AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL
8:30 AM - SPECIAL MEETING
STRATEGIC PLANNING STUDY SESSION
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Recreation Center
16400 Brookhurst Street., Fountain Valley, CA 92708
http://www.fountainvalley.org
MEETING ASSISTANCE: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, anyone needing special assistance to participate in a meeting of the government bodies listed herein should contact the City Clerk's Office at (714) 593-4445. Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting allows the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting.
AGENDA COMMUNICATIONS: All revised or additional documents and writings related to an item on this agenda provided to all or a majority of the government body members after distribution of the agenda packet, are available for public inspection (1) in the City Clerk's Office at 10200 Slater Avenue, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 during normal business hours; and (2) in the Council Chambers at the time of the meeting. Unless directed otherwise by a government body listed herein all actions shall be based on/memorialized by the latest document submitted as a late communication.
PUBLIC COMMENTS/PUBLIC HEARINGS: Persons wishing to address the City Council or other government body listed complete a speaker card and give it to the City Clerk prior to the public comment period. Requests to speak will not be accepted after the public comment sessjon begjns wjthout permjssjon of the Mayor/Chair. Speakers must limit remarks to a total of (3) three minutes and address the City Council through the Mayor. Comments to individuals or staff are not permitted.
Scheduled Matters, including Public Hearings: Indicate on the card what item you want to address.
Unscheduled Matters: Indicate on the card what subject matter you want to address. Comments must be related to issues that are within the jurisdiction of the governing body listed on the agenda. Pursuant to the Brown Act, the governing body may not enter into discussion regarding items not on the agenda.
CONSENT CALENDAR: All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered by the governing bodies listed herein to be routine and will be enacted on simultaneously with one motion without discussion unless separate action and/or discussion is requested by a governing body member, staff, or a member of the public.
PUBUC HEARINGS: Persons wishing to speak in favor of or in opposition to a proposal are given an opportunity to do so during the public hearing. Those wishing to address a governing body during the hearing are requested to complete the speaker card and submit it to the City Clerk prior to the hearing. If a proposed action is challenged in court, there may be a limitation to raising only those issues raised during the hearing or in written correspondence received by the governing body at or before the hearing.
Note: The Fountain Valley City Council serves as the Successor Agency to the Fountain Valley Agency for Community Development (Successor Agency), the Fountain Valley Housing Authority, and the Fountain Valley Finance Authority. The Actions of the Successor Agency are separate and apart from the actions of the City Council.
STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION
At 8:00 AM a light Continental Breakfast will be available. At 8:30 AM the meeting will promptly be called to order with an anticipated adjournment of 4:00 PM. There will be a mid-morning break with a group lunch at 12:15 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER 8:30 AM
CITY COUNCIL ROLL CALL
Council Members: Constantine, Cunneen, Harper, Vice Mayor / Vice Chair Bui, Mayor/Chair Grandis PUBLIC COMMENTS (Unscheduled Matters Only)
Persons wishing to speak on Non-Agenda item(s) are requested to identify themselves by completing a blue speaker card indicating the item they want to address and to give the card to the City Clerk prior to the public comment period. Each person will have up to 3 minutes to speak.
PUBLIC COMMENTS (Scheduled Matters Only)
Persons wishing to speak on Agenda item(s) are requested to identify themselves by completing a blue speaker card indicating the item they want to address and to give the card to the City Clerk prior to the public comment period. Each person will have up to 3 minutes to speak.
ADMINISTRATIVE ITEM
1. Strategic Planning Session by facilitator Marie Knight of Knight Leadership Solutions A. Purpose of the Retreat, Public Comment and Introduction of the Facilitator and those in attendance
B. Welcome and introductions of Facilitator, Mayor and City Council, and City Staff C. Review Role of the Facilitator, Groups and Public; Strategic Planning Elements; Agenda -
D. Agenda for the retreat and discussion items:
• Accomplishments/Missed Opportunities: Council and Staff will discuss overall accomplishments and achievements for the past six months as well as missed opportunities. • Council/staff: strengthening the partnership and trust • Discussion about the upcoming General Election
• Potential new objectives
• Responsible Spending Pledge option (i.e. keep current as is, keep current and re-adopt, or revised based on staff feedback)
• Artificial Intelligence Practice/Policy
• Charter City
• Citizen Academy
• Fire Development Impact Fee
• Low Interest Down Payment for FV Employee
• Parking enforcement vendor option
• Recruitment Incentives for PD
• Challenges ahead
• Review current status of the 3-year goal six-month objectives • Creation of 3-year goal objectives for the next six months (note discussion may be had of the Potential new objectives listed above or any other objective)
• Strategic plan new objectives resources needed
• Recommended strategic plan schedule change for the future • Summary and next steps
ADJOURN THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Charter Cities
Charter Cities
oCalifornia Constitution art. XI, § 3(a).
