HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-07-23Minutes
City Council/Redevelopment Agency
City of Huntington Beach
5:00 P.M. — Council Chambers
Civic Center, 2000 Main Street
Huntington Beach, California 92648
Monday, July 23, 2001
A videotape of the 5:00 p.m. meeting
is on file in the Office of the City Clerk.
Call to Order
Mayor Julien Houchen called the regular adjourned meetings of the City Council and the
Redevelopment Agency of the City of Huntington Beach to order at 5:00 p.m. in the Council
Chambers.
City Council/Redevelopment Agency Roll Call
Present: Green, Boardman, Cook, Julien Houchen, Garofalo, Dettloff, Bauer
Absent: None
Public Comments
Robert Thomas, Bluegate Homeowners Association representative, requested reimbursement
of the sum of $3181.46 from the budget, which he stated was charged to the homeowners by
the Public Works Department for the upgrade of unfunded street repairs.
Joey Racano voiced his concerns regarding the former police gun range at the Sully Miller site.
Mr. Racano suggested that funds be identified to clean up lead at the site, so as not to
contaminate the wildlife and in order to ensure the preservation of the rock quarry lake.
Don McGee inquired about what he believes to be inaccuracies in the mobile home survey
study presented at the July 16, 2001 Council meeting. Mr. McGee also questioned as nebulous
the figures quoted for the Huntington Central Park (HCP) Complex.
Mayor Pro Tern Cook informed Mr. McGee of the meeting of the Mobile Home Advisory Board
held at the library that evening at which time the survey will be discussed.
(City Council/Redevelopment Agency) City Council Workshop/Presentation Re: Fiscal
Year 2001/2002 Proposed Budget Priorities — Review and Discussion Conducted on
Proposed City Strategic Plan for Possible Adoption at the August 27, 2001 City Council
Meeting; and City's Financial Status and General Fund Contribution Towards
Infrastructure Expenditures (320.20)
Late Communications presented were: (1.) Summary of Five Year Projections, (2.) PowerPoint
slide report titled City of Huntington Beach — Proposed Strategic Plan; and (3.) City Attorney
Memorandum regarding Need to Take Action to Convene in Closed Session Re: Huntington
Beach Generating Station Retool Project, AQMD Title V Permit Revisions of 05-30-01.
(2) July 23, 2001 - Council/Agency Minutes - Page 2
City Administrator Ray Silver presented a summary of the five-year projection for the budget, on
which supporting material titled Proposed Strategic Plan is included in the agenda packet. He
reviewed the projections for General Fund Revenue/Expenditures, Projection for General Fund
Balance, and Reserve Percentages depicted through Fiscal Year 1999-2000 through Fiscal
Year 2005-2006.
City Administrator Silver stated that the focus of the budget review session is on general, rather
than detailed issues. He furnished the background on the revised form of the budget, which
included information on last year's formal process of the city's Strategic Plan that defines the
strategic goals and priorities prototype. He presented a timeline of the upcoming budget review
workshop sessions scheduled in August 2001.
City Administrator Silver informed Council that Assistant City Administrator William P. Workman
and Senior Department Analyst Peter Grant collaborated on the proposed Strategic Plan,
stating that the plan is a five-year assessment of the needs and resources of the organization.
City Administrator Silver commended the work of Senior Administrative Analyst Peter Grant as
the author of the memorandum included in the packet titled General Fund Contribution Toward
Infrastructure Expenditures.
City Administrator Silver reported on the potential impact of the Howard Jarvis property tax
lawsuit on the budget.
Economic Development Director David Biggs and Finance Director Dan Villella answered
questions regarding the agenda material titled Review of General Fund Assumptions for 5 Year
Revenue and Expenditure Projections.
City Attorney Gail Hutton reported on whether or not the utility tax case in the City of La Habra
would be the case in Huntington Beach as well. City Attorney Hutton stated that research thus
far indicates that Charter cities are not affected.
Senior Department Analyst Grant referred to page 2 of the packet handout titled Proposed
Strategic Plan and spoke regarding the diagram headed Strategic Planning Cycle.
Senior Analyst Grant presented a slide report titled City of Huntington Beach Proposed Strategic
Plan, which was provided during the meeting. Senior Analyst Grant addressed the concerns
identified by the city, listed on the first slide titled Assumptions.
Senior Department Analyst Grant also referred to the slide titled Strategic Issues, which are
described in detail on pages 10 through 15 of the Proposed Strategic Plan.
Assistant City Administrator Workman stressed some of the goals identified with the strategic
issues. For Community Livability and Sustainability, he mentioned the " ... sense of place and
exceptional quality of life ...". With Enrichment, Communication, and Involvement, he
emphasized that it is the goal of the Huntington Beach local government to ensure openness
and accessibility.
Assistant City Administrator Workman spoke regarding the need for review of the Proposed
Strategic Plan on an annual basis. He requested Council review, comment and feedback,
stating that staff plans to return at the August 27, 2001 meeting with a request for possible
adoption.
(3) July 23, 2001 - Council/Agency Minutes - Page 3
Councilmember Garofalo referred to a typographical error at the top of page 4 of the proposed
Strategic Plan, stating that the growth for 1990 should be 10%, and not 1 % as shown.
Councilmember Green took note of page 7, and complimented the city for having the highest
percentage of registered voters.
Assistant City Administrator Workman concurred that Huntington Beach citizens are highly
participatory; everyone has an opinion.
Councilmember Bauer urged Council to continue to remain involved in county -wide affairs,
stating how important regionalization has become. He informed Council that this is the ten-year
anniversary of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), stating the direct
significance of the voting ability on the issue of transportation.
Councilmember Garofalo stated that he found the percentage of police officers per 1,000 people
to be extremely low as a benchmark, and spoke regarding public safety and support issues.
