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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/06/2002 BAKERSFIELD David Couch, Chair Sue Benham Mike Maggard Staff: John W. Stinson MEETING NOTICE URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMI'n'EE of the City Council - City of Bakersfield Monday, May 6, 2002. 1:00 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room, Suite 201 Second Floor - City Ha11,1501 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA AGENDA 1. ROLL CALL 2. ADOPT APRIL 8, 2002 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS A.Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding space needs and City Hall expansion - Rojas B. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding Tree Ordinance enforcement - Stinson 5. COMMITTEE COMMENTS 6. ADJOURNMENT S:~JOHl~Urban Dev2OO2~udO2MayO6agen;wpd DRAFT BAKERSFIELD (~ lv~ ~'{~~ David Couch, Chair Alan Tandy, City Manager Sue Benham Staff: John W. Stinson Mike 'Maggard AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE-MEETING Monday, April 8, 2002, 1:00 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room -.City Hall 1. ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order at 1:20 p.m. Present: Councilmembers David Couch, Chair; and Sue Benham Absent: Councilmember Mike Maggard 2. ADOPT FEBRUARY 11, 2002 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS Renee Nelson provided the Committee with information regarding the first Great Valley Leadership Institute to be held near Yosemite, August 14 - 18, 2002. 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS A. Freeway update Public Works Director Raul Rojas stated he and Assistant Public Works Director Jack LaRochelle attended a CTC (California Transportation Commission) meeting last week to make an attempt to advance some funding for road rehab. Contrary to news reports, the rehab money is in the budget; however, it is in the 2006-07 fiscal year. CTC is giving all the counties an opportunity for STIP amendments up until October of this year. Staff working with Kern COG will try again for some STIP amendments to allow swapping funding to bring some road rehab money in now~ or in the next fiscal year. There is about $180 million in reserve (CalTrans) for STIP amendments statewide.. DRAFT AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Monday, April 8, 2002 Page -2- The westside parkway (freeway) funding is also in the 2006-07 fiscal year and approved as part of the STIP (State Transportation Improvement Program) amendment and isnow an official City of Bakersfield project. The CTC action also put nearly $30 million into the 2002-03 year for the freeway, which included $2.7 million for environmental and project approval; $5.5 million for design; and most of the money needed for right-of-way acquisition (split up into two years) $19.2 million with another $7 million the following year. Staff has been working with property owners .and has made .progress. Work is.proceeding with a consultant on a report, which will show the staff and duties that will 'be needed for freeway project management. This will be reviewed as part of the budget process. The money will be from the funding for the freeway. The Fairfax Interchange .funding was also part of the CTC STIP amendments and the project was changed from a CalTrans construction project to a City of Bakersfield construction project. CalTrans put in $2.3 for right-of-way support (construotion and engineering) for this $10 million project. The design for this project is moving forward. Staff is finalizing the project approval report and a consultant has been hired to do the design for the White Lane Interchange project. The Hageman Flyover, 24th at Oak Street project, 24th Street, and Centennial Corridor draft study reports are in at CalTrans. Staff is awaiting CalTrans comments. 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding Alternative 15 prioritization - Kern COG subcommittee At the Kern COG meeting when Alternative 15 was approved, Kern COG formed a subcommittee to report back to Kern COG regarding prioritization of the segments that make up Alternative 15. The subcommittee included three Councilmembers from the Urban Development Committee, Board Supervisors Jon McQuiston and Pete Parra, and Garry Nelson from Shafter. Councilmember Couch reported he, Jon McQuiston, Garry Nelson, and staffs are planning to get together on April 22"d. There would be no decisions only preliminary discussion on prioritization. Councilmember Couch would be reporting back to the Urban Development Committee. Public Works staff is recommending the first phase include Stockdale Highway at Heath Road to Mohawk, including all of Mohawk to Rosedale, starting with Mohawk first, so there.would be a segment built that would actually connect and could be used immediately upon completion. The bridges should be built first, starting with the Mohawk Bridge over the river. URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 9 AFT AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Monday, April 8, 2002 Page -3- B. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding space needs and City Hall expansion Raul .Rojas gave an overview of space needs previously presented to the Council at a workshop and referred to the Urban Development Committee for further study. The Committee reviewed the proposed plans. It was.discussed that a new facility to house all departments together is the most desired, but very costly. The annual debt service on a 20-year bond to build a new city hall would be about $8 million per year, which is 10%.of the general fund. Purchasing property in the downtown would cost about $2 million per square block. The Committee requested staff to-research utilizing the current buildings at City Hall and moving the Police Department to another location. Staff recommended that Administration, Public Works and Development Services need to be located in close proximity. Committee Member Benham suggested instead of using sky bridges, closing Eye Street between the Police Department and City Hall and having a campus style configuration with a pedestrian mall. There is one private business on Eye Street, which would preclude closing the street unless that property is purchased. MIS (Management Information Services) utilizes space in the basement originally designed for storage with an air-conditioning system never intended for office use. MIS has an immediate need for additional space to house its computer hardware and staff. Mercy Hospital on Truxtun was discussed. At this time the owners have not made a decision on their plans for that facility. Chuck Waide, CCAPE, spoke regarding the need for public parking at City Hall. Staff will continuing to research and bring this back to the Committee. C. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding methods of incentives for developers Economic Development Director Donna Kunz gave a brief overview of the City of Brea's plan, "Art in Public Places," which requires commercial, industrial and residential development projects of 5 or more dwellings with a total-building project valuation of $1.5 million to set aside 1% of the .total building construction valuation to install permanent outdoor sculpture at the development site. Incorporating art and water elements into development guidelines would provide several enhancements to Bakersfield. Unfortunately, the development community is not - generally inclined to embrace incorporating public art or water features into their projects due to added development costs. URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT DRAFT Monday, April 8, 2002 Page -4- Waiving offeeswasdiscussed as.an incentive for developers to add art concepts to their developments. The formula for fees .is to cover the cost of services. If the fees are waived for some, the fees are then borne by other developers or the Cityin order to'cover costs; therefore, there are legal concerns regarding equal treatment. Fees that are waived (e.g. paid by the City) would also be considered a subsidy and the project may then come.under SB 975 and .minimum wage law. Staff provided a copy of the Brea plan and will bring this item back to the Committee. 6. COMMI'I-rEE COMMENTS Committee Chair Couch spoke regarding .the engineering staff .in Public Works being-so time consumed with plan checking because of the large volume of maps, they have been unable to get to other projects, such as the Transportation Impact-Fees. The City Manager said there isanother position being requested.in the upcoming budget to address this concern. 7. ADJOURNMENT 'The meeting adjourned at 2:55 p.m. Attendance - staff: City.Manager Alan Tandy; Assistant City Manager John W. Stinson; City Attorney Bart Thiltgen; Development Services.Director Jack Hardisty; Planning Director Start Grady; Economic Development Director Donna Kunz; Public Works DirectOr Raul Rojas; Assistant Public Works Director Jack LaRochelle. Others: Cassie Daniel, Bakersfield Association of Realtors; Brian Todd, BIA of Kern County; Tammy Brown, KUZZ; Herman Ruddell, DBA; Renee Nelson; Lorraine Unger, Sierra Club; and James Burger, reporter, The Bakersfield Californian; Chuck Waide, CCAPE, Central California Association of Public Employees.' cc: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers S:~JOHN~Urban Dev2002~ud02apr08summary.wpd BAKERSFIELD CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM May 2, 2002 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: John W. Stinso~ssistant City Manager Paul D. Graham, Urban Forester ~ SUBJECT: Education of Tree Owners, Tree Trimmer Education and Replacement of Trees required by City Zoning Ordinances This memo provides information on public education regarding tree trimming for people who hire and direct commercial tree trimmers and education programs targeting professional tree trimmers. Staff recommends that a positive educational approach be pursued to improve tree maintenance methods and practices, rather than one that requires City licensing or certification due to the high costs to regulate and enforce such a program. Licensing could also cause potential disruption to existing commercial tree businesses by requiring employees to become certified. Some of these businesses are minority owned and some tree trimmers may not speak English. A City licensing or educational certification requirement could adversely impact their ability to work. A comprehensive educational approach would be more effective in achieving the goal of improving tree trimming practices for both commercial tree trimmers and private property owners. This memo also provides several alternates for replacing trees under the City's zoning ordinance. Public Education: The following are ways the city could provide educational information for individuals and businesses who hire professionals to maintain their trees. Since many professional tree trimmers follow the tree trimming directions from their clients (particularly if they are not an International Society of Arborists (ISA) Certified Arborist) it is important that the public understand proper tree trimming techniques and work with qualified tree maintenance professionals. · Public information videos and slide shows which could be broadcast on KGOV-TV which would present basic tree pruning techniques and urban forestry concepts regarding the proper planting and care of trees consistent with (ISA) guidelines. · Include information on proper tree trimming techniques in Recreation and Parks brochures. S:UOHNkBudget & Vmaace\Tree Trimme~ 2.wpd · Create handouts and flyers which provide information on proper tree trimming techniques which would be available at various city public counters and can be distributed at home and garden stores, nurseries, the City wood waste facility and through public information sessions with schools, services clubs and at street fairs, etc. · Conduct informational sessions for the public on weekends in city parks demonstrating proper pruning techniques. Provide a list of companies or individuals that employ ISA certified Arborists. Professional Tree Trimmer Education: The following are voluntary educational efforts which would be targeted to educate professional tree trimmers operating in Bakersfield. · Provide information on ISA Tree Worker and Arborist certifications. Encourage certification by conducting workshops with local tree maintenance professionals and explaining the benefits of proper tree maintenance from a client satisfaction and good business practices perspective. · Provide information on ISA certification programs and information on proper tree trimming techniques in English and Spanish. · Provide information on courses available thrOugh Bakersfield College for ISA certification preparation. · Provide information on courses, when available through the UC extension Farm and Home Advisor. Replacement of Trees: Currently, the city ordinance requires replacement of trees with one of similar size (not to exceed 48" box) within 120 days. There was concern expressed that the current replacement mechanism does not provide a sufficient deterrent to prevent removal and replacement of trees reaching a fuller maturity with smaller trees. Several cities require similar to Bakersfield a 1:1 replacement for dead or destroyed trees. The City of San Diego requires that trees that die within the first three years must be replaced with the same sized tree. Trees that die three years or more after installation must be replaced with 60" boxed tree (A 60" boxed tree is estimated to cost $1,500 plus the cost of installation which typically requires a crane. The total cost could exceed $2,000 per tree.). The City Manager can authorize adjustment on the replacement depending on site restrictions and the size of specimen that died. S:~O~et & Finance\Tree Trintm~s 2.wpd The City of Palo Alto has a more complex and poSsibly subjective approach. They require replacement based on the canopy and diameter of the removed tree. They have a matrix which identifies various canopy sizes and the replacement requirements for each. For example, a tree with a 28' to 40' canopy would have to be replaced with four 24" box trees or as aa alternative two 48" box