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02-07-1966 - Regular Meeting - Minutes:7 0 • MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA FEBRUARY 79 1966 The City Council study session was called to order by Mayor Nichols at 7:40 P,M, in the West Covina City Hall, ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Nichols, Councilmen Jett, Snyder, Krieger,, Heath Others Present: Mr, George Aiassa, City Manager Mr, Robert Flotten, City Clerk & Admin, Assistant Mr, Herman R, Fast, Public Services Director Mr, Byron Larson, Traffic Engineer Mr, George Zimmerman, Assistant City Engineer Mr, Norman Yoshihara, Planning Assistant Absent: Mr, Harry C, Williams, City Attorney Mr, Harold Joseph, Planning Director FREEWAY RECOMMENDATIONS (Maps were presented and Mr, Aiassa and Mr, Fast gave brief summaries of this matter,) Councilman Snyder: Was any thought given to putting the two quadrant cloverleaf at Sunset instead of Pacific since Sunset feeds north to Irwindale and south more than Pacific does? Mr, Fast: We did look at this several times, From a -stand- point of geometrics and equal spacing, it would perhaps set a different pattern, However, on that basis you would end up with having perhaps five interchanges and the possible advantage of trading what the State doesn't want with what the City does want and it would be a compromise, We felt'from the standpoint of reduction down to a bare minimum of interchanges, this would probably be it as opposed to putting one at Sunset, The spacing would be too tight at this end and you would tend to overload other ramps, Councilman Heath: It looks as if this plan would be ideal for moving traffic along within our City between the shopping centers and from one end of the city to another on City streets, But, I come back to the statement I made last time and I think we have to determine first what we are trying to achieve; whether it is to get traffic across the City or access off of the freeway to our shopping centers, or a combination of both, I don't think the interchanges shown here are anywhere near adequate to handle the traffic because there will be more traffic placed on these inter- changes remaining, I don't see how you can get rid of the Vincent Avenue Interchange and I don't see how you can get rid of the Citrus Interchange because of its importance to this and other cities, I would like to know from the people in the Plaza whether they feel since this Vincent Avenue Interchange has been finished whether their volume is equal to the volume of business prior to the interchange reconstruction or not. If the volume in the plaza -1- C, C, 2/7/66 Page Two FREEWAY RECOMMENDATIONS ---Contiriued • is the same now as it was prior to the reconstruction of the inter- change there is a possibility that the freeway doesn't contribute much to the shopping centers, However, if there is a drop-off -in business it might be a contributing factor to the fact that business is curtailed due to the fact that people can't get off the freeway, Councilman Krieger: I am looking at the design factors that the staff brought back, It involves a certain cleanness that we do not have that I do not know -we ever will have and do not know whether we can have it anyway, It seems to me that we are engaged in a matter of philosophy, We have a City that.seems to have grown up in an east/west direction and oriented itself, at least in the commercial aspects, to the freeway, Yet, every time we have looked at these interchanges proposed by Gruen and concurred in by the staff and passed on by the Planning Commission and discussed by the State in our meeting with them, it seemed to me that really what we were doing in each interchange was not serving an east/west City but serving a north/south City, When I brought this matter up before the Planning Commission and the Council I stressed strongly no .paternity for this concept but I did feel that we should look at what a system of an east/west City would look like and I think this is the first time we have actually ever seen a portrayal of an east/west City, The report itself suggests a lot of problems with it and I was . convinced before I brought it up that there were a lot of problems with it, What still commends it to me at least with all the drawbacks and with all the problems is aren't we really serving the commercial areas that you are talking about when you allow traffic to get off. the freeway and to use a major arterial to get to these places? Councilman Snyder: I personally feel that the concept embodied here, whether this is the final draftingor not, should be included as an alternate, as a last alternate to the State because I think it does give us a main street along the freeway and in the long run I believe people coming to these regional shopping centers to shop come here because they know about them before they come, not because they are driving along the freeway and get off, If they know about them before they will know where to get off, I am not saying we should put this in as a first choice, but I think the State should have a chance to give their viewpoint on it, Councilman Heath: I think with the problems this presents as it is right now, I won't even look to see it presented as an alternate, Mayor