZ-1ittMl ^'?s�, —. J � I3:30-1 _3� Cli�uic wbich was m�ade possib�e by a CD�Cr branL �Tave lunca ai t�ze campleted with a �raate�. �i4liday Inzx Sei�t whic3r was �[J� G�BG Se�-tion Ip3 Ioan �_30-3:I� pe�artur� and retuau to Los Aa�aeies. We belieti e it wiil be a� asset for our locai ele,�.�e3 o£�"zcis�s to particzpat� to �roznote �akers�te:d aad Kern Cot�nty's accam�lishments. As ti�.e availability and dzstriouiion �f �i�,ds for ho,,.� a�,d commwo�ity d�veiopmeat changes we want to be i�n a posit�on to ag�ressiv�:� pu�sue opportc�i#ies to i,mprove the quaia�v of liie in Kezu Couaty. if yau �,ce avauable to participate we wr��ald appreciate ;rour meeting with a�dlor having lumch with us. tiVe wiil con�ir�n the agen�a as soon as we rer�ive vvord from �iTas�ix�.gt�n via Los An�e?e�. 'GVe Iook #'ozw2urd to he�ari.n.g i`xom you. Since:e �, .^ � �aul �' as�ra Ex ".�tiL� DireC:ar � � %/% 3�ttd ° Q I �}i 30 A,L I c']OHZf1tt 91ri I S11QH' W0213 8E ° i T 96-6Z-�'dL�I _ � - `., ti � B A K E R S F I E L D MEMORANDUM May 23, 1996 TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER FROM-��D.B. TEUBNER, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER SUBJECT: PROGRESS OF ANNEXATION 1NFORMATION STRATEGY This is to update you on recent activities associated with our annexation information strategy. We did slow our efforts somewhat in April and May due to my involvement in the preparation of the annual budget. However, we are now back on track and moving full steam ahead. We have had several meetings over the last few weeks including two in the Chester area, two in Casa Loma and one in Old Stockdale. The Chester meetings were well attended with a total of 25 residents. An interpreter was provided for Spanish speaking attendees. All voiced unanimous support for annexation. Over 215 families were invited to the Casa Loma meetings held at the Casa Loma school auditorium. Only 15 people, total, attended the meetings. The meetings were very productive in the respect that we discovered a few new issues that need to be addressed in the newsletter including drainage and airport related dust. The Old Stockdale meeting held at the Dezember home was also well attended and the majority of the 1 S attendees were open to the City's message. Requests for meetings that we are currently working to schedule include two in Chester, one in Casa Loma, two in Old Stockdale and one in Dennen. As you know a petition has been circulated in Old Stockdale by a small group of residents. Of course the petition shows a majority of Old Stockdale residents opposed to annexation. However, I have had several conversations with people who were asked to sign the petition, who said that they were given incorrect information about the impacts of annexation at the time the petition was presented. I believe that this invalidates the results. The only way to truly gauge the opinions of Old Stockdale residents is to continue the information campaign and then do our own independent opinion survey at the end. Consistent with this strategy, the second edition of the Old Stockdale newsletter is currently being mailed out to each of the 259 homes in the area. The newsletter is attached for your review. The third edition will feature a testimonial by Jim Burke who will also be hosting a meeting. The other three newsletters are in various stages of editing, layout and production. They will be ready to go out at different times over the next two weeks. Although we have experienced some :� � slacking off in the number of calls and requests for information we are receiving, I think that they will increase again after the mailing of the newsletters. I have also given presentations to the Board of Realtors and LAFCO on our informational campaign and have received very positive comments from both. We have included the board of directors and executive directors of both groups on our mailing lists for the second edition newsletters. We are ready to begin winding down our pre-annexation informational efforts in three of the four areas. Staff has begun developing the survey tool which will appear in edition three of the area newsletters. The survey will likely be a two part process, with the first part focusing on identifying any final issues or residents that need to be addressed and the second part focusing on the question of the area's interest in annexation. I will be providing you with a draft of the survey tool in the next two weeks. My intent is for the first part survey to go out in the June newsletters and the second part in July. If you have any questions, please let me know. Issues � Answers For Bakersfield's Unincorporated Areas Summer 1996 �.' � _ "� � �- � �� i ,�„� � � I A Little Change �For Old Stockdale Can l�ea� Big Returns For R,esidents City Pledges to Keep theAmbiance ofArea Old Stockdule - BEFOREAND AFfER! There's a lot of confusion about annexation right now And the Ciry of Bakersfield would like to set the record straight. Nobody is going to force you to hook up to a sewer system. No construction crew will move through the morning after and start installing curbs and gutters. You'll still get water from your same reliable supplier. And life in Old Stockdale will remain, by