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1997/11/04 City Council MinutesRohnert Park City Council and Rohnert Park Planning Commission Joint Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 4,1997 Closed Session - At approximtely 5:30 p.m. the City Council held a closed session to discuss an update on negotiations with the S.E.I.U. Local 707 Maintenance Workers. The Council directed the City Manager to proceed with negotiations. Work Session - General Plan Technical Update - At approximately 6:00 p.m. a work session commenced with the City Council and Planning Commission to discuss the General Plan Technical Update. Mayor Spiro and Chairman Militello called the meeting to order. Present: Councilmembers Flores, Mackenzie, Reilly, Vidak- Martinez, and Mayor Spiro. Planning Commissioners Kilat, Mochel, Nilson, Nordin and Chairman Militello Staff present for all or part of the meeting: Joseph Netter, City Manager; Carl Leivo, Assistant City Manager; Wendie Schulenburg, Planning and Community Development Director. Unscheduled Public Appearances: None Timetable for Incorporation of Community Summit Task Force Ideas and Preparation of General Plan Technical Update - City Manager Netter briefly commented on the process and turned over the details to Assistant City Manager Carl Leivo and Planning and Community Development Director Wendie Schulenburg. Assistant City Manager Leivo summarized the Summit follow -up elements and showed an overhead outlining some of the follow -up element items A through F. He indicated these items would be up for Planning Commission review and members of the public would have sufficient time to make comments and suggestions. He emphasized no changes would be made within the General Plan process until approved by the City Council. In addition, Mr. Leivo outlined the projected and estimated timetable for the Task Force completions and Summit report which is outlined in an additional handout This handout indicated a time period from November 1997 through final adoption projected to be in May 1998. City Council Comments - Time was allotted for Council comments regarding the information provided. General comments included the ongoing process with Task Forces to be passed on to the Planning Commission and the City Council. It was indicated that as the Task Forces complete their reports they would be used in the overall update process. RP City Council/Planning Commission November 4,1997 Commissioner Mochel was concerned with the process and indicated that it looked more like a thorough update of the General Plan rather than a Technical Update. Mayor Spiro commented that it seems there was sufficient citizen participation, which was good. She indicated that she would like to see as many items from the Summit be Included as long as they are received in a timely fashion. Councilmember Mackenzie commented on the Summit Report being completed by the end of November and felt that was a very tight timeline. Assistant City Manager Leivo indicated the David Hudson report would be finalized by that time which would include comments from the raw data and information received from the Summit David Hudson's report would be refined to include overall themes as derived from the Summit The Hudson report would include all interviews, visioning, Summit detail and ideas that could be implemented into the General Plan. In addition, Councilmember Mackenzie felt the final adoption of the General Plan in May 1998 seemed to be very optimistic and felt that a longer timeline would be more reasonable. Councilmember Flores commented that we have been working with the General Plan since 1991. He agreed that the Summit ideas invited a certain energy and creativity and would like to see comments incorporated in a meaningful way which gives sufficient time to do so in an order fashion but without undue time delays. Additional comments were made by members of the City Council and Planning Commission regarding certain timelines and how information would be filtered into the General Plan process. Councilmember Reilly also expressed concern about the timetable and felt the Task Forces reports should be completed and used as input regarding boundaries and other General Plan matters. Mayor Spiro indicated the Board of Supervisors has made it very clear that the City of Rohnert Park should have a real sphere of influence so that it can control itts own destiny. iarrud--i itVW mew see Rohnert PaH- inta =the ti eZC- " ARti the o jrwide= *CORRECTION ABOVE from 11/25/97 City Council meeting: Per Mayor Spiro (deletion lined out) Councilmember Reilly discussed the provisions of Measure N-as a temporary measure and indicated it outlined what the City can and cannot do. His guess was that if the Council did not come up with a plan for a 20 year boundary with a compromise plan, one may surface as an initiative. Discussion continued regarding timeline and boundary issues. RP City Council/Planning Commission November 4,1997 Motion: A motion was made by Councilmember Flores, seconded by Vice Mayor Vidak- Martinez, to approve the staff recommendations on a timetable as presented to final General Plan adoption, recognizing there are mitigations and other unknowns that may adjust the timetable. It was also agreed to include the Summit ideas that are received in a timely fashion. There was further discussion by Councilmembers including Councilmember Mackenzie's comment that he did not feel three months was sufficient to complete all the General Plan elements; Planning Commission Shawn Kilat commented she did not want to see quality sacrificed by pushing the time too quickly, and she felt a six month period would be more realistic. Assistant City Manager Leivo indicated the timetable was an estimate, mainly for staffs work, and that Housing Elements and other Elements would be subject to Planning Commission and City Council review and modification. Planning Commissioner Dave Mochel voiced concerns about the sequence of events and felt the cart is being put in front of the horse when looking at project alternatives before the results of the Summit. He indicated he did not want to see back - tracking by pushing things forward too aggressively. Mayor Spiro commented that schedules are just that sometimes schedules are met and sometimes they are not and it was a timeline goal to be met but certain things could happen that would either shorten or expand the timeline. Councilmember Reilly indicated that he would agree with the timelines of the motion if the ideas of the Summit were included, but if they weren't, then he would be voting "no." Councilmember Mackenzie stated he was still concerned about the timetable. He agreed with the ideas on page 2 of the 11 /4/97 memorandum but could not agree with the aggressive timetable. Vote on the Motion: There was a call for a vote on the motion, with the motion as stated above being approved on a 3 -2 vote, with Councilmembers Reilly and Mackenzie voting "no." There was further discussion regarding the Task Force ideas on the November 4th memorandum, with a motion by Councilmember Mackenzie, seconded by Councilmember Reilly, and unanimously approved, to include all of the tasks as listed on page 2, Summit Follow -Up Elements A through F, and the Task Forces prepared reports and recommendation process as submitted in a timely fashion to coordinate with the General Plan process. There was further discussion with Mayor Spiro offering to split the Task Force items of the Summit Follow - Up elements and the portion dealing with the Task Force reports. RP City CounciUPlanning Commission November 4,1997 Vice Mayor Vidak- Martinez informed she is on the Town Hall Task Force and indicated that certain overall goals could be listed in a schedule but the total program would go much longer and certain elements may hp nvnilahlP fnr the rPnPral Plan. Councilmember Reilly commented that he does not see a problem with Task Force reports holding up the process because if the Task Force reports are not prepared, then there would be nothing to review by the Planning Commission and/or City Council. Discussion ended on this topic. Selection of General Plan Project Alternatives for Environmental Review - Assistant City Manager Carl Leivo reviewed the staff report and identified the parameters, including the following: (1) Population; (2) Alternative Arens; and (3) Density. Mr. Leivo commented on ABAG's population growth rates and showed that Rohnert Park has the slowest growth rate of the nine incorporated cities. He also discussed density and boundary issues. There was extensive discussion on population rates and how they related to certain options as listed in the staff report It was the consensus of the Council to incude the following population alternatives: 0 percent; 1 percent; 1.5 percent; and 2 percent. The maximum annual growth rate to meet ABAG's projections would be 2 percent. Mr. Leivo indicated he had listed 2.5 percent only for Council's review. Mayor Spiro indicated she would like to look at the 2 percent to meet ABAG's requirements. Density - Assistant City Manager Leivo indicated that 7.8 units per acre was the average density in Rohnert Park. This includes single family and multi- family units. He indicated approximately 5.5 units per acre would result in a 1.5 percent population rate if boundaries were drawn from Stony Point to Petaluma Hill Road. Councilmember Flores indicated 8 units per acre is his preferrred alternative as shown in Alternative No. 2 listed in the staff report. Councilmember Reilly indicated he would like to see no residential units, but additional commercial and industrial acreage included. Assistant City Manager Leivo indicated that he could see Councilmember Reilly's alternative by looking at a do- nothing alternative, by adding more commercial and industrial acreage. 4 RP City CouncillPlanning Commission November 4,1997 Councilmember Mackenzie emphasized the use of higher urban open space within the City's boundaries. Planning Commissioner Dave Mochel discussed twelve units per acre as recommended by the Calthorpe Study. Mayor Spiro indicated that she did not want to increase the density average. Vice Mayor Vidak- Martinez requested an alternative to look at six units per acre. There was general discussion about Canon Manor being outside of Measure N but being in the City's sphere of influence. It was the overall consensus of the City Council to look at additional acreage for commercial and industrial space at 0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 acres. It was also the consensus to look at as low as six units per acre and keep the eight units per acre average and also look at the twelve units per acre alternative. Boundaries - There was general discussion on boundaries and how the density and population percentages would interrelate. Planning Commissioner Shawn Kilat indicated her preference would be a 1 percent population growth with the borders being Valley House Drive to Baumgardner Lane (south boundary of G section). Councilmember Flores stated boundaries he would like to see are Keiser, going south to Valley House and on the west side to the Gossage Channel. Commissioner Mochel indicated his east side alternative would be G section down to the Expressway, then down to Valley House Drive. On the west side, a line west of Millbrae to the channel south of Millbrae. Councilmember Mackenzie desired to see the County Urban Service Line with a 1 percent population model. It was the consensus of the City Councilmembers and Planning Commissioners to include a Stony Point Road to Petaluma Hill Road boundary alternative. Assistant City Manager Leivo indicated several of the options seemed to be similar and he would attempt to develop a matrix that would explain each recommended option as outlined above. There was also a brief discussion among the Council and Planning Commission members on open space, lower density versus upper scale housing, and higher density issues. RP City CounciUPlanning Commission November 4,1997 It was agreed by consensus that these different alternatives and matrixes as prepared by the Assistant City Manager would be brought forth to the Planning Commission and the City Councii bodies individually. *Correcti onMayor Linda Spiro indicated she was not feeling well and bad to leave the meeting and turn the gavel over @ 11/25/97to P_lae® 8_Ger issiee hair Ron itii o. € ttair+i#ite#lasked if there was any further City Councidiscussion on this matter. There was none. Vice Mayor Vi dak- Martinez . meeting Commission Chair Militello opened the Unscheduled Public Appearances section of the agenda. (1) Joi Lossee was acknowledged and indicated she was on the Infrastructure Summit Task Force. She stated she needs a cost study of the water, sewer, wastewater, and other infrastructure costs. She said they need certain information for their decision - making process. (2) Paul Baldocchi, a resident of Canon Manor, indicated he represents the Canon Manor property owners and he feels that Canon Manor should be taken care of between the City of Rohnert Park and the County before additional land is considered. He indicated that Canon Manor has major infrastructure problems and there is fear that due to the weather conditions of a possible El Nino that there may be major property damage due to Canon Manor not having proper sewer, water, and other infrastructure needs. (3) Linda Branscomb was acknowledged and requested copies of project alternatives and timelines as presented to the City Council and Planning Commission tonight. Adjournment - There being no further items to discuss, the joint meeting of the Planning Commission and City Council was adjourned at approximately 3:10 p.m. Mayor irman, Planning ommission JDN:Ir