trees. If the trees cannot be replaced on site due to crowding or other physical constraints, a tree value replacement standard is used (the most recent copy of the Guide for Plant Appraisal published by the Council for Tree and Landscape Appraisers). Staff prefers the method used by San Diego for replacement since it is more straight forward to administer and understand by the public. S:UOHNkBudget & F'maaee\Tree Trimmers 2.wpd BAKERSFIELD CITY ~NAGER~S OFFICE MEMORANDUM May 2, 2002 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: John W. Stinso~ssistant City Manager Paul D. Graham, Urban Forester)~' SUBJECT: Study of Alternatives for Regulation of Tree Trimmers At the February 11, 2002 Urban Development Committee meeting staff was requested to research alternatives for the regulation of tree trimmers operating within the City. This report reviews two levels of regulatory effort, one with voluntary educational requirements and another based on the city licensing tree trimmers. It is estimated there are between 60-70 tree trimming companies locally. There are currently 7 International Society of Arborists (ISA) Certified Arborists in the Bakersfield area (4 work within the City Recreation and Parks Department). Staff does not recommend a licensing or certification requirement of tree trimmers due to the potential economic impacts on tree trimmers and the high costs to regulate and enforce such a program. A comprehensive educational approach would be more effective in achieving the goal of improving tree trimming practices for both commercial tree trimmers and private property owners. Option 1: Voluntary Certification This alternative focuses on providing for voluntary certification in order to improve the skills and knowledge of local commercial tree trimmers. Key components would include: · Tree trimmers could voluntarily obtain the International Society of Arborists (ISA) Certified Arborist certification. Classes are offered through Bakersfield College for tree trimmers which would provide basic tree trimming skills and background to prepare them for this certification. The 'Certification requires: · Three years of documented field experience. · Passing a 200 question multiple choice examination. · Continuing education requirement of 30 CEU's every three years · There is a initial fee of $225 and a renewal fee of $100-$200 based on level of affiliation. S:~lOHNXBudget & F'mance\Tree Trimmers 1.wpd · The ISA certification testing is administered by designated ISA Certified Arborists and trainers several times per year at several locations throughout the state. It is currently not offered locally. City staffhave had to take the exam in Los Angeles. Pros: · Voluntary program which would have limited economic impact on existing tree trimmers ability to continue work. · Focus on educational effort not punitive enforcement. · Could provide information to consumers regarding qualifications and standard proficiency of tree trimming contractors. Increases professionalism. Cons: · Requires voluntary compliance. Could require monitoring by the City, which would require staff time and associated costs. · Contractors would have to bear the expense of the test and cost to take exam out of the area. Option 2: Licensing of Tree Trimmers This alternative focuses on requiring a city license and ISA certification requirement in order to operate as a commercial tree trimmer. Other cities that require licenses typically only require the license and ISA certification to work on city owned trees, not those on commercial or private property. One exception, Palo Alto, requires a permit to work on regulated trees (identified as protected trees (California native oaks and redwoods); street trees (publicly owned); and designated trees (designated to be saved or protected on a public or private property which is subject to a discretionary development review such as site and design review). Since the City of Bakersfield currently performs all of the maintenance on City owner trees there is not a need to create a license regarding work on City trees. We are currently working with city tree trimmers to have them all trained to ISA standards and they are currently supervised by Certified Arborists. Should the city need to hire an outside firm to trim trees any contract could require that theworkbe supervisedbyan ISA CertifiedArborist. Therefore, staffdoes not recommend licensing. If a permitting program similar to Palo Alto were considered the key components would include: · Tree trimmers would be required to have or obtain the International Society of Arborists (ISA) Certified Arborist certification. (See above) S:',.lOHN~udget & Fmaace\Tree Trimma's l.wlxl Pros: · Standardization and implementation of accepted