in large, as it has been for generations. As a matter of fact, the City fias agreed to put these promises into writing — a comfort level you don't currently enjoy as residents of unin- corporated Kern Counry. So if annexation rrieans things will stay pretry much the same, why is the Ciry advocating annexation? Simple! By consolidating unincorporated islands within Bakersfield, we will be able to provide more efficient services to a1l.our resi- dents. Currently, there is a great deal of duplica- tion between the Ciry and County services. The Sheriff and road crews must travel across town to respond to your needs. Ciry services are right next door. Doesn't it make more sense to take ' advantage of them? � Being a part of the City also gives you a direct voice in the policies taking place around you. As a resident of Bakersfield, you are eligible to serve on Ciry commissions and advisory boards and help shape the future of our community. Best of all, it's a change that could put some change back into your poeket! As a citizen of Bakersfield, you'll pay the same property taa� rate as you do today. But you won't have to pay extra for crossing guards or traffic signals. Your refuse collection fees will now include regular street sweeping and green waste collec- tion, and seniors can qualify for a substantial rate reduction: Those utiliaing sewer services will see.a $38. per year decrease in their bill. So take a look at the facts and see for your- self. We think you'll find annexation is a little change that makes a whole lot of sense. EXISCING �[TY COUrl�T"t' PropertyTae i% (based on a $100,000 assessedvalue) $1,000 $1,000 County Service Meas C.S.4 #12.2 - School Crossing� Gaards $ I 1 0 C.S.A. #82 - Street flght @ Stockdale $0 if Federal 0 FLnds aze used RefuseCollection $934/month $10.50/monlh Slugle-funily residential � Includes street (Seniors are eligible foc 50% red�ction) � sweeping & green waste collection. Mnual Sewer Servlce (for those curcently wnnected to sewer) $108 +$38 $ l08 Assessment District None None . D.A.R.E. Program No Cost No Cost Neighborhood Watch No Cost No Cost Security Alarm System None ��e�+caz�oo [� S3o - . _ aenewal Fee s, sryr. � • � ��e aen��al S vmo. , ' , 5-10 talu elarms in ' 12 monlhs = S � W�ea. � 11+ faLu alarms in � . 12 mon0u - $ �9u/ea. �A I LD , �, .�; � 9A9RT OF�� • . .� o ,. � �� .� . I've-heard the Ciry may force us to add access points into our area. Is this true? . I've talked with Ciry Fire officials and they tell me that the primary access on Fairway, plus the service access to the Country Club, give us reasonable access to the area for public safery. A few years ago; the Fire Department did explore tlie possibilities of other access points; but they were deemed to be unnecessary. To reassure citizens, the Ciry is willing to abandon the right of way in question or provide other legal guarantees that � � alternate access points won't be required. Let's talk trash. How will refuse service be affected. by annexation? There will be a few changes in this area. First off; instead of receiving a mont�hly.bill, you'll find an annual fee as part of your property tax statement. Currently, you pay $112 per year for trash pick-up. Under the Ciry program you would pay slightly more ($126 per year) but gain the benefits of regular street sweeping and leaf collection in the fall. Your current provider, Varner & Sons, wouid continue to provide your service. We are working with Varner and others to more fully automate refuse pickup. This will lead to numerous improvements over the years and help us keep costs in line. When will curbs, gutters and sidewalks start appearing in my front yard? Based on what we've heard from you and your neighbors ... never! The Ciry isn't interested in forcing unwanted improvements on your area. We understand that the rural character and ambiance of the area would -be altered by such a change. ThaYs why we are� willing to put into writing our commitment to you that these changes would.never be required. If, in the future; you and.your neigh- �o �o �o �o bors decide it would be advantageous to put in improvements, then a local committee would be established to plan the activiry and identify �� funding alternatives. A clear �� majoriry approval would be required prior to implement � � � � �� ing� any proposal. � � �� : As a City resident, will my taxes go up? � � No. As a matter of '� fact, they may �even � "�_ go down a little. �` ` Elsewhere in this � �� newsletter, you'll �,�� find a chart listing the �� various components that go into your taY bill and how they will be affected . by annexation. Compare your current rate with those under Ciry aifiliation and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! If so little changes, why all the fuss? There are very real benefits to becom- ing a part of Bakersfield. First and fore- most, you will have a voice in what is happening around you. You will be able to participate in local government ... vote for mayor and city council members, even serve on a board or commission or run for public office yourself! But you'll be helping us proyide better service to a11 our citizens by eliminating inefficient County "islands" in the midst of our Ciry. That will mean improved response by public safery agencies, more regular street maintenance and repairs. If you choose to join us, I pledge that the City will keep the spirit and atmos- phere of Old Stockdale alive. As Citizens � of Bakersfield, you'll retain the best of the past while enjoying the benefits of a very bright future. I look forward to hav- ing you as a constituent. - , Write i1s! - Want to share your opinions? Have an idea for an issue you'd like to - see addressed 6y Borderline? Drop us a line. � Our address is: Borderline. 