CITY OF SIERRA MADRE
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
SIERRA MADRE CITY COUNCIL
RRA
Tuesday, October 25, 2022 - 5:30 pm
Sierra Madre City Hall, City Council Chambers
232 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, CA 91024
THIS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MOST
CURRENT LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER'S ORDER The Brown Act provides the public with an opportunity to make public comments at any public meeting; or public comment may also be made by e-mail to [email protected] by 3:00PM on the day of the meeting. Emails will be acknowledged at the Council meeting, filed into public record and scanned onto the City website for public review.
The meeting will be streamed live on the City's website at www.cityofsierramadre.com, on Foothills Media website at http://www.foothillsmedia.org/sierramadre and broadcast on Government Access Channel 3 (Spectrum)
CODE OF CONDUCT
orderly course of the meeting.
The meeting will be streamed live on the City's website at www.cityofsierramadre.com, on Foothills Media website at http://www.foothillsmedia.orq/sierramadre and broadcast on Government Access Channel 3 (Spectrum)
CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Mayor Goss called the meeting to order at 5:36 p.m. City Clerk Aguilar called the roll.
Present: Mayor Gene Goss, Mayor Pro Tem Edward Garcia, and Council Members Rachelle Arizmendi, and Kelly Kriebs.
Absent: Council Member Parkhurst
Also Present: Jose Reynoso, City Manager
Miguel Hernandez, Assistant City Manager
Aleks Giragosian, City Attorney
Laura Aguilar, Deputy City Manager/City Clerk
Henry Amos, Acting Police Chief
Brent Bartlett, Fire Chief
Oscar Millan, IT Manager
Vincent Gonzalez, Planning and Community Preservation Director Hillary Guirola-Leon, Finance Director
Satnam Rait, Finance and Budget Manager
Chris Cimino, Public Works Director
Arnulfo Yanez, Deputy Director of Public Works
Steven McGee, Interim Director of Utility Services
Rebecca Silva-Barron, Community Services Manager
Leila Regan, City Librarian
Alondra Reynoso, Management Intern
Sierra Madre City Council
Regular Meeting Minutes 10-25-2022
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND INSPIRATION
Mayor Pro Tem Garcia led in the Pledge of Allegiance. He spoke on voting and read the Preamble from the Constitution.
APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA
Vote of the City Council to proceed with City business.
Council Member Arizmendi made a motion to approve the agenda as presented The motion was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Gracia.
Mayor Goss called for a roll call vote of the Council:
Ayes: Mayor Gene Goss, Mayor Pro Tem Edward Garcia, and Council Members Arizmendi, and Kriebs.
Noes: None.
Absent: Council Member Parkhurst
Abstain: None.
The motion to approve the agenda as presented was approved by a unanimous voice vote.
REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION
City Attorney provides reportable action from the Closed Session.
City Attorney Giragosian announced that the City Council met in closed session to discuss one item of existing litigation with no reportable action. City Council discussed one item of anticipated litigation with no reportable action.
APPROVAL FOR READING RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES
Vote of the City Council to read all Ordinances and Resolutions by title only and waive the reading in full.
Mayor Goss asked for a motion.
A motion to approve the reading of resolutions and ordinances was made by Mayor Pro Tem Garcia.
The motion was seconded by Council Member Kriebs.
Mayor Goss called for a vote of the Council.
Ayes: Mayor Goss, Mayor Pro Tem Garcia, and Council Members Arizmendi, and Kriebs Noes: None.
Absent: Council Member Parkhurst
Abstain: None.
The motion to approve the reading of all Ordinances and Resolutions by title only, and waive the reading in full, was passed by a unanimous voice vote.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
Approval of March 22, 2022 City Council regular meeting minutes.
Approval of April 12, 2022 City Council regular meeting minutes.
Approval of July 26, 2022 City Council regular meeting minutes.
Mayor Goss called for a motion to approve the minutes.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Council Member Arizmendi.
The motion was seconded by Council Member Kriebs.
Mayor Goss called for a vote of the Council.
Ayes: Mayor Goss, Mayor Pro Tem Garcia, and Council Members Arizmendi, and Kriebs Noes: None.
Absent: Council Member Parkhurst
Abstain: None.
Sierra Madre City Council
Regular Meeting Minutes 10-25-2022
The motion to approve the minutes of the Council meetings of three meetings March 22, 2022, April 12, 2022, and July 26, 2022 were approved by unanimous voice vote.
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL REPORTS
Reporting of Council Members' activities related to City business.
Council Member Arizmendi: represented Sierra Madre at the Council of Governments San Gabriel Valley where the area of focus was homelessness and transportation.
Council Member Kriebs: no report provided
Mayor Pro Tem Garcia: no report provided
Mayor Goss: attended the Library Board of Trustees meeting and a request for proposal will go out at the end of the week to open up for a Bid. The Bid will be open for 45 days. The Library will be closed on Saturday, December 24, 2022.
Welcomed students from Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Christian School and St. Gregory's A. and M.
Hovsepian School. The students participated in a tour of the City and attended the Council Meeting to observe how City Government works.
Halloween Festivities on Monday, October 31, 2022 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Planning Commission has an expected vacancy. Anyone wanting to apply should contact the City Clerk's office.
PUBLIC COMMENT
The Council will listen to the public on any item on the agenda. In addition, the Council will devote time for public comment on items not on the agenda. Addressing the City Council from the audience is not permitted; all comments addressing the Council must be made from the podium. Only public comment made from the podium will be recognized by the City Council and entered into public record.
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA
Persons wishing to speak on any item on the agenda will be called during the comment period at the time the agenda item is brought forward. Persons wishing to speak on closed session items have a choice of doing so either immediately prior to the closed session or at the time for comments on items at the open session.
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Time shall be devoted to provide public comments for items not on the agenda. Under the Brown Act, Council is prohibited from taking action on items not on the agenda, but the matter may be referred to staff or to a subsequent meeting.
COMMENTS
1. Any person wishing to provide public comment on matters not on the agenda, or during the comment period for items on the agenda is asked to complete a comment card. Please include your name and address. Each speaker will be limited to up to three continuous minutes, which may not be delegated or deferred.
2. The City provides a podium for public comment. Comments addressed to the Council shall occur during the appropriate time on the agenda and should not be construed as an opportunity for dialogue.
Each speaker will be limited to three continuous minutes, which may not be delegated or deferred.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Mayor Goss opened the meeting for public comment on items not on the agenda.
Alina, Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Christian School: spoke on how Sierra Madre Fire Department has been serving the City of Sierra Madre for the past 100 years. She thanked the Council for their service in the community and the opportunity to attend the Council meeting.
Andrew Harding, St. Gregory's A. and M. Hovsepian School: spoke on his love for the community.
Requested maintenance the baseball field and add lights. Read a poem by Nora Armani.
Joel Goodwin: spoke on the need for turkey donations for the First Church of the Nazarene food bank.
Donations are excepted throughout the day and until November 20, 2022.
Sierra Madre City Council
Regular Meeting Minutes 10-25-2022
Pat Alcorn: thanked the Sierra Madre Fire Department for their assistance with the search program where they graduated 23 people and two pending makeup classes. The next meeting is on Thursday, October 27,2022 in the Hart Park House for CPR and will be held by Code 3.
Seeing no one eise come forward, Mayor Goss closed public comment for items not on the agenda.
City Clerk Aguilar advised that numerous e-mails had been received.
PRESENTATION
UPDATE FROM FRONTIER ON FIBER OPTICS
Presentation by Douglas McAllister with PowerPoint.
PRESENTATION BY SCE WITH UPDATES ON THE CANYON POWER OUTAGE Presentation by Jeannette Soriano, Robert Stiens, and Albert Diaz with a PowerPoint on Lowell Circuit Reliability on September 2, 2022 to September 5, 2022 and to address the recent outages.
ACTION ITEMS
City Clerk Aguilar gave the following reports under the Consent Calendar:
CONSENT
a) CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION 22-66 APPROVING CERTAIN DEMANDS It is recommended that the City Council approve Resolution 22-66 approving payment of City Warrants in the aggregate amount of $260, 189.64; Sierra Madre Library Warrants in the aggregate amount of $724.40; and Payroll Transfer in the aggregate amount of $435,901.16 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.
b) CANCELLATION OF BOTH REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS ON NOVEMBER 22, 2022, AND DECEMBER 27, 2022
It is recommended that the City Council approve the cancellation of both the regular City Council meeting on November 22, 2022, and December 27, 2022, respectively, and direct staff to pay all necessary expenses during that time.