Nichols: Would we be obligated to hold additional public hearings on this alternate? Mr, Aiassa: No, I don't think you would because I think what the State Division of Highways would like to have is something tangible to review and recommend and come back with some answers, Councilman Krieger: I think one of our most difficult problems on the Council and I know as a Councilman is to always balance the responsibilities you have to the people that elected you to serve today with the responsibility that you have to the people who will be living in this community for years and years to come -when we won't even be here nor the people that are here now, I am wondering.really 10 and 15 and 20 years from now if we perpetuate what has happened to our City up to this point, is it really going to be something we are proud of? If you talk about pure and simple -2- C, C, 2/7/66 FREEWAY RECOMMENDATIONS.-L. Continued Page Three responsibility to the businessman operating a gas station now at -.an off ramp, a service business right by an off ramp now, et cetera, what type of representation are they getting when the Council is considering blocking them off, depriving them of their livelihood? Where do we derive our responsibility and how do we focus upon the type of City we are responsible for because we are responsible for the City of today but the type of City this will be for a long time to come, Councilman Heath: I think we have to determine what we want to achieve, If you took the time to study the Walnut Creek Parkway extending across the City over to Citrus with the removal of a very few residences, that could be a good cross-town street south of the freeway, You must have the interchanges there for the people coming off of the freeway, We now have facilities for the people to get off the freeway, They might be in some minor cases inadequate but with a small revision here and there I think they could be made to serve the traffic coming off the freeway into that area, Councilman Snyder: I won't minimize the importance of the Walnut Creek Parkway but I don't think that is the whole answer, . Mayor Nichols: I travel back and forth across the town probably as much as most people in the community do, - I don't seem to have too much trouble getting around, particularly to the Plaza area, I find since they have finished that work that I can get in there quite easily and there are certain times of the day when commuter traffic is coming in and out of town that congestion gets heavy but I would think it would always be that way, The report the staff has submitted relative to this proposal rather tends to nullify the virtues sought in the report itself, Councilman Jett; I think we probably spent about forty, fifty thousand dollars for professional advice on the freeway, et cetera. Those professional people have come up with a recommendation and submitted it to us, I would like fo see us get this on the road and if we want to submit a second alternative, that is fine but I do think we should accept the proposal given to us by our professional consultant and send it right to the State so they can get busy on this, Councilman Snyder: I think we are missing the boat if we don't accept the philosophy that it is going to be the City's responsibility and not the State's because the plans submitted by Victor Gruen are the best they could do but it does not solve the east/west traffic off the freeway, If we accept this first plan we have to agree in the future to try to get an east/west street in our City, Councilman Heath: myself included because what we were trying to have come up to Victor tell them what our main a definite stand a long wanted. I think the trouble with this whole thing has been the City Council itself, possibly we went into a study without setting forth achieve as the primary purpose, We should Gruen and every other study before and objective is, This Council should have taken time ago and told the consultant what we -3- C, C, 2/7/66 FREEWAY RECOMMENDATIONS Continued Page Four • Mayor Nichols: We are in a study session tonight so we cannot take any action on this, I think the consensus would be in terms of probably moving this initial recommendation on and continuing to look at this overall problem and attempting to get some State reaction to it, PERSONNEL BOARD REPLACEMENT FOR APRIL, 1966 Mayor Nichols: Can we retire to discuss a Personnel Board replacement? Mr, Aiassaa Yes, Councilman Jett: I would like to suggest something, This is February and the new replacement would not be until April because the present member, as I understand it, will be here through March. With this in mind, there is a possibility of new members being on the City Council and I think we should respect -.their wishes and give them the opportunity to help choose that person, Would it be in order to hold this over until after the April election? . Councilman Heath: That sounds like a sensible solution, Councilman Snyder: I don't see any rush in doing this, Mayor Nichols: The philosophy is very.commendable, The vacancy would occur April lst, Your new Council would not be installed until the 19th and to ask a Councilman as of the time they first take office without familiarity perhaps with even the functions of the Commission, let