1501:Tr�tun Avenue Bakersfield, CA 93301 We look forward to hearing from you! t�'J `Plagsaa�eg £88 'oN l?�ad rn�a a��asod 'S'II a�� fl � There'll Be No Stink Over Sewers c�ty says °�r�e Choice is Yours" The City is committed to maintaining the unique rural atmosphere of Old Stockdale. That commitment caries a11 the way to continued use of septic systems, if desired. But recently there ha�e been a number of inquiries into the options a�ailable for sewer services should local residents elect to join the Ciry Detailed below are some alternatives. 058i-�Z£/508 �d �.LIf�Iil-58/508 i0£�6 trJ `Pia�saax�g anuan� un�xn.�Z i05i �a��0 ��y°�d c- � �� . could be formed to raise capital through bdnd sales. Typically, the cost of hooking up a home is between $4,000 and $5,000. This cost can lie spread over 15 to 20 years as a part of your property taa� bill or could be paid in full to a�oid interest charges. This approach is generally uti- lized only when at least 60 % of the residents indicate they are in fa�or of the idea. Individual Permits - As an individual properry Other Possibilities - Because of the unique owner within the City, you may elect to contract with us to hook your property up to the City's sewer system. This involves drawing up a set of engineering plans and obtaining a permit. The cost would depend on the length of pipe required to connect to the e�sting main. While under this approach, the properry owner is responsible for the total cost of the project, a reimbursement agreement can be drafted to allow you to recoup much of the cost as other residents tie into the system. Assessment District - If as a part of the Ciry, the neighborhood as a whole,- chose to �ook up to the sewer system, an Assessment District nature of Old Stockdale, other options may work. For example, if a resident desired sewer service, the Ciry could create a smaller service area that would incorporate only those properties along the sewer's main path. With approval from the City Council, the Ciry could ask that the resident pay only.their pro-rata share of construction with the balance being paid from City funds reim- bursed over time as adjoining properties sign on. The important thing to remember is that the choice is yours. The Ciry will not force a specific solution upon the residents of Old Stockdale: Whatever you and your neighbors decide is the approach the City will support. � i _ �.� DTSC HEARING When we first leamed of DTSC's Expedited Remedial Action program, we knew it was the perfect solution to a long term issue for the City of Bakersfield and impacted residents. The former burn dump areas is occupied by residential uses. While that has been the case for many years, publicity surrounding closure plans and studies has caused concerns among neighbors about safety and property values. We need the reduction from four reviewing agencies to one in order to speed the remediation process. We need DTSC's expertise, working in concert with the City and our consultant to resolve technical difficulties and identify solutions. We need DTSC to serve as a neutral expert to explain and clarify complex technical information for property owners. We have budgeted funds for remediation, and we desire to act as quickly as possible to bring all issues to completion. The streamlined permitting and certification aspects of this program respond to the residents' apprehensions and desire for a"clean bill of health" and can bring to conclusion their concerns about property values. The former bum dump is a good model for a pilot project. It is small and highly resolvable, yet of great importance to the City, as well as property owners. Currently, Kern County has been the Local Enforcement Agency, as well as the lead agency, for closure of the combined landfill and burn dump. Progress on the closure has been slow for several reasons, leading to a desire by all to move more rapidly. That is why the expedited program serves everyone well in this instance. �- -- DTSC Hearing Page 2 There have been several Stipulated Orders of Compliance entered into by the City and County regarding the landfill. In November, 1991 and January, 1995, the Kern County Public Works Department and the City entered into a Stipulated Order with the LEA, both of which were complied with. In March, 1996, the LEA issued an order which has since been held in abeyance, pending the outcome of this hearing. The Kem County Board of Supervisors and LEA, as well as the Bakersfield City Council, have endorsed the City's participation in this program. There has been potential for litigation against the City by some of the property owners involved. The