oAuthority over “municipal affairs.” Cal. Const.
art. XI, § 5(a).
General Law
Cities that have not adopted a charter.
Bound by state’s general law, even with respect to municipal affairs.
Home Rule
o City, rather than the state, is in the best position to know what it needs and how to satisfy those needs.
o Charter cities control their “municipal affairs.”
Municipal Affairs
(Cal Const.)
o The Cal Const doesn’t define.
o 4 core categories:
1) regulation of the “city police force”;
2) “sub government in all or part of a city”;
3) “conduct of city elections”; and
4) “the manner in which . . . municipal officers [are] elected.” Cal. Const. art. XI, § 5(b).
Municipal Affairs
(Courts)
o Courts decide rest, based on need for “paramount state control” in the particular area.
o Fluid and may change over time.
o Examples of Municipal Affairs:
Municipal election matters
How a city spends its tax dollars
Land use and zoning decisions.
State Override of Municipal
Affairs
o Matter of statewide concern.
o 4-step test
1. “Muni Affair”
2. Conflict
3. “Statewide Concern”
4. State law “reasonably related” and “narrowly tailored” Redondo Beach v Bonta
- SB9 Invalid As Applied to Charter Cities
Charter- Content
o City intends to avail itself of the full power provided by the California Constitution (League of Cal. Cities paper 2001.)
Charter- Process
Create Charter (2 ways)
• Charter Commission
• City Council
Voter
ratification
City of Fountain Valley
Memorandum
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Scott Smith, Public Works Director
DATE: May 23, 2024
SUBJECT: Strategic Planning Session: Creation of a Citizens Academy Program ______________________________________________________________________________ The creation of a Fountain Valley Citizens Academy program can provide residents and business owners an opportunity to interact with city staff, learn about city operations, and be exposed to some of the challenges facing municipal government today. Topics covered through the Citizens Academy may be divided into several sessions, such as:
• Policy and Leadership (City Council, City Manager, City Clerk, City Attorney) • Community Development (Building, Code Enforcement, Housing, and Planning) • Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology
• Fire
• Police
• Public Works
• Recreation & Community Services
The program could be offered once a year. The topical sessions would be scheduled consecutively on a weekly basis, in the early evening. Meeting locations will be at city facilities and may vary depending upon the topic.
The Academy would be open to Fountain Valley residents and business owners that are 16-years of age and older. There will be no admission cost or registration fee. Participants would need to attend all the sessions to graduate, with one absence permitted.
Graduates of the Citizens Academy will enjoy a greater knowledge of local government activities and the numerous functions performed by city departments. In addition, graduates of the Academy will receive a certificate of completion and could be honored at a City Council meeting.
The goal of the Citizens Academy is to offer participants firsthand exposure in how the City of Fountain Valley is managed and operated, provide a better understanding of local government affairs, and encourage community participation by residents and business owners.
CITY OF FOUNTAIN VALLEY
FIRE DEPARTMENT
MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: William McQuaid, Fire Chief
DATE: May 15, 2024
SUBJECT: Strategic Planning Session: Fire Department Impact Fee’s The changing fiscal landscape in California over the last 45 years has steadily undercut the financial capability of local government to fund infrastructure. Major changes in government funding were established through a string of tax limitation measures such as Proposition 13 in 1978 and Proposition 218 in 1996. These impacts were further potentiated through declining popular support for bond measures to finance infrastructure for the next generation of residents and businesses, and steep reductions in federal and state assistance. Faced with these trends, many cities and counties have adopted “growth pays its own way.” This shifts the burden of funding infrastructure expansion from existing taxpayers onto new development.
