CITY OF LA HABRA HEIGHTS
MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE LA HABRA HEIGHTS
CITY COUNCIL
OPENING CEREMONIES
1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
Mayor Stan Carroll called the Special Meeting of the La Habra Heights City Council to order at 7:00 p. m. at the Community Center, 1245 N. Hacienda Road, La Habra Heights, California.
2. ROLL CALL
Those present: Mayor Stan Carroll, Mayor Pro Tem Ed Borrowe, Councilmember Bruce Douglas, Councilmember Fred Klein and Councilmember Tela Millsap. Also present City Manager John Hendrickson, Interim Community Development Director Sandra Massa-Lavitt, Deputy City Engineer Pat Lang, City Attorney Michael Colantuono and Consultant Marc Blodgett.
3. FLAG SALUTE
Pat Lang led the flag salute.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON MATTERS ON THE AGENDA
Mr. Hendrickson stated the first paid fire chief of La Habra Heights had passed away.
Ray Fernandez, Skyline Drive – stated opposed to the whole document for three reasons; to slanted to new development; to subjective; hurts property values; we need to focus our effort to make this a better City.
PUBLIC HEARINGS – OLD BUSINES
4. 2004 STREET IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM
Mr. Lang stated staff was asking approvals and authorizations to advertise for 2004 Street Improvements Program. Total cost not to exceed $975,000.00; stated it includes all the streets on the west side of the City; combination of two inch overlays and slurry seals; plan specifications are approximately 90% complete; the total package will be complete by the 26th of February; asked the City Council to start advertising for bids to lock in the dates for the bids; once the bids are complete staff will be coming back to the Council for approval of the bids.
Mayor Carroll stated he had received a call from Les Williamson stating that he didnÕt think the project was ready to go to bid.
Mr. Lang stated the project is 90% complete and they are not going to bid until they have a complete package; they are just asking for approval to go to bid as soon as the package is complete; that way they wonÕt be delayed another month.
John Smith, Shawnana Lane – stated had reviewed the plans and the plans look great; asked about petromat; wants you put a paving fabric on a street you cannot come back and grind it up; it is not recyclable; petromat has to be taken to a pay dump; look toward the future; grindings can be recycled petromat cannot; suggested put an alternate in the bid, so you can use it if you need to do so; very few Cities are using petromat.
Councilmember Klein moved to go forward with the project with an alternate to the petromat. Seconded by Councilmember Douglas. Vote 5-0
PUBLIC HEARINGS
5. CONTINUE COUNCIL DISCUSSION REGARDING THE GENERAL PLAN
Katie Martin, Reposado – stated she wanted to touch base with the cost of implementation; questioned the actively pursuing the acquisition of open space; combine this policy with policy 20 where your looking for grant money it might set the community at ease; reviewed Mr. BorroweÕs suggested policies and she is not in favor of any of them.
Rick Martin, Reposado - stated the GPAC Survey is 2 ½ years old; it was taken before the actions of this council; if you want an accurate survey send it out again to see where the Community is today after your actions; asked the Council to be consistent and not to build in conflicts.
John Beau, Casalero – asked to address Mr. BorroweÕs new policies; opposed including the survey; the General Plan already includes the goals.
Mr. Blodgett stated the Matrix indicating a relationship between the General Plan Policies and the General Plan Goals was completed; copies of the Goals and Policies Matrix has been completed; he also provided a handout that was an example of how the policies can be used to identify key issues (Zoning Development Standards/General Plan Implementation Matrix); this matrix is the starting point of development of the Zoning Ordinance and other development standards; staff forwarded to the Council the draft of the Land Use Element to ensure all the corrections had been made correctly; he has been working on incorporating the corollary into the implementation plan; staff has been working on the maps.
Councilmember Douglas to provide staff with his notes on the changes to the maps.
Land Use Element Page 2-11 second paragraph Councilmember Douglas expressed a concern regarding second units.
Mr. Colantuono suggested amending the policy to read ÒÉand other environmental and infrastructure constraints developmentÓ.
Councilmember Douglas moved to accept Mr. ColantuonoÕs suggestion. Seconded by Councilmember Klein. Vote 5-0
Land Use Policy 49
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe moved to add to the policy ÒÉstreet lights and signal lights.Ó Motion died for lack of a second.
The Council then discussed Mayor Pro Tem BorroweÕs suggested changes.
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe moved to have the following policy added, ÒLandscaping shall be established and maintained to support rural community character privacy and neighborÕs view preservation.Ó Motion seconded by Councilmember Douglas. Vote 1-4 Carroll, Douglas, Klein and Millsap.
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe moved to include the General Plan Advisory Committee Survey as an appendix to the General Plan. Seconded by Councilmember Douglas. Vote 1-4 Carroll, Douglas, Klein and Millsap.
