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10-04-1965 - Regular Meeting - MinutesMINUTES OF THE ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA ..: OCTOBER 4, 1965 • The adjourned regular meeting of the City Council was called to order by Mayor Nichols at 7:37 P.M. in the West Covina City Hall. Councilman Heath led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Nichols, Councilmen Krieger, Heath (Councilman Jett from 7:51 P.M.) (Councilman Snyder from 7:57 P.M.) Others Present: Mr. George Aiassa, City Manager Mr; Robert Flotten, City Clerk & Admin. Assistant Mr. Herman R. Fast, Public Service Director Mr. Harold Joseph, Planning Director Mr. James Kay, Jr., Finance Director Mr. Robert Gingrich, Recreation & Park Director LEASE PURCHASE.CONTRACT Discussion regarding contract with Stone & Youngberk to prepare f inarrcal data for a lease -purchase program. Motion by Councilman Heath, seconded by Councilman Krieger, and carried, to hold until full Council present. • Discussion resumed. Motion by Councilman Heath, seconded by Councilman Krieger, to authorize the City Clerk and the Mayor to sign the lease -purchase contract that was sent to us and the two additional amendments, as .outlined. Motion passed on roll call as follows: Ayes:. Councilmen Snyder, Krieger, Heath Noes: Councilman Jett, Mayor Nichols Absent: None Mayor Nichols: I would like the record to reflect that my personal feeling is that we have reached the point already when the Council should have enter- tained a counter decision, that is to return to the electorate with another election rather than proceeding any further toward a lease - purchase program, and my vote being in opposition to the motion will reflect that philosophy. Councilman Snyder: I read and heard many statements from people who say if we went back to the voters again we could carry a bond election. One of the reasons given that the last one failed was that it wasn't presented to the people right. There has never been a bond election in this city where the people have had more access to the information and the facts con- cerned. • Councilman Krieger: Any time I know.that 61% of the people of this community favor something, I am going to support it. I believe we received a strong mandate from a strong majority of the people in this community that this Civic Center does merit and have their support. If I felt in my . own mind that there was a significant difference financially between the lease -purchase and the bond approach, I would feel that the matter had not been sufficiently considered either by us or by the electorate. I do not believe that this is the case. I believe that all the statis- tics that have been suggested to us so far and which have been sug- gested to us by our bond consultants support the fact that the finan- cial difference is minimal at best. • • ADJ .. C . C . 10/4/65 Page Two LANDSCAPING AGREEMENT - Report from staff submitted Agreement for installation of additional landscaping along Garvey Avenue in connection with Vincent Avenue Interchange9 as outlined in report. RESOLUTION NO. 3251 The City Manager presented: ADOPTED "A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF (Garvey Avenue landscaping) THE CITY OF WEST COVINA APPROVING CITY-STATE AGREEMENT NO. 1869 AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE SAME" Mayor Nichols: Hearing no objections, we will waive further reading of the body of the resolution. Motion by Councilman Heath, seconded by Councilman Krieger, that said resolution be adopted. Motion passed on roll call as follows: Ayes: Councilmen Krieger, Heath, Mayor Nichols Noes: None Absent: Councilmen Jett, Snyder AZUSA.AVENUE EXTENSION City Manager, Mr. Aiassa: The agreement from Mr. Oschin is in the mail and will be here for our meeting of October 18th. Public Service Director, Mr. Fast: What we have added was that rather than to say that completion would be in two years, we say that commencement of construction would start in two years Councilman Krieger: This is the point I was trying to get clarified - commencement of construction or completion of construction in two years from commence- ment; there is a slight difference. Public Service Director, Mr. Fast: The agreement as revised and sent back for Oschin and Glikbarg endorsement changed the statement from that saying that the city would put in a reversionary clause of the dedication going back to Oschin and Glikbarg if we did not complete the improvements in two years; that was changed to read in the event the city did not commence construction within two years it would revert back. MISLEADING SIGNS IN COUNTY TERRITORY City Manager, Mr Aiassa: I don't think these people have any intention of annexing. Planning Director, Mr, Joseph: I would say that they are kind of • "wishy-washy" about the whole thing. We are talking with the people right now on the streets to the west of them. These people feel that they would like to talk to Washington Savings & Loan to see if they could be brought in, Our conversations with the property owners have indicated that they are not ready to pro- ceed at this time. I don't think we have anything to gain by getting too firm. Maybe we should wait and see what happens, lw�E ADJ. C. C. 10/4/65 Page Three MISLEADING SIGNS IN COUNTY TERRITORY — Continued Councilman Krieger: Councilman Heath originally brought this up and then it was referred to staff, and the last it was on our agenda as a comment by Mr. Fast that there was some conversation in process pertaining to this matter. Your report of September 22nd indicates that our Assistant City Attorney • indicates that.there is no legal recourse which the city can pursue to require the developer to discontinue this practice. I suggest before we start off that we find out what our legal position is first, not afterwards. We are on record as opposed to this type of advertising. If we do nothing else on this, we certainly could put up a sign right at that point that you are now leaving the City of West Covina Councilman Heath: I notice the newspapers are quite strict about misrepresentation, and I believe if the