Councilmember Dettloff stated that she concurred with Councilmember Green that the chart on
page 9 is useful, but that a heading - such as "+5 years" - may cause people to think that issues
will be deferred.
Councilmember Boardman referred to page 4, which discusses the median age of the
population in Huntington Beach. She expressed the concern that there is a continuing problem
of young people not being able to afford housing, which needs to be addressed.
City Administrator Silver referred to pages 10 through 15 of the proposed Strategic Plan as
reflecting Council's thinking, and recognized the work of staff during the last three months.
Mayor Pro Tern Cook inquired how item number 14 on page 10 under the heading, Strategic
Issue: Fiscal Integrity is accomplished. She voiced the concern that this may be a misleading
inference that the public has direct input into the budget planning and prioritization process, as
this is done through elected officials.
Councilmembers Green and Bauer initiated discussion that the proposed budget in process has
not yet reached the stage when it is performance -based, but that it is a dynamic model.
(City Council) Approved Adoption of Item B — the City Council Prioritized List of City
Programs/Business Units as the 2001 City Council Rating List of the Most Important
Services Delivered by the City (320.20)
City Administrator Silver provided the genesis of the prioritized list of business units, stating that
his intent is to clarify its meaning by giving a brief history of the city's need to make budget cuts
during the early to mid-90s.
Supporting material for Item B titled Prioritization of City Programs and Services included in the
agenda packet was discussed.
Councilmember Garofalo inquired if the business units can be cross-referenced with the
proposed strategic plan, to which City Administrator Silver stated that it has not yet reached the
point when they can be tied in together.
(4) July 23, 2001 - Council/Agency Minutes - Page 4
City Administrator Silver informed Council of the process of calculation of the business units;
how each were defined and weighed in the order of importance.
Discussion ensued that the most important business unit is Fire Administration.
Mayor Julien Houchen recommended that the end of the list be reviewed as to the items that will
be considered for the budget cuts.
Councilmember Dettloff inquired as to the item near the end of the list relative to a Community
Services Department program that brings in revenue, and the Passport Facility Program which
is also revenue -raising. It was determined that the list will be reviewed as it pertains to the
inclusion of revenue -raising programs.
A motion was made by Garofalo, second Bauer to adopt Attachment B identified as Prioritization
of City Programs and Services as a 2001 Council Priority List indicating philosophically, the
ratings by the City Council of most important services that the city provides. The motion carried
unanimously, with all present.
(City Council) Approved Determination of Need to Take Immediate Action on Pending
Litigation Item in Closed Session Pursuant to Government Code § 54954.2(b)(2) In Re:
AES Huntington Beach Generating Station Retool Project, AQMD Title V Permit Revision
of May 30, 2001 ( . )
City Attorney Gail Hutton reported from a Late Communication submitted by her office, dated
July 23, 2001 and titled Motion to Agendize after the Posting of the Agenda City Council
Meeting Pending Litigation July 23, 2001, Pursuant to Government Code § 54954.2(b)(2) in the
Matter of AES Huntington Beach Generating Station Retool Project, AQMD Title V Permit
Revision of May 30, 2001.
The following motion was taken pursuant to Government Code § 54954.2(b)(2):
A motion was made by Garofalo, second Green to determine that there is an immediate need to
take action and that the need for action came to the attention of the City Council subsequent to
the agenda being posted, in that a letter was received from Attorney Katherine Stone which
must be timely responded to relating to a pending litigation entitled In the Matter of AES
Huntington Beach Generating Station Retool Project; AQMD Title V Permit Revision of
May 30, 2001. The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Green, Boardman, Cook, Julien Houchen Garofalo, Dettloff, Bauer
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
(City Council) Approved Motion to Recess to Closed Session on Pending Litigation
Pursuant to Government Code § 54956.9(a) In Re: AES Huntington Beach Generating
Station Retool Project, AQMD Title V Permit Revision of May 30, 2001 ( . )
City Attorney Gail Hutton reported from a Late Communication submitted by her office, dated
July 23, 2001 and titled Motion to Agendize after the Posting of the Agenda City Council
Meeting Pending Litigation July 23, 2001, Pursuant to Government Code § 54954.2(b)(2) in the
Matter of AES Huntington Beach Generating Station Retool Project, AQMD Title V Permit
Revision of May 30, 2001.
(5) July 23, 2001 - Council/Agency Minutes - Page 5
The following motion was taken pursuant to Government Code § 54954.2(b)(2):
A motion was made by Garofalo, second Boardman to recess to Closed Session pursuant to
Government Code § 54956.9(a) pending litigation. The title of the litigation is In the Matter of
AES Huntington Beach Generating Station Retool Project; AQMD Title V Permit Revision
of May 30, 2001. The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Green, Boardman, Cook, Julien Houchen Garofalo, Dettloff, Bauer
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
Public Comments Regarding Closed Session Item
Ron Davis informed Council that he did not believe the need to recess to closed session
regarding the AES Huntington Beach Generating Station had been demonstrated.
Recessed to Closed Session — 6:45 p.m.
Reconvened City Council/Redevelopment Agency Meeting — 7:OO p.m.
Adjournment — City Council/Redevelopment Agency
Mayor Julien Houchen adjourned the regular adjourned meetings of the City Council and the
Redevelopment Agency of the City of Huntington Beach p.m. to Monday, August 6, 2001, at
5:00 p.m., in Room B-8, Civic Center, 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, California.
City Clerk and ex-officio Cler of the City
Council of the City of Huntington Beach
and Clerk of the Redevelopment Agency
of the City of Huntington Beach, California
ATTEST:
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City Clerk -Clerk ayor-Chairman