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe moved to add a current code to the General Plan. ÒAn application approved by any review body must be found to be consistent with the objectives, policies, general land uses and programs of La Habra Heights General Plan and the General Plan Goals.Ó
Seconded by Councilmember Douglas.
Mr. Colantuono stated you just need to put the word goals in front of the word objectives in the ordinance; didnÕt think it was harmful, whether you add the word or not it is required and Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe is right we rarely site the General Plan; there is no advantage or disadvantage to adding the word, it just makes it clearer; what you are clarifying is an ordinance not the General Plan; therefore you would need to do this as a direction to your staff in a minute action or as you did with Land Use 6.
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe amended his motion to insert the word goals before objectives. Councilmember Klein seconded the motion.
Mr. Colantuono stated it belongs in the Zoning Ordinance; stated he will include this in the Implementation Resolution.
Vote 4-1 Carroll.
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe moved to change Goal 3 to read ÒÉdistant lights, distant city lights, oceans, canyons, valleys and hills.Ó Seconded by Councilmember Douglas. Vote 1-4 Carroll, Douglas, Klein and Millsap.
Implementation Plan
Mr. Blodgett felt staff was up to date with all the changes that have been made, he will recheck.
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe stated he was not prepared to discuss Implementation; asked to have it put off to the next meeting.
Mr. Hendrickson stated we need to see the whole package together.
Mayor Carroll asked the Council if they were through looking at the General Plan Policies.
Mr. Blodgett stated staff could prepare and present a full package within the week; he will get together with Councilmember Douglas regarding the final changes to the maps and youÕll see the complete document; he felt everything could be finished by the next meeting scheduled in two weeks (March 4, 2004) and then the Council could take final action at their regularly scheduled meeting (March 11, 2004) in three weeks.
Mr. Hendrickson stated he wanted to see a package that consisted of Land Use Element (dated this week), January 19th document (cleaned up version of all of the rest of the elements), January 9th Implementation Plan and Table 4-2, along with the changes that were made today, and the maps. This will be the final draft document. This could be adopted on March 4, 2004.
Mr. Colantuono stated that if the Council is considering adoption of the final document on March 11, 2004 then the FEIR needs to be in circulation on March 1, 2004.
Mr. Blodgett stated the entire General Plan document would be at City Hall on Wednesday February 25, 2004. The final EIR would be to City Hall by February 27, 2004.
Mr. Colantuono stated the deadline dates are February 25th for release of the final General Plan revisions along with the Implementation Plan document, February 27th for release of the final EIR, March 4, 2004 meeting will be for further discussion, and the City Council plans to adopt the General Plan on March 11, 2004.
Mr. Blodgett stated the EIR has been circulated twice.
Mr. Colantuono stated it was important to comment on the remaining opportunities for the public to comment; he stated there is time this evening and there will be opportunity on March 4, 2004; on March 11, 2004 there will be public comment at the beginning of the item and then the Council will close that hearing for public comment unless the Council chooses not to adopt the Plan on March 11th.
CONTINUED PUBLIC COMMENTS ON MATTERS ON THE AGENDA
John Beau, Casalero – stated on Page 2-2 left hand column, Goal 7 and it states what it is, felt we should add Goal 3 to that because Policy 10 directly supports Goal 3.
Rick Martin, Reposado – spoke regarding Mayor Pro Tem BorroweÕs statements.
Mayor Carroll asked Mr. Martin to direct his comments to the General Plan.
Mr. Martin felt the Council should ensure that their homes are in compliance with the Dark SkyÕs Policy.
Ray Fernandez, Skyline Drive – spoke regarding second units; felt our restrictions are a smoke screen; this is a great example of where the City will get into legal trouble; didnÕt need to have the City determine when he has to turn his lights off.
Nina Guerini, Le Flore Drive – felt we have more horses than bicyclists; encouraging bicyclists to come into the City brings outsiders in; bicyclists are a danger.
Mr. Colantuono stated many houses in the Heights have been retrofitted to accommodate parents; second units have been illegal in our City since before the incorporation of the City; State law allows prohibiting them if you can make the findings; we are not ignoring State law we are using authority the State has given us; stated a Dark SkyÕs Policy typically is designed to eliminate unnecessary outdoor lighting and require outdoor lighting that is necessary to be no brighter than is needed and to be shielded so the light goes where it is needed.
ADJOURNMENT
Councilmember Klein moved at 10:00 p.m. to adjourn this special meeting to the special meeting of March 4, 2004, closed session at 6:30 regular meeting at 7:00. Councilmember Millsap seconded the motion. Vote: All Ayes.
ATTEST: