CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 1
MARCH 8, 2022
MINUTES
ADJOURNED CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MARCH 8, 2022
1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
An adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of Rolling Hills Estates was called to order at 12:17 p.m. on the Council Chambers Patio, 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North, by MAYOR ZERUNYAN.
3. ROLL CALL
City Council Members Present: Huff, Schmitz, Stegura, Zerunyan and Zuckerman City Council Members Absent: None
City Staff Present: City Manager Greg Grammer
City Attorney Don Davis
Assistant City Manager Alexa Davis
Administrative Services Director Mike Whitehead
Community Development & PW Director David Wahba
Planning Manager Jeannie Naughton
City Clerk Lauren Pettit
Management Analyst Jessica Slawson
Associate Planner Dean Flores
4. PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
NONE.
5. DISCUSSION ITEMS
A. DRAFT GENERAL PLAN 2040 WORKSHOP: DISCUSSION OF VISION GUIDING
PRINCIPLES, SAFETY ELEMENT, SUSTAINABILITY ELEMENT,
CONSERVATION ELEMENT, OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION ELEMENT AND NOISE ELEMENT.
City Manager Grammer provided a brief introduction regarding the topics to be discussed during the workshop, and introduced consultants John Bellas and Surabhi Barbhaya of Michael Baker International.
Consultant Bellas summarized that the purpose of the workshop was to discuss and seek consensus on the following portions of the General Plan Update: Vision/Guiding Principles, Safety Element, Sustainability Element, Conservation Element, Open Space and Recreation Element and Noise Element.
While reviewing the 7 Guiding Principles, COUNCIL MEMBER ZUCKERMAN suggested changing the order of the principles as listed. Discussion ensued about ranking the principles and listing them using bullet points rather than numbers. MAYOR ZERUNYAN proposed using bullet points rather than numbers and ranking them in the following order:
• Preserve the community’s distinctive rural character and high quality of life. • Maintain equestrian character.
• Provide quality parks, trails, open spaces, and community facilities. • Promote a vibrant commercial district.
• Become a more sustainable city.
• Enhance the public realm and promote quality design.
• Improve mobility and emphasize a spectrum of transportation choices.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ suggested removing the number 7 from the title, changing it to “Guiding Principles.”
It was the consensus of the City Council to change to the above order, format and title.
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MARCH 8, 2022
Community Development and Public Works Director Wahba introduced and summarized the Safety Element, including the purpose, goals, policies and implementation measures, geologic and seismic activities and partnerships.
In the Goals, Policies and Implementation Measures of the Safety Element, COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ inquired why “Partnership with Law Enforcement” did not include the City’s partnership with the Fire Department as well. Consultants Bellas and Barbhaya explained that the partnership with Fire is covered in a different section of the Safety Element, but that it could be added to this section a well. City Manager Grammer suggested rewording to “Partnership with Public Safety.”
Community Development and Public Works Director Wahba then summarized the Wildfirerelated Goals, Policies & Implementation Measures within the Safety Element.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ confirmed with staff and the consultants that the Safety Element, and specifically the Wildfire-related Goals, Policies & Implementation Measures have been reviewed and agreed upon by the Los Angeles County Fire Department as well.
Acting Assistant Chief Brian Bennett of Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed, and discussed the challenges of Palos Verdes Drive North during high congestion times, highlighting that emergency response services will often use alternate routes, cut through the gated City of Rolling Hills or use opposing traffic lanes during emergencies when there is severe congestion. He noted that sometimes there are slight delays, but generally they are able to get around the traffic quickly and efficiently. Los Angeles County Sheriff Captain James Powers echoed Chief Bennett, and noted that the Sheriff’s Department also uses the City of Rolling Hills as an alternate route. He also noted that the Sheriff’s Department can close roads to allow emergency vehicles through if required.
MAYOR ZERUNYAN stated that he wants to ensure the Safety Element aligns with the emergency preparedness plans made between all of the Peninsula cities Discussion ensued about concerns relating to evacuating the community in an emergency, especially through the year 2040 when considering the General Plan, as the number of residents will continue to increase due to State legislation.
Captain Powers and Chief Bennett spoke to the various measures that can be taken in different emergency situations.
