DRAFT 02/03/2022 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 6
CITY COUNCIL,
LIBRARY AND OBSERVATORY BOARD,
HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD,
AND THE CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTING
THE REDEVELOPMENT SUCCESSOR AGENCY
REGULAR MEETING
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022
1:00 P.M.
DRAFT MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER - 1:02 P.M.
a) Flag Salute: Led by Gabe Codding, Director of Marketing. b) Roll Call: Downs, Kite, Smotrich, Townsend, Weill – All present. (Smotrich via telecommunication)
NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENTS
Brad Anderson (via telecommunication), Rancho Mirage resident, spoke regarding the City’s contract for legal counsel, expressed approval of Council’s decision not to reopen a COVID-19 testing site, and expressed concern with how meeting agendas were formed and decisions were made.
Shann Dornhecker (via telecommunication), Rancho Mirage resident, requested City staff notify residents who lived within 500 feet of locations being considered for zoning changes.
Access Remotely iii
Zoom Link:
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At Meeting Location
City of Rancho Mirage
City Hall - Council Chamber
69-825 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Pursuant to Assembly Bill No. 361 (Effective September 16, 2021), there will be the ability to teleconference into the meeting and the public may observe the meeting and offer public comment as follows:
SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIRED FOR THE PUBLIC IF ATTENDING IN PERSON
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COUNCIL/BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS/REPORTS
Council Member Smotrich provided an overview of the Coachella Valley Disaster Preparedness Network.
Mayor Pro Tem Townsend announced that a Shred Day event would be held at the Library and Observatory on February 12th from 8am to noon.
Council Member Kite noted a Blood Drive would be held at the Library and Observatory on February 16th from 9am to 2pm.
Council Member Downs provided an overview of the City’s financial standing and described the Marketing Master Plan currently in development. He also expressed thanks to former Council Member G. Dana Hobart for his invaluable contributions to the City of Rancho Mirage.
Mayor Weill reminded the community that Palm Springs Stadium would host Rancho Mirage Resident Day on February 5th.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS – None.
MINUTES January 20, 2021 Regular Meeting.
Public Comments - None.
MOVED/SECONDED BY TOWNSEND/KITE TO APPROVE THE JANUARY 20, 2022 REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES. A ROLL CALL VOTE WAS TAKEN AND MOTION CARRIED 5/0.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Isaiah Hagerman, City Manager, presented the following Consent Calendar items:
1. Final Acceptance of Citywide Rubberized Emulsion Aggregate Slurry (REAS) Project - CP 21-366.
2. Extension of Completion Date for Tract Map No. 34435 (Far West Industries - Iridium).
3. Second Extension of Completion Date for Tract Map No. 36809-3 (Pulte – Del Webb RM).
4. Third Extension of Completion Date for Tract Map No. 36809-2 (Pulte – Del Webb RM).
5. Receive and File the December 31, 2021 Quarterly Treasurer’s Report.
6. Contracts.
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7. Demands.
Public Comments:
Brad Anderson (via telecommunication), Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to approval of Item No. 4.
MOVED/SECONDED BY KITE/DOWNS TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED. A ROLL CALL VOTE WAS TAKEN AND MOTION CARRIED 5/0.
REPORTS AND INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
8. Update on the City’s Compliance with Senate Bill 1383 and its Impacts on Burrtec Trash and Recycling Services.
Jessica Pulliam, Senior Management Analyst, presented the staff report.
Public Testimony – None.
Council Member Downs asked what additional costs to trash collection may result from the program.
Isaiah Hagerman, City Manager, noted residents’ trash bills were projected to increase approximately 5% per year for the next couple of years.
Council Member Kite asked what public information campaigns were being created for the program.
Mr. Hagerman responded that press, mailers, advertisement campaigns, town halls, eblasts, and information on the City’s website would all be utilized to spread the word about the program.
Mayor Pro Tem Townsend asked how the program would be implemented.
Mr. Hagerman explained there would be a phased approach to enrollment throughout the City and noted the contract with Burrtec was the next step in the process.
Council Member Smotrich asked where Burrtec’s compositing infrastructure would be developed.
Mr. Hagerman noted no new infrastructure would be built in the City of Rancho Mirage and Burttec assured the City that they already had infrastructure necessary to meet the new demand.
Mayor Weill emphasized the new trash requirements were State mandates.
Mr. Hagerman thanked Ms. Pulliam for her efforts.
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PUBLIC HEARINGS
9. Resolution No. 2022-(Next-in-Order), Amending the General Plan to Update Both the Housing and Safety Element, Case No. GPTA21-0001, and Certify and Adopt the Negative Declaration, Case No. EA21-0005.
Jeremy Gleim, Director of Development Services, presented the staff report.
Mayor Weill opened the public hearing.
Public Testimony:
Jim Walker, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to Site D being selected for higher density, expressed concern with noticing for the item, and requested the Council consider postponing their decision.
Denise Roberge, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to Site D being selected for higher density, citing traffic congestion. She yielded her remaining speaking time to Mike Fontana.
Jack Swenson, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to approval of the agenda item and yielded his remaining speaking time to Mike Fontana.
Kay Williams, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to the agenda item being approved and yielded her remaining speaking time to Mike Fontana.