City has offered to purchase the homes of any of those persons desiring to relocate. We believe our offer will resolve the situation. Quick and complete remediation of the site should also help to avoid litigation and help to preserve property values in the surrounding areas. We thank you and your staff for working with us in a cooperative manner during this application process. We respectFully request your positive action on accepting us into the program. � B A K E R S F I E L D MEMORANDUM May 30, 1996 TO: Raul Rojas, Public Works Direct r FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager SUBJECT: Panorama Burn Dump Remediation Let's set a record! Please make all processes in this regard a high priority. Through Kleinfelder's time schedule and efforts to assist DTSC, we can do better than the typically "expedited" program. Keep frequent progress reports coming in. Thank you. Call for help when and if you need it. AT:rs � B A K E R S F I E L D PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM DATE: MAY 24, 1996 TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER ��,�, FROM: RAUL M. ROJAS, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTO SUBJECT: INSPECTION OF SEWER PROJECTS CONSTRUCTED BY KENKO We have reviewed our records concerning sewer projects constructed for the City by Kenko. Other than the LaBorde trunk line, three (3) projects were constructed by Kenko. They include: � 1. McCutcheon Trunk 2. Jewetta Trunk 3. Hosking Trunk Each of these three (3) projects were inspected by City staff rather than contract inspectors as was the case in the LaBorde trunk. The first project after LaBorde was the McCutcheon Trunk line. This work was started immediately after a North of the River Sanitation District project was competed by Kenko. Due to problems with that job, we were much more cognizant of potential problems the City may encounter. As a result, we took a very firm stance as to control of the project which resulted in a much better finished product. Each of the remaining projects were also inspected with this same regard to quality control. Recent videos of the remaining lines indicate no problems exist. Due to the more stringent quality control imposed by City staff, the other Kenko jobs seem to be performing as specified. cc Jack LaRochelle ; _-_ �-'_��'�i"\ ^-_-,�- -=- .=�@J:.-�n _ _ __'_. � _.-_._—._-_.��._� .h i '�;AY 24� " � �'�e-� ��s�� F�c�;; � �t.,� ... .. '=y MEMORANDUM May 29, 1996 TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER FROM: JACK HARDISTY, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DI SUBJECT: WF 0008227/001, WAYS TO ENCOURAGE PROPEF MAINTAIN LOTS Councilwoman DeMond expressed concern over perennial offenders of the city's property maintenance standards and to some degree the effectiveness of the existing system. Last year we organizcd an enthusiastic group of four code enforcement officers and a permit technician and a supervisor who took on a tremendous back log of problems and began to systematically work their way through them. So far they have responded to 4,420 complaints, obtained voluntary compliance on 75% to 85% of violations and arranged for the city to cleanup or secure most of the rest. Councilwoman DeMond's observation that many of the same lots are problems year after year is especially true with respect to absentee owners. They would likely be more responsible if the conseyuences were to become more severe with continued violations of the municipal code. This year wc will convert from the index card system of case filing and tracking to a more sophisticated computer system which will allow us to better track offenses by individuals as well as by property. As the weed growing season comes on, we can schedule our abatement efforts and begin an early warning to the property owners that failure on their part to take proper care of their land will result in citations and fines in addition to our traditional approach of cleaning up the mess and placing a lien on the property. For those notorious and flagrant offenders who are frustrating our efforts to maintain the city and who have failed to respond positively to our past contacts, a special letter will be prepared. It will recount our past difficulties with them, emphasize the city's commitment to maintaining a safe community and explain that we have adopted an ordinance that provides for severe consequences if we have to continually cite them for violations. For instance, Council has approved use of a different type of lien which seems close to implementation. Rather than letting the lien ride with the tax bill, we will soon begin placing the lien against the property for work done which has resulted in an outstanding debt that wili result in foreclosure. This will probably get a little more attention than the old "if you ever pay your taxes, we hope to get ours" threat. This has to be used carefully in that some of the property we deal with has more liability than value. In addition, a civil action may be filed which may result in court assessments for up to $2,500 per violation. Upon the entry of a second or subsequent civil or criminal judgment within a two-year period, the court may order the owner to pay trcble the costs of abatement. The City Attorney may prosecute the code violations as misdcmcanors with possible punishment of $1,000 and/or six months imprisonment or the City Attorney may prosccute violations as infractions which could result in fines of $250 for first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses within a year. For those. who can't be convinced that they should take care of their property as an obligation of good citizenship, they may be by these .. ^. Alan Tandy May 29, 1996 Page 2 harsher economic realities. We have been working with our attorney over the past several months on how and when to proceed on different types of cases. Before approaching the courts with anything but the most egregious cases, our attorneys need to do a lot of groundwork with the justice system to ensure that the courts understand the nature of the violations and have confidencc in the way we manage our program to bring to them only the cases that cannot be resolved administratively. Part of convincing people that they should take care of their property is in demonstrating the city's consistent and persistent efforts to fght blight and enforce our Municipal Code and Health and Safety Code. This is reinforced not only in our contacts with the problem properry owners but also in the ways we deal with the general public. Our Chief Code Enforcement Officer has become involved in neighborhood meetings and Neighborhood Watch meetings to explain what we can do to help a neighborhood and how to involve us. We have requested two additional code enforcement officers in next year's budget. If approved, this would put us more in line with other communities who have seriously invested in addressing neighborhood blight, dangerous buildings and property maintenancc. Most of them are staffed at a ratio of one ofticer per 20,000 - 25,000 compared to our ratio of one per 50,000. Two more will place us at one per 35,000 which I think should give the city a right-sized team for this type of work. Other city teams working on various facets of community well being include the Police Department, Fire Department, Community Development/Economic Development Department, Public Works, Community Services and the S.P.C.A. We have found their cooperation, support and coordination to be very effective in generating positive outcomes to solving neighborhood problems and will continue to work at strengthening our working together. JH:pjt cc: Judy Skousen, City Attorney m\mat5.28 � B A K E R S F I E L D PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER FROM: RAUL M. ROJAS, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DATE: MAY 29, 1996 REF: PANAMA LANE WIDENING PROJECT This memorandum is in response to a council member inquiry regarding the status of the Panama Lane Widening Project. The above referenced project is currently advertising for bid with a bid opening date of June 11, 1996 and scheduled award of contract on June 26, 1996. This project involves the widening of Panama Lane from Gosford Road to Ashe Road (Ward 4) and from Ashe Road to Stine Road (Ward 6). Construction should begin mid July, 1996 and is estimated to be complete early December 1996. �� i ''AY 3 i ; - 4�� .��'� ��s�� :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 Jake Wager, Economic Development Director Myra McArthur, Planning Technician�`� Graffiti Update �� May 24, 1996 HOT LINE In the month of April there were 226 graffiti calls, with the following distribution: South West 58 calls CDBG 56 calls Other 112 calls = 25.6% = 24.8% = 49.6% Calls this month indicated that taggers are migrating to the North parts of town. Most of the calls this month originated from the North East and North West. The number of calls from the South West went down drastically. Residents from that area are pleased with the decrease of graffiti and have expressed their appreciation for the City's graffiti program. Seven individuals joined the Adopt-A-Wall program. Six of them adopted walls in the South West and one in a CDBG area. 1996 Anti-Graffiti Poster & Essay Awards Ceremony On Thursday, May 23, 1996, the City of Bakersfield, together with the Bakersfield City School District, held an awards ceremony to honor the winners of the 1996 Anti-Graffiti Poster & Essay Contest. The culminating activity for this year's contest was held at Stella Hills Elementary School auditorium at 6:30 p.m. There were about 300 people in attendance, including school principals, teachers, parents and students. Representatives from the District Superintendant's office and the City's Economic & Community Development Department were also present. A total of 557 students artistically expressed their commitment to high civic values. The 1996 theme "Beautify Your City, Eradicate Graffiti" was beautifully portrayed in poster and essay form. With 20 elementary schools participating, awards were given to 147 students. Trophies were presented ' � ��u��' � � �� 2 4 f�e �-� -_-- - . -e5�'�+�.F•�'r�+�.�.T^!' •� to 13 District winners. All the winning entries will be displayed at the East Hills Mall from Tuesday May 28 to Sunday, June 9, 1996. All fourth and fifth grade students in the Bakesfield City School District will receive a calendar displaying the over-all winning entries. Monetary donations for the contest came from 27 local businesses and totaled $3,700. In-kind donations included Dimples Family Fun Center's attraction passes worth a total of $630, and Jack In The Box's gift certificates worth $920. The Bakersfield City School District recognizes the value and effectiveness of the contest as a preventive measure, as well as a high ideals reinforcement tool. The District has committed to budget $500 to help defray the cost of next year's contest. School Presentations Anti-graffiti school presentations were given to 3,345 students throughout the Bakersfield City School District during the months of April and May. The anti-graffiti message was well received by school administrators and students. As part of the presentations, Officer Grubbs and Officer Wimbish from the Police Department, and Probation Officer Brenda Moore from the County Probation Department, answered questions pertaining to graffiti vandalism and its consequences. Community Leader Award McKinley Elementary School's administrators regularly have community members address their student body and deliver inspirational speeches. School officials are concerned about their predominantly minority student population's low achievement rate. The inspirational speeches are done to boost the students' self esteem. On Apri126, 1996, Myra McArthur addressed the student body and encouraged them to set and achieve lugh goals. Community involvement, such as the active participation in the elimination of graffiti, was stressed as being a civic duty. In appreciation, McKinley Elementary School gave Mrs. McArthur the Community Leader of the Month Award. xc: Larry Jamison Ed Kuehn Vince Zaragoza 2 . � . . ::::;wi-r.c ��f,�,: FY 1996/97 BUDGET WORKSHOP QUESTIONS/RESPONSES Date: Mav 23. 1996 Question Response � Councilmember _ No. 1: Explore the possibility of creating a capital A memo is attached from the City Manager which provides various McDermott reserve fund for future fire stations and the possible alternatives for establishing a reserve fund and discusses the use of LEA funding for this purpose. importance of the funding for the LEA posfion. No. 2: Explore the possibility of increasing funding for Should the Council wish to allocate additional funding to CVB Salvaggio the Convention and Ysitor's Bureau. operations, staff recommends increasing their percentage of TOT by 1°� instead of the requested 2%. A memo is attached which details the recommendation. No. 3: What progress has been made to dispose of the Property Management has been working with a potential buyer to DeMond property adjacent to the Hotel Bakersfield? negotiate a sales agreement. A memo detailing the status of the sale is attached. L � ��s�� B A K E R S F I E L D MEMORANDUM May 28, 1996 TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER ,! �� /J FROM: D.B. TEUBNER, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO BUDGET WORKSHOP QUESTION ON CVB FUNDING At the May 22, 1996 Budget Workshop, Councilmember Salvaggio asked whether or not the City could accommodate an increase in funding for the Convention and Visitors Bureau. During the Community Services budget presentation, the CVB requested that the City increase the percentage of Transient Occupancy Tax that the CVB receives from 10% to 12%. The total proposed contribution to the CVB for FY 96/97 is $400,000. An increase to 12% would increase funding for FY 96-97 to a total contribution of $480,000. The CVB has indicated that the additional funding will go towards hiring two additional sales persons to represent Bakersfield to specific segments of the convention and tourism market. Staffreviewed the CVB's FY 95-96 operating budget and identified approximately $33,000 in surplus revenue to carryover into FY 96-97. In addition, the CVB has a$40,000 cash reserve built into their budget. It is the position of staffthat the CVB could use these available funds to hire one additional sales person with no increase in the contribution from the City. Staff has suggested to the CVB that they work on full utilization of current resources as a prerequisite to requesting additional resources. Should the City Council wish to increase funding for the CVB, staffrecommends an increase of 1% rather than the requested 2%. This would give the CVB $40,000 in additional revenue to add one sales person in addition to the monies which they already have. At the end of FY 96-97, the Council could review the CVB's progress in utilizing the additional resources and determine whether or not to increase the funding to 12% prior to the FY 97/98 Busiget. The proposed budget for Council Contingency is $300,000 and funds could be taken from there to cover the additional $40,000 contribution to the CVB. � _`. + � �"��+_ B A K E R S F I E L D MEMORANDUM May 28, 1996 TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCII, FROM: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO BUDGET WORKSHOP QUESTION ON FIRE STATION FUNDING This is in response to Councilmember McDermott's question regarding the need for establishing a ca.pital reserve for funding fire stations and whether or