Cerritos City Council Meeting Minutes
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CERRITOS
HELD MARCH 25, 2010
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
Councilman Jim Edwards offered the invocation.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Junior Girl Scout Troop 493 led the assembly in the salute to the flag.
ROLL CALL
The following Members of the City Council were in attendance:
Councilman Bruce Barrows
Councilwoman Carol Chen
Councilman Jim Edwards
Mayor Pro Tem Laura Lee
Mayor Joseph Cho, Ph.D.
PRESENTATIONS
Proclamations were presented to Junior Girl Scout Troop 493 in recognition of the Girl Scouts 98th birthday; Mel Shin in recognition of achieving the rank of Eagle Scout; Philippine U.S. Veteran's Association in recognition of March 30, 2010 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day; and Cerritos Student Government Day participants. Junior Girl Scout Troop 493 also presented Girl Scout cookies to the City Council; and the Award of Excellence the City received from the California Parks and Recreation Society was presented to the City Council by Members of the Parks and Recreation Commission.
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Laurie Forward, Cerritos resident, referenced the City of Downey Military Banner Program, which supports, recognizes and expresses appreciation for Downey residents who are currently active in the U.S. Military serving overseas or who have given their lives in service overseas during the most recent military actions. She suggested a similar program for the City of Cerritos.
CONSENSUS: It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to look at a military banner program similar to the City of Downey.
Ram Kakkar, Cerritos resident, suggested the library book drop area be reconfigured to better serve residents.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Approval of Register of Demands
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Barrows and seconded by Councilman Edwards to approve the Register of Demands dated March 25, 2010, Checks 115171 through 115560, in the total amount of $5,946,372.90. The motion carried unanimously.
Approval of Minutes
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Barrows and seconded by Councilman Edwards to approve the Minutes of the Joint Special Meetings of March 4, 2010 and March 10, 2010 and the Regular Meeting of March 11, 2010, as corrected. The motion carried unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING
Consideration to waive reading of and adopt A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL AND CERRITOS REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MAKING FINDINGS PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 33433 REGARDING THE LEASE BY LOU SOBH CERRITOS SATURN, INCORPORATED, DBA KIA OF CERRITOS, OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 18201 STUDEBAKER ROAD IN THE LOS CERRITOS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A LEASE FOR SAID PROPERTY (APN 7034-017-031).
(Recommendation to postpone the public hearing indefinitely and direct staff to re-notice the item at a later date as appropriate.)
MOTION: It was moved by Councilwoman Chen and seconded by Councilman Edwards to postpone indefinitely the public hearing to consider a joint resolution entitled A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL AND CERRITOS REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MAKING FINDINGS PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 33433 REGARDING THE LEASE BY LOU SOBH CERRITOS SATURN, INCORPORATED, DBA KIA OF CERRITOS, OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 18201 STUDEBAKER ROAD IN THE LOS CERRITOS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A LEASE FOR SAID PROPERTY (APN 7034-017-031), and direct staff to re-notice the item at a later date as appropriate. The motion carried unanimously.
PENDING LEGAL MATTER
Consideration to waive reading of and adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CERRITOS DETERMINING THAT THE PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY WOULD BE SERVED BY THE ISSUANCE OF AN OFF-SALE BEER AND WINE LICENSE FOR A CONVENIENCE SERVICE STATION OWNED BY UNITED OIL AND LOCATED AT 17255 BLOOMFIELD AVENUE, CERRITOS, CA 90703 (APN 7025-001-005).
Following presentation of the staff report, discussion ensued regarding the proposal and it was noted that on-premises consumption of alcohol sold at convenience service stations is prohibited; this request is site specific; and the sale of alcohol at this location is limited to the hours between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
MOTION: It was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Lee and seconded by Councilman Edwards to waive reading of and adopt Resolution No. 2010-2 entitled A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CERRITOS DETERMINING THAT THE PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY WOULD BE SERVED BY THE ISSUANCE OF AN OFF-SALE BEER AND WINE LICENSE FOR A CONVENIENCE SERVICE STATION OWNED BY UNITED OIL AND LOCATED AT 17255 BLOOMFIELD AVENUE, CERRITOS, CA 90703 (APN 7025-001-005). The motion carried, with Councilman Barrows dissenting.
NEW AND OLD BUSINESS
Consideration and Award of Bid No. 1099-11, Printing of the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts 2010-2011 Season Brochures.