Kathryn Swenson, Rancho Mirage resident, yielded her speaking time time to Mike Fontana.
Lisa McFadden (via telecommunication), Rancho Mirage resident, yielded her speaking time to Mike Fontana.
Shann Dornhecker (via telecommunication), Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to approval of the agenda item and questioned the City’s noticing practices. She spoke regarding the candidates who applied to fill the recent City Council vacancy and about investing in development of wealthy people. She commented that the areas selected for low-income, high- density housing were not supported by appropriate roadway infrastructure and that affordable housing developments should offer a pathway to home ownership for low-income families. She recommended the City place the low income overlay onto existing developments approved by the City Council in an attempt to create mixed income communities.
Brad Anderson (via telecommunication), Rancho Mirage resident, commented that City Hall was recently closed to the public in response to COVID-19, noting a lacking availability to the public.
He also expressed opposition to approval of the agenda item.
Daniel Donohue (via telecommunication), Rancho Mirage resident, commented he was opposed to approval of the agenda item, emphasizing property owners within 500 feet of the areas proposed for change should have been notified, and requested the decision be delayed.
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Tom Sudinsky (via telecommunication), Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to approval of the agenda item and commented that the City should have provided better notice to residents.
He yielded his remaining speaking time to Mike Fontana.
Mike Fontana, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to the proposed agenda item, requesting the City Council delay their vote to reconsider the item and receive greater public participation. He commented that the notice provided was efficient, but not effective. He spoke to the nuances of the new State of California mandates and housing assignments. He commented that the City’s proposed plan exceeds the Regional Housing Needs Allocation and that the 581 additional units could be reduced from the Site D allotment. Mr. Fontana described the barriers the City would need to hurtle to reduce density once approved.
Karen B (via telecommunication) commented that the City must complete its housing element and address the City’s low income senior housing needs.
Mayor Weill closed the public hearing.
Isaiah Hagerman, City Manager, noted the public’s participation was appreciated. He commented that the State of California ended redevelopment agencies and had since enacted laws that remove the City’s ability to implement its own land use authority. He also noted the discretion the City had with projects proposed on City-owned land, as opposed to privately owned land. He emphasized the City prided itself on its City-owned affordable housing units and that the City was very diligent in its planning. Mr. Hagerman concluded by noting that the City was obligated to comply with State law and the proposed plan was what staff believed was the best way to comply with the new requirements.
Mr. Gleim thanked the public for their participation, emphasizing the proposed plan by City staff had been in the works for quite some time. He noted the proposed plan met State requirements and also gave the City some degree of flexibility.
Nicole Criste, Terra Nova Planning & Research consultant, described the complexity of the demand by the State and the efforts made by the City and Terra Nova to meet the new requirements.
Council Member Kite asked whether delaying the decision was a possibility and how public noticing was handled.
Mr. Hagerman responded that it was up to the City Council whether to delay the decision. He requested that, if the Council decided to delay the decision, they provide staff with direction regarding what changes they wanted made. He also noted that public notice was provided in accordance with noticing guidelines for City-wide projects.
Council Member Smotrich expressed hesitation with being locked into a zoning allocation once approved, with implications of higher density on existing infrastructure, and with the location of the affordability overlay on Site D.
In response to an inquiry by Council Member Downs, Mr. Gleim provided an analysis on zoning and ownership of parcels near Rancho Mirage Dog Park and Rancho Mirage High School.
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Council Member Downs spoke regarding the City’s current population and the likelihood that the higher density units would be developed. He also thanked the public for their participation and recommended the public reach out to their state representatives regarding these new requirements.
Mayor Pro Tem Townsend thanked the public for their participation and emphasized the importance of addressing all of the public’s questions and concerns.
A discussion ensued regarding adding the affordable overlays to City-owned properties as opposed to those privately owned and regarding alternative locations for the affordable overlay proposed for Site D.
Mayor Weill commented that enough concerns were expressed to warrant considering other options and recommended the City Council table the item for further consideration.
MOVED/SECONDED BY WEILL/SMOTRICH TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM NO. 9 TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULED TO BE HELD AT RANCHO MIRAGE CITY HALL ON MARCH 3, 2022, AT 1:00 P.M. A ROLL CALL VOTE WAS TAKEN AND MOTION CARRIED 5/0.
CLOSED SESSION
1. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1).
Case Name: Vacation Rental Owners and Neighbors of Rancho Mirage; RM Vacation Rentals LLC, et al. v. City of Rancho Mirage, et al.
Case No.: CVRI2100368
Steven Quintanilla, City Attorney, reported that the City Council would recess into closed session to discuss Vacation Rental Owners and Neighbors of Rancho Mirage; RM Vacation Rentals LLC, et al. v. City of Rancho Mirage and one potential initiation of litigation case.
Public Comments - None.
The City Council, Library and Observatory Board, Housing Authority Board, and the City Council representing the Redevelopment Successor Agency recessed into Closed Session at 4:07 P.M.
Isaiah Hagerman, City Manager, reconvened the meeting at 5:25 P.M. and announced that no reportable action was taken during Closed Session.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business to consider, the meeting of the City Council, Library and Observatory Board, Housing Authority Board, and the City Council representing the Redevelopment Successor Agency was adjourned at 5:25 P.M.
Prepared by: Kristie Ramos, City Clerk
Date Approved by City Council: