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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/27/98 BAKERSFIELD CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM February 27, 1998 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM: ALAN TANDW, -CITY MANAGER SUBJECT: GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Suite sales at the arena have been hot o we are at 19 of 24 leased out. Prospects should get in before they are gone! 2. The County Supervisors made "pay as you throw" a "throw away" this week. We are back to a land use fee. This positive is because the cities worked together. The Kern County Association of Cities met on Thursday night in Delano and voted to continue pursuing the implementation of mandatory collection in urban areas with the Board of Supervisors. Even with the change in the County's position regarding the implementation of gate fees, the cities still feel that illegal dumping is a significant enough issue to request the Board continue with implementation of mandatory collection. The public meetings the County has been conducting during the last month throughout the County regarding mandatory collection have been attended by very few people (the meeting for metro Bakersfield only had about 15 people in attendance). The comments at these meetings have generally been in support of mandatory collection as a means to eliminate illegal dumping. Those in attendance at the Association of Cities meeting believe if all the cities work together on this issue it could have an impact on the Board. The Mayor had indicated our city's support to the other cities on this issue at a meeting last week in Tehachapi. 3. A fact sheet from the DTSC on the progress of the burn dump remediation project is enclosed. Removal of the contaminated soil is expected to begin March 4th. 4. Step2, a manufacturer of plastic products for home and garden and children's play, has announced their plans to locate a facility in Bakersfield. This expansion will add 140 new jobs in the area. Thanks go out to Mayor Price and Jake Wager and the EDCD staff for their successful efforts. The press release is enclosed. 5. The activity report from Recreation and Parks for the past two months is enclosed. Honorable Mayor and City Council February 27, 1998 Page 2 6. With Council's recent decision to move forward with the new redevelopment project areas, EDCD has structured a time frame for selecting a consultant. It is summarized in the attached memo. 7. A tentative schedule for the Union Ave #10 Water System Improvement Project is also enclosed from EDCD. 8. A status report on plans for the upcoming Home Expo '98 is enclosed. The City, along with other agencies and private businesses, will co-sponsor the May 16th event. 9. The January activity report from the County for LEA regulated projects within the City is also attached. 10. Enclosed for your information is a recent article from the Wall Street Journal showing Bakersfield as having the lowest overall costs for business travelers. 11. I will be out of the office today and also on Monday and Tuesday, March 2nd and 3rd. My office will be able to contact me. John Stinson will be in charge during my absence. AT:rs cc: Department Heads Pamela McCarthy, City Clerk Trudy Slater, Administrative Analyst BAKERSFIELD CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM February 24, 1998 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: John W. Stinso~,~?sistant City Manager SUBJECT: Board of Supervisors Action on Gate Fees The Board of Supervisors accepted a report from County Counsel regarding solid waste charges and Proposition 218 at their meeting today. County Counsel changed their position on the legality of land use fees on the County tax roll and now believe they could defend them. They gave the Board three options: 1) Continuation of the land use fee for single-family residential parcels; 2) Continuation of the land use fee for single-family residential parcels and placing the multi-unit residential parcels back on the tax rolls; 3) Conversion to gate fees. The Board unanimously selected option 2. Board members commented that they were glad these alternatives had became available to them and thanked Kern Tax and Mary K. Shell for their contributions to resolving the issue. Ken Peterson made the motion to approve and indicated his concern about illegal dumping if gate fees had been implemented. There was no mention of mandatory collection by the Supervisors. It does not appear that they will proceed with an advisory election regarding gate fees at this time, although that option is available based upon the information provided by County Counsel. There was no discussion if this decision would affect the proposed change in the per ton fee from $29 to $34 per ton. This action demonstrates how effective the cities in Kern County can be if they work together to address issues with the County. I have attached the report by County Counsel. If you need additional information please let me know. P:k.ATTASKS~Board Action on Gate Fees.wpd OFFICE OF COUNTY COUNSEL COUNTY OF KERN MEMORANDUM B. C. Barmann, Sr. Stephen D. Schuett County Counsel Assistant COunty Counsel TO: Members, Board of Supervisors FROM: B.C. Barmann, County Counsel ~S By: Stephen D. Schuett, Assistant County Counsel DATE: February 19, 1998 SUBJECT: Solid Waste Charges and. Proposition 218 RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive and File Report; Direct Staff to implement one of three options: 1) continuation of the land use fee for single-family residential parcels with the modifications proposed; 2) continuation of the single- family residential parcels with the.modifications proposed and placing the multi-unit residential parcels back on the tax roll, or 3) conversion to gate fees. On January 27, 1998, your Board referred to this Office and the County Administrative Office a letter from Mary K. Shell raising the issue of retaining the current system of collecting on the tax