In order for the City to establish Fire Facilities Development Impact Fee’s, a Nexus study is required. This study is created for the purpose of assuring that the impacts created by new development in the city pays a fair share of the proportional facility and equipment and vehicle costs required to support needed acquisition, relocation and expansion of fire stations; the construction or acquisition of fire suppression/medic facilities, vehicles and specialty equipment, and increase the number of emergency response vehicles and related costs necessary to accommodate such development. Cities such as Huntington Beach, San Clemente, Anaheim, Orange, and Brea have established Development Impact Fee’s (DIF) for public safety.
Brief Overview of Development Impact Fee Requirements & Process Starting Your Impact Fee Program
Development Impact Fees are fees imposed on specific development projects to defray the cost of new or additional public facilities that are needed to serve those developments.
Common types of impact fees include traffic facility mitigation fees, public safety facilities fees, park facility fees, sewer facility fees, and library facility fees, among others.
Starting/Updating Your Development Impact Fee Program
The Nexus Study: Provides a quantified basis for support:
• Provides legal support for findings
• Quantifies existing deficiencies, projected burdens
• Requires Nexus Study to identify the existing level of service for each public facility, identify new levels of service, and include an explanation of why the new levels of service are more appropriate.
• Requires information to support required findings for adoption of impact fees.
Starting Your Nexus Study/DIF Program:
Determine existing levels of service:
• Determine expected increases in infrastructure demand from new development • Identify projects to meet demand (increase capacity)
The DIF Findings:
In any action establishing, increasing, or imposing a fee as a condition of approval of a development project by a local agency, the local agency shall do all of the following:
• Identify the purpose of the fee.
• Identify the use to which the fee is to be put. If the use is financing public facilities, the facilities shall be identified. That identification may, but need not, be made by reference to a capital improvement plan as specified in Section 65403 or 66002, may be made in applicable general or specific plan requirements, or may be made in other public documents that identify the public facilities for which the fee is charged.
• Determine how there is a reasonable relationship between the fee’s use and the type of development project on which the fee is imposed. • Fees must be deposited in a separate account or fund. • Cities must adopt annual reports within 180 days of the close of each fiscal year.
• Once sufficient funds are collected to fund improvement, cities have 180 days to identify the approximate date of construction or refund.
The 5-Year Reporting Requirements (GC 66001(d)(1)):
• 5th fiscal year following deposit, and every 5 years, must make 66001(a) findings.
• Findings must be made in connection with an annual report. • Failure to make findings results in a refund of the funds
There are many different ways to structure DIF’s. The fee can be a fixed fee per unit, based upon square footage, average occupancy, or a combination of factors. Below is an example of a DIF based upon units and average occupancy applied to current and future projects within the City.
$639 (per unit) x 2.67(average occupancy) = $1706+34 (admin fee) = $ 1,740 per unit for new developments.
Euclid/Heil
626 units $ 1,089,240.00
Boomers
682 units $ 1,186,680.00
Los Cab
61 units $ 106,140.00
Parkside Warner
72 units $ 125,280.00
ADU’s in-plan check $ 121,800.00
97 units
Total $ 2,629,140.00
The total units for these projects are 1511, an 8% increase in residential units.
Current residential units (19,170) in the City.
California Government Code §65852.2(f)(2) stipulates that local agencies may not impose any impact fees on ADU less than 750 square feet. ADU greater than 750 square feet can be charged impact fees in proportion to the size of the primary dwelling unit.
Employee Down Payment
Assistance Program
San Mateo County
Employee Benefit
Program
• In county housing
• One $100,000 loan (second mortgage)
• Deferred for first, five years amortized for 30 years at 3% interest • $5,000 grant to help cover closing costs
Application
• Open to all county employees
• Full time
• Employed for 18 months or
longer
• No income restrictions
• Cannot apply if already living in
county
Requirements
• Maximum home price – ($1.5M or median)
• Minimum of 3% down payment from borrower
• Six months to opt-in once notified
Approval
• Pre-approval through local bank
• Lottery system – five picks per
quarter
Benefits
• Encourages employees to live in county (here, City of FV) • Decreased environment impact
• Decreased physical and emotional damage of long commute • Further benefit to Fountain Valley: Employee attraction and retention