tree maintenance techniques providing improved tree maintenance for native trees and/or designated trees. C OI15 .' · A mandatory program could have an economic impact on existing tree trimmers ability to continue work depending on the time required to become certified and the scope of the requirement. · There could be increased costs for private individuals or businesses to contract with ISA Certified tree trimmers for native or designated trees. · The City would have to define what would be considered "native trees" and if they should be regulated and define "designated trees". These trees once identified would have to be inventoried and monitored by the city. There is a cost associated with city staff doing this work. The amount would depend on how many trees would fall into these categories and if it were done on a prospective basis. There would also be a cost to issue licenses to the contractors and provide enforcement and monitoring. · Potential impacts on minority owned businesses and non-English speaking employees. · High cost to regulate and enforce. (One Code Enforcement Officer or equivalent position would cost approximately $65,000 annually plus vehicle and incidental expenses) · Potential city liability for tree damages due to designation and licensing requirement. S:LlOttNkBudgei & Finance\Tree Trimmers 1.wpd Page 1 of 2 , Certified Arborist Search :in~er,~,mon~ ~ ' ~ ................ o~ AP.~Or~c~~ Kesu ~S ISA Certified Arborist List (5 Certified Arborists were found) Bejarano Joe Phone: 805-392-1835 Fax: 805-852-2140 Bakersfield, CA 93308 USA Chapter: WE City of Bakersfield Ebersole Chance Phone: 805-588-8241 Bakersfield, CA 93312 USA Chapter: WE Chance's Tree Service Graham Paul Phone: 661-326-3147 Fax: 661-852-2140 E-mail: pgraham~_ci.bakersfield, ca.us Bakersfield, CA 93309 USA Chapter: WE City of Bakersfield Forrestry Lazaroti Ed Phone: 805-589-3845 Fax: 661-852-2140 E-mail: elazaroti@aol.com Bakersfield, CA 93312-4464 USA Chapter: WE City of Bakersfield Lopez Christina L. Fax: 661-872-1242 Bakersfield, CA 93388 USA Chapter: WE Jimmy Tree Service http://www.i.../search.c~?izip=&iname=&icity=Bakers~e~d&istate=CA&i~hapter=&ic~untry 5/6/2002 ALTERNATIVE NO. 6A PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION This proposal in general, consists of constructing a new Police Station with room to meet growth needs, temporarily moving existing City Hall and Annex functions into the existing Police building, demolishing the existing City Hall and Annex buildings, and then building a new City Hall and parking garage on the site of the existing City Hall. The new City Hall would be connected to the existing Police building and the new parking garage with sky-bridges. The new City Hall would be 4 stories high With 37,204 square feet of area per floor for a total square footage of 148,816. A parking structure containing 500 spaces would be constructed within the existing City Hall parking lot. This new structure would provide for City parking needs for the next 20 years. Space needs for growth in the Police Department would be provided by a new Police Station located within the downtown area. COSTS 1. Purchase land for new Police Station $ 5,000,000 2. New Police Station (115,000 sf @ $220/sf) $25,300,000 3. Demolition of existing buildings $ 300,000 4. Sky Bridge interconnects (3) $ 3,000,000 5. New Police shops $ 1,600,000 6. Parking Structure (500 spaces @ $8,000/space) $ 4,000,000 7. New City Hall (148,816 sf @ $185/sf) $27,600,000 $66,800,000 Design/Contingencies (25%) $16,700,000 Total $83,500,000 ALTERNATIVE NO. 6B PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION This proposal in general, consists of enlarging the existing Police Station with room to meet growth needs, temporarily ~moving existing City Hall and Annex functions into rented facilities, demolishing the existing City Hall and Annex buildings, and then building a new City Hall and parking garage on the site of the existing City Hall. The new City Hall would be connected to the new parking garage with sky-bridges. The new City Hall would be 6 stories high with 37,204 square feet of area per floor for a total square footage of 223,224. A .parking structure containing 500 spaces would be constructed within the existing City Hall parking lot. This new structure would provide for City parking needs for the next 20 years. COSTS 1. Leasing space and moving.expenses $ 3,000,000 2. Demolition of existing buildings $ 300,000 3. Police Station Addition (40,000 sf @ $220/sf) $ 8,800,000 4. Sky Bridge interconnects (2) $ 2,000,000 5. Parking Structure (700 spaces @ $8,000/space) $ 5~600,000 6. New City Hall (223,224 sf @ $185/sf) $41,300,000 $61,000,000 Design/Contingencies (25%) $15,200,000 Total $76,200,000