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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2021-01-27 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Cathedral City Study Session Wednesday, January 27, 2021 3:00 PM City Council Chambers 68-700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero Cathedral City, CA 92234 • CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 3:00 PM by Mayor Raymond Gregory. • ROLL CALL Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Raymond Gregory Mayor Remote Ernesto Gutierrez Mayor Pro Tem Remote Mark Carnevale Councilmember Remote Rita Lamb Councilmember Remote Nancy Ross Councilmember Remote • AGENDA FINALIZATION 1. CLOSED SESSION City Attorney Eric Vail announced that the City Council will meet in Closed Session to discuss the following items listed on the Agenda. A. Conference with Legal Counsel - Anticipated Litigation Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2). Number of Potential Cases: One The City Council recessed into Closed Session at 3:00 pm. The City Council reconvened at 3:30 pm. City Attorney Eric Vail announced that the City Council met in Closed Session to discuss item 1A. Conference with Legal Counsel for one case of anticipated litigation, there was no reportable action taken. STATEMENT OF PARTICIPATION 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. STUDY SESSION A. Lift to Rise Presentation on "We Will Lift: Regional Pledge for Housing and Opportunity" Recommendation: This item is presented for information, discussion and direction only. Heather Vaikona, President and CEO of Lift to Rise, introduced Deputy Director Araceli Palafox and Regional Affordable Housing Planner Taylor Libolt Varner. They provided an overview of their "We Will Lift: Regional Pledge for Housing and Opportunity"program. Lift to Rise is seeking a pledge from local jurisdictions and local partners in an effort that will strengthen this regional effort by showing the strength and depth of the region's coordination. They requested that the City Council put forth a Resolution in support of their efforts. It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to prepare a Resolution to pledge their support of the "We Will Rise: Regional Pledge for Housing and Opportunity"for consideration at the next scheduled meeting. B. MARK 43 CAD/RMS Implementation Update Recommendation: This item is presented for information, discussion and direction only. Police Chief George Crum introduced Consultant Paul Herrera. They provided an update on the implementation of the Mark43 CAD/RMS system. Mayor Pro Tem Ernesto Gutierrez questioned why the City opted to change from Cyrun to the Mark43 software. He also expressed his concern with the limitations of Mark43, the data migrating process, ease of access for officers and the District Attorney's Office, and the information provided compared to what he has heard from other sources. I Mr. Herrera provided a brief overview of the reasoning behind making the change to this new software. He further explained the data migration process, the data validation process by employees and the hurtles with ease of access with any new software. City Manager Charles McClendon provided further clarification as to why the City elected to change from Cyrun to Mark43, noting that all agencies in the area have opted to make a change and that the entire industry is moving to cloud based systems. I Mayor Pro Tem Ernesto Gutierrez inquired if this software is found to be inefficient, is there an exit clause in the contract. Police Chief Crum responded in the negative. City Attorney Eric Vail advised the Council that the lack of an out clause was known and an issue when this contract came before the Council for approval. He Cathedral City Page 2 Printed on 2/04/2021 indicated that at the time the vendor requested the no out clause as they wanted to do the complete multi-year installation and migration process. Councilmember Mark Carnevale thanked Mayor Pro Tem Gutierrez for his research and for expressing his concerns. He stated that he understands the frustration with the implementation of new software, and had we known then what we know now Council's decision may have been different, however, we are in this contract with no exit clause for now and feels that we need to move forward with the implementation. He thanked Mr. Herrera for his hard work on the implementation process. He requested clarification on the costs moving forward. Mr. Herrera provided an overview of the future costs associated with the program. Councilmember Rita Lamb stated that she understands the frustration around the implementation process. She also concurs that the City is under contract and should move forward with the implementation. She requested clarification on page 53 of the agenda packet where it states the interoperability through Cyrun's client-base will no longer exist and the availability of the data clearinghouse that is maintained by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, which can be accessed by local agencies. She further questioned if this would create any obstacles for officers. Mr. Herrera provided clarification and noted that the only obstacle for officers