AB 1600 ANNUAL COMPLIANCE REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 It is recommended that the City Council receive and file the AB 1600 Annual Compliance Report for Fiscal Year 2021-2022 in accordance with California Government Code 66006.
d) WATER TREATMENT GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON (GAC) REPLACEMENT
AGREEMENT
It is recommended that the City Council award a contract in the amount of $155,000.00 to Carbon Activated Corporation for the replacement of virgin carbon in the lead GAC treatment vessels to be completed in Fiscal Year 2022-2023. e) SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 1463 - AMENDING TITLE 15.24 OF THE SIERRA MADRE MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO • THE ADOPTION AND AMENDMENTS TO THE 2022 CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE AND FIRE SPRINKLER
REQUIREMENTS
is recommended that the City Council approve for second reading by title only ecommending adoption of Ordinance No. 1463 pursuant to the 2022 California Fire Code and International Fire Code amendments.
f) SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 1464 - AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADOPT BY REFERENCE THE 2022 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS
CODES WITH CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS, MODIFICATIONS, AND ADDITIONS It is recommended that the City Council approve for second reading by title only, recommending adoption of Ordinance No. 1464 pursuant to the 2022 California Building Standards Code amendments.
Sierra Madre City Council
Regular Meeting Minutes 10-25-2022
g) SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 1457 - AMENDING CHAPTER 8.06 (SMOKING) OF TITLE 8 (HEALTH AND SAFETY) OF THE SIERRA MADRE
MUNICIPAL CODE PROHIBITING SMOKING IN MULTI-UNIT RESIDENCES It is recommended that the City Council approve for second reading by title only, recommending adoption of Ordinance No. 1457 Prohibiting Smoking in Multi-Unit Residences.
h) AWARD A FOUR-YEAR SIDEWALK REPAIR PROGRAM AGREEMENT WITH
PRECISION CONCRETE CUTTING
It is recommended that the City Council award a four-year sidewalk lift repair program to include a new assessment in the fourth year of the program with Precision Concrete in an amount not to exceed $240,000.
Mayor Goss brought the matter to the City Council for discussion.
Item A - no questions from Council.
Item B - no questions from Council.
Item C- Council Member Kriebs requested clarification on any limitations for the use of funds.
City Attorney Giragosian responded that there are limits and funds allocated to the GAC Fund. Council Member Kriebs asked if there are any other funds available for water maintenance. City Manager Reynoso responded that the funds for GAC would be used more for infrastructure and the City could look for more funds to help with the maintenance. Mayor Pro Tem Garcia asked if the funds could be used for increased demands. City Manager Reynoso responded that it could increase the demands for new development or replace water mains. City Attorney advised the funds have to be tied to a new development in order to use the funds for other maintenance. The funds cannot be used for existing development with a tie to a new development.
Item D - no questions from Council.
Item E - no questions from Council.
Item F - no questions from Council.
Item G - no questions from Council.
Item H - Council Member Kriebs requested clarification on the agreement and it would be better for the agreement to state, "prevailing party fees provided or at least allowed". City Attorney Giragosian stated the City Attorney's office is updating the agreement and it will be corrected. Council Member Kriebs mentioned a typo in the agreement under the City name. The existing agreement has the City listed as Carson. Council Member Kriebs would like the agreement amended to reflect the correct City as Sierra Madre.
Mayor Goss opened the matter for public comment.
Alisha Lopez: spoke in her capacity as Director of Tobacco Programs with Day One, she thanked the Council for their leadership on the Smoking Ordinance and prioritizing the health of the residents of Sierra City Clerk Aguilar advised that one e-mails had been received.
The Mayor brought the matter back to the Council for comments.
The Mayor brought the matter back to the Council for a motion to approve.
Council Member Kriebs made a motion to approve Consent Agenda with the amendment to the Sidewalk Agreement.
Council Member Arizmendi seconded the motion.
Mayor Goss called for a vote of the Council.
Ayes: Mayor Goss, Mayor Pro Tem Garcia, Council Members Arizmendi, and Kriebs
Sierra Madre City Council
Regular Meeting Minutes 10-25-2022
Noes: None.
Absent: Council Member Parkhurst
Abstain: None.
The motion to approve Consent Items A-H was passed unanimously.
Break 7:03 p.m.
Reconvene 7:14 p.m.
DISCUSSION
CITY'S FUNDING OF SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE
It is recommended that the City Council provide Staff with direction.
Community Services Manager Rebecca Silva-Barron gave the report.
Sierra Madre Playhouse President David Gordon gave a presentation.
Mayor Goss brought the matter to the City Council for discussion.
Mayor Pro Tem Garcia requested the Finance Director to discuss the fund balances after the purchase of the Bank of America building. Finance Director Guirola-Leon responded that there are funds that have not been allocated into accounts yet, however finance is working on an updated report. City Manager Reynoso responded that the current reserves are at 63 percent and the required reserve amount is 25 percent. Council Member Kriebs asked if there is a fiscal impact associated with the rating. Finance Director Guirola-Leon responded the State Auditor rates the City based on a number of factors and one of the factors being the amount of funds in the reserves account.
Mayor Pro Tem Garcia requested clarification on the funds budgeted for the Library renovation and if the funds are available for other projects. City Manager Reynoso responded that the City budgeted $480,000 for the Library renovations and the contract for the renovations came in at approximately $360,000 to $380,000. The ADA improvements, parking improvements, and exterior improvements totaled just under $400,000.
Mayor Pro Tem Garcia mentioned a fire in the pump house approximately 10 years ago and asked if the fire damage had been repaired. City Manager Reynoso responded that the pump house has not been repaired and that the pump house will need a complete renovation including all the electrical components.
Council Member Kriebs requested clarification on what the Grant Program would consist of if created by the City. Community Services Manager Silva-Barron responded that the Grant Program would need verification of funds, improvement plans, and possibly photos of the progress of the funds being used.
Mayor Pro Tem Garcia asked Mr. Gordon if there are options to increase funding through raising prices at the Playhouse. Mr. Gordon responded that the Playhouse is already struggling to meet the overhead of employee salaries and funding to keep the Playhouse open. State funding is relied on to meet the overhead amount to keep the Playhouse open.
Mayor Goss opened public comment.
Oliva O'Neil: spoke on the importance of the Playhouse in the community.
Leslie Ziff: spoke in her capacity of the Historical Society Co-President and stated the Playhouse has a historical background in the Community.
Rich Procter: spoke on the importance of having a place for the community to come together and enjoy a Performing Arts Center like the Playhouse.
Alex Bielanski: spoke on how the Playhouse has provided a positive outlet for people with Autism. The Playhouse has acted as a way to promote Autism awareness.
Alison Kalmus: spoke on her work in creating children's theater and mainstreaming programs to help children with special needs.
Momo Wu Inuye: spoke on how the Playhouse assisted her with public speaking and her development.
Appreciates the diversity and the representation of her Asian American Culture.
Sierra Madre City Council
Regular Meeting Minutes 10-25-2022
Robbie Zeidberg: spoke on her experiences working at the Playhouse and how she implements some of the practices from the Playhouse in her classrooms while teaching.
Anne Vaughn: spoke on memories spending time at the Playhouse and the impact it has made on her family.
Pamela Winters: read a letter on behalf of Fran Syverson who is a resident of Sierra Madre. The letter was submitted for public comment.
Estelle Campbell: spoke on her time as a volunteer at the Playhouse and how much she enjoyed it. She asked Council for consideration to approve the funding of the Playhouse.
Eileen Walker: spoke in her capacity as a Non-profit Leadership Consultant and a Board Member of the Sierra Madre Playhouse. She spoke in favor of the Playhouse and in favor of Sierra Madre becoming a supporter of the Playhouse.
Alex Novack, Syndicate owner: spoke on his support for the Playhouse.
Jeannette Ladya: spoke on the importance of the Playhouse from a Real Estate Agents perspective and how it can act as a staple of the community.
Seeing no one else come forward, Mayor Goss closed public comment.
City Clerk Aguilar advised that six e-mails had been received.
The Mayor brought the matter back to the Council for comments.
Council Member Arizmendi requested clarification on funding and what dollar amount the City would be granting. She requested more information on the City's projected Capital Projects.
Mayor Pro Tem Garcia is concerned of the funding and would like clarification on the funding amount and what account the funding would come from.
Council Member Kriebs requested information on possible ramifications of the Public Funding to the Playhouse.
Mayor Goss stated he is in support of funding the Playhouse and would like to propose an amount of $250,000.
Mayor Pro Tem Garcia would like information on what an appropriation will look like and the legalities.
FUTURE ITEMS:
Mayor Goss asked if any Council Member wished to add any items for future meetings.
Mayor Goss would like Staff to place the discussion of the City's funding of the Sierra Madre Playhouse on the agenda for the December 13, 2022 meeting.
Council Member Kriebs would like Staff to contact Assemblyman Holdon to gather information on appropriations.
Sierra Madre City Council
Regular Meeting Minutes 10-25-2022
ADJOURNMENT:
Mayor Goss asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Council Member Arizmendi made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Council Member Kriebs seconded the motion.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:52 p.m. to a Regular Meeting to be held on November 8, 2022.
Gene Goss, Mayor
Ember Tardr, Deplain Clerk
Reviewed by:
Latra Aguilar, City Clerk
Sierra Madre City Council
Regular Meeting Minutes 10-25-2022