bill a land use fee on residential Property for operation of the County's landfill system. This letter requested the opportunity for the citizens of the County to vote on retaining the land use fee or switching to gate fees as proposed under the "Pay As You Throw" system. In responding to Mrs. Shell's letter we believe it approPriate to briefly recount the status of the land use fee, the basic provisions of Proposition 218, and the range of options available to the Board. I. Background In 1988, the Board of Supervisors first adopted the land use fee for funding the operations of the County's solid waste system. At that time, the cost of operating the landfill system · was approximately $3 million, funded by the County's .General Fund. The impetus for finding an alternative source of funding was the rising cost of compliance with state and federal mandates related to landfill operations. In fact, from 1986 to 1990 the cost of Members, Board of Supervisors February 19, 1998 Page 2 operating the County landfills rose from $2.98 million to $17.6 million, primarily due to the plethora of neW regulations from state and federal agencies. ,~. In 1991, the County waS sued by the Kern Coun[y Farm Bureau and the Kern County Taxpayers Association? The plaintiffs contended that the land use fee was a special tax imposed in violation of Proposition 13. 'Plaintiffs claimed that the charge imposed on the property owner was unconstitutional because, among other things, there was no reasonable relationship between the charge and the property owner's actual use of the landfills. The appellate court, in Kern County Farm Bureau v. Kern County (1993) 19 CaI.App.4th 1416, finally determined the County's fee was not a special tax and was appropriately levied on all property owners whether they actually used the landfill or.not. Although the County prevailed in that lawsuit, the County decided to shift from an exclusive land use fee system to a split system, i.e., where the residential property would continue to pay for landfill services through the land use fee collected on the property tax bill, and the commercial, industrial and agricultural properties would pay for disposal at the gate. As part of this system, commercial haulers and cities that provided collection services collected a bin disposal fee on their commercial accounts. This bin disposal fee was Calculated based on the average volume of garbage disposed by commercial accounts and was, in turn, paid to the County as the equivalent of the current gate fee of $29 per ton for those commercial accounts. This split system was instituted July. 1, 1993 and has continued to the present. Of the nearly $22 million collected annually from users of the County's landfill system, approximately $11.3 is derived from the land use fee and approximately $9.4 million is collected from gate fees. In 1997, in an effort to comply with Proposition 218, the Board eliminated approximately 12,000 multi-unit residential properties from the land use fee system. As an accommodation to the cities, multi-unit residential properties in incorporated areas have been billed directly by the Waste Management Department for disposal service. The Department is currently having difficulty in collecting the fees from many property owners and is showing a delinquency rate of 44% and a potential loss of revenue of nearly $2 million. II. Proposition 218 On November 5, 1996, the voter~ of California enacted Proposition 218, the "Right to Vote on Taxes Act," adding articles XlIIC and XlIID to the California Constitution. The 1One of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs was Jonathan Coupal, one of the authors of Proposition 218. Members, Board of Supervisors February 19, 1998 Page 3 enactment of Proposition 218 has raised concerns statewide about the continued validity of the land use fee system. Proposition 218 creates a special subset of feeS and charges that are "imposed on a parcel or upon a person as an incident of property ownership.., for a property-related -service" and prescribes certain rules, both procedural and substantive, related to imposing these fees. Art. XlIID, section 6. Collection of the land use fee on the tax roll makes that fee a "property related fee" for purposes of Proposition 218. The substantive and procedural requirements of Proposition 218 must be observed as state constitutional mandates. A. Substantive requirements. Property related fees and charges must meet meet five subStantive requirements set out in article XlIID, section 6(b): 1. Revenues derived from the fee or charge shall not exceed the funds required to provide the property related service. 2. Revenues derived from the fee or charge shall not be used for any purpose other than that for which the fee or charge was imposed. 3. The amount of a fee or charge imposed upon any parcel or person as an incident of property Ownership shall not exceed the proportional cost of the service attributable to the parcel. 4. No fee or charge maybe imposed for a service unless that service is actually used by, or immediately available to, the owner of the property in question. Fees or charges based on potential or future use of a service are not permitted. 