newspapers were advised that we are taking a stand against this sort of advertisement we might get some help from those people. Councilman Krieger: I would suggest we place these signs right on the boundary line of the city in that area - Francisquito and Lark Ellen. Councilman Heath: I would further move, Mr. Mayor, that the City Clerk be instructed to advise the newspapers, the Tribune and Los Angeles Times, of the mislead- ing advertising and see if we can get some help from the newspapers. Councilman Krieger: To be more specific, the communica- tion ought to be in the effect that there is advertising being engaged in by this firm, West Hills Homes, by which they are advertising their homes as being in the City of West Covina, when in fact they are not, rather than using the word "misleading". Councilman Heath: I will change my motion to that effect. Motion seconded by Councilman Krieger, and carried. PROJECT SP-6513 - PACIFIC AVENUE City Manager, Mr. Aiassa: Under this proposal, there are three basic recommendations: (1) Proceed with the publicly financed portion of the project and leave the northeast shoulder graded without curb or gutter installed; (2) Insti- tute a 1911 Act for the privately financed portion of the work under the provisions of which the Council could require owners to participate; and (3) Pay for the entire project with city allocated gas tax funds subject to approval of Division of Highways. The city's cost is estimated at-$53,500; the property owners' participa- tion is $3,600. Councilman Heath: We should follow the same procedure Baldwin Park is doing just down the street. They have taxed the entire city for that, and I think we should follow suit. City Manager, Mr. Aiassa: There is another alternate. The County can give us HTC funds which they allocate for County streets that run through cities. We might be able to get County participation, especially when we put this on a match basis. Councilman Krieger: We are really talking about $3,600. The other amount we have budgeted. (Councilman Jett entered the Chambers at 7:51 P.M.) -3- ADJ. C. C.. 10/4/65 Page Four PROJECT SP-6513 - PACIFIC AVENUE - Continued Mayor Nichols: Where you have an improvement that is being substantially undertaken by the initiative of the city, providing a service for the convenience of the vast majority of people in the city, I don't see the justifica- tion in going to the property owner and asking them to contribute any- thing. If it is a private service street that is serving a single family neighborhood and you are improving that neighborhood for those people, I would understand,the concept of the 1911 Act, but this is a major secondary street and it serves more than the city. To assess these people to put that on, I don't quite read that. Councilman Krieger: Without this being interpret d or construed as any precedentg� at each matter be decided and established on its own merits, I move that City Project SP-6513 be completed with city allotted gas tax funds sub- ject to approval of Division of Highways, and the City Manager is instruc- ted to match funds with the County through HTC funds. Motion seconded by Councilman Heath, and carried. (Councilman Snyder entered the Chambers at 7:57 P.M.) REVIEW BOARD MINUTES Motion by Councilman Krieger, seconded by Councilman Heath, and carried, • to receive and approve Review Board Minutes of September 7, 1965, and September 13, 1965. .TRAFFIC COMMITTEE MINUTES Motion by Councilman Krieger, seconded by Councilman Heath, and carried, to receive and approve Traffic Committee Minutes of September 13, 1965. COMMITTEE.APPOINTMENTS Hold over to October 18th meeting, with existing appointments to be maintained until that time. NEWSPAPER ARTICLE. Councilman Jett: I would like this on record - this article from the Daily Tribune of Wednesday, September 29, 1965, with reference to the "Tough Task of Transition". In view .of the slanderous attack made upon Councilman Heath and myself in this same paper in the editorial section, I think this is a complete retraction of these accusations, and I would like this in our official minutes: • "THE TOUGH TASK OF TRANSITION "We_hope the members of San Gabriel Valley city councils in the future will appreciate the task that befell those city officials in office during the years of the great transfor- mation of this Valley from rural area to an urban center. "Rezoning of property, so that homes, shopping centers, industrial plants and high-rise apartments could cover the area once reserved for ranches, groves and farm houses, would have to go down as the No. 1 headache of these city -officials. Men seeking to do a good job and at the same time reflect the wishes of the residents. -4- ADJ . C .. C . 10/4/65. Page Five "Trapped between the wishes and rights of property owners and residents of the surrounding area, councils have had to make many decisions.that were considered unfair by some: • In some cases there were those who considered the actions more than just unfair. "As a guide in planned development some councils have adopted master or general plans. But unanticipated changes in the Valley's growth pattern have, in some instances, antiquated.long-range plans in a relatively short time. "At other times city officials have had to reverse pre- vious zoning actions in the fact of popular opposition. In such cases individual property owners have been deprived of anticipated developments. "We, like many individuals, are not always convinced that decisions by planning commissions and city councils are correct: But., we do try to give them the benefit of having made honest mistakes. That's something for future council- men and present residents to.remember before heaping too much blame on the heads of councilmen and commissioners who today are facing a tough job during the years of transforma- tion." Councilman Heath: I think the paper ought to come out. then and refute what they said before. • There being no further business, motion by Councilman Krieger, seconded by Councilman Jett, and carried, that this meeting be adjourned at 9:25 P.M.. ATTEST: • City Clerk APPROVED Mayor -5-