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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTC Minutes 2017-02-01 TOWN COUNCIL MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Mayor Fraser called the regular meeting of the Tiburon Town Council to order at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1, 2017, in Town Council Chambers, 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, California. ROLL CALL PRESENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: Fraser, Fredericks, O'Donnell, Tollini ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: Doyle PRESENT: EX OFFICIO: Town Manager Chains, Town Attorney Stock, Director of Community Development Anderson, Director of Administrative Services Bigall, Chief of Police Cronin, Management Analyst Creekmore, Associate Planner O'Malley, Town Clerk Stefani ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Mayor Fraser said the Council was aware that multiple members of the public wished to address them regarding ferry service between Tiburon and San Francisco. He reminded attendees that the Council would not be able to discuss any comments,as the matter was not part of the agenda. Town Manager Chanis also referred Council to a letter received from Blue & Gold Fleet earlier that afternoon. Mayor Fraser opened the floor. A Barn Road resident and 27-year ferry commuter expressed frustration about the commuter ferry service. He said commuters have been told the issues of transferring service between Blue& Gold Fleet and Golden Gate Bridge District would be resolved, but the date of expected conversion is continually pushed back, and poor service remains. He said it was disturbing to see reports of dramatically different versions of events from the parties involved.He implored the Town Council to help find a solution and help their fellow residents and commuters. Holly Hudson,Mercury Avenue,said she was a longtime public transit rider. She said Tiburon needs a ferry alterative for San Francisco commuters because the only bus route does not operate around standard commute times. She said commuters need a clean,reliable boat with prompt service as the ferry-riders have had in the past. A Mar West Street resident said the poor service is adversely affecting many lives:people are late to work in the morning, and late to see their families in the evening. He presented a petition to the Town Council Minutes 903-2017 February 1, 2017 Page I Council of 177 names of citizens who are requesting Council and the Town to hire a mediator to resolve the issues between the parties involved. An Avenida Miraflores resident presented a petition with 348 signatures of impacted citizens. She said the ferry service needs to transfer to Golden Gate Ferry, and an equivalent schedule needs to be implemented. She said the current schedule does not allow her to spend a full working-day in the office,and she now must do more work in the evening at home. She said this ferry service is harming downtown commercialism and will impact the Ranch's ability to transport children to summer camp. She said the Council needs to take an active role in resolving these issues. Bobby Bassman, Juno Road,praised the Golden Gate Bridge District for taking over Tiburon ferry service as part of their efforts to keep cars off of the Golden Gate Bridge. He said 144 delays had occurred over the last six months,causing significant negative impacts in the community.He did not believe that Angel Island Ferry's safety issue claims were well-founded. He trusted the Golden Gate Bridge District Board to look out for the best interests of their vessels and passengers. Victor Wong,Lagoon View Drive, said the commuter ferry operating in a timely manner has a large impact on the community and traffic and Council should step in. He said many of the issues that have arisen could be mitigated if Council would help mediate and find a resolution for the parties. A Juno Road resident said she was here to support her friends who are ferry commuters. She hoped Council would listen to the messages,and take a leadership role in finding a solution. She said these issues have negatively impacted community lives and commerce in Town. SG Ellison, speaking on behalf of A&C Ventures, owner of the dock in the matter, said they were excited for Golden Gate Ferry to take over commuter service, and were surprised when commuter service stalled. He offered to help Council mediate. He said A&C Ventures believes Tiburon residents deserve efficient and safe commuter service and would like to see the issue resolved. Richard Snyder, Belvedere, presumed Council had seen a letter dated October 2016 from Angel Island Ferry asking to work together to address their concerns.He said Angel Island Ferry's concerns are not a new development, and the Town of Tiburon and A&C Ventures have not taken proactive steps in the matter. Conte Cicala, representative of Angel Island Ferry, said Angel Island Ferry has been trying to deal with safety and environmental issues for over a year.He said valuable time has been lost