5. No fee or charge may be impoSed for general governmental services, including but not limited to, police, fire, ambulance or library services where the service is available to the public at large in substantially the same manner as it is to property owners. It is these five requirements, especially the third, fourth and fifth, that have caused attorneys around the state to scratch their heads, adopt a cautious interpretation, seek 'legislative clarification, and await guidance from the courts. Our advice on Proposition 218 to date has been driven not only by the uncertainty surrounding the substantive requirements of Proposition 218 outlined above but also by (1) the amount of money raised by the residential land use fee each year ($1'1 million), (2) the burden of proof being placed on the public entity'to prove compliance with Proposition 218, and (3) the Members, Board of Supervisors February 19, 1998 · Page 4 expressed interest of H°ward Jarvis Taxpayers Association in the County's system (See, Mr; Coupal's letter of July 10, 1997, attached). Nevertheless, if your Board wishes to continue the residential land use fee system another year, we believe that with some modifications of the Current system we can successfully defend any challenge brought under Proposition 218. We have also .received, through KemTax, two letters from Mr. Coupal addressing some of the concerns previously raised about the validity of certain aspects of the current land use fee. Copies of these letters are attached for the Board's convenience. A brief review of some of the issues and their possible resolution follow. The requirement that the service being funded by the fee is available to or actually used by the property owner requires that we eliminate the use of revenues derived from the land use fee for the environmental remediation of old dump sites, including the burn-dump remedial program. Mr. Coupal argues for this as well in his letter of January 29,.1998. An additional concern has been the requirement that the fee not exceed the proportional cost of the service attributable to the parcel. We have already excluded agricultural and commercial properties from the land use fee where the greatest disparities among parcels within a particular land use classification were found. If we have continue the same fee of $57.00 for all single family residential parcels and the former per unit fee for multi-family residential parcels, we have a strong argument that this requirement is met. It is our opinion that, despite the "proportional cost.to the parcel" language of Proposition 218, the courts will allow for flat-fee charges for similar properties that generate varying amounts of garbage. Multi-unit residential parcels were eliminated in an attempt to comply with the limitation in Proposition 218 that no fee or charge be imposed for general governmental services where the service is available to the public at large in substantially the same manner as it is to property owners. However, we believe that with the appeal process included in the land use fee ordinance providing for the availability of "opting out" under specified conditions as well as the implementation of procedural steps at the landfill, such as random checking of. driverS licenses, can assure compliance, with this provision. Although the continuation of the land use fee poses some risk of challenge under Proposition 218, we believe there are many good arguments that can be made that the residential land use fee does meet the substantive requirements of Proposition 218. We note that the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has supported some aspects of the current fee which have been opposed by KemTax (See, Mr. Coupal's letter of January 29 1998, re employees in the Waste Management Department.) Therefore, with the modifications proposed above, we believe the land use fee may legally be continued for another year. Members, Board of Supervisors February 19, 1998 Page 5 B: Procedural Requirements. In addition to substantive requirements, Proposition 218 set down certain procedural requirements for property-related fees: 1. If the fee or charge is existing as of November 6, 1996 and no increase is proposed, no further action required under Proposition 218. Such would be the case with our land use fee for single-family residential parcels. 2. If the fee qr charge is new or is increased, each property owner must receive a mailed notice and the agency must conduct a public hearing not less than 45 days after mailing the notice. At the hearing, if a majority of property owners file protests, the agency may not.impose the fee. This provision would goVern the re-imposition of the land use fee for rental properties as a ."new" fee because we discontinued it last year. 3. An.electiOn is required for'new or increased fees unless exempt as a sewer, water, or refuse collection fee. A majority vote of property owners suffices or, at the public agency's option, a two-thirds vote of the general electorate. See letter from Mr. Coupal of January 29, 1998, opining that landfill operations would, in most situations, be considered part of "refuse collection services." Though the proposed legislation to clear up this issue failed in the Legislature, we have good arguments to support the conclusion guardedly conceded by Mr. Coupal in his recent letter. III. Availability of an Election As discussed above, voter approval of fees and charges is required by Proposition 218 only under certain circumstances. These include imposition of a new fee or an increase in an existing fee, except for fees for sewer, water, and refuse.collection services. In the case of those enumerated fees, onlY a protest hearing is required to impose a new fee or increase an existing fee. If the land use fee is continued and the level of the fee is maintained at its current rate, no further action under Proposition 218 is required. An advisory measure may be placed on the ballot by your Board regarding continuation of the land use fee or gate fees. Though such a measure may be unnecessary if the status quo is maintained with the land use fee on the tax roll for residential properties. Pursuant to Elections Code section 9603, your Board may request an advisory measure be placed on the ballot "for the purpose of allowing voters within the jurisdiction, or a portion thereof, to voice their opinions on substantive issues, or to indicate to the local legislative body approval or disapproval of the ballot proposal." Consequently, a measure requesting voter Members, Board of Supervisors February 19., 1998 Page 6 input on the preferred funding mechanism for the landfill system may be placed on the ., June 1998 ballot. The exact language must be adopted bY the Board and sent to the elections clerk by March 6, 1998. ~' IV. Options The options currently available to your Board include continuation of the land use fee with the modifications proposed, continuation of the modified land use fee for single family residential property with the multi-unit residential property placed back on the tax rolls, or conversion to gate fees. For continuation of land use fees, the Waste Management Department must sUbmit a report containing all the parcels to be charged along with the proposed charges, and your Board must hold a notice public hearing after giving 14 days notice. These hearings have typically been held ea,rly to mid-June. In addition, if the rental properties are be brought back on the tax roll, a protest hearing must be held as required for a "new" fee under Proposition 218 with a 45-day notice. If your Board desires to continue land use fees and include multi-unit residential properties, it.is our recommendation that your Board schedule the public hearing for May 5, 1998 to consider both the current residential land use fee and to hold the'protest hearing required .by Proposition 218 for the multi-unit residential properties. In order for gate fees to be effective by July 1, your Board must hold a noticed public hearing and approVe the gate fees by no later than May 19, 1998. Your Board has currently Scheduled a hearing on gate fees for March ~24, 1998. If gate fees are going to be the subject of an advisory election, your Board will need to have enacted the I implementing ordinance prior to the June 2 election, a fact which makes an advisory election on gate fees for 1998-99 a major problem. An additional factor is the cities' request for as much advance notice as possible in the event gate fees are adopted. Under Proposition 218, if the cities are going to collect 'fees from residential parcels in the incorporated areas through a charge on the tax roll, they must give at least 45 days mailed notice to property owners and hold a protest hearing. if the cities wish to use the exemption for garbage collection services to avoid an election, there are no other procedural prerequisites. SDS;gm #19715 98.8999 July 10, 1997 Lero¥.C. Weygand, President Kern County Taxpayers Association 1415 18th Street, Suite 407 Bakersfield, CA 93301 Dear Roy: I apologize for the delay in getting back to you on your letter of June 6, 1997. As you are well aware, we' are inundated with requests regarding the interpretation, implementation and enforcement of Proposition 218. I concur that the county's "fix" of its land-based refuse charges to comply with Proposition 218 falls short of the mark. Although ! have not thoroughly reviewed .the ordinance, it strikes me that any parcel based charge for refuse collection would violate Proposition 218 insofar as the charge could be imposed irrespective of the usage of the refuse collection services. You also questioned the funding of the solid waste department exclusively through the land fill fees. I presume these fees are paid both by the industrial and residential rate-payers, whether they be imposed as gate fees or land-based fees. The question would be whether there are any other solid waste department activi[ies other than those related to refuse collection and disposal. If so, the rate payers may have a legitimate complaint that they are being overcharged to pay for activities unrelated to their own waste generation. This is clear pursuant to the cost-of-service requirements under new Article XII[D, section 6(b). I hope the above is of some assistance. Again, we have a special interest'in ~ern County given its notorious history. Sincerely,_~ Jo ~t~han M, Coupal Director of Legal Affairs via fax wnd U.g. mall Ianuary 29, 1998 Roy Weygand "~ Kern County Taxpayer~/Lvgaciathm ' 1415 18th Street, Suite 407 Bak~ifie~, CA 93301 Dear Roy: ]Ftc~ore u~e write a l~iece ou ~e landfill is~e~ in Kern Co0nty, I wanted t~ get beck to you quickly as poy.~ble on 0~e three cluestlon~ you ~bml.tted to me.: Your ~rgt q_ue.~ion wn.~ whether t,r nc~t ~,, ,,~,~y o~_~d l:n~t Lh~ i~_sue of t_h_.e.m..~n..&a, lory enll..,~.tion on the ballot for ~ advL_qory rotc. ~_ecti~m Code 9C--~3 ~-'xprc~y r~x'~ each d~, ~ ,untT ~d sch_r~_l dis~ct !h~. _powex to ho!d_ or ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ l~ialafi~ ~y appt'0v~ ol ~pfov~ of ~e b~ot plo~.' Your ~d ~ no~ ~at P~ti~ ZIg .~air~ ~at ~ f~ be u~ o~y for ~d~ o~._~.fi Y~ i~i~ that them a~ ~e em~oy~s of the ~!id ~M. d~n~t_ ~ng ~ ~~ ~1~% ~d 0Lh~, ~%~ ~ n~ di~t!y in.~!x~ in. the '~ of ~' of ~xifion 218. I ~ we woMd ~ of Oe ~on illa ~ r~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~. H ~ ~ n~ ~ ~, it ~d ~ ~ffi~t ~iac wM~ ~ ~ ~ld ~ inclen, ~d who w~ld not. F~ ~ple, ~ ~cl~ M ~e ~It of ~7 ~e ~iw~ is ~bab!y ~. ~ ~ ~ ~ f~ ~ ~. $L~ ~t~ ~uld have ~o ~me from elth~ a genii 13) 384-9879 via fax and U.S. mail January 29, 199// Roy Weygand Kern County Taxpayetl As:~'iation 1415 lgth street, Suite 407 Bakerafieid, CA 93301 S~y, a OFIrlCl~ Of LEGAL AFFAII~ 921 11 th Su'cot, Ouim 1~331, .%una*,tntc, CA 9~114 - (916) 44~ .0qy~), F,~x= (9 t6) .144~23 Hroa-D~ARTE~ 6:21 ~,~uth V~s~-,r~amt A~-v'~c, ~u/~ 2112, Lc~ .aax~.le~, C.A 9000~-,%971 - ~1~ 384-9r~6. F-~c (2!~J) 04~4-9cO0 FE]~--2~--98 08 :3? AM SANITATION ~22750~ ~--" -- F~. 02 PANORAMA BUtlN DLrM REMOVAI. ACTION SET TO .BEGIN In~oduc~on Ci~ ~c~flc~ Bum D~ ~ descries ~ ~mv~d ~ ~ pr~y oc~ m of~c 3}~ ~ 3900 bloc~ of P~or~a Ofiw. M~n~ ~,~ (appm~y 60 cubic ~ 3 ~& Io~) ~m ~e ~n~ ~ of 363~ Remedial Ac~on Plan Summn~ r~:~ D~ve ~ b~ ~d l~s ~ ~ ~o~ ~on is be~ ~a~d ~der ~he qu~ ~e ~ ~ong Pano~, Ddve ~ ~,rs~t vf~ DTSC. land~l g~ ~d ~ to ~e '1'~ 9IgC approved ~, ~ on Febm~ 5. ~D~ON~ ~OR~ON.,. 1998. ~al a~ion~ ~i~I~r~lac~ ~ ~ ~d ~er p~ojecx d~mn~t.~ of fl,e fi~t ~r~1% ~]ac~B ~ ~a cl~ soft ~d no~.e~ ~ 0f ~ g~ C~ r~o~8 ~c ~s~p~, D~ ~ r~v~ Lib~ 1~ at 37~ Col~bu~ Av~, ~d ~ ~ e~ol~ures~ be us~ m ~ a~ ~ ~1 Lib~ ~t~ ~ 701 T~ ~~o~ave~lea~Sltc. '~.~ A~, Y~ may dso ctmi~t pmj~t ,ho~ below: Remedtal AcEon ~c~edule ~e ~ ~fion ~ s~ul~ ~ bo~ ~ A~ P~r. Proj~t M~g~r DTSC ~oh 4. 