COUNCIL MEMBER ZUCKERMAN expressed concern about the General Plan including a high build-out population increase of 15% in a high-fire hazard area such as Rolling Hills Estates, as required by the State. Discussion ensued about State legislation requiring an increase in density, and how that affects specific areas within the City as it pertains to traffic patterns, emergency response times and emergency evacuations and mitigation measures.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ discussed noting within the General Plan document, the tension the City faces with State housing requirements in 2022 along with current fire and emergency evacuation concerns as the City stands today.
COUNCIL MEMBER STEGURA suggested coordinating with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District as it relates to traffic plans during emergencies.
MAYOR ZERUNYAN discussed technology as it relates to major disaster of cyber security.
MAYOR ZERUNYAN inquired about fire cameras on the Peninsula. Management Analyst Slawson discussed the differences in detection cameras versus observational cameras related to fire, noting that the Peninsula Public Safety Committee was looking into options, pricing and grants for the peninsula-wide project.
COUNCIL MEMBER ZUCKERMAN asked that the existence of Peninsula Public Safety Committee be included in the General Plan Document, as well as a note about the regular 5-year review for the landfill done by Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts.
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MARCH 8, 2022
MAYOR ZERUNYAN suggested taking the final General Plan, in the form of a “briefer” or summary document to the various Homeowners Association (HOA) meetings in the City to educate them so they can help educate their neighbors.
Planning Manager Naughton introduced and summarized the Sustainability Element, including the introduction, baseline conditions, goals and policies, achieving City goals, implementation plan and schedule, fiscal considerations and appendix (community survey results).
Discussion ensued about implementation measures related to soil and groundwater capture requirements.
MAYOR ZERUNYAN suggested the Clean Power Alliance (CPA) updates highlighting sustainability statistics reached by the City be pushed out on social media and included on the City’s website.
COUNCIL MEMBER ZUCKERMAN expressed concern about the PACE Program, consensus of Council to remove from the General Plan.
Community Development and Public Works Director Wahba introduced and summarized the Conservation Element, including the purpose and the goals, policies and implementation measures.
Discussion ensued regarding COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ’s concerns about the topic of “Preservation of local plant and animal life,” noting that the Pepper Tree is not native to the Peninsula and the coyote is native. It was the consensus of the City Council to change the word “local” to “native” and to remove the photo of the peacock.
Discussion ensued about scenic corridors designated in the General Plan, and whether or not to keep Silver Spur Road and potentially add Hawthorne Boulevard as a designated scenic corridor. COUNCIL MEMBER ZUCKERMAN explained that the original intent in including Silver Spur Road in the last General Plan as a scenic corridor was to maintain sightlines between buildings. It was the consensus of the City Council to keep Silver Spur Road and add Hawthorne Boulevard as a scenic corridor.
Community Development and Public Works Director Wahba introduced and summarized the Open Space and Recreation Element, including the purpose, and the goals, policies and implementation measures. He then presented a map showing the changes in open space and parks since the last General Plan Update.
Discussion ensued about mapping horse trails within the City, and where in the General Plan this can be found.
Community Development and Public Works Director Wahba introduced and summarized the Noise Element, including the purpose, and the goals, policies and implementation measures.
COUNCIL MEMBER ZUCKERMAN brought up the past request for nighttime football games at Peninsula High School, and potential future requests as it relates to the noise element.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ brought up a discussion about how the pandemic has brought to light the way noise effects the lifestyle of neighbors.
MAYOR PRO TEM HUFF brought up motorcycle noise, and discussion ensued about noise ordinance signage, and an implementation measure to explore regulation of motorcycle vehicle noise.
COUNCIL MEMBER ZUCKERMAN brought up the Guiding Principles section once more, suggesting that page 4 which is currently blank, include the City’s Mission Statement.
City Manager Grammer summarized the topics to be discussed at the next General Plan Workshop on March 15, 2022 at 12:00 pm.
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MARCH 8, 2022
6. ADJOURNMENT
At 2:34 pm MAYOR ZERUNYAN adjourned the meeting.
Submitted by, Approved by,
Lauren Pettit Frank V. Zerunyan
City Clerk Mayor