will be a time lag in interoperability with Riverside Sheriff handling the data clearinghouse. Mayor Raymond Gregory expressed his concern with the CLETS application, which is still pending approval, and inquired on the timeframe for receiving approval. Chief Crum responded that the CLETS application is still pending Department of Justice approval and he made the decision not to launch the CAD/RMS setting without their approval. He anticipates that the City should have approval by March 1, 2021. Mayor Raymond Gregory stated that he appreciates Mayor Pro Tem's concerns. He further stated that although the City Council may not have known all the information at the time of approval, nor could they foresee the future, the City Council ultimately made the decision to approve this contract and he feels they need to own that. He expressed his concern with information provided to City Council not being accurate. He feels this is a good lesson for the Council moving forward. City Attorney Eric Vail advised the City Council that if there are concerns, he can review the contract and explore if the vendor has fulfilled their requirements as stated in the contract. If it is found that the vendor is not performing as represented, that would give the City the ability to possibly negotiate. Cathedral City Page 3 Printed on 2/04/2021 It was the consensus of the City Council to direct the City Attorney to review the contract and report back. C. Update on Cathedral City Community Amphitheater Construction Recommendation: To update the city council on the latest construction projects to be completed at the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater. This item will be heard during the Regular Meeting. D. Potential Master Undergrounding Plan (MUP) Project on East Palm Canyon Drive near at west City Limits Recommendation: This item is presented for information, discussion and direction only. This item will be heard during the Regular Meeting. ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned by Mayor Raymond Gregory at 5:23 p.m. 1 ►,��i� �11{� ilL�'t� �' i� t,ts �e/L M.n 1 , City o :t drat City City Clerlt City of Cathedral Ci 1 1 4 Cathedral City Page 4 Printed on 2/04/2021 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Cathedral City Regular Meeting Wednesday, January 27, 2021 5:30 PM City Council Chambers 68-700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero Cathedral City, CA 92234 • CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM by Mayor Raymond Gregory. • PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Councilmember Rita Lamb led the Pledge of Allegiance. • INVOCATION (MOMENT OF REFLECTION) Councilmember Mark Carnevale offered the Invocation. • ROLL CALL Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Raymond Gregory Mayor Remote Ernesto Gutierrez Mayor Pro Tern Remote Mark Carnevale Councilmember Remote Rita Lamb Councilmember Remote Nancy Ross Councilmember Remote • AGENDA FINALIZATION Mayor Raymond Gregory announced that the City Council did not complete item 3C. Update on Cathedral City Community Amphitheater Construction, and item 38. Potential Master Undergrounding Plan (MUP) Project on East Palm Canyon Drive during the Study Session portion of the meeting. These items will be heard during the Regular meeting at the end of the Legislative Actions. • STATEMENT OF PARTICIPATION BY THE CITY CLERK 1. PUBLIC COMMENT There were no members of the Public that wished to address the City Council. 2. COUNCIL REPORTS Councilmember Nancy Ross reported that she attended the Environmental and Energy Resources Commission Meeting, City Hall at Your Corner, and with John Rivera of the Historic Preservation Commission. She along with Stone James met with a Developer to discuss the development of the old SAM's Club building. She noted that the new Tower Market as well as the apartments next door, are progressing along quickly. She was able to review the goals of both the Parks and Community Events Commission and the Public Arts Commission. She reported that she attended the League of California Cities New Mayor and Councilmember Virtual Conference. She also reported that she is working on her own goals for the City and is looking forward to the upcoming Goal Setting Workshop. She announced that in February she will begin training to become a certified instructor for earthquake preparedness with the American Red Cross. She stated that vaccines are becoming available and encouraged those who are over the age of 65 to check the Riverside County website for information on scheduling an appointment. She also announced that for those who are patients of Eisenhower, they have started booking appointments at their Rancho Mirage Campus. She noted that the we have now lost more people to COVID-19 than we did in World War II. Councilmember Rita Lamb highlighted that the Cathedral City Senior Center received the monthly Spot-Light award from KESQ for their virtual programing, she thanked all those involved. She encouraged everyone to stay safe and wear their masks. She reported that the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission has two projects specific to Cathedral City that support the Multiple Species Habitat Plan. She noted that there is also an agreement with Desert Hot Springs Law Enforcement on conservation land. She reported that they are also focused on a restoration plan for the Wetlands Habitat at North Shore. She was able to view a meeting with a developer that is interested in repurposing the old Sam's Club building, which is very exciting. On Martin Luther King Jr. Community Engagement Day, she was able to pass out personal protective equipment to local businesses. She reported on the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce Education Workforce Series, where there was discussion about online classes, celebrating what we have and how to come out of this pandemic stronger. She announced that Cardenas Market is offering $2000 scholarships to students. Those interested can visit Cardenasmarkets.com/scholarships. She received two concerns from residents, one was about the specifics of the short-term vacation rental measure and the second one was regarding mailbox tampering. Councilmember Mark Carnevale reported that he along with Stone James met with a developer regarding the old Sam's Club building, which looks very promising and will bring jobs to the City. He also met with Stone James regarding the 13.5 acres project. He attended a meeting with the new owners of the MOR building. He will be meeting with City Manager Charlie McClendon and the owner of the old K-Mart building, where he will provide an update on his progress. He was able to assist some constituents with permit issues and received complaints from residents regarding short-term vacation rentals. He noted that next week Public Safety meetings will resume. He will also be chair for the upcoming Animal Campus meeting. He announced that he will be taking his ethics and sexual harassment Cathedral City Page 2 Printed on 2/04/2021 training in February. Mayor Pro Tern Ernesto Gutierrez reported that he will be attending the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau meeting and is looking forward to the information they have regarding reopening. He attended, via Zoom, two updates from County Supervisor Perez. He met with a local restaurant owner who is having a hard time financially, and he was able to refer him to the resources that are available. He talked to several residents regarding short-term vacation rentals and Measure B. He stated that he drove around the City and not much has changed. He feels there is still a big need for clean-up around the City. He also met with the City Manager for his regular meeting to discuss the agenda. He announced that Coachella Valley Water District residents can receive a $125 rebate to either install or purchase a hot water circulating pump. He noted that as the Goal Setting Workshop approaches, it is important that if residents have ideas to forward them to members of the City Council. Mayor Raymond Gregory reported that it has been a busy couple of months. He stated that he attended County Supervisor Perez's updates and the Martin Luther King Jr. event held by the Palm Springs Black History Committee. He along with Councilmember Ross attended a City Hall at Your Corner, which was well attended. He also attended the League of California Cities New Mayor and Councilmember event. He met, via Zoom, with a Mayor from a neighboring City regarding some common issues. He stated that at the last Riverside County Transportation Committee meeting they held their Budget and Implementation Committee meeting, where he was elected as Vice-Chair. He also stated that the Chair of the Riverside County Transportation Committee named him an alternate representative for LOSAR. He also attended the SunLine Transit Agency meeting where he was elected to be the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. He encouraged residents to share their ideas with Council for the upcoming goal setting meeting. 3. CONSENT AGENDA A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tern Gutierrez and seconded by Councilmember Lamb to approve the following Consent Agenda items: RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Ernesto Gutierrez, Mayor Pro Tern SECONDER: Rita Lamb, Councilmember AYES: Gregory, Gutierrez, Carnevale, Lamb, Ross A. Minutes Approval M.O. 2021-12 1. City Council - Study Session - Jan 13, 2021 3:00 PM 2. City Council - Regular Meeting - Jan 13, 2021 5:30 PM B. Final Acceptance and Notice of Completion for the Ramon Road West REAS Project. Recommendation: To accept and approve the Ramon Road West Rubberized Emulsion Aggregate Slurry (REAS) as final; and authorize Cathedral City Page 3 Printed on 2/04/2021 the City Manager to file a Notice of Completion with the Riverside County Recorder's Office. M.O. 2021-13 C. Second Reading - Ordinance Modifying the Composition of the Cannabis Task Force Recommendation: To waive reading beyond the title, provide second reading by title only, and adopt an ordinance modifying the composition of the Cannabis Task Force. Ord 848 D. Second Reading and Adoption of an Ordinance authorizing an amendment to the contract between the City Council of the City of Cathedral City and the Board of Administration of the California Public Employees' Retirement System Recommendation: To provide