199S. Berg Feb~ 11 ~ 10151 Cmy~Way, S~ 3 24, ~s ro~s ~ ~~ ~at ~ be us~ ~ue t~~ r~ so~ ~om ~e S~ ~~ C~o~a 95827-2106 to ~ Ci~ of~eis~ ganii~y ~811: (9t6} ~ui~ ~ ~ giro, ~ on M~h 4, soft CiwofB~im~ldPuh~ Work~ 4101 Tm~ Avenue ~v~ ~11 be~. Work x~ be eond~ wc~da~ b~ g A.M. ~d ~ P.M. ~e B~e~lO~ C~omla ~mc~ ~on fi~ ~rk iS ~ti~a~d m (805) 321-3114 ~ for appr~ly 3 to S ~,~ld~r~ ~c. ~e~ld, Ca~a 93313 (i05) 8~ 1-215~ 02/24/98 TUE 18:15 FAX 805 328 1548 BFLD ECON & COMM DEV ~ CITY MGRS OFFICE ~001 From the February 24, 1998 · For immediate release For more information: Jake Wager, City of Bakersfield Economic Development Director ' ' (805) 326-3765 Cvreg Whitney, President Kern Economic Development Corporation (805) 862-5150 THE Step2 COMPANY'ANNOUNCES NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN BAKERSFIELD Company to bring over 140 jobs to the City Bakersfield, CA - The Step2 Company, a popular Ohio-based maker of quality plastic products for Home and Play, announced today that it will begin manufacturing by mid-year 1998 in Bakersfield, CA. This expansion will add 140 new jobs and enable steP2 to better serve its growing domestic business in the western United States as well as in the Pacific Rim and Mexico. Thomas G. Murdough, Jr., Founder and president of the company, praised local efforts to recruit the company. "I have already told the story of Bakersfield, California to many of our customers and suppliers all over the nation. It is a tribute to everyone that was involved," said Murdough. "In my 25 plus years in this business, I have been involved with plant openings in 12 communities mound the world, and I have never been so impressed by the knowledge and uniform commitment of the community economic development team." The team was led by the City of Bakersfield and Kern Economic Development Corporation. (more) 02/24/98 TUE 18:16 FAX 805 328 1548 BFLD ECON & COM~ DEV -~4--> CITY MGRS OFFICE ~002 Company to bring over 140 jobs to the City Page 2 "Step2 is the kind of successful business that I am proud to Welcome to Bakersfield," said Mayor Bob Price. "I was pleased to have personally met with Mr. Murdough and share his excitement in locating a company dedicated to making the highest quality products for' homes and children." Step2's new facility at 7021 Schirra Court will have 109,250 sq. ft. of manufacttLring capacity to help meet increasing demand for the company's products, boosting their nationwide manufacturing space to over 960,000 square feet. Located in the Stockdale Industrial Park, the facility is owned by Castle & Cooke California, Inc. and the transaction was brokered by CD Commercial. · Step2 is a high-growth market leader supplying home and garden as well as children's play products and fumiture to major retailers worldwide. Products are manufactured using rotational molding, a process that Mr. Mm'dough pioneered for use in the consumer products market. "Our process is very dependent upon the people that make it go, and for that reason, we are very selective in where we locate a plant," said Murdough. "In Bakersfield, we found the caliber of the labor force and an extremely positive and supportive response from the Economic Development Team. It is one thing to have a good location, but quite another to have the location and the people to make it successful." Other key factors cited by Murdough include centralized geographic location and availability of a well-constructed rail served facility. The Kern Economic Development Corporation was first contacted by Step2 in December 1997 as the result of company representatives reading the Discover Kern County market overview in the LA Business Journal. The KEDC worked with the City of Bakersfield to host several tours and community related meetings. Bakersfield was in competition' with Fresno, Madera and Porterville. "The Step2 decision shows the direct results of marketing Kern County to new business," said Harold Hanson, KEDC Board Chair. "It also proves that once we get them here, the community can deliver." Since the company began operations in 1991, it has consistently realized highly respected annual sales increases. In just its sixth year of operation, Step2 recorded sales of $100 million in 1997 with another significant increase planned for 1998. Step2 products currently enjoy distribution throughout the United States, Canada, and over 70 foreign countries: Step2 will add the 140 new jobs to the current 1,040 employees in three northeast Ohio sites and new 1997 facility in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. Customers include Sears, Kmart, Walmart, Toys R US and Target stores. "Step2 chose California for its first expansion outside the state of Ohio, a tree testament to our competitiveness and long-range economic vitality," said State Trade and Commerce Agency Secretary, Lee Grissom. The Plastics industry employs roughly 66,000 people in California, a 12 percent increase from five years ago. Sales of plastics related products in California during 1997 were $10.5 billion, and the industry accounts for an annual payroll of more than $2 billion. Plastics is also California's 11 t~ largest export at $1.5 billion. ~ ~ ~ S:L~LAN~Stcp 2 press release.wpd CiTY IViANAGER'S OFFIC:Z ' DIVISIONS OF RECREATION AND PARKS DATE: February 20, 1998 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Stan Ford, Director ~ SUBJECT: Monthly Report for December 1997 and January 1998 Attached is a summary of the activity for each division in December and January. Detailed information is available. If you have any questions or require additional information, please let me know. STAFF ACTIVITIES Training: Several members of the staff were able to attended training on grant proposal writing and two workshops related to customer service in the public sector. RECREATION Lowell Neighborhood Center: Total attendance in December was over 1,000 and 989 for January. New programs are international ballroom dance, computer classes, and a youth excursion program. MLK Center: Attendance in December was 1,865 and 2,105 for January. In addition to the programs at the center, the center is coordinating a program for seniors that is held at Plaza Towers. A special event was held in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday which attracted approximately 450 participants. Playground Program: Attendance in this program was as follows: Casa Loma 27 Franklin 23 Franklin West 42 McKinley 45 Stella Hills 85 William Penn 52 Silver Creek: The pool was closed for most of January due to an equipment problem. Repairs have been made and we have resumed normal operations. The center also experienced mechanical problems with the heater and the roofing. The facility was rented for five events with 420 people attending these events. Program participation was as follows: # Registered Total Participation (month) Jazzercise 36 324 Tiny Tot Dance 40 160 Dance & Gymnastics 16 64 Ice Skating 10 40 Adult Golf 8 32 Group Golf 8 32 Racquetball 4 16 Karate 12 48 Calligraphy 6 6 140 722 Teen Center: Attached is a proposal from the recreation staffto change the summer playground program from six sites to two park sites and two teen centers. Please let me know if you have any comments or concerns about the proposal. PARKS Silver Creek Tennis Courts: Tennis court lighting was modified to ensure a safer playing environment. North Laurelglen: The repair of the damage caused by the trees has been completed. This restoration included repairing the damaged sidewalk, replacing the bricks on the perimeter of the tree wells, and planting new trees. Siemon Park: The irrigation system was converted from a hydraulic system to an electric system. This conversion included new values, wires, and controllers. Tevis Park: The west side of the park was regraded to remove a berm that was not removed prior to the city's acceptance of the park. Police Pistol Range: Staff modified the irrigation system to accommodate the new configuration of the shooting bays. Chester Street Landscaping: Staff continues to monitor the project and prepare to assume the responsibility for the on-going maintenance. Windsor Park: Plans have been signed and grading has begun. Stonecreek Park: We are 120 days into the 180-day maintenance period. FEBRUARY PREVIEW Black History Month: We will be hosting activities in recognition of Black History Month on February 26 at MLK Center. Bakersfield Beautiful Award: We have been notified that we were nominated for a Bakersfield Beautiful Award. Additional information was previously forwarded. Storm Clean Up: We should have a final report this week on the clean up of the storm that occurred the fn'st week of the month. Staff responded to 215 calls from citizens as of February 12. A total of 1,165.5 hours were used in responding to these calls. Our clean up of the parks will be set back several weeks due to our support of requests from Public Works for staff. c: Citizens Community Services Advisory Committee John Stinson, Assistant City Manager Dolores Teubner, Assistant City Manager Department Staff PROPOSED NEW PROGRAM Summer Playground Teen Center RECOMMENDATION We propose to change our summer playground program from (6) six park sites to, two park sites and two teen centers. The change will enable us to reach more youth and young adults with a more structured program. OVER-VIEW OF EXISTING PROGRAM Our existing program has been in existence since the early 70's and is used more for child care in the parks, the currant program operates for (9) weeks from 9 am to 4 pm we offer arts & crafts and sports, the average age is 6 to 9 years of age. Attendance has decreased each year for the last three years. Total cost of the program is $52,713.00 TEEN CENTER This new program will enable us to offer structured programs in arts & crafts, sports and a variety of activities. With the help of qualified staff we can provide programs such as drama performances, dance, clubs (teen scene), etc. All participants will be encouraged to join specific clubs and becoming members of each site. Most important is that we will give our young adults a positive place to just hang out. Possible sites will be East High School and West High School. Total cost will be $77,510.00 A breakdown is listed below. Staff $34,510.00 Supplies $ 7,000.00 Rental $36,000.00 (The increase is due to rent at the two high schools) $77,510.00 Teen center will be a exciting change for youths and young adults in our community. BAKERSFIELD Economic and Community Development Department MEMORANDUM February 20, 1998 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager t~~ FROM: Jake Wager, Economic Development Direct SUBJECT: Update on Adoption of New Redevelopment Project Areas With the decision by the City Council at their February 11th meeting to move forward with the redevelopment project areas, staffis preparing to select a consultant to assist us in the process. The following is a list of milestones for the near future and estimated dates when we expect them to be accomplished: Task Milestone Date RFP sent to Qualified Consultants February 27 RFP's Received from Respondents March 23 Staff Evaluates RFP's/Conduct Interviews April 1 Staff Identifies Project Funding Sources April 1 Staff Recommends Consultant at Special CDDA Meeting April 6 City Council Approves Consultant and Appropriates Funds April 8 Staff Develops Consultant Agreement May 1 City Council Approves Consultant Agreement May 20 Although we do have some funds dedicated to paying for a redevelopment consultant, additional funds will need to be identified prior to initiating the projects. Therefore, during the RFP process we will be working with the Finance Director to resolve any financing issues and finalize a budget. Please call me if you have any questions. cc Alan Christensen, Business Manager Donna Barnes, Development Associate :' FEB 2 ~ 1998 B A K E R S F I E L D[~ Economic and Community Development Department MEMORANDUM February 20, 