When City Council meets on Jan. 24, it will have more than $7 million in expenses on its Consent Calendar.
The Consent Calendar includes items considered routine or administrative in nature. Consent agenda items are routinely passed by the City Council with little or no discussion from elected officials or the public. However, many of the items have been part of public discussion in the past and Councilmembers have the ability to ask for discussion of a specific item on the calendar.
Among the expenses listed for possible discussion is $257,000 (including a 10% contingency) for a bike technology demonstration project. Elecnor Belco Electric Inc. will work with staff on several projects related to the city’s Bike Action Plan.
“The project will evaluate three different intersection treatments for bicycles, includes bike boxes, and video and in-pavement bicycle detection devices,” said the staff report. “Bicycle detection and bicycle striping improvements at five intersections will help cyclists be detected by traffic signals easily and allow them to be up front for better visibility when stopped at intersections. The grant also includes installation of 100 bike racks in locations identified through the City’s existing bike parking request database.”
Elecnor are being recommended for the contract following a solicitation for bids issued in November of 2016.
A smaller amount could have a bigger impact on the city at large.
Council will be asked to spend $55,000 with Seltzer Fontaine and Beckwith, a California-based legal search firm, to help search for a new City Attorney.
Former City Attorney Marsha Moutrie retired at the end of 2016 and staff have been directed to implement a nationwide search for candidates.
“The City Attorney serves as the chief legal advisor and head of the legal branch of the City government,” said the staff report. “It is a high-profile position that is appointed by the City Council. As such, staff recommended engaging an executive recruitment firm to conduct a nationwide search to identify candidates to fill the vacancy that occurred when the incumbent City Attorney retired in December.”
More than half of the total expenditures on the consent calendar are a result of a $3,920,400 (including 10% contingency) with West Valley Investment Group for work on Parking Structure No. 5.
Plans call for a new Transit and Parking Services Center including public counter services for the Big Blue Bus along with parking and transit related business.
“Currently, transit passes, parking permits and parking passes are sold out of two different locations, and the facility that sells transit and parking passes is designed for only one business transaction,” said the staff report. “Colocation of these services would provide a one stop shop with individual counters for each type of transaction. This would result in more convenient service to the public. Additionally, the project would provide enhanced public restroom amenities and improve the pedestrian experience.”
Work would begin in March of 2017 and end in early 2018.
While the calendar contains significant expenses, one item includes an update on revenues.
The report includes updates on the city’s development impact fees.
The California Mitigation Fee Act requires local authorities to submit reports on five kinds of fees charged to developers to address impacts of growth: Childcare Linkage Fee, Transportation Impact Fee, Parks and Recreation Impact Fee, Affordable Housing Commercial Linkage Fee, and Water Demand Mitigation Fee.
The Childcare Linkage Fee has a balance on hand of about $2.5 million.
“Council has approved usage of Childcare Linkage Fee funds and General Fund dollars towards the construction of the Early Childhood Lab School (ECLS), formerly the Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC),” said the report.
The Transportation Impact Fee has a balance on hand of $3.5 million with more than a million dollars earmarked for potential public improvements.
The Parks and Recreation Impact Fee has $300,000 on hand and money could be used for potential construction of the Airport Park Expansion project.
The Affordable Housing Commercial Linkage Fee has a balance of about $600,000.
“Currently, insufficient funds have been collected to complete potential public improvements,” said the report. “Staff will continue to closely monitor proposed development projects and available resources.”
The Water Demand Mitigation Fee has $3.7 million on hand.
“Staff has identified several projects that will utilize the available fund balance, including the retrofitting of restroom facilities at both public buildings and multi-family properties, exploratory boring and well construction, public landscape projects, such as improvements to irrigation systems, the purchase of smart controllers and water efficient equipment, and turf removal projects, and the planning and design of water efficient landscaping and an irrigation system for the San Vicente Blvd medians,” said the report.
City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 24 in City Hall, 1685 Main St.
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