on a"smear campaign"against Angel Island Ferry instead of focusing on solving the other serious issues.He said he hoped fixture discussions would be successful, and that a mediator would not be necessary. He said Angel Island ferry is committed to finding solutions to all issues raised as quickly as possible. Bill Lukens, Las Lomas Lane, said the ferry boat has been a big part of his life in Tiburon since 1964, and has observed dysfunction in the service recently. He agreed that the Town should be involved and said appointing a mediator would help bring all parties together. Town Council Minutes#03-2017 February 1, 2017 Page 2 Dave Santos,a risk manager from San Francisco,distributed aerial photographs of ferry docks from San Francisco, Sausalito, Larkspur and Tiburon. He said these photographs exhibited the clear difference in size and setting in ferry terminals. He highlighted an aerial photograph of Tiburon's ferry dock, with a schematic of what a Golden Gate Ferry vessel might look like in that space. He pointed out that the Tiburon fire boat might not be able to get by,and perhaps the dock configuration should be changed to fit vessels of a larger size. Dennis Mulligan, General Manager of Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, said the district is looking forward to assuming weekday commute service and is also frustrated that it has not yet begun. He commented that there would be no spatial conflicts as Golden Gate Ferry vessels would not be occupying the space during Angel Island Ferry operations. He said dredging or reconfiguring the dock should not be their responsibility.He said GGBHTD believes their vessels are a good and safe fit for Tiburon's ferry dock,as large ferry boats have operated at the location before. Mayor Fraser thanked all those who spoke and referred to Staff to recommended next steps. COUrleilinernber Fredericks requested Staff include information on silting and historical usage of the harbor by larger boats. PRESENTATIONS P-1. Tiburon Greenhouse Gas Reduction — Receive Inventory Report and Presentation (Community Development Department/Marin Climate and Energy Partnership) Christine O'Rourke, Marin Climate and Energy Partnership Sustainability Coordinator, gave the presentation analyzing Tiburon's progress on greenhouse gas reductions. She said 2016 was the warmest year on record, but the State of California is responding well to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.MCEP conducts annual inventories for local jurisdictions so municipalities can better track their progress and trends. She said residential use of solar panels has increased in Tiburon, while use of electricity and natural gas has declined. She said increased vehicle fuel efficiency has decreased transportation emissions and landfill waste has also declined. Ms. O'Rourke said the Town of Tiburon has already exceeded the 2020 target for emission reductions,but there is a still lot of work to be done to reach the 2030 and 2050 goals agreed upon by the State of California. Mayor Fraser thanked Ms. O'Rourke for her presentation and opened the floor for any public comment or questions. Helene Marsh said she was deeply concerned about climate change,and it is essential that the Town of Tiburon continue its efforts. She commented that the Climate Action Plan approved in 2011 recommends review every 5 years,and said she would like to see the Town update the Plan. She said the Town should consider switching municipal accounts to"deep-green" [100%renewable energy]. She thanked the Council for being climate leaders. Town Council Minutes 903-2017 February 1, 2017 Page 3 Janie Allsep, Tiburon Boulevard, said she also cares deeply about climate change and is a "deep- green" customer. She said it is difficult to pinpoint where measured reductions in emissions come from,and whether or not they will continue. She thanked the Council for their leadership and setting an example and encouraged Council to consider the benefits of signing up the municipal accounts for "deep-green". Helen Lindquist, Cazadero Lane, said she was a student of climate change for over a decade. She thought some of the information presented tonight was incorrect. She questioned Marin Clean Energy's source of energy and said some sources of renewable energy were harming other parts of the environment. Betsy Rosenberg, Old Landing Road, said she was a producer of a"green"talk show. She thought Tiburon should have a"Get Green"program or seminar,similar to the"Get Ready 94920"program, to raise awareness on how to reduce energy usage. Vice Mayor O'Donnell said he has served on the Marin Clean Energy Board for a long time.He said he would like to see the percentage of Tiburon MCE participants increase, and the Town should commit its funds to making a greater and more direct impact to reducing emissions than committing funds to "going deep-green". He said there are many ways to reach the same goal shared by all, and working to increase MCE participation in Town would have a huge impact. Councilmember Fredericks said she would be