1998 TO: Jake Wager Economic Development Director FROM: Vince Zaragoza g'~ Principal Planner SUBJECT: Time Line for Union Ave. #10 Water System Improvement Project As requested, below is a tentative schedule for the referenced project as developed by Public Works. Date Item 2/26/98 Bid Advertising 3/10/98 Pre Bid Conference 3/19/98 Open Construction Bids 4/8/98 Award Construction Bid 4/17/98 Pre Construction Conference 4/20/98 Notice to Proceed 4/27/98 Start Construction 6/30/98 Complete Project Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the time line. file:Unionl0.wpd B A K E R 5; F I E L D Economic and Community Development Department MEMORANDUM February 23, 1998 TO: JAKE WAGER, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FROM: BRET J HELGREN, FAIR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSOCI SUBJECT: HOME BUYERS EXPO '98 The second meeting of the community planning committee for the Home Buyers Expo was held on Wednesday, February 18, 1997, at the Bakersfield Convention Center. Approximately twenty five members of the local real estate industry as well as other community residents were in attendance. A good deal of work was accomplished when the group broke into subcommittees for marketing, sponsorship, vendor recruitment, entertainment, and logistics. Local industry represented at the meeting included the Bakersfield Association of Relators, Kern County B.I.A., and various other organizations who are playing a key role in coordinating and sponsoring the event. On another related matter, I received a phone call from HUD on Friday, February 20, 1998, confirming their contribution to the Expo to conduct a $10,000 print advertising campaign. The print advertising campaign will include custom ads featuring the upcoming Expo in local papers in Kings, Tulare and Kern counties. In addition to the City and the Housing Authority of Kern County, approximately a half dozen real estate lenders and brokers have expressed serious interest in sponsoring the event at $1,000 to $2,500 per sponsor. We have anticipated a $41,000 budget for the event. All revenue to the budget, except the City sponsorship, will be contributed by other governmental agencies and private businesses. MEMORANDUM TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER FROM: RAUL M. ROJAS, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR~ DATE: February 24, 1998 RE: Activity Status Matrix - Kern County tlealth Services Enclosed is the January Activity Stares Matrix for your information. G:\GROUPDATLMem o\ 19 9 8~K. CHD-Act ivity.wpd PROGRESS OF PROJECTS WITHIN THE CITY OF BAKERSFIELD Activity For The Month Of January 1998 ,~' Bakersfield Sanitary Immediate Goal: Remediation of Remediation of the burn dump is Continue remediation of the burn Landfill/Burn Dump burn material to reduce/eliminateunder the oversight of the ash under the ERAP. Closure· the health risks associated with Department of Toxics, ERAP. burn ash. The City will modify the original SWlS #: 15-AA-0044 Closure of the landfill will notDraft Closure Plan to integrate the · -' th~ R~ductlon ,.,, ,-., ,,=,,,,,,,,0,,,:,,,0 proceed until the burn dump burn dump closure with the landfill LEA WO #: 102 and 319 gas at th~ '--:':"',,=,.,,,,~, ,.,~,,.,,'- .... ,~,,=,,-'--'~, '-,,., issues have been resolved, closure. I~:~,OLI ICll I ~ /(~~/II.I I~;; ..... :-'- The Local Enforcement Agency The LEA will amend its comments Sections 10, 11 14, and '- ' ';--='" '-' ' , ~-^~l~o,v~ ~..~.,L ~L---I. 15, T29S, R28E Completed 8/29/97 provided written comments to the regarding the Remediation of 4200 Panorama Drive Department of Toxics regarding Panorama Drive according to Long Term Goal: the most recent Health Risk information supplied by Kleinfelder Property Owner: Closure of the sanitary landfill Assessment. and Associates. City of Bakersfield and and burn dump in compliance other private individuals with Title 27, CCR. No Changes No Changes China Grade Burn trnmediat~ Goal: Remedistion-of A small amount of acid sludge The California Integrated Waste Dump/Landfill Closure ,.,,.,"' ........ , , ,,,.-,,o, ,,=,,:- ,-,,,, ,,, , ,.., ,,.,,,,, has begun seeping from the Management Board is responsible bou,~ari~s, to r~ducs/eliminste south face of the burn dump for clean up of the acid sludge and SWIS #: 15-AA-0048 the,"--"'-,,=,=,,,,, ,-=-'--,o,,o ooo~,,.,otod with area. The burn dump is reviewing options for abatement. bur,~sh. Completed June 4, 1997. remediation was conducted by LEA WO #: 108 the California Integrated Waste LEA staff are proceeding with the Long Term Goal: Management Board· Notice and Order for closure of the Location: Closure of the sanitary landfill landfill portion of the facility· Sections 1 & 12, T29S, 'and burn dump in compliance R29E with Title 27, CCR. Landfill Road Properly Owner: No Changes No Changes Kern County February 17, 1998 * SWI$ = Solid Waste Information System number issued by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (ClWMB). ** LEA WO# = Local Enforcement Agency Work Order number used by EHSD. FORNIA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1995 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL/CALIFORNIA zed' about $5.2 million in venture signed up 2,200 dealers and ed more than one million purchase 3 from customers, about 25% of California on the Company Tab ~ave ended in a sale. He says that b had net losses last year totaling For those of you who are concerned of $177.70, well below the average for the ,n $3 million on sales of nearly $4 about how much dough you charge on U.S. overall. your company credit card, California Of 10 cities surveyed in California, the ng the past few months, as the two promises to furrow your brow. average cost of meals is $44.50 a day, Jes have become more aggressive Expenses including meals, lodging, and compared with the U.S. mean of $38.55. marketing efforts, they have also car rental all exceed the national mean San Francisco is the costliest, at $56.65, eking more distinct approaches to here--and by a lot, in some cities. The and the Riverside-San Bernardino area is ness. cost per day for business travel in the cheapest, at $37.60. .ially, the differentiation was California is $236.75--$37.20 more than San Francisco also has the most tent among the prominent new car the U.S. mean of $199.55. expensive lodging in the state, at $205 per ~ays Scott Wu, a principal at Na- nc Montgomery Securities Inc., the That's according to a study, of busi- night on average. Fresno has the cheapest zderwriter in Auto-By-Tel's pro- ness-travel costs in 100 cities nationwide hotel rates, at $91.50. The state mean: 'O. "Now, it's a question of who has by Runzheimer International, a manage- $136.70. dealers," not how many dealers, ment-consulting firm based in Rochester, Car rentals are costliest in Oakland, at Ellis says Auto-By-Tel gets the best Wis. The study was performed for compa- $65.50, and cheapest in Bakersfield, at by promising them an exclusive hies to estimate their employees' travel $42.50. Overall, the cost of renting a car in y. The company signs agreements costs. California is $55.55, just o. ver the national dealers, barring them from signing "Business travel is expanding across mean of $53. ,.er services, the country thanks to the new Iow-cost Even though it doesn't have the priciest ;ntrast, Mr. Zamani contends corn-airlines like Southwest," explains Rolphe totals in all three categories, San Francisco I'J 1~ [, 1~I m; r-,'ran-l- s results in better dealers. He says Shellenberger, senior consultant at is still California's most expensive city in b signs up several top dealers in an Runzheimer. "California, more than any- total cost per day: $322.65. But take heart: sed on sales volume and customer-where else in the country, is feeling the That's still quite a bit less than Manhattan, "-' ~''~ ''"' NO-l- ~ua,1;-~ boom." the most expensive city in the country for In each city, the study averaged prices business costs, at $412.50 a day. Manhat- By JULIO L~J]( of four rental car companies at airports; tan has the most expensive averages for Staff Reporter of THE WALL S four tO 10 major hotels (usually chains), all three categories. There, food will cost It wasn't earthquakes, n' and meals at business-class (not luxury) you $78 a day, on average; hotel, $264; fires and violent rome, but .' restaurants both in hotels and outside and car rental, $70.50--though most vlsi- ics that drove 1.5 million pe fornia during the first half hotels, tors opt for taxis, according to a new study. The good news: Most of California's What cities are cheap enough to stave Using U.S. Internal R~ bloated average is accounted for by the off frowns from your boss? Macon, Ga., data, researchers at the largest cities in the state. Four of the citieshas the country's cheapest meals at Southern California have d, surveyed squeeze under the $200 mark; $29.40, and Davenport, Iowa, has the employment opportunities ratings. It then allows customers to Bakersfield is the cheapest city of those cheapest lodging, at $63. Honolulu has the everything to do with long-d ~,vhere they want their orders sent surveyed in the state, with a per diem total cheapest car rental, at $39. state moves from 1990-1996. ist of participating dealers. "Differential labor-mar ncourage more dealers to sign up, ~'¥~:':~**' ~:~ :~'~ '~ ~:~ ~ ~ ~"~'~'~ ties are very important" re: .~ last month rolled out a new pric- . pie left the state, says Stun ~tctUresales fOrreferraldealerS,ratherChargingthan thethemfiat ~i~i iiiii~ii~i ~~ ii~ ~ ii :'! ¢ i!i ! iiiiiii!ii¢ ii i!iili i ii ii!i nance°f the study'Sat USC'saUth°rsMarshallanda,' ~ fee that other services charge. It's Cas 101At C0Sl ness. Translation: There we ,g-y that Mr. Zamani believes will ~EAlS 1.00~Im~ RfmAt Pin OAr i! other statesthaninrecessio mrate more dealer sign-ups, partic- :: ~i~:~ ~ii~:: ?~ ~i ?~ ?~;:: ?;:.; ;;?~ i:~ ~/;?:', i!~:':?~:~;~::i~:i~:?~ !~ ~;il ~ iii ~,~!~::;!i ifornia. ~ parts of the state where sales vol , :. ................ ::~ , . The study shows that y be low. That, in turn, should give San Jose 45.70 193.00 59.00 297.70 crease in the number of peel ~rs in those areas a more conve- ~i:~,~:.:~ ~:?~:~,;: ~:: i;~ ~,i~;::i?~?~i~? i{~, ~?;!ii~]i~::~ifornia for other states in, coincided with rosier labor aler to pick from. :::':' :': :::': ........... :: ~,,:::::: .................. ?:~:::::::::: :"::'::::::::: :::::' : ,t of dealers were on the fence about Los Angeles 51.10 138.00 62.50 251.60 tions in those other states. up" with an on-line car-buying set- ':; :: ': '~i'?~?~:~?:?~ unemployment rate betw{ :. Zamani explains, "because they ,: ~.~ .................. :::~:~,,::::: ........ ,~,:,,~,~,~,,:::: :~:: :.,::. ........ ~.:~,:,:.:: ::: :;,: ,~:~:, ::., :,, and the rest of the country a system where they pay per cus- Anaheim 42.45 134.00 63.50 239.95 percentage points in 1993 a~ :!~:~i:i:: }: ~:: }~}}}i i}i! :~¢::i:04i~:::: :~ i}¢} ]9§::.~51.i dropping to 1.5 percentage I: when it comes to advertising, each . ........ ,..:: . "The state was filled w Riverside/San Sernardino. 37.60 106.00 43.50 187.10 about the decline in quality y asserts it has the recipe for get- the California dream had tu rigger market share. Auto-By-Tel kindof nightmare," saysMr )out $20 million last year in salver- Bakersfield 37.70 97.50 42.50 177.70 sons cited for people leavin; ~trgeting mainstream audiences. It fic congestion, air qualiI ed commercial air time during the ~50 :: i !!i~§~70: ::i?.i :~? :~:~; ~!~ ~ :?: ?~/:i??.i :::$2~:~:~ii crime. ~ Super Bowls. Autoweb, on the U.8. mean $38.55 $108.00 $53.00 $199.55 But "these weren't the r md, spent about $3.5 million last i!::i: he says. "It was the econom ,,ertising on various Web sites and .: :Uig~! ~ ~gi40:.;i :~i:i~ i~iil i:~i~i~ ;:~?~ :~:ii ii!i~i~Ci~: i? ii:~? i'~ ?~;::i In the Los Angeles ar, ~tter-relatedpublications. U.S. maximum 78.00 264.00 70.50 pie, the number of peopl ~rly, they have different models," now lnr',qloq (nit nf qtntO