second reading, by title only and waive further reading, and adopt an Ordinance authorizing an amendment to the contract between the City Council of the City of Cathedral City and the Board of Administration of the California Public Employees' Retirement System. Ord 849 4. ITEMS PULLED FROM CONSENT 5. PUBLIC HEARINGS 6. LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS A. Mayor Gregory Pettis Fountain of Life Renovation, Repairs & Soft Surface Replacement Recommendation: To authorize the Fountain of Life renovation, repairs, as well as the replacement of the soft surface material in an amount not to exceed $146,850 and authorize the necessary budget amendments. Alan Carvalho thanked Tami Scott for doing a great job. He expressed his concern with the lack of knowledge of the funds available for parks. He feels the Parks and Community Events Commission will be surprised to know there are funds available. He questioned why Public Art Funds were not used to make previous repairs. Danny Lee stated that he concurs with Mr. Carvalho's comments. He expressed his concern with the Parks and Community Events Commission having no knowledge of the Park Development Fund. He feels the City has some work to do to ensure that accurate information is provided to the Commissions so that they may advise the Council properly. He looks forward to seeing the fountain in prime condition. M.O. 2021-14 Cathedral City Page 4 Printed on 2/04/2021 A motion was made by Mayor Raymond Gregory and seconded by Councilmember Ross to authorize the Fountain of Life renovation, repairs, as well as the replacement of the soft surface material in an amount not to exceed $146,850 and authorize the necessary budget amendments with $64,722.50 coming from the Public Art's Funds. RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Raymond Gregory, Mayor SECONDER: Nancy Ross, Councilmember AYES: Gregory, Gutierrez, Carnevale, Lamb, Ross B. Dogs in City Parks - Municipal Code Discussion Recommendation: This item is presented for information, discussion and direction only. John Corella, Director of Engineering and Public Works, provided an overview of the Parks and Community Events Commission recommendation to allow dogs in the parks on leashes. Danny Lee stated that there have been opinions on both sides of the issue. He feels the problem they are facing is that this must be done with the cooperation of the public as we do not have the resources for enforcement. He stated that although dogs are not allowed in the parks currently, there are dogs in the parks. He feels this is a good middle ground to provide these facilities and ensure dogs can be in the parks under proper supervision. Alan Carvalho thanked Mr. Corella. He feels there is a lack of parks for residents and dogs in the City. He requested clarification on the cost of a dog park and noted that the cost of the temporary dog park was not highly expensive. Councilmember Nancy Ross stated that she is a dog owner and is in support of dogs in the parks on leashes. She requested clarification on the cost of dispensers and confirmed these rules are for parks not future dog parks. Mr. Corella provided clarification on the cost of dispensers and the recommend rules. Councilmember Rita Lamb stated that she supports moving forward. She feels the only obstacle is the fact that this is budget crunch time and we do not know the impact COVID-19 will have on the future budget; however, she is in favor of making our parks more usable. Councilmember Mark Carnevale feels parks are for people and dog parks are for dogs. He anticipates issues with irresponsible dog owners and expressed his concern with possible liability. He will also bring this issue up at the upcoming Animal Campus meeting for their input. He suggests a pilot program at one or two parks to test it out. Cathedral City Page 5 Printed on 2/04/2021 Mayor Pro Tern Ernesto Gutierrez concurs with Councilmember Carnevale. He stated that there have been issues with dogs in the parks and shared a story about his loved one who experienced a Pit Bull off of a leash while out jogging. He feels the City Council really needs to think about this before moving forward. He recommended trying this on a temporary basis. Mayor Raymond Gregory expressed his concerns about past complaints he made to past Councilmembers regarding dogs in the parks with no resolution. He feels there is an argument to be made that some parks should be excluded from the list. He also feels cleaning up the rules makes sense. He expressed his concern with the estimates provided, which he feels are too high. He also stated that he does not want to include dog parks as part of this discussion. Mayor Pro Tem Ernesto Gutierrez inquired where the funding will come from. Mr. Corella provide a brief overview of where the funds will come from. Councilmember Nancy Ross would like to see the cost difference for having a designated staff member verses having park maintenance personnel maintain the dispensers. Councilmember Mark Carnevale inquired if the City is liable for a dog attack if the dog's owner breaks the rules. City Attorney Eric Vail stated that good provisions and adequate enforcement is needed to have some protection under