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Home My WebLink About2022-02-04 (Spcl Mtg)Minutes City Council/Public Financing Authority Strategic Planning Workshop Friday, February 4 , 2022 9 :00 AM -Meet ing Rooms C & D Huntington Beach Central Library 7 111 Talbert Avenue Huntington Beach , Ca liforn ia 92648 or Virtua l v ia Zoom Webinar A video recording of this meeting is on file in the Office of the City Clerk, and archived at www.surfcity-hb.org/government/agendas/ CALLED TO ORDER -9:08 AM ROLL CALL Present: Absent: Bolton (arrived 9 :23 a.m .), Delgleize, Carr, Moser, and Kalmick Posey, Peterson Pursuant to City Council Resolution No. 2001-54, Mayor Pro Tern Posey requested, and with no objections , was granted permission to be absent from this meeting . Chief Assistant Attorney Mike Vigliotta attended this meeting in place of C ity Attorney Michae l Gat es , who was in trial court. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE -Led by Councilmember Kalmick ANNOUNCEMENT OF SUPPLEMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS (Received After Agenda Distribution) -None PUBLIC COMMENTS (3 Minute Time Limit) -1 In -Person Speaker; Call-in Speakers v i a Zoom : None The number [hh:mm:ss] following the speakers' comments indicates their approx imate starting time in the archived video located at http://www. surfcity-hb . orglgovernmentlagendas. Steve Engel welcomed City Council and Department Heads to Central Park and the Library, and thanked them for their service and the focus on the City's parks by continuing to budget for maintenance and improvements. (00 :04:00) ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS 1. (21 -001) Strategic Planning Workshop Held • Opening and Introductions Mayor Delgleize welcomed everyone and stated the purpose of the meeting is to provide an opportun ity for Councilmembers and staff in attendance to share successes from the last year as well as plann ing ideas for the coming year. Council/PFA Strategic Planning Workshop Minutes February 4, 2022 Page 2 o f 8 Each Councilmember stated appreciation for this opportunity to review progress made in the past year, and discuss new opportunities for 2022. Assistant City Manager Travis Hopkins stated his appreciation for the opportunity to work w ith City Council and Department Heads to review strategic goals for 2022. Interim City Manager Sean Joyce noted the enthusiasm and energy which staff responds when addressing the projects directed by Council, and stated his deep appreciation for the services of Facilitator Pat West. Mr. Pat West, CEO of Pat West LLC, introduced himself, congratulated the C ity Council on their 2021 accomplishments, and introduced his staff member Craig Beck. • Ice Breaker Exercise and Review of Workshop Expectations Facilitator West requested workshop attendees to share with the group the first rock concert they attended. Facilitators West and Beck reviewed the workshop agenda and objectives with Mayor, C ity Council , other elected officials and City staff. Facilitator West shared unique details about Huntington Beach: 3rd largest c ity in Orange County; 24th largest in the State; 130th largest in the U. S.; a world-renown Pier; a specia l-event c ity; aerospace history; only dog beach in Orange County; preserved historic build ings; great public art; wetlands; a park system which includes a great nature center; huge tourism industry; outdoor lifestyle options; and the world's largest surfboard. Facilitator Craig Beck reviewed the five categories from last year's planning session : Community Engagement Homelessness Response Economic Development and Housing Infrastructure & Parks COVID-19 Response Facilitator Beck stated this workshop would focus on determining if new categories are needed for 2022, and whether there are any new priorities to add to any of the categories. Dahle Bulosan, Chief Financial Officer, presented a PowerPoint communication entitled Fiscal Condition and Outlook, with slides entitled : City Budget & Fiscal Position; City General Fund Budget; and Financial Outlook, and stated inflation will have an impact on the Financial Outl ook, and noted that Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments are included in the operating cost numbers presented. At 9:56 a .m., Facilitator West called for a 15-minute recess. At 10:14 a.m ., the Workshop resumed. Assistant City Manager Travis Hopkins presented a PowerPoint communication entitled 2021 Strategic Plan and Council Initiatives, with slides entitled: 2021 Strategic Priorities and Goals; 2021 Strategic Plan Outcomes; 2021 H-ltem Outcomes; Priority: Community Engagement (2); Priority: Homelessne ss Council/PFA Strategic Planning Workshop Minutes February 4, 2022 Page 3 of 8 Response (2); Priority: Economic Development & Housing (2); Priority: Infrastructure & Parks (2); Priority: COVID-19 Response (2); Other: Fiscal Sustainability & Capital Improvements; and Other: Fiscal Sustainability & Public Safety. Council and staff discussed the City's current and only rental assistance program, a Tenant-Based Rent Assistance (TBRA) program that uses Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Staff reported that during COVID-19 , the City was awarded approximately $SM from the Federal Government through the County, and over 600 businesses and a number of Huntington Beach non- profits were assisted with those funds. Director Luna-Reynosa confirmed that moving forward there will be an effort to establish a GrowHB loan program with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Discussion on Pension Obligation Bonds noted the very low rate of 2.9%; California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) has lowered their rate; and CalPERS achieved a 21.3% return this past year. Public Works Director Sean Crumby joined the PowerPoint communication via Zoom for slides entitled: Other: Capital Improvements; 2022 Major GIP Initiatives; 2022 Major GIP Initiatives LA2028 Olympics; 2022 Major GIP Initiatives City Facilities Needs Through DBFOM; 2022 Major GIP Initiatives Healing Center; and 2022 Major GIP Initiatives Other Items. Mayor Delgleize and Director Crumby discussed the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM) process that will involve awarding an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with a Development Partner, and while initially not needed, $3.4M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are designated for this effort. Discussions continued regarding the Navigation Center and Healing Center, which will require major effort to obtain sustainable income sources. Director Crumby stated Council could expect to see regular updates during the funding process. Facilitators West and Beck provided summary highlights: 1) Economic Development and Land Use are going to take a lot of focus, and will involve community feedback 2) Master Plans in progress are intense and will determine how the City looks for the next generation 3) Huntington Beach has a great pavement rate of 79 vs 66 for most cities 4) Manager Hopkins and Director Crumby were congratulated for their dedication and focus in leading the teams that make the Master Plans reality Facilitator West noted the discussion after lunch would center on determining priorities for 2022. At 11 :22 a.m., Facilitator West called for the lunch break. At 12:17 p.m., the Strategic Planning Meeting reconvened. Facilitator West instructed City Council to focus on Strategic Plan Priorities to determine whether they will remain the same or if there will be any new items , and review of Councilmember "H" Items. • 2022 Strategic Plan Priorities Council/PFA Strategic Planning Workshop Minutes February 4, 2022 Page 4 of 8 Assistant City Manager Hopkins reviewed the COVID-19 Response 2021 priority and noted that most of the processes have become part of standard procedures, and there is no longer the need for intense focus in this area. Facilitator Beck noted thaf 101 priorities were determined last year and about half of them were completed . He asked for Councilmember input on potential new categories . ./ Sustainability ./ Improved Communication Mechanisms ./ Existing four categories are broad enough to include everything Facilitator Beck asked how the City could be more communicative with businesses and residents about all the great things going on. Surf City Break (Community Calendar) is friendly and easily accessible, but how can it be improved? Are there gaps? ./ Don't wait for a problem to arise ./ Be proactive with accolades ./ Take opportunities to identify what the City actually does (Citizen's Academy is an example) ./ Solid and accurate information is imperative ./ Pushing out information on Council decisions via regular press releases, i.e., should have been a press release ready to go after the Council recently voted on selecting the 100% Renewable Energy base utility standard ./ Elected leadership needs a means of communicating the bigger picture ./ Analyze ways people are connecting , as everyone may not go online to access Surf City Break ./ Plan for emergency or urgent communication Facilitator Beck asked Councilmembers what they are hearing about how people get information and suggestions for system improvements: ./ Update website , determine content and how it is accessed , and ensure accuracy ./ Determine if website should be "service " or "person " based for accessing information ./ Develop a ticket tracking system (expensive/complex) that allows for easy reporting and tracking of response time for accountability ./ Develop QR codes that say "Download the app " and ensure the app works ./ Temper expectations; analyze front-end and back-end functionality ./ Determine the best way to inform community regarding emergencies : sign-up for alerts, indicate importance or level of alert ./ Focus on groups/activities that benefit the community, including on Channel 3 ./ Highlight Council interviews, including on Channel 3 ./ Provide a method for residents to recognize/report community-based efforts such as beach clean- up opportunities, including resources and links for more details ./ Determine if "Helper" can be connected to City's website , when a phone bank or live phone answer staff would be effective ./ Citizen's Academy : augment in-person options , most valuable aspects need to be replicated to reach a broader audience: i.e ., make available self-paced recorded sessions; provide sessions at City Hall for school district students ./ HB needs to become an any-age friendly c ity by considering the best way to communicate