alone its membership, might be some time before they would feel qualified or would be qualified to.pass judgment on applicants for the position and you might find that vacancy over a period of a month or two months, Councilman Heath: I would also suggest that the newspaper advise the citizens of our City that there is an opening on the Personnel Board and anyone who feels they are qualified and would like to serve the City they should make their wants known to Mr, Aiassa, Councilman Krieger: _-I remember when we came onto the Council there were two vacancies to fill within a short period of time, The responsibility will be great but I assure whoever is elected it will not be any greater than the rest of their responsibilities, Mayor Nichols: That is obviously the majority of the Council's feeling so we will wait to take any action on this matter until after the election, -4- C, C, 2/7/66 Page Five STUDY SESSION Continued • SATURDAY HOLIDAYS - PERSONNEL BOARD RECOMMENDATION Mayor Nichols: We have all seen this report, We cannot act on this tonight, Mr, Aiassa: You can confirm the action on this basis, The question we will be facing is the retroactivity, I will talk with the City Attorney about this on Wednesday, Councilman Krieger: I was at the Personnel Board meeting, One question was the City employees request that inasmuch as the holiday would fall on a Saturday that they be allowed credit for that on the day preceding and that the policy be established for Saturdays consistent with the policy that is now on the books for Sundays. I would recommend just by a voice consensus we indicate our concurrence, Mayor Nichols: So indicated by the majority of the Council, Mr, Aiassa: I will bring this matter to you on the 14th, • PARKWAY LANDSCAPING Mr, Aiassa: (Gave brief summary of this matter,) Councilman Jett: I think we should discuss financing the main- tenance program for this before we get too deep into this matter, Mr, Aiassa: On Page 6 there are some cost figures, Councilman Heath: During the budget, say you need $15,000 to do landscaping in certain areas, I think that is a better approach, Councilman Snyder: We have to decide whether or not to adopt this over-all concept, Councilman Heath: -I am in favor of following the outlined recommendations, Councilman Jett: I think it is a good plan, I think it is something everyone would be proud of. We are talking about the first year.expenditure of $1330500, I am not against landscaping or beautifying the City, but there are other uses for the money, Mr, Fast: This amount will most likely be spread over ten to twenty years, We are just trying to show the total scope of,what could be feasible on a long-range basis, Mr, Aiassa: In certain areas they want to sidewalk the entire area except for tree wells, This is where sidewalks back up to fences, We have to come to some kind of conclusion on South Azusa, If we can get a general policy of the Council on the report of December 20, the motion would be it shall be the policy of the City to landscape center median strips on -5- LJ Co C, 2/7/66 PARKWAY Z'A'NDSCAPING' Continued Page Six primary streets,whenever construction occurs with the general -recom- mendations set forth in parkway landscaping, freeway frontage, and center median report dated December 20, 1965, Councilman Heath: This Azusa Avenue extension won't start until April and it is a year's construction and any landscaping that would go in there won't go in for another year, Why worry about it now? Mr, Fast: To make this into a gas tax project we will have to budget one year in advance to get the money, They have approved a City project for fixing Azusa Avenue, Walnut Creek to the freeway, This area will have medians and they will probably go in before we are over the hill with the main street, Badillo Avenue connection, the County is now suddenly moving quite strongly on it and the staff is going to have to .be responding to comments by the County in regard to our participation and theirs as well including the decision on medians in this area. Actually, the landscaping aspect of Azusa over the hill would not necessarily have to be put in now or necessarily budgeted at this time but we would like policy so we can go ahead, Mr, Aiassa: You can't make a decision on this tonight, i I will carry this over to the 14th, BLACKBERRY BUSH NUISANCE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS Mayor Nichols: How many property owners are involved in this area? Mr, Fast: I think there are 27, Mayor Nichols: If you.went to a weed abatement procedure on that, it would be divided evenly? Mr, Fast: Yes, Mayor Nichols: Is it possible to do something in terms of saying to the people that we direct them to clean it up at their own expense but if they don't we will abate it and have part of the people clean and part not clean and exclude the ones who cleaned from an assessment district? Mr, Fast: Our basic weed abatement program operates that way now, Concurrently, the individual who requested this abatement or the clean-up of the nuisance also is requesting information from the staff in regard to the possibilities of widening Merced Avenue and it looks like people in there are trying to go along in this area to petition the City to come in jointly