interested to see an economic analysis to review what type of rebate the municipal buildings could get, compared to what she receives as a deep-green customer at her residence. O'Donnell continued that there are many competitors for Town funds, so the money would be better spent in a way that has a more direct impact on reducing the Town's carbon footprint. Mayor Fraser suggested this matter be included on the agenda for the upcoming retreat. CONSENT CALENDAR CC-l. Zoning Text Amendments—Adopt ordinance making amendments to Title IV,Chapter 16(Zoning)of the Tiburon Municipal Code relating to Secondary(Accessory)Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (Director of Community Development Anderson) CC-2. Amendments to Town Manager Contract — Approve First Amendment to Town Manager's Employment Agreement (Town Attorney Stock) MOTION: To adopt Consent Calendar Items 1-2, as written. Moved: O'Donnell, seconded by Fredericks VOTE: AYES: Unanimous Town Council Minutes 403-2017 February I, 2017 Page 4 ABSENT: Doyle PUBLIC HEARINGS PH-l. Tiburon Tourism Business Improvement District — Receive Destination Tiburon presentation and conduct public hearing to: a. Consider any protests to continue TTBID assessments as set forth in Resolution No. 03-2017 b. Consider adoption of a resolution to continue TTBID assessments as set forth in Resolution No. 03-2017 (Town Manager Chanis/Destination Tiburon Marketing Director Admire) Town Manager Chanis gave the staff report. He said the Tiburon Tourism Business Improvement District is funded by an assessment on the lodging establishments in Tiburon and Council must annually approve the continuance of the assessment. He passed the floor to Patrick Sherwood and Dianne Admire of Destination Tiburon,the marketing initiative funded by the TTBID assessments. Ms. Admire gave a background on Destination Tiburon's activities over the previous year. She said their goal was to raise meaningful awareness of Tiburon,and what makes Tiburon unique. She said their main target is meeting planners (not leisure travelers), and part of what Destination Tiburon does is educate meeting planners that Tiburon has everything they need for a meeting experience. She also introduced the platform for this campaign: "We've got to start meeting like this". Vice Mayor O'Donnell noticed Destination Tiburon's logo was different than the "Tiburon by the Bay" logo. Ms. Admire replied that Destination Tiburon's logo was meant to speak to meeting planners; she said Destination Tiburon's logo brands"the destination",whereas the"Tiburon by the Bay" logo brands "the Town". Mayor Fraser commended Ms. Admire on her work, and said she had put together an excellent program for the Board, the Town, and the community. Mayor Fraser opened the floor for public comment. There was none. MOTION: To adopt the resolution to collect and levy assessments to fund the TTBID program. Moved: Tollini, seconded by Fredericks VOTE: AYES: Unanimous ABSENT: Doyle ACTION ITEMS AI-1. Mid-Year Budget Report—Recommendation to accept Town mid-year budget review for Fiscal Year 2016-2017 (Director of Administrative Services Bigall/Town Manager Chanis) Town Council Minutes 903 -2017 February 1, 2017 Page 5 Director of Administrative Services Bigall gave the staff report. She said the Council adopted the budget in June 2016,and has since approved two budget amendments,with a total appropriation for Fiscal Year 2016-2017 of slightly over $14 million. She said the operating budget focuses on the Town's ability to fund ongoing day-to-day services for the residents of the Town. At the mid-year review(December 31, 2016), operating revenue was at 46.8% of budget, and Staff projects operating revenue to exceed the budget by approximately $293,000 at fiscal year-end. She said this surplus was due property taxes, sales taxes and fines and forfeitures due to building permit extension fees all performing better than budgeted for. She said it was normal for the budget to lag below 50%at mid-year due to the timing of larger revenue sources the Town receives after the mid-year reporting period ends. Bigall continued that operating expenditures were at 46.5%,and Staff projects the operating surplus to be $547,371 at fiscal year-end. Mayor Fraser asked about the building permit extension fees that were creating higher revenue than expected. He wondered why the amount was so high, considering the streamlining done in the Building Division.Town Manager Chanis commented that the fines are based on the building permit fee, which depends on the size of the project; therefore, an extension on a large project could generate a large fee. Bigall said interest rates have increased steadily since the adoption of the budget, and the Town is expecting investment returns to increase by approximately $38,000. She also said the Town refinanced local assessment districts, which resulted in lower payments for residents within those districts and $100,000 in administrative fees collected for Town. She said the amended Capital Improvement Project budget appropriated