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06-16-1969 - Regular Meeting - MinutesMINUTES OF THE ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA JUNE 165 1969. The adjourned regular meeting of the City Council was called to order by Mayor Leonard S. Gleckman in the Council Chambers at West Covina City Hall at 7.35 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Councilman Gillum. ROLL CALL Present.- Mayor Gleckman; Councilmen Gillum, Nichols, Chappell and Lloyd. Also Present: George Aiassa, City Manager Lela Preston, City Clerk Ray Windsor, Administrative Assistant H. R. Fast, Public Service Director Mayor Gleckman welcomed all those present to the first meeting in the new quarters, stating "there are a few things that are not right yet, but we hope you understand that this is the first meeting in the new City Hall," PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS PROJECT NO. SP-68007 LOCATION.- West side of Glendora STREET IMPROVEMENT Avenue from Service Avenue to a point . 1911 ACT (Short Form) approximately 460 feet north. Motion by Councilman Gillum, seconded by Councilman Lloyd, and carried, that this matter 'be held over until the June 23, 1969, regular meeting of the City Council. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS Request from Independent Cities of L.A. County for momen.tos for Gift bag for I.C.L.A.C. Seminar Motion by Councilman Chappell, seconded by Councilman Lloyd, and carried, that this request be referred to staff. PERSONNEL BOARD Recommendation .re. City Health Plan Motion by Councilman Lloyd, seconded by Councilman Chappell, that the City Council concur with the decision of the Personnel. Board and permit the change to the City's health plans as specified in Item E(1) memorandum dated_ June 13, 1969. Motion carried. ----- CITY MANAGER BUDGET PROPOSAL _ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • Mr. Aiassa.- Ph3.1 Wax, President Chamber of Commerce 1500 W. Service Avenue West Covina Representatives from the Chamber of Commerce are present and will make an oral report to Council. (Congratulated the Council on the beautiful new facilities) This is a big step forward for the City and hopefully working together we can continue to make big steps forward and make this the leading City in the San. Gabriel Valley. ADJ. REG. C.C. 6-16-69 Page Two CITY MANAGER - Chamber of Commerce Budget Proposal We have listed in our budget a proposal that would help -to create a new program for economic development in the City of West Covina and -with your help and consideration we feel -we can all work towards the major goals that are just on the horizon. With all. the new .freeway programs being presented, opening new paths - new cities and new developments, if we don't get active now, our opportunities will be gone. We have every opportunity of being the number one city of the entire valley, but we need programs and a lot of hard and dedicated work - both the City and the Chamber working together. Then we can accomplish all this. I would like to present George Strachan, our Executive. -Vice -President. Mr. Strachan developed the proposal of our program before you. George Strachan Before getting into this program may I say that Executive Vice -President I am not only thrilled but I think it is a Chamber of Commerce real opportunity to be a part of the initial 1500 W. Service Avenue Council meeting in the new chambers. I think West Covina this City Hall is indicative of the stage we are at in West Covina. This is truly a City Hall of the future and I think the City itself is setting a pace that we will have to continue to follow if we are to keep up with the necessary and 'basic ingredients for a successful city. Around us we are finding cities that have been. planning and are now implementing plans to take the lead in commercial and industrial developments and I believe the program we have set 'up here and included in our proposal, to you will keep West Covina in its rightful. position of leading the cities in the East San Gabriel Valley. We have set up a 6 point program of economic development, which I believe is vital to the continued growth and •development of West Covina and keeping its rightful place in the area and that is of a regional headquarters city. It has taken in the possibility of expansion through annexation and the development of lands for light industrial development to broaden, our economic base. It has taken into consideration. a detailed program for the acquisition of new business and new industry, as well as special projects which are very essential to any city wanting to be the leading city of a given area. I am referring to an. Auditorium facility, a Community Service 'building. I believe very serious thought and additional study should be given to better air service and air communication in our community. I don't know how much detail you would like me to go into, it is fairly well spelled out in our report to you. It will. require a small increase in budgeted amount in order to carry this program out than would be required to stand still on a slightly lesser budgeted amount. Sometimes it requires a little more money to go ahead than to stand still, and I think that is what we are really talking about tonight. I believe the program. is solid and I believe it is obtainable and I think that we can move ahead if the program is approved and with the support and cooperation of both the City and the Chamber. Mayor Gleckman- Of course, the Chamber of Commerce, I hope is .fully aware that whatever your proposal 9 is it would not come up this evening for consideration, but would be taken under consideration at the time of the budget sessions, which start tomorrow. Do any members of Council have any questions at th.i.s particular time? Councilman Gillum.