the law. He further stated that if the City fails to do one or both of these things, the City could be liable depending on the facts of the case. Mayor Raymond Gregory inquired on the liability now with the lack of enforcement of no dogs allowed in the parks. Mr. Vail explained the difference in liability when the City prohibits activities verses allowing activities. It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to provide a draft ordinance to be reviewed by the Parks and Community Events Commission for review and then brought before the City Council for consideration. C. Update on Emergency Actions Related to COVID-19 Recommendation: Update on Status of Emergency Proclamation. Possible action to continue or rescind Resolution 2020-06. Update on Emergency Actions taken by City, County, State of Federal Agencies. Possible consideration of additional measures to be taken. Council may add items not listed on the agenda pursuant to Cathedral City Page 6 Printed on 2/04/2021 I Government Code section 54954.2 by majority vote. City Manager Charles McClendon provided an update on Emergency Actions related to COVID-19. He stated that the 7-day average is the lowest it has been since the December spike and the numbers appear to be moving down. He feels it is important to maintain our vigilance and continue to help slow the spread as we are not out of the woods yet. He noted that we are now back in the purple tier with that comes the re-opening for some businesses. He also noted that the death rate continues to rise. Fire Chief John Muhr provided an update on the vaccine effort. He indicated that approximately 127,000 vaccines have been administered. He noted that 50% of the Fire Department has been vaccinated. He indicated that County Pods, which store and administer the vaccine, are in short supply. He provided a list of areas to receive a vaccine for those who are eligible. He feels it will be an issue to administer the 1.5 million vaccines the County plans to administer. Mayor Raymond Gregory inquired if Palm Springs will be setting up a vaccination site. Fire Chief Muhr responded that although there are many willing to help administer the vaccines, the shortage in Pod availability remains an issue. Councilmember Nancy Ross stated that she was successful in booking an appointment for her husband and offered tips on how to get an appointment through the County website. 3C. Update on Cathedral City Community Amphitheater Construction Chris Parman, Communications and Events Manager provided an update on the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater. Alan Carvalho feels the value of the amphitheater is only as good as the technology behind it and feels it is a wonderful space. He hopes that high end groups will not be the only ones utilizing the amphitheater. He supports this project and hopes the Council does as well. Mayor Pro Tern Ernesto Gutierrez concurs with Mr. Carvalho. He feels the amphitheater is beautiful and whatever can be done to make it even better should be done. Councilmember Mark Carnevale feels Mr. Parman was very complete in his presentation. He expressed his excitement and can't wait for the park to open. Councilmember Rita Lamb concurs with her colleagues and can't wait for the project to be completed. Councilmember Nancy Ross expressed her concern about the costs of this project. She inquired how much beyond this will need to be done. Cathedral City Page 7 Printed on 2/04/2021 Mr. Parman responded that this will provide everything the City needs. Mayor Raymond Gregory expressed his concern about the sound booth cover being permanent, the speakers being left out in the open and the rising costs of the project. He also feels the Commissions need to be more involved. He requested that when staff brings this back to the Council that they provide more detailed information. 3D. Potential Master Undergrounding Plan (MUP) Project on East Palm Canyon Drive near at west City Limits John Corella, Director of Engineering and Public Works, provided an overview of the Potential Master Undergrounding Plan (MUP) Project. Councilmember Nancy Ross requested clarification on the review process of the City Council in previous years, projects completed so far, developers' requirements and SCE monies available. Mr. Corella provided clarification. Mayor Pro Tem Ernesto Gutierrez asked for clarification on the requirements of the developer and the intentions of the developer. Mr. Corella provided clarification noting that the developer has not made any commitments. Mayor Raymond Gregory questioned the process for the City to recover costs from the developers. City Attorney provided an overview of a reimbursement agreement which may be required in such a case. Mayor Pro Tern Ernesto Gutierrez requested estimates for multiple scenarios for the Council to consider. It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to bring an item to consider the expenditure of funds to acquire the proper estimates from Edison. 7. CLOSED SESSION ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned by Mayor Raymond Gregory at 9:08 pm. ivtioj M.V: , City f a e 'ral City City Cler! City Cathedral Ci Cathedral City Page 8 Printed on 2/04/2021