approximately$2,000,000 in the budget, and at mid-year, the expenditures were 11% of total budget. She said it is normal to run very low at the mid-year review due to the timing of these projects in the fiscal year. She stated the following projections of impact on fund balances through the fiscal year: General Fund Reserves began with $6.53 million and projected to end with $5.5 million; General Fund Discretionary Reserves began with$4.9 million and projected to end with$3.91 million;Unallocated General Fund Reserves began with $3.65 million with no projected change. Vice Mayor O'Donnell asked about the facility repair replacement expenditure. Bigall said that expenditure was to fund the undergrounding between Lyford Drive and Ned's Way. Director Bigall concluded her staff report by stating that revenues were tracking favorably to budget and are expected to exceed by $293,000. She said expenditures are not projected to exceed the budget, and the operating surplus is increasing from $254,000 to $547,000. She said the General Fund remains strong, but there is increasing competition for these funds. Town Council Minutes 403 -2017 February I, 2017 Page 6 Mayor Fraser opened the floor for public comment. There was none. MOTION: To accept the mid-year budget report for the period ended December 31, 2016 Moved: Tollim, seconded by Fredericks Vote: AYES: Unanimous ABSENT: Doyle AI-2. Ca1PERS Discount Rate Change Report — Receive informational report estimating future financial impacts of lower CalPERS discount rate (Director of Administrative Services Bigall) Town Manager Chanis gave the staff report to update Council on CalPERS and their recent decision to reduce the discount rate over a three-year period from 7.5%to 7.0%. Chanis said the Town received guidance from CalPERS with a range of possible costs over the coming years.The actual costs are still unknown at this time.He said the numbers he was presenting to Council tonight represented the higher end of the spectrum of the ranges provided by CAPERS. He said there were two basic categories of the Town of Tiburon's payments to CAPERS:normal cost and unfunded liability payment. He gave an example of the possible effect on normal cost:with no rate change,the Town would have expected to pay approximately $13,000, but with the rate change, beginning in FY 2018-19, the Town can expect to pay approximately $23,000, with costs continuing to rise each year. Any increases in salary or payroll would cause these costs to increase further. Councilmember Fredericks confirmed "normal cost" and "annual cost" were the same. Chanis confirmed,and clarified that normal cost was the cost paid annual based on a percentage of payroll. Vice Mayor O'Donnell asked if this was the Town's cost, rather than the employee's. Chanis confirmed. Town Manager Chanis also showed an example of the possible effect on unfunded liability payments: with no rate change, the Town would have expected to pay approximately$105,000,but with the rate change,beginning in Fiscal Year 2018-19,the Town can expect to pay approximately $118,000, with costs continuing to rise each year. Mayor Fraser clarified that salary increases would cause these costs to increase. Chanis said salary increases would cause the normal cost payments to increase,but not the unfunded liability payments. Chanis said this change was adopted by Ca1PERS at the end of December 2016,and the Town hopes to get more detailed guidance and more details specific to Tiburon at a later date. He concluded his staff report and invited questions from the Council. Town Council]Minutes 403 -2017 February 1, 2017 Page 7 Vice Mayor O'Donnell asked about paying down the unfunded liability payments to lessen the cost per year. Chanis said the Town had paid down unfunded liability cost by$200,000 per year for the last two years, and will continue to budget to do the same as fiscal conditions allow. He continued by saying that other entities are looking into creative ways to deal with these increased costs: some are financing their unfunded liability payments,and others are paying off a great deal of it. He said the Town could choose to use unallocated General Fund reserves to make a one-time payment, and offered to bring more information and options to a future budget committee meeting. Councilmember Tollini and Vice Mayor O'Donnell said they would like to see those options. Mayor Fraser opened the floor for public comment. There was none. No action taken. TOWN COUNCIL REPORTS None. TOWN MANAGER REPORT Town Manager Chanis reminded the Council of the upcoming annual retreat scheduled for March 3, 2017. He said Staff will welcome input from Council for agenda items to include.He also mentioned he would be out of the office the following Wednesday and Thursday(2/8 and 2/9)at a conference. WEEKLY DIGESTS Received. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Town Council of the own of Tiburon, Mayor Fraser adjourned the meeting at 9:20 p.m. d JIM FR E R ATTEST: { Id. LEA STEFAtNI, TOWN CLERK Town Council Minutes#03-2017 February 1, 2017 Page 8