- I do® The information that you have supplied us with on the breakdown of the cost of the Chamber of Commerce for the forthcoming year - the request from the City is a substantial increase over last year. In your expenses you list approximately $49,000 under such things as administrative staff and secretarial help, office overhead, etc., which is more than half of your budgets First of all,let me say I appreciate the way you have broken down the programs and spelled them out, but it is of some concern to me that. there is such a.substantial increase. I would like to ha-,e your comments on this - pertaining to over 50% of your budget in overhead. - 2 - ADJ. REG. C.C. 6­16-69 Page Three CITY MANAGER - Chamber of Commerce Budget Proposal Mr. Strachan. I think you will find the primary product in such an organization as the Chamber of Commerce is service, and service deals with people. Our product is service and consequently to provide the tools for the personnel to carry out and render this service actually provides the bulk of any given budget of any Chamber. You have your fixed overhead or rent, office supplies, help, etc., your basic tools are your brochures, your statistical. information., etc., and all this has to be developed by personnel. It has to be put together and sold and the Chamber of Commerce,in rendering services such as it does, sells the community - promotes the community and helps develop the economic structure of the community as well as promoting the City as a whole. It is basically a service organization. and this requires people. This is typical of any actual service organization. Councilman Gillum. The thing I am trying to determine - do you anticipate increasing the number of staff people? Mr. Strachan.. Yes, definitely. Councilman Gillum. In other words this is where the increase over last year"s-request is showing up in this proposed budget - an increase in personnel? Mr. Strach.an.. Basically but not entirely. Some is involved in promotional brochures and materials that will 'be used as well as field expenses, telephone, etc., all. needed in the developing of new commercial develop- ments. Councilman Gillum: One of the things I questioned over the three years that I have reviewed -the Chamber budget and which. I am deeply concerned with is the lack of increased membership. Each year .Lt seems the Chamber does not increase its membership substantially between what you have and what you lose you seem to come out each year with about the same number of businesses joining. I would like to see .next year when you come before us that we are looking at approximately five or six hundred membership rather than the three hundred and some that you show today. Mr. Strachan. I certainly hope viola. are rigbt a.-n(9 it is nart of this program.a, Definitely we, have built in a program for increasing the membership. A good program will. strengthen both the City and the Chamber and involved in these recommendations and in this budget request is a program and personnel to build the Chamber membership and give us a broader - not only economic., base - but also leadership. All this has definitely been taken into consideration inthe personnel requirement and the materials and administrative costs included in here. Mayor Gleckman. Councilmen. Lloyd and Chappell were the Council liaison to the Chamber. Councilman Lloyd,do you have any comments you would like to make? Councilman Lloyd. I was very much impressed by'the presentation made by the Chamber of Commerce on the budget for this year and I think you should be congratulated on the professional approach, Mr. Strachan. I would be most pleased to put my name on this type of approach and the outline presented to this Council. I am in basic agreement with. Councilman Gillum, but I do have a couple of points that I think the area of thrust is a little different. First of all - T appreciate the fact that a healthy Chamber of Commerce is certainly dependent on the number of members that participate in. that Chamber Neverthel.ess,I don't see this as a prime consideration for this City or th:I.s Council. I am far more interested in -the image that the - 3 - ADJ. REG. C.C. 6-16-69 Page Four CITY MANAGER m Chamber of Commerce Budget Proposal Chamber of Commerce can create for this City and I am far more interested in. the attraction to businesses and income tax oriented producing 'businesses which can be brought .into this community. I recognize they have many facets attendant to the operation of the Chamber, but as it •pertains to the City of West Covina I also recognize that we don't con.sti.tute your total 'budget. I do feel there is essentially a separation in these areas. Certainly I think the Council should comment and have some consideration at a later date as we move into this budget and our City's budget with regards to the programs which ire not only being formulated -but being presented to the Council by the Chamber. I see as the prime function of the Chamber, at this moment, that of assisting the City in creating the image of relationship of the concept of the Headquarters City, which,of course„these patterns have been set by this Council. and Councils prior to this one that I am sitting'on; theref ore,I see your job as one which will help project this image so that we will be better able to provide the services to the citizens of this City via this type of a financial tax base. I was very much impressed when this was presented by your Committee and I think this is a step forward. I am not real sure that I am totally in step with the amount of funds that have been asked for, but I am very much sure that if we are to achieve things we cannot .remain status quo. I think we have been committing ourselves to station. keeping, merely keeping the door open whether we have accomplished anything or not, and if we are going to take the monies which comes to us as a result of those taxes paid by the citizens of this community and put them into a program such as this, I think it must show a positive forward attitude of those monies which are spent. In other words I would like to get my money's worth.. I think it is very important that we do go forward with a program of this type. I wish, frankly, that we had a budget of a million and a half dollars which is what Palm Springs has for its Chamber, and I would also like tc have $250,000 such as Santa Barbara has for its Chamber and with the problems they have they probably need it, but I also think in view of the fact that cities which are no larger than we are, although oriented totally to the tourist attractions, nevertheless if West Covina is going to project its image it unfortunately has to have some area of direct impingement for the public eye and as such we are faced with a real problem. If we are going to somehow update the old car we :have to spend some money to do it. I think that is what this program purports to do and,because,)of that,I am most pleased at this point to say that on the basic fundamentals I am favorably disposed towards your program. Councilman Chappell..- I thd.nk,as the other member of the liaison team,I should give you how we arrived at where we are today. Origin.all.y,when we; met with the Ch.amber,they gave us a tentative budget considerably lower and Councilman Lloyd questioned them and found out it was the same type of budget submitted from time to time and didn't do any more or less than in the past. We were just status quo as Councilman Lloyd referred to. We asked them to draw up a budget and come back to us with a proposal and a budget utilizing Mr. Strachan's abilities. Originally the budget had him tied down, as you can, see from the number of Committees set up .- his job for the year would have been spent co-ordinating with these people and not utilizing the valuable past experience he had. His ability to go out and get new business. In this new proposal now being presented to us, money is provided for another staff manto do the normal duties of housekeeping and Mr. Strachan wi.11be able to go out and promote West Covina in person. rather than, by letter as has been done in the past. I think the goal of 50 new promotional contacts with money for travelling when necessary - all this will be necessary if he makes these trips. I think in. twelve months we can see some fine results but if we don't do this and stay as we were before we are going to lose the advantage of our new City Hall and our Police Facility and the Headquarters City concept. 4 ADJ. REG.C.C. 6-16-69 Page Five CITY MANAGER - Chamber of Commerce Budget Proposal Mayor Gleckmano If there are no further comments by Council, a motion to receive and discuss at our budget session would be in order. •So moved by Councilman Gillum, seconded by Councilman Chappell, and carried. PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES TO CLEAN-UP COMMITTEE Mayor Gleckmano This presentation will be made by Don Cas-ler, the Chairman of the Paint -up, Clean -Up Committee. The report will then be taken into a study session by Council. We would like to say that we appreciate the work that was done by the entire Committee,, It was a momumental task and we think it was an excellent project. I am sure the results are beneficial to everyone in the community. Don Casler In the interests of conserving time I will 1733 Alaska refrain. from delivering the full report, instead West Covina I will turn over to you my personal file as well as a complete summary of statistical data on the campaign. I would like to highlight one or two points of the campaign. Speaking for myself and the Committee, we were delighted with the overall results of the campaign and mainly this was due to a well planned publicity campaign which saturated the entire, City and allowed total involvement of the community. Each part of the Clean-up Campaign was accomplished without incident until the week of the •24th - May 24th a Saturday - special trash pick up day. The Committee was given the understanding this could be accomplished in one day or two at the most. However, not anticipating the citizens tremendous participa- tion coupled with a lack of the necessary equipment and labor, the one day or possibly two days pick up lasted for about six days. In my file you will find an outline that should solve this problem as well as others of less importance that we ran into and should be of help in the next campaign. Namely, sticking to the contract language that the City has with the Disposal people, whereby the trash be picked up on the normal pick-up day, that along with everything else coupled with the City trucks on the same date should accomplish it without incident. I wish to thank you for allowing me to be Co -Chairman of this event along with Charlie Koontz. We both thank you very much. I think you agree with me that outstanding service deserves special requirements and I am referring to these special people that worked on this Committee and gave a great deal of hours and a lot of hard work, Helen Miller, Betty Plesko and Diana Gold - thanks for their marvelous job; and to Ray Windsor, staff assistant to Mr. Aiassa, who proved to be a tremendous work horse in this campaign; and to Morrie Wolff and the Street Maintenance men who turned in 1600 hard working hours in cleaning up City. My sincere thanks to all of them, Mayor Gleckman: We thank you and appreciate very much the time • and effort devoted to this task. There are many things we would like to commend this Committee on because we do know of the tremendous things that you accomplished and the problems you solved. It is most unfortunate that these Certificates of Appreciation cannot be distributed to you people before an audience such as we had for the Dedication Ceremonies, because this is the type of audience you people should have, the only solace might be you are getting the first commendation certificates in the new City Hall for a job well done. - 5 - ADJ. REG. C.C. 6-16-69 Page Six PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES TO CLEAN-UP COMMITEE Councilman Gillum: I wanted to say that I didn't realize we had that much trash in the city, 7:and also I would like to add my thanks to the people that put in the long hours, the volunteers and the staff. All I had from the •citizens was good comments - they were all very appreciative. Most of the time we get letters of criticism in our mail, but tonight was one commending the Committee for the hard work they put in. I have one question - did the Covina Board of Realtors participate in our program in the City? Mr. Casler: The Realty Board participated to the tune of $200.00 towards the mailers we put out and they participated on their own program of painting a home in West Covina. About fifteen realtors got together and painted the home of a very deserving family in West Covina. Councilman Gillum: painted that fast group or not. I for their efforts year. Mayor Gleckman: Yes - I didn't know if they were a part of your Committee or not, but I wanted to express my thanks on, their behalf. I never saw a house in my life. I didn't know if they were part of your do want to extend my thanks to, you and the Committee in a program that I think will be carried through each was Councilman Chappell. He Committee but spent a great • on the telephone. Mr. Casler: One of the gentlemen that Don forgot to mention that I think we owe a great debt to was not only the Council liaison to your many hours not only in Committee meetings but Yes, he spent quite sometime down at the headquarters office answering the phone. Mayor Gleckman' I am going to ask the Mayor Pro tem to award these certificates and I would like to ask that those whose names I call, step forward so we may give you your just do and thanks , that really the whole City owes you. Mayor Gleckman called out the names of the Committee members and Mayor Pro tem Chappell handed each one present their Certificate of Commendation: Buzz Bemoll, Anay Bogus, Don Casler, Charles Koontz, John Eastman, Don Frankel, Harold Grimstad, Mary Hoskins, Rae Meyer, Mrs. Albert J. Miller, Mrs. Frank Plesko, Mrs. Glenn Sells, Phil Wax, Mrs. Marjorie Welsh, Mrs. Franklin Gove , and Arthur Ogamie Mayor Gleckman: The City of West Covina owes you people a great deal, of appreciation and gratitude - thank you very much for a job well done. CITY CLERK Claim of Sverre Fossheim Motion by Councilman Gillum, seconded by Councilman Lloyd, and carried, .denying the claim of Sverre Fossheim, and directing that it be referred to the City's insurance carrier. Fireworks Permits Councilman Chappell: A question. I see one of the .American Legion Posts have one location and all the rest of the applicants have three - why? - 6 - ADJ. REG. C.C. 6-16-69 Page Seven Council Committee Reports - Continued City Clerk: One is all they asked for. Motion by Councilman Lloyd, seconded by Councilman Chappell,.and carried, to receive and file. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None. Mayor Gleckman announced at 8:15 p.m. that there would be an Executive Session of approximately an hour and a half for the interviewing of applicants for the City Commissions. COUNCIL RECONVENED AT 9:50 p.m. Mayor Gleckman: We had the pleasure of interviewing some of the best delegates for Commissions since I' have been on this Council, and we hope to be able to make some appointments at our next regular meeting. Councilman Lloyd: We had a meeting with regards to the possibility of helicopter patrol. We met jointly with the City of Covina - Bob Christopherson, Oscar Yaeger, Mr. Aiassa and myself. And we are having another meeting with another group this coming Wednesday.and •then another meeting with another group on Friday. I hope by next Monday we can bring you a report on some deal for this type of activity. Mayor Gleckman: The only thing that I have - I received a report called the Youth Community Inventory and it was given to me by fourteachers in the West Covina Unified School District who had the privilege to participate in the UCLA, extension course and as a requirement for that class they collaborated on a Youth Community Inventory and they were nice enough to give me a copy of it, which I read and I think they did an excellent job. It was given to me by Barbara Cassidy, Alice Severns, Gladys Lacey and Doris Kaiser, and I would pass this on to the City Manager and have him make copies for the Council and also for the Recreation & Park Commission. They make some recommendations and also have a complete inventory of the facilities in our community. I .really do feel it is nice to know that you have people living within your community that take an interest to not only fulfilling their obligation in taking a course like this, but also the interest to pass that information on to this Community. If Council permits, I would like to have a letter go out to these four teachers, thanking -them. So moved by Councilman Gillum, seconded by Councilman Chappell, and carried. Mayor Gleckman: Mr. Aiassa - I hope that this evening has given the staff an opportunity to find out some of the things that they can improve upon, if possible, for our next meeting on the 23rd of June. , Councilman Chappell: How about the wastebaskets? Mayor Gleckman: I have been informed by the Assistant City Manager they are working on a method for wastebaskets so we don't have to throw this on the floor. I would also say that most of the people here this evening are the people who have in the past supported this City and -7- ADJ. REG. C.C. 6-16-69 Page Eight and this Council in many of their activities and I want to welcome and thank you for attending the first meeting in the new Chambers. • Motion by Councilman Nichols, seconded by Councilman Chappell, and carried, at 9:55 p.m. that this meeting adjourn. ATTEST: CITY CLERK • • APPROVED: MAYOR - 8 -