MOTION: It was moved by Councilwoman Chen and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Lee to award Bid No. 1099-11 for the printing of the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts 2010-2011 Season Brochures and 2,000 additional order forms to Penn in the amount of $196,983.15. The motion carried unanimously.
Consideration of a request by applicant Satya Pal Jandial for an additional
18-month time extension to Precise Plan 2008-12 and an additional 12-month time extension to Tentative Parcel Map 70675. The proposed project includes the demolition of the existing buildings located at 18810 Pioneer Boulevard and the construction of a new shopping center consisting of two, two-story commercial buildings and a two-level parking structure. The subject property is zoned Community Commercial, CC, and is located in the Los Coyotes Redevelopment Project Area (APN 7040-024-012).
In response to Council inquiry, it was noted that an additional time extension beyond the current request would be possible for the precise plan application, but state law would prohibit a similar extension for the tentative parcel map.
Parimal Shah, representing the applicant, indicated that in light of the difficult economic climate the applicant is making every effort to secure financing for this project. He added that there are interested tenants and if financing is secured the applicant is prepared to move quickly to complete the project, noting that possible modifications to the plan could be considered if necessary.
MOTION: It was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Lee and seconded by Councilman Edwards to approve an additional 18-month time extension to Precise Plan 2008-12, from April 23, 2010 to October 23, 2011, and an additional 12-month time extension to Tentative Parcel Map 70675, from October 23, 2010 to October 23, 2011, making the findings set forth in the Cerritos Planning Commission Resolution No. PC 2010-7. The motion carried unanimously.
Consideration of a report on mass communications systems for delivery of City of Cerritos information via text messages and e-mail messages.
Following the staff report a brief discussion was held regarding the possibility of the vendor providing its privacy policy in writing; a suggestion for a 30-day trial period; and the positive feedback from other cities utilizing the service.
Ram Kakkar, Cerritos resident, commented that resident information should be safeguarded and protected and that texting or e-mailing of Councilmembers during meetings should be prohibited, particularly with regard to lobbyist communications.
It was noted that the system being considered is for mass communication to residents regarding matters of general interest or concern and is not intended to accommodate messages to or from individual Councilmembers.
Ken Cha, Cerritos resident, suggested the City Council defer this matter to research the use of more cost effective communications services like Twitter, possibly negotiate a lower cost for the product, consider the fiscal ramifications of the long-term maintenance fee, determine what the maintenance fee is based upon, consider the potential dismantling of the AT&T e-mail service with the implementation of this new product, and compare this proposed system with other similar systems, particularly with regard to back-up security assurances.
Additional discussion was held regarding the sharing of information with outside vendors for technical support and administration of the system; the difficulty in estimating the number of Cerritos residents that would likely utilize the service; examples of information that would be distributed via the system; provision of the information in both e-mail and text applications; the system being set-up such that the information contained in the system would not be a public record; and confirmation that the budget could sustain the expenditure for the system at this time and that the system could track frequency of use statistics. It was also suggested that the City have a presence on Facebook and staff confirmed that the opt-out provision of the contract is reasonable.
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Barrows and seconded by Councilman Edwards to direct staff to implement the GovDelivery service with an expenditure of $6,025 for the system set up and an ongoing monthly fee of $587 in Fiscal Year 2010-2011, as outlined in the staff report dated March 25, 2010. The motion carried unanimously.
