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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/28/2008 - Study SessionCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH City Council Minutes City Council Study Session October 28, 2008 — 4:00 p.m. I. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Pro Tem Daigle, Mayor Selich, Council Member Webb, Council Member Curry, Council Member Gardner Excused: Council Member Henn, Council Member Rosansky II. CURRENT BUSINESS 1. CLARIFICATION OF ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. In response to Council Member Gardner's question regarding Item 7 (Clear Channel Outdoor as Sole Bus Shelter Provider), City Manager Bludau stated that the agreement doesn't affect Corona del Mar and asked Council to continue the item because Clear Channel was sold and staff needs to negotiate with the new owner. In response to Mayor Pro Tem Daigle's question regarding Item 11 (Jamboree Road Improvements), Deputy Public Works Director Webb stated that the right of way is in the City of Irvine. Regarding Item 4 (Sejour Appeal), City Attorney Clausen stated that the applicant raised questions regarding the ABC license that staff will review and if there is no agreement reached, the item will need to be continued. Mayor Selich suggested that in the event that there is no agreement between staff and the applicant, the item will be continued to early 2009. 2. OASIS SENIOR CENTER UPDATE. [100 -20081 Deputy Public Works Director Webb thanked Council for their efforts and introduced the consultants and staff that are working on the project. Robert Coffee, Robert R. Coffee Architect, reported that the OASIS Senior Center building size will be increased by approximately 12,500 square feet and will have the following: 54 more parking spaces, 30 minute short term parking, improved drop -off access, a covered area for the Meals on Wheels program, and a new wellness and fitness center; and is designed with new technology. He stated that he conducted interviews with staff, residents, Friends of OASIS, and teachers to get their input. The new facility will have bioswales for run -offs, low water use urinals, tankless water heaters, air conditioning systems that work with natural ventilation, and the building is being designed for a Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. He also stated that the project is still on budget. In response to Council questions, Mr. Coffee stated that the accreditation for LEED is through Leadership Management in Washington, D.C. and the mechanical engineers handling the work need to be certified. The building will be commissioned after Volume 59 - Page 1 City of Newport Beach City Council Study Session October 28, 2008 it is completed In response to Council questions, City Manager Bludau stated that the Finance Committee will discuss funds for the project at the end of this year. He also stated that if Council delays the plan to build, it will cause a hardship on the seniors and the cost will rise. Deputy Public Works Director Webb talked about the project schedule, cost, and the certification of the project. In response to Council Member Gardner's question, City Manager Bludau stated that it is important to understand the process of getting the building LEED certified. In response to City Manager Bludau's question, Deputy Public Works Director Webb stated that the solar panels have a 20 year warranty; however, there are other efficiency based items that can be added to the building that gives more points than adding the solar panels. In response to Council Member Webb's question, Deputy Public Works Director Webb stated that the contractors are prequalified and screened to make sure they can handle a project this large. He also stated that the last day to submit a bid is October 29 and there are currently nine pre - qualified applications received. He indicated that bids for other projects are coming in lower and he outlined other additional anticipated costs associated with the construction. Senior Services and Recreation Director Detweiler stated that the relocation plan for classes includes use of the Newport Theatre, churches, community centers, and libraries. She also stated that everyone is informed and plan to start moving in January and noted that the City staff, Friends of the OASIS, and the lunch program will be relocated to 5th and Marguerite in three trailers. She thanked Evelyn Hart and Glen Perry for their fundraising efforts and thanked Council and staff for their support. Evelyn Hart expressed the need for the new senior center and stated that they worked hard for two years to raise money. She expressed her gratitude to staff and stated that they have approximately 80 -90 percent of the money that Council asked them to raise. 3. BALBOA VILLAGE TREES REPLACEMENT. [100 -2008] General Services Director Harmon stated that representatives from the Balboa Improvement District (BID) contacted staff and Council Member Henn about joining the City in a partnership to fund the replacement of approximately 57 eucalyptus trees on Main Street and Balboa Boulevard. He noted that the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission approved the project and redesignated the trees to be the guadalupe palm. Park and Tree Superintendent Sereno and Urban Forester Conway showed a PowerPoint presentation that included the Balboa Village historical development, tree inventory details, and pictures of the current trees and proposed tree. They reported that they are experiencing problems with the eucalyptus trees because they are salt burned from being in the coastal area and have to be tied to a stake to keep them upright. They explained that the guadalupe palm tree is very slow growing and will be approximately eight years old when planted. In response to Council's question, General Services Director Harmon stated that the previous plan for eucalyptus trees failed and there are existing guadalupe palm trees that are doing extremely well in the City. He also stated that they are not susceptible to Volume 59 - Page 2 City of Newport Beach City Council Study Session October 28, 2008 disease, are very expensive, were chosen by the association, look good and he is confident that they will continue to do well. He noted that the trees will be phased in and the association will conduct fundraisers to contribute 50% of the cost. He indicated that the association is aware of how fast the trees grow and they understand that the trunk will be eight feet in height prior to being planted. He reported that staff has found a nursery to supply the trees and over 430 residents and businesses have been notified of the plan. He stated that the associations want to start their fundraising efforts and in the future return to Council with a funding plan. City Manager Bludau agreed that staff made a mistake when picking eucalyptus trees for the area and he believed that the committee focused on the look rather than the practicality. Elaine Linhoff believed that there are enough palm trees in the City, they are not attractive, staff showed the worst ones, the trees were not properly taken care of causing them not to thrive, and it is too expensive to change the trees. Gray Stubs, Central Newport Beach Association, expressed concern about the upkeep of the sidewalks from fruit and nuts that the trees produce. Paul McKelvey, President of the Balboa Peninsula Point Association, stated that they have an interest in proceeding with the fundraising efforts. W.R. Dilding, stated that there are no Council reports for the item and urged Council to read previous reports. Linda Grant believed that the eucalyptus trees were not in good shape when they were planted and that palm trees are for the desert. 4. BIG CANYON CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT UPDATE. [100 -2008] Assistant City Manager Kiff reported that they are experiencing a problem with selenium concentrations in the Big Canyon Creek Wash and the problem can't be ignored. He noted that they can address the selenium problem by replacing it with a saltwater marsh and tidal mudflat or suspend the restoration project and start an entirely new effort that solely focuses on remediation of selenium in the existing degraded ecosystem. He stated that the selenium is a concern and they need remediation efforts to get the source because they have done measurements in the water and have not pinpointed where the selenium is coming from. He also stated that the resource agency wants habitat for the pond turtle and he stated that it will cost about $220,000 for testing, and he will ask the watershed to share the cost. In response to Council's question, Assistant City Manager Kiff asked for approval to proceed with the project with an amendment to the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND). He also stated that there is a Regional Board meeting on November 20 for the scoping of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Big Canyon and San Diego Creeks. City Manager Bludau expressed concern that the pond will pose an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) issue that could be a consequence. III. PUBLIC COMMENTS - None IV. ADJOURNMENT -Adjourned at 5:38 p.m. Volume 59 - Page 3 City of Newport Beach City Council Study Session October 28, 2008 The agenda for the Study Session was posted on October 22, 2008, at 2.50 p.m. on the City Hall Bulletin Board located outside of the City of Newport Beach Administration Building. Mayor C;) f L/ I- City Clerk Volume 59 - Page 4