with them and they would handle their improvements. Perhaps this is not the time to go ahead on this weed abatement, Councilman Jett: I think there is a precedent for this and that is on the wash where the City went in and cleaned it up with the stipulation that they from then on would have to maintain it and keep it clean, me C, C, 2/7/'66 'BLACKBERRY BUSH NUISANCE Continued Page Seven doCouncilman Heath: This will have to come back on the 14th also, AMBULANCE SERVICE RATE INCREASE Mr, Aiassa: (Read report re this matter,) Councilman Snyder: The ambulance business is not the lucrative business it appears to be. I think perhaps Crippen is one of the few private ambulance operators that is able to do their service properly,, Councilman Krieger: Hasn't the Board already acted on this? Mr, Aiassa: The Board acted on it but they didn't act on the recommendation of the County Manager's Office, They took verbatim the request of the group representing the ambulance people, None of the cities were advised of this until it was already completed,, Councilman Krieger: Haven't the contracts been executed? • Mr, Aiassa: On the that the general service contract we pay the price County establishes, Councilman Krieger: Haven't the contracts been executed? Mr, Aiassa: Yes, on the old basis, Councilman Krieger: If they are already executed -- Mr, Aiassa: Under the general service contract we have certain provisions of services provided by the County, This contract will not spell out the actual fees and charges in writing. The thing I am pointing out to the Council tonight, the reason we feel this rate is a little bit unjust, is that we guarantee the payment of these rates by indigents and people we call on behalf of the City, Then we try to collect and if we don't, we are stuck with it, Councilman Snyder: Who exercises discretion as to when an ambulance is needed? Mr, Aiassa: At the time of the accident, we leave it up to the policeman, Sometimes you have an emergency and you have to act quickly,, Councilman Krieger: Suppose that every city in Los Angeles County, • all 76 strong, go down to the Board and say they made a mistake and the cities don't.like it,, What happens then? Mr, Aiassa: If all the cities protested or a large per- centage protested, I think the Board would reconsider this matter,, Councilman Krieger: Is the rate structure that they entered into with.these companies that modifiable that if the Board deems they went too high they can reverse themselves and lower it? mm C, C, 2/7/66 AMBULANCE SERVICE' 'RATE' INC'REASE Continued Page Eight Mr, Aiassa: They have a justified report from the County Manager's Office, If this agency was able to get away with this kind of a rate increase, I would be afraid of some of the other services we have to pay the County for, I would like permission to make a report to the Supervisors and request them that we think $16,00 to $25,00 is quite a raise, This could be graduated so that all of us could carry it, Councilman Jett: I think the City Manager should approach them on this basis, Is there any possibility in view of this change that has just been made with the mortuary, is there any possibility of those people taking over the ambulance service? Mr, Aiassa: Councilman Jett: Mr, Aiassa: Councilman Snyder: Councilman Jett: • Mayor Nichols: Councilman Snyder: I don't know, Suppose it would be worth contacting them? I don't know, I don't think the raise is unfair, I would go along with Dr, Snyder, He is in. -a better position to voice an opinion on this, I will accept Dr, Snyder's feelings on this, I see no objection to question it but you will have to go along with it for this year, Councilman Krieger: I would be more impressed with the protest if it was a protest against the procedure rather than against the fact. What you are really objecting to is the mechanics by which they go through this process with raising with their general contract services, Councilman Snyder: I think that is the better approach, Mr, Aiassa: I will bring this matter back at the next regular meeting of the Council, WEST COVINA ECONOMIC REPORT Councilman Snyder-, This is a beautiful report. However, you have the Huntington Freeway as being adopted and it is not adopted yet, 0 Mr, Aiassa: The Corona should have been transferred, I will bring this matter up for you on the 14th and we will accept it and place it on file at that time, IN -to • • ;7 Co C, 2/7/66 STUDY SESSION Continued CITY COUNCIL ADJOURNMENT REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY Page Nine Mr, Aiassa: Here are copies of Mr, Williams' recommendation, (Gave brief summary of this matter,) We will keep this in the Clerk's files and he will have a record of it, COVINA ANNEXATION NO, 49 Mr, Aiassa: On February 15 there will be an election on Covina Annexation No, 49, There is no definite date set for Covina's Annexation No, 32, You are notified of the election of this matter, VALLEY ANNEXkT h0N Councilman Jett: Is anything being done about the annexation down by Valley Boulevard? Mr, Aiassa: We will have a staff report for you on the 14th, Councilman Jett: On the west side of Glendora they would like to come along, Mr, Aiassa: I will check into that, Mayor Nichols: This meeting stands adjourned at 9:25 P.M.