CONSIDERATION OF CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Barrows and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Lee to confirm the following City Council Committee Assignments for 2010-2011:
| Standing Committees (Subject to the Brown Act) |
Councilmember | |
|---|---|---|
| ABC Unified School District—Liaison | 1. Laura Lee 2. Jim Edwards |
|
| Budget/Finance | 1. Joseph Cho, Chair 2. Laura Lee |
|
| Performing Arts | 1. Bruce Barrows 2. Carol Chen 3. Joseph Cho 4. Jim Edwards 5. Laura Lee |
|
| Personnel | 1. Joseph Cho, Chair 2. Bruce Barrows |
|
| One-Member Standing Committees (not subject to Brown Act requirements) |
Councilmember | |
| Auto Mall | Bruce Barrows | |
| Business and Industry | Laura Lee | |
| Cerritos Community College–Liaison | Laura Lee | |
| Chamber of Commerce–Liaison | Jim Edwards | |
| County Health Department/Health Insurance | Carol Chen | |
| Legislative | Bruce Barrows | |
| Library | Carol Chen | |
| Parks and Recreation | Jim Edwards | |
| Senior Services/Senior Center | Laura Lee | |
| Other Organizations | Councilmember | Alternate |
| California Contract Cities Association | Jim Edwards | Carol Chen |
| California Joint Powers Insurance Authority | Carol Chen | Jim Edwards |
| City Selection Committee/ Metropolitan Transportation Authority | Joseph Cho | Bruce Barrows |
| Gateway Cities Council of Governments | Bruce Barrows | Joseph Cho |
| Gateway Cities Council of Governments–91/605 Corridor Cities Committee | Laura Lee | Joseph Cho |
| League of California Cities | Bruce Barrows | Carol Chen |
| Orangeline Development Authority | Bruce Barrows | Carol Chen |
| Sanitation Districts 2, 3, 18 & 19/Waste Management | Joseph Cho | Laura Lee (1) Bruce Barrows (2) Carol Chen (3) Jim Edwards (4) |
| Southeast Water Coalition | Jim Edwards | Laura Lee |
| Workforce Investment Board–Policy Board | Laura Lee | Jim Edwards |
| Staff Committees | City Representative | |
| California Joint Powers Insurance Authority | Art Gallucci, City Manager, Alternate Denise Manoogian, Administrative Services Director, Alternate |
|
| Central Basin Water District | Charlie Emig, Water Superintendent | |
| Gateway Cities Council of Governments–91/605 Corridor Cities Committee | Art Gallucci, City Manager | |
| Youth/Juvenile Diversion | Greg Berg, Community & Safety Services Dir. | |
The foregoing motion carried unanimously.
CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATE/TEMPORARY ALTERNATE MEMBERS TO THE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICTS 2, 3, 18 AND 19
MOTION: It was moved by Councilman Barrows and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Lee to appoint Mayor Pro Tem Lee as the Alternate to the County Sanitation Districts 2, 3, 18 and 19, with Councilman Barrows as the first Temporary Alternate, Councilwoman Chen as the second Temporary Alternate, and Councilman Edwards as the third Temporary Alternate. The motion carried unanimously.
PENDING LEGISLATION
Information was provided by staff regarding incorrect address information on census forms and discussion ensued regarding methods in which to correct this information to prevent undercounting or incorrect counting of City residents.
CONSENSUS: It was the consensus of the City Council to direct the City Attorney to provide a memorandum to the City Council with regard to the procedure for a city to challenge the Census Bureau's estimates for population.
CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS/COMMITTEE REPORTS/REPORT ON MEETINGS
CONSENSUS: It was the consensus of the City Council to appoint Councilman Barrows as a committee to assemble the Protocol Manual.
Councilman Barrows reported on his attendance at the National League of Cities Conference in Washington, D.C.
Councilwoman Chen reported on her attendance at the National League of Cities Conference in Washington, D.C., Youth Basketball Awards Night, Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day Opening Ceremonies at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, and fundraising event for the Heaters girls softball team at Chick-fil-A. She suggested Dr. David DeKriek as a recipient of the Good Neighbor Program for his efforts to assist a senior Cerritos resident to correct Code Enforcement issues.
Councilman Edwards reported on his attendance at the National League of Cities Conference in Washington, D.C., Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day Opening Ceremonies at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, and the Youth Basketball Awards Night. He asked that the meeting be adjourned in memory of Cerritos resident Ryan Mark Tiedeman, who recently passed away.
Mayor Pro Tem Lee reported on her attendance at the Youth Basketball Awards Night and read an e-mail from a resident commending the City's youth recreation programs. She noted the upcoming Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day event on March 28 at California High School Stadium in Whittier, and suggested re-visiting the matter of synthetic grass as a landscaping material in residential front yards. Discussion ensued regarding the synthetic grass suggestion and consensus was not reached to re-visiting this issue at this time.
Mayor Cho reported on his attendance at the National League of Cities Conference in Washington, D.C., Meritorious Marine proclamation presentation ceremony, Chinese Annual Spring Festival Royal Fashion Show, Youth Basketball Awards Night, Assemblyman Tony Mendoza's State Budget Briefing, Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day Opening Ceremonies at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, and the Small Business Seminar hosted by Congresswoman Linda Sanchez. He announced that he had completed a full marathon on March 21 at the 2010 Honda Los Angeles Marathon in 5 hours 15 minutes.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. in memory of Cerritos resident Ryan Mark Tiedeman, who recently passed away.
/s/Josephine Triggs
ATTEST: Josephine Triggs, City Clerk
/s/Joseph Cho
Joseph Cho, Ph.D., Mayor
Approved: April 8, 2010
