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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/07/2003 B A K E R S F I E L D /~ \~ ~, ~-- David Couch, Chair Ala~ Tandy, City' Manager Sue Benham Staff: John W. Stinson Mike Maggard AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Monday, April 7, 2003, 3:00 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room - City Hall 1. ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order at 3:04 p.m. Present: Councilmembers David Couch, Chair; Sue Benham and Mike Maggard 2. ADOPT MARCH 3, 2003 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS Lorraine Unger spoke regarding the Committee agenda for today's meeting not being on the City's website and suggested the Committee's meeting calendar also be posted on the website. Committee Chair Couch requested staff to put the Committee's meeting calendar on the website but to add a disclaimer as Committee meetings may need to be rescheduled or canceled. 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS A. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding Transportation Development Fees Public Works Civil Engineer Marian Shaw provided a memo with a preliminary report and gave an update on the status of the Phase III Transportation Impact Fee schedule. City and County staffs have done some comparisons with the Kern COG Traffic Model to further define the list of needed facilities and have also met with a representative from the BIA. It was explained the figures in the report are very preliminary. The new (revised) facilities list projected for 20 years includes about 550 items, with a preliminary program cost of $4 million. A single family house would go from the current fee of $2,346 to a proposed AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, April 7, 2003 Page - 2 - new fee of $3,334 per single family house. The fees for heavy/service industrial and light industrial are proposed to increase over ten times the current fee (previous Councils had kept the original non-residential fees Iow to promote job creation). It was explained the total program cost could be lowered by taking projects off the facilities list (lanes, stop lights, etc.). However, during the first transportation impact fee cycle in 1992, in an effort to keep the fees lower, the list was trimmed too much and the fees did not fully mitigate transportation costs for roadways, signals, etc. In response to questions from Committee Member Maggard regarding extending vesting rights for tract maps, staff will prepare an informational sheet with what is required by State law and what is discretionary. Committee Member Maggard asked about staff's comments on there being a nexus between transportation development fees being lower.for industrial projects and job creation. Staff will prepare a written response with examples. Pauline Larwood, Smart Growth Coalition, spoke regarding the need to have infrastructure in place as development occurs. County and City staffs need to refine the preliminary project total. Projects on the impact fee list must be further evaluated against the Kern COG traffic model to determine if they are required in order to serve the expected new growth and maintain a Level of Service "C." It will take at least another two months to run the list against the traffic model and make needed adjustments. Staff will meet again with the BIA. Staff was requested to draft a letter to the Board of Supervisors from the Committee requesting they act simultaneously with the City to expedite the adoption of the Transportation Impact Fee schedule due to the amount of money needed to meet critical transportation needs. This issue will be placed back on the agenda for the June 16th Committee meeting. B, Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding landscape ordinance/enforcement Assistant City Manager John Stinson provided an update on proposed changes made to the street tree ordinance, as directed by the Committee, to require a permit for commercial tree contractors who provide maintenance or trim trees in City right-of-ways. At the direction of the Committee, staff sent a letter to tree trimmers regarding the proposed changes and invited them to a public meeting. Only one tree trimmer came to the meeting. The Committee reviewed the proposed changes and voted unanimously for staff to forward the street tree ordinance with the proposed changes to the Council. AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, April 7, 2003 Page - 3- C. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding additional review of issues related to the General Plan Due to time constraints this item was not reviewed. Committee Chair Couch will meet with Planning staff to prioritize the issues for review by the Committee. D, Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding space needs (This item heard first.) City Manager Alan Tandy gave an update. At Council and Committee's direction, staff has been waiting for receipt of appraisals before negotiating with two downtown property owners on their buildings. The appraisals have been received. However, during the time the appraisals were being prepared, the City has had a financial reversal and is not in a position to contemplate space needs until the State legislature concludes its budget session and the financial impacts on the City's budget can be analyzed. The City Manager suggested staff suspend negotiations in fairness to the property owners who may have other offers or lease interests, until the State adopts its budget. The Committee unanimously agreed. Committee Chair Couch requested staff to send letters to the two building owners to inform them that the City will be suspending negotiations pending adoption of the State's budget. E. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding leaf blowers (This item heard after 5.B) The Committee has reviewed leaf-blower issues at several of its meetings in the past. The last Committee action taken was to have Recreation and Parks staff develop and distribute educational materials to those who sell leaf blowers for distribution to their customers. Administrative Analyst Trudy Slater reported on leaf-blower issues, which included dust, air pollution from the engine, and noise. Air pollution is regulated by the California Air Resources Board. Ms. Slater quoted from a memo by David L. Crow, Air Pollution Control Officer, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control Board, which provided information that there is not sufficient official data on the quantity of fugitive dust resuspended by leaf blowers to recommend regulation banning the use of leaf blowers; however, City and County's regulate noise issues and can restrict or ban leaf blowers due to noise. Lt. Moesta spoke regarding complaints on leaf-blower noise received and handled by the Police Department in residential areas. Roger Hartley spoke regarding air pollution and particulate matter caused by leaf blowers. The Committee requested staff to meet with the gardeners again regarding leaf blowers and possible solutions they may have other than banning the use of leaf blowers and report back to the Committee at its May 5th meeting. AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, April 7, 2003 Page - 4 - 5. NEW BUSINESS None. 6. COMMITTEE COMMENTS None. 7. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m. Attendance - staff: City Manager Alan Tandy; Assistant City Manager John W. Stinson; Deputy City Attorney Ginny Gennaro; Public Works Director Raul Rojas; Development Services Director Jack Hardisty; Planning Director Stan Grady; Lt. Joe Moesta; Administrative Analyst Trudy Slater; Recreation and Parks Director Stan Ford; Paul Graham, Urban Forester; and Public Works Civil Engineer Marian Shaw. Others: Roger Mclntosh, Mclntosh and Associates; Brian Todd, BIA of Kern County; Pauline Larvvood, Smart Growth Coalition; Lorraine Unger, Sierra Club; Dana Karcher, Tree Foundation; Roger Hartley; James Burger, reporter, The Bakersfield Californian. cc: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers S:~JOHN\Council Committees\Urban Development 2003\ud03apr07summary.doc