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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/19/17 CC AGENDA HIGHLIGHTSAGENDA HIGHLIGHTS � July 19, 2017 COUNCIL MEETING I�',' -;a REGULAR MEETING - 3:30 p.m. NOTE: A separate meeting will be called to order at 3:30 p.m., followed by Public Statements that will encourage comments pertaining to the Closed Session matters only. The Council will recess into Closed Session. Upon conclusion of the Closed Session, any Closed Session action will be announced prior to adjournment of the meeting. At 5:15 p.m., the Regular Meeting will be called to order to address the remainder of the agenda items. CLOSED SESSION There will be a conference with legal counsel regarding two items of pending litigation and two items of existing litigation. REGULAR MEETING - 5:15 p.m. WORKSHOPS Item 6a. and 6b. Proposed Water Rate Increases. Due to an upcoming State mandate through the Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water, the City will be required to mitigate wells within our domestic water system for a substance known as 1,2,3- Trichloropropane (TCP). We currently estimate the initial capital costs alone for this mandatory remediation project will be approximately $55 million. While the water enterprise has a modest fund balance that has allowed us to order some of the items with longer lead times, the City domestic water enterprise will need to finance the remainder of the project. As a result, the City will be required to borrow funds, which will increase water rates by approximately 41 percent by July 2019 to comply with the new State requirements. The agenda item before the Council recommends approval of a Proposition 218 notice to be mailed to customers of the domestic water system, which is one of the first steps to increase water rates. In addition, representatives from the California Water Service Company (Cal Water) will be on hand to provide the Council with an update regarding Cal Water's project to ensure compliance with their wells. CONSENT CALENDAR Resolutions Item 8i. CDBG and HOME programs. On May 23, 2017, the White House released its proposed budget for the federal fiscal year beginning October 1, 2017. Included in the proposal was the elimination of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs. These programs provide the City with $4.3 million annually for projects, programs, and services that benefit low and moderate - income residents of the City. Elimination of these programs and the related funding will greatly impact a large segment of the City's population. Impacts will include the Bakersfield Senior Center and fair housing services, as well as park projects and basic infrastructure in eligible areas. At the request of Council, staff has prepared a resolution supporting the continual federal funding of these programs. Staff is requesting the approval of the resolution, which will subsequently be sent to the appropriate congressional representatives. CONSENT CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARINGS Items 9c. -9i. Resolutions of Necessity for 24th Street and Centennial Corridor proiects. The City is down to partial acquisitions and temporary construction easements on the 24th Street and Centennial Corridor projects. Resolutions of Necessity (RON), the first step in condemnation, are sometimes necessary at this stage to get owners to act on what in the majority of instances are minor impact acquisitions. Staff recommends adoption of these seven RONs; however, throughout the process, staff will continue to work with the property owners to attempt to negotiate and finalize an agreement reflecting fair and equitable compensation for their properties. HEARINGS Item 10a. PACE pro__ rq ams. The State previously approved legislation that enables counties and cities to allow for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs, which provides a mechanism for property owners to fund energy efficiency, water efficiency, and other renewable energy projects. The City allows for the operation of five Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program providers in Bakersfield. Due to various reasons, the County Board of Supervisors recently moved to terminate the PACE programs in Kern County outside of the City limits. In addition, the Budget and Finance Committee held a lengthy hearing on this matter on May 30, 2017. The Committee sent this item to the full City Council without a recommendation. Staff recommends terminating the PACE programs in Bakersfield. The Chamber of Commerce, Association of Realtors, and the Kern County Taxpayers Association support terminating the PACE programs as well. Item 10b. Proposed Changes to Master Fee Schedule. The fee schedule is the Council authorized listing of all general and development related fees and charges designed to recover the cost of providing services. Although the schedule is amended every two years, the last comprehensive examination occurred in 2008. Some of the proposed fee adjustments are substantial due to various factors that have increased the recovery costs over the years. Staff estimates the adoption of the fee schedule will generate $435,000 of additional revenues for the General Fund and Development Services Fund. A public hearing was held at the June 7, 2017, City Council meeting recommending the approval of the cost recovery resolution. During that hearing, representatives of the Home Builders Association of Kern County (HBA) came forward requesting the resolution not be approved and that additional time be provided to review the changes to the fee schedule. Staff met twice with members of the HBA along with other individuals within the industry to discuss applicable increases and the City's cost recovery methodology. The HBA indicated they would provide staff with written comments or objections after our 2nd meeting. We have not received any comments at this moment. Staff is recommending adoption of the resolution. Agenda Highlights - July 19, 2017, Council Meeting Page 2 Item 10c. East Hills Mall Zone Change. The Council will be considering whether to approve a zone change requested by the owner of the new City Lights project (the existing East Hills Mall). The developer requested the zone be changed from Planned Commercial Development (PCD) to C -2 to allow more flexibility in development. The Planning Commission recommended the Council approve a hybrid zone (C -2 /PCD) that still provides the flexibility desired by the developer and allows the City to approve the aesthetics and layout of the project. Protect CEQA, an organization from northern California, has appealed the Planning Commission's recommendation, specifically questioning the project's CEQA analysis. Approved: Alan Tandy, City Manager cc: Department Heads City Manager's File City Clerk's File News Media File Agenda Highlights - July 19, 2017, Council Meeting Page 3