not the funding proposed for the LEA might be used to establish the fund. There are really two separate issues at hand. The first is whether or not the City should establish a capital reserve fund to begin accruing funds for future fire station construction. The proposed CIP budget contains $1.6 million in Capital Outlay Fund projects. The Capital Outlay Fund is the funding source used when a Fire Station is constructed. Had the County not committed to a fire station project, it would have been made a high priority and some other proposed projects would have been given a lower priority. Each year when project requests are received they are prioritized in this manner, with public safety facilities given a high priority for funding. In addition to our annual prioritization of CIP projects using the Capital Outlay Fund, we also review projects which could be funded from the City's Facilities Replacement Reserve which currently has a balance of over $750,000. Construction of a Fire Station in order to maintain our level of fire service in a particular area, would be an appropriate use of these capital reserve funds. If the City Council wished to establish a reserve specifically for the construction of future fire stations, it could reprioritize projects currently proposed to be funded with Capital Outlay Fund monies and reserve a portion of those funds or reserve a portion of the City's already established Facilities Replacement Reserve for this purpose. The second issue is whether or not the proposed $60,000 in funding for establishment of a City LEA is necessary. The City has been exploring for several months the necessity of splitting from the County LEA to provide our own services. Our experience with the County LEA has been one of long service delays, exorbitant fees for simple tasks such inspection of refuse trucks and a general lack of cooperation in approaching issues and problems. While the County may be expressing some transitory willingness to review the situation, it is stai�s opinion that no substantive improvement to services will result. ��.,. _ �! � The proposed LEA funding in question is to fund a certified environmental specialist for nine months of the fiscal year. The funding is proposed for nine months to give the Council adequate opportunity to review the LEA proposal and surrounding issues and make a decision on whether or not to move forward. The Fire Department would not begin recruiting for the position until this review process had occurred. If the Council decides not to proceed with establishment of a City LEA program, then the funds could be reallocated at that time. Since the proposal is still being reviewed by the Budget and Finance Committee and the Council has not had an opportunity to make a decision on this issue, it is sta�s recommendation that the funding be left in place in the FY 96-97 budget to insure funds are available if the Council chooses to establish a City LEA. Please let me know if you require any additional information. _ a DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT �[I�:�[��>1'�.��. �11>l ��I May 30, 1996 Gregory J. Klimko, Finance Director ,� Donald M. Anderson, Property Management � Status of Sale of Parking Lot at 1212 19th Street December, 1995 The owner o.f >M; owned parking lot for use as a:.:au.t�rr desires to expand his pawri: s�op to i to his existing business > January, 1996 acceptable appr Also, he advisec property if it wer February, 1 ! to purchase Fins.& Sor�s.:requests to purchase a City- �orage :facil:ity� ;A.pparently, Mr. Griffin vehi��es::ai�d`needs..a secure location close Atan Tand�r responds to the request suc ised..b� hiFed to est��,lish;the fair market �t� Mr.: Griffi;ri`"that sor;�;i�>:�lerrt�nt of landscapi out to auto related usacte;:;". > Mr appr March, 1996 I $ought tr landscaping plan�'Alan offset against the:-purch iriffin �r�d:l>:t'e�:ievir� sed value �; services on DQri l "andy advis��;;m:e;; se arice for the lar �estitig fhat a mutually `ue o€ the parking lot. �: shca�ld be done on the d;#h� �pPraisal an oggatt who prepai n writing, that he::� Is�aping. an offer a detai�ed Id permit a $500 April, 1996 I presented the lan�lscaping plan to Mr< firiff�n who �irsf responded that he did not want to do any:l�ndse�p��r� H price into escrow and when;`fihe:�i�y car�p close. He is concemed that the;City.,wil:[. r installs. It should be noted the"lar�dscapir types of landscaping, parts/materials necE standards, and an estimated cost of $500 ; he would �gree:to put the purchase �� laritlscaping the escrow would atjs.f.ied w�t� the landscaping he pr�pared by Don Hoggatt listed the ;o construct the landscaping to City May, 1996 Mr. Griffin called to advise me the water source shown on the landscaping plan was not available as he originally thought and we should revise our estimate accordingly. This means the water line may have to be extended from the rear of the property (100+/- feet). I have requested a revised estimate from Don Hoggatt. In summary, Mr. Griffin has expressed on numerous occasions that he is not in a hurry and he does not want to be responsible for the construction of the landscaping. I anticipate a response from Don Hoggatt next week.