with various segments of the constituents, including volunteers, i.e., snail mail and door hangers for seniors who may not have online/computer access Council/PFA Strategic Planning Workshop Minutes February 4, 2022 Page 5 of 8 ./ Public records management, centralization, retention and response to public records requests Council prioritized options as: ./ Data access ./ Community communication ./ My HB workflow tracking system, and should "look" like the City's website ./ Update the City's main website ./ Public Information ./ Understanding diverse audience, including volunteers, and consider the best ways to reach each segment Jennifer Carey , Public Affairs Manager, stated there is a need for better communication and becoming proactive , which will require more infrastructure , tools, procedures and policies . She stated her focus is on building a strategy and described the infrastructure needed to provide better communication and noted Councilmember comments are very helpful. • Review of Homelessness Priorities Assistant City Manager Travis Hopkins reviewed the "In Progress" list for 2022 Priorities. I Facilitator Beck stated there should be an effort to use existing resources at the community, County, State and Federal levels , to ensure you do not pay for services that already exist , and do not re-invent the wheel. He added the focus should be to ensure people have access to the resources they need . Discussion topics included: ./ City's application status for Project Home Key at the Quality Inn ./ Ensure the Navigation Center is not left floundering as more focus is placed on the Healing Center ./ Schedule regular meetings with organizations already offering community resources ./ Project Zero -developing a system to recognize and incorporate existing provider services so when a need becomes obvious the resource is already part of the system ./ Integrate the many data points to help tell the story , get community involved, for making best decisions, and securing funding ./ Look both downstream and upstream to prevent homelessness, including ways to help people who may be facing homelessness, as well as engagement of volunteers ./ Recognizing existing faith-based and non-profit organizations and utilizing them ./ Volunteer Coordinator is being hired to thoroughly understand the existing resources , and to manage the volunteers according to their strengths and interests Facilitator Beck noted the 2021 efforts to end homelessness resulted in lots of good things , and now the effort will be to become more mature which includes integrating service partners . Facilitator Beck asked for other considerations for services integration that are not currently identified: ./ Permanent supportive housing and/or voucher system ./ Develop relationships with local property owners to encourage them to accept vouchers; i.e., housing options modeled after Family Forward or Roofs for Rent ./ Explore opportunities to utilize existing assets of local non-profits ./ Review response, job training, partnerships , housing , State funding, changing/enforcing State laws {lobbying and policy enforcement) Council/PFA Strategic Planning Workshop Minutes February 4, 2022 Page 6 of 8 ./ Develop integrated data system , with authority to share for community information exchange • Economic Development and Housing Facilitator Beck stated that updating the Housing Element is a major undertaking and will require resources. Ursula Luna-Reynoso, Director of Community Development , provided an update on the Draft Housing Element process that was submitted to Housing and Community Development (HCD) in early December and reply comments are expected to be available in the next week. She shared that the Housing Element is comprised of programs, and the re-zoning program is the most substantial, which means a big workload for the Planning Division. In addition , the City's Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) and Density Bonus ordinances must be brought into compliance with State law. The HCD response is expected to include directives and timeline for those updates. Interim City Manager Joyce stated this information is helpful , but because this report doesn't specifically appear on the meeting Agenda , he requested there be no further discussion of it, and encouraged everyone to feel free to schedule a meeting with Director Luna-Reynosa for any questions. Chief Assistant City Attorney Mike Vigliotta confirmed the Housing Element process will provide Public Hearing opportunities for public discussions of the plan. Facilitator Beck directed the discussion to Downtown revitalization improvements , how local businesses are being supported for economic development, and the cannabis retail program . Council responded by confirming there is already an effort for Downtown revitalization through the Downtown Redesign Project, as well as an Ad Hoc Committee addressing retail cannabis. Councilmembers expressed the need to: ./ Focus on a broad view of economic development ./ Consider the concept of Destination Stewardship, or taking a long view as Huntington Beach is revitalized as a tourist destination ./ Tourism is an economic development tool, and there needs to be a strategy to improve it ./ Potential short-term rental (STR) legislation