Cerritos City Council Meeting Minutes
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CERRITOS
HELD OCTOBER 11, 2007
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Cerritos City Hall, 18125 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos, California.
INVOCATION
Pastor Bill Ebling of the First Baptist Church of Fullerton offered the invocation.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Boy Scout Troop 72 led the assembly in the salute to the flag.
ROLL CALL
The City Clerk noted attendance of the following Members of the City Council:
Councilman Bruce W. Barrows
Councilman Joseph Cho, Ph.D.
Councilman John F. Crawley
Mayor Pro Tem Jim Edwards (Excused absence)
Mayor Laura Lee
PRESENTATIONS
Proclamations were presented to: Winifred and Frederick McCabe in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary; Deputy Corey L. Morning for his excellence in community service; and Captain Daryl Evans and Cerritos Volunteers on Patrol in recognition of October 2007 as Crime Prevention Month.
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Merri Wheaton, Cerritos resident, offered a prayer.
Carol Chen, Cerritos resident, announced an electronic waste collection event on October 20, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the First Evangelical Church, 11330 East 166th Street.
Cindy Chen, Cerritos resident, announced on behalf of Cerritos Chinese School, an affiliate of the Chinese Cultural Association of California, an annual Carnival on October 27, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Artesia High School Campus.
Kimberly Thompson, parent of a Burbank Elementary School student, referenced a recent student pedestrian death at 178th Street and Gridley Road, expressing concern for students who cross at this intersection. She asked that the City look into installing a stop sign or traffic signal at this location.
CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS
Approval of Register of Demands
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Crawley and seconded by Councilman Barrows to approve the Register of Demands dated October 11, 2007, Checks 94118 through 94397, in the total amount of $7,031,297.98. The motion carried, with Mayor Pro Tem Edwards absent.
Approval of Minutes
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Crawley and seconded by Councilman Barrows to approve the Minutes of the September 27, 2007 Regular City Council Meeting. The motion carried, with Mayor Pro Tem Edwards absent.
The following item was taken out of order.
NEW AND OLD BUSINESS
Consideration of six-month review of Cerritos Dial-A-Ride policies.
Advance Planning/Redevelopment Manager Lopez provided an overview of Dial-A-Ride service in Cerritos as outlined in the staff report dated October 11, 2007.
Donald Izumihara, Cerritos resident, indicated that his son has been utilizing the services of the Dial-A-Ride program since 1996, noting that until 18 months ago he was able to make a reservation for the service to take him to and from school. He indicated that his son must now call each day for service at 8 a.m. and oftentimes the timeframes he needs are booked when he calls. Mr. Izumihara also observed that frequently there are only one or two riders on the Dial-A-Ride buses and suggested the City obtain smaller buses to better accommodate ridership patterns.
Loretta Romash, Cerritos resident, opined that it is not possible to get a reservation unless riders call early in the morning two days prior to the appointment. She suggested provisions be made for emergency situations.
Rao Kasarabada, Cerritos resident, reiterated that calls for reservations must be made early to be able to book a reservation. He suggested increasing the number of riders per trip and that the program should accommodate rider pick-ups on demand.
Nenette Vergara, Cerritos resident, thanked the City for the Dial-A-Ride program. She expressed frustration, indicating that although she calls for a reservation at the designated time, she is unable to secure a reservation because the program is booked and she is required to rely on taxis. Ms. Vergara suggested modifying the system to accommodate more than one rider; penalize those who cancel late; institute a waiting list; and provide more people to answer telephones.
Carmen Hernandez, representing MV Transportation, noted that there are 40 to 50 service pick-ups per day; passengers can call as early as 48 hours in advance for appointments; there is a standing reservation for Cerritos residents/students who attend a Cypress College program for challenged individuals; the buses can accommodate up to 7 riders at a time; and Cerritos Dial-A-Ride is for Cerritos residents only.
During ensuing discussion it was pointed out that three of the hospitals that are frequented by riders are beyond the Tier 2 service area and that the amount of time to travel to and from these hospitals is time that the buses are out of service for other calls. It was also noted that there are currently three Dial-A-Ride buses and that an increase in buses or service levels would require Council direction; some cities offer taxi services, sometimes on a subsidized basis; riders are allowed two standing appointments per month, with other reservations allowed no sooner than 48 hours prior to pick-up; the Cypress College service is a separate standing service component not requiring the 48-hour window; appointments can be made for other than medical reasons; staff closely monitors the service; other cities typically remain within municipal boundaries; and no written warnings have been issued for late cancellations.
Following discussion additional information was requested from staff, including: the number of requests for service that are turned-away; the number of per-day bookings; the number of riders requiring wheelchair accessibility; possible improvements to telephone reservations service; and alternatives to improve the efficiency of the current 2.33 passengers per vehicle service hour, including options related to the Tier 2 service and beyond, use of taxis, use of local pharmacies when possible, grouping of user appointment times; and the possibility of subsidies from other organizations, governmental entities, rider fees, or general fund.
MOTION: It was then moved by Mayor Lee and seconded by Councilman Cho to direct staff to report back in six months with more accurate Dial-A-Ride Program information as noted this evening. The motion carried, with Mayor Pro Tem Edwards absent.
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Cho and seconded by Councilman Crawley to receive and file the staff report dated October 11, 2007 regarding the six-month review of Cerritos Dial-A-Ride policies. The motion carried, with Mayor Pro Tem Edwards absent.
The regular order of the agenda resumed at this juncture.
Consideration and review of Cerritos Iron-Wood Nine Golf Course green fees.
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Crawley and seconded by Councilman Cho to concur with the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Commission to increase Cerritos Iron-Wood Nine Golf Course green fees in the weekday and weekend/holiday resident and non-resident categories, effective January 1, 2008, as follows:
| Category | Current | Proposed | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | |||
| Resident | $7.50 | $8.00 | $.50 |
| Non-resident | $9.50 | $10.00 | $.50 |
| Weekends/Holidays | |||
| Residents | $8.50 | $9.00 | $.50 |
| Non-resident | $10.50 | $11.00 | $.50 |
The motion carried, with Mayor Pro Tem Edwards absent.
Consideration and review of contract extension with JJ's Café as food and beverage concessionaire for the Cerritos Iron-Wood Nine Golf Course.
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Crawley and seconded by Councilman Barrows to extend the concessionaire contract for the Cerritos Iron-Wood Nine Golf Course to Anthony and Jun Ji Thomas (JJ's Café) for a period of one year beginning March 11, 2007. The motion carried, with Mayor Pro Tem Edwards absent.
It was noted that staff would report back at the end of the contract on applicable increases in utilities and trash services costs.
Consideration and review of hourly fee rental policy for athletic field usage.
MOTION FAILS: Following discussion, it was moved by Councilman Barrows and seconded by Councilman Crawley to approve the staff recommendation, but to delete the charge for City youth teams that have a high percentage of City residents. The motion failed with Mayor Lee and Councilman Cho dissenting, and Mayor Pro Tem Edwards absent.
Hearing no objections, staff was directed to place the matter of hourly fee rental policy for athletic field usage on the November 19, 2007 City Council agenda.
Consideration and review of an artistic enhancement to the project to be located on the northwest corner of Gridley Road and South Street (11355 South Street) for CB Richard Ellis on behalf of Comerica Bank, in accordance with Chapter 22.94 of the Cerritos Municipal Code as it relates to the Art in Public Places Program (APN 7038-014-009).
The Mayor invited representatives from CB Richard Ellis and/or Comerica Bank to offer testimony regarding this matter. There was no response.
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Barrows and seconded by Councilman Crawley to concur with the findings of the Fine Arts and Historical Commission and to reject the proposal submitted by CB Richard Ellis on behalf of Comerica Bank on the basis that it does not meet the definition of "art work" as provided in Section 22.94.020(a) of the Cerritos Municipal Code, and to require payment of the Art in Public Places fee in the amount of $8,500 be placed in the trust fund. The motion carried, with Mayor Lee dissenting and Mayor Pro Tem Edwards absent.
Consideration of possible re-scheduling of the October 25, 2007 Regular City Council/Redevelopment Agency Meeting.
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Crawley and seconded by Councilman Cho to conduct the October 25, 2007 City Council meeting as a regularly scheduled meeting, and not re-schedule this meeting. The motion carried, with Mayor Pro Tem Edwards absent.
CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS/COMMITTEE REPORTS/REPORT ON MEETINGS
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Cho and seconded by Councilman Barrows to direct staff to report back to the City Council in November regarding the Lunar New Year's Day celebration. The motion carried, with Mayor Pro Tem Edwards absent.
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Cho and seconded by Councilman Barrows to direct staff to report back to the City Council in six months regarding a policy/guidelines for City funding to non-profit organizations and private institutions.
Mayor Lee congratulated the United States Marine Corps 1st Combat Engineer Battalion (1st CEB) for achieving its 501(c)(3) status, noting that plans are in process for the formal adoption ceremony of the 1st CEB by the City; thanked those who participated in donating and assembling deployment packs; and announced a 1st CEB car wash on October 27 at the Los Cerritos Shopping Center former Todai restaurant site.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the City Council, the meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.
/s/ Josephine Triggs
Josephine Triggs, City Clerk
ATTEST:
/s/ Jim Edwards
Jim Edwards, Mayor Pro Tem
Approved: October 25, 2007
