HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/20/16 CC AGENDA HIGHLIGHTSAGENDA HIGHLIGHTS
� JANUARY 20, 2016 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 Closed Session matter(s) only. The Council will
then 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 one item of potential litigation and a
conference with the labor negotiator.
REGULAR MEETING - 5:15 p.m.
WORKSHOPS
Item 6a. Mid -Year Budget Update. Staff from the City Manager's Office and Finance
Department will provide the City Council with a mid - fiscal year update on the City's budget.
Due mainly to the record low oil prices, the City's sales and use tax revenue has been
trending downward for the past 12 months. Sales and use tax is the largest revenue source of
the City's General Fund, which funds core City services, such as Police, Fire, Streets and Parks.
Staff is proposing multiple actions be taken to address the reduction in revenues. Staff will
provide a presentation outlining the revenue trend information, as well as discuss in detail the
proposed adjustments.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Agreements
Item 8d. Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Bakersfield and Kern Delta
Water District. In 2014, Governor Brown signed legislation into law which is commonly referred
to as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The purpose of SGMA is to
create a broad management system in the State of California by creating structure to
manage groundwater at the local level, while providing authority to the State to oversee
and regulate, if necessary, the local groundwater management system. SGMA requires the
formation of locally - controlled groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) by June 1, 2017.
Any local agency or combination of local agencies within a groundwater basin may elect to
be a GSA for that basin or sub - basin. In anticipation and expectation of working together to
form said GSA, staff is requesting the City of Bakersfield and Kern Delta Water District enter
into a MOU which will result in the end of current litigation between the parties and pledges
support and commitment as the GSA process moves forward.
CONSENT CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARINGS
Items 9b and c. General Plan Amendments. These items have been continued from the
December 9, 2015 and January 6, 2016 meetings to allow staff time to address comments
received by the public just prior to the items being brought forth the City Council in
December. Staff has provided the response to those comments in the supporting documents
within the agenda packet. The City's General Plan is a comprehensive long -term plan for the
physical development of the City, commonly referred to as a blueprint for growth.
Periodically, elements of the plan need to be updated for a variety of different reasons. Item
9b is a larger comprehensive update of the Housing Element of the City's General Plan. As a
requirement of state law, the City must update the housing element in conjunction with
certain actions taken by the Kern Council of Governments. The update process included
public outreach through workshops, surveys and public hearings. In addition, the California
Department of Housing and Community Development reviewed the update. The Housing
Element update contains all of the information required by State law. Item 9c is proposing to
update three elements of the plan to include language required by recently enacted state
legislation. Staff is recommending the City Council approve the related resolutions for these
updates.
HEARINGS
Item 10a. Hosking Avenue and State Route 99 Commercial Center. This item has been
continued from the December 9, 2015 and January 6, 2016 meetings to allow staff time to
address comments received by the public just prior to the items being brought forth the City
Council in December. Staff has provided the response to those comments in the supporting
documents within the agenda packet. The City is currently in the process of constructing a
full interchange at Hosking Avenue and State Route 99, just west of a proposed commercial
center. The interchange will provide a main point for access to this property upon
development. The plans for the 86 -acre property includes a proposed 800,000- square foot
retail shopping center, 240 hotel rooms, surface parking spaces and various other
improvements in and around the proposed project site. The first item is a resolution certifying
the environmental impact report for the project. The remaining items are related to certain
land use and zone changes proposed for the site to allow for the development of the
commercial center. The Planning Commission considered and approved the project by a
unanimous vote, with no written or public comments in opposition. Staff is requesting the
Council approve the related items.
Item 10b. Public Hearing to consider General Plan Amendment /Zone Change on 4.96 acres
located at the northwest corner of Castro Lane and Kingsley Lane. An appeal to the
Planning Commission's denial of the General Plan Amendment and Zone Change request.
The initial request to change the land use and zoning on this property was considered by the
Planning Commission on December 3, 2015, with the Commission voting unanimously to deny
the request. The applicant submitted an appeal to the Planning Commission's decision,
which now comes to the City Council for review and decision. The applicant's initial request,
if approved, would have permitted multi - family units to be constructed on the property. At
the time of the Planning Commission hearing, several area residents of the surrounding
neighborhood spoke in opposition of the project. These individuals cited concerns that the
Agenda Highlights - January 20, 2016 Council Meeting
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multi - family development does not fit the existing residential neighborhood, among other
concerns. Since the time the appeal was filed, an effort has been made to identify an
alternative development scenario that would allow for reasonable development of the
property while addressing the concerns of neighborhood residents. Staff is requesting the City
Council leave the public hearing open and continue the hearing to the Council meeting of
February 10, 2016, in order to hold further discussion on a potential compromise.
Item 10c. Public Hearing Regarding an Appeal of the Planning Commission's Decision to
Approve Modification of a Wall and Master Concept Plan to Install a 29.5 -foot tall Clock
Tower. In February 2015, the Planning Commission approved a Wall and Landscape Master
Concept Plan for the Highgate Seven Oaks community in southwest Bakersfield. Among its
features, the plan included a single -pole, 18 -foot tall clock in the middle of one of several
"roundabouts" within the community. In late 2015, Castle & Cooke requested a change to
the design of the clock feature by substantially increasing the size and prominence of it to a
29.5 -foot tall, four -sided clock tower. In approving the modification, the Planning Commission
approved the request for the new tower with a requirement that a 7 -foot wide apron
surrounding the island be maintained and owned by the homeowners association. The apron
is intended to accommodate vehicles navigating the roundabout, however pedestrians may
also use it, incorrectly, as a sidewalk to view the clock tower. The applicant objects to owning
and maintaining the apron, which is the basis for the appeal. Due to increased risk concerns,
City staff believes it is not prudent for the apron area to be within the public street right -of-
way area or maintained by the City. Staff is recommending the City Council deny the
appeal and uphold the Planning Commission's decision to require the condition that the
apron is to be owned and maintained by the homeowners association.
Approved: Alan Tandy, City Manager CHfor AT
cc: Department Heads
City Manager's File
City Clerk's File
News Media File
Agenda Highlights - January 20, 2016 Council Meeting
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