and California Coastal Commission's stance that STRs are a form of affordable lodging and therefore it is against the Coastal Act to prohibit STRs ./ Sea rise level and how that will impact the beaches in 25 or 30 years, therefore diversification or expansion of tourist-drawing options need to be considered such as the Balsa Chica wetlands for birders , or the great equestrian center Director Luna-Reynosa reminded Council that a new Economic Development Manager, Kriss Casanova , was recently hired, and she comes with economic development experience . She has been meeting with the Economic Development Committee , and some of their goals include: ./ Diversifying the City's economic base including review of land use regulations ./ Attracting quality industrial businesses, including the research and technology zone ./ Preserving and supporting retail ./ Downtown/Main Street revitalization of street scape, the Plaza, and increased outdoor dining opportunities ./ Working collaboratively with VisitHB on tourism ./ Generating wealth which benefits the community, or job creation Council/PFA Strategic Planning Workshop Minutes February 4, 2022 Page 7 of 8 ./ Business retention and e xpansion through GrowHB funds, and forming better strategic partnerships with Workforce Development partners ./ Expanding marketing communication with the business community and investors There was discussion that Economic Development and Housing In Progress Items 2 and 8 could probably be combined into one action item, and Assistant City Manager Hopkins suggested moving those items, including No. 10, to the Sustainability Master Plan , and by consensus, Council agreed. ·~ Infrastructure and Parks Facilitator Beck suggested considering community involvement with the New Objective regarding hosting LA2028 Olympic sporting events, and including the financial commitment required . Additional New Objectives discussed included : ./ IT Security and infrastructure audit, i.e., understand vulnerability; consider upgrade maintenance costs when add ing new programs; review need to update legacy programs ; implement a system where when constituent communication is received, it is clearly obvious who is handling it, and when , to ensure nothing falls through the cracks ./ Director Crumby provided an update on internal policy development which includes arterial beautification in conjunction with street paving plans, as well as mobility and safety considerations ./ Include project priorities on the maps so the community better understands timing of projects ./ Become informed of CalTrans plans for Route 39/Beach Boulevard ./ Ensure the pavement map is easier for community members to find ./ Currently evaluating costs and implications for taking over portion of Pacific Coast Highway within City borders • Fiscal Sustainability, Public Safety or Other Discussion topics included : ./ The existing comprehensive plan to transfer any excess funds to the Trust 15 account ./ Bike safety especially for kids ; reaching out to schools encouraging them to include as part of elementary curriculum ./ E-bike regulations ./ Strengthening relationship with school districts should be a stand-alone objective • Conclusion Facilitated by Pat West, LLC and City Manager's Office In summary, for 2022, Council selected four of the current Strategic Priority Categories (Community Engagement, Homelessness Response, Economic Development and Housing, Infrastructure and Parks) and agreed with staff's recommendation to replace COVID-19 Response with Fiscal Sustainability, Public Safety, or Other. Interim City Manager Joyce stated his support for continuing to make progress on the stated objectives, and appreciation for the talented team and cooperative staff in making life better for Huntington Beach .constituents . Mayor Delgleize ex pressed Council's appreciat ion for Interim City Manager Joyce's leadership and voice of reason. She also thanked Facilitators West and Beck for their efforts to draw out ideas and good Council/PFA Strategic Planning Workshop Minutes February 4, 2022 Page 8 of 8 sharing , and expressed appreciation to Assistant City Manager Hopkins, the Department Heads, and staff for their dedication and focus on seeing Council's objectives come to fruition . Each Councilmember in attendance shared their appreciation for the leadership provided to ensure a successful Strategic Planning opportunity and noted staff's dedication and focus on serving the community. Facilitators West and Beck acknowledged the Council, Managers and staff who were instrumental in this successful workshop. ADJOURNMENT -2: 17 p .m . to the ne xt regularly scheduled meeting of the Huntington Beach City Council/Public Financing Authority on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 , at 4:00 PM in the Civic Center Council Chambers, 2000 Main Street , Huntington Beach , California . INTERNET ACCESS TO CITY COUNCIL/PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY AGENDA AND STAFF REPORT MATERIAL IS AVAILABLE PRIOR TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AT http://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov ATTEST: City C~-o~!c~ty Council of the City of Huntington Beach and Secretary of the Public Financing Authority of the City of Huntington Beach, California