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Home My WebLink AboutTC Min 2009-06-03TOWN COUNCIL MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Mayor Fredericks called the regular meeting of the Tiburon Town Council to order at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2009, in Town Council Chambers, 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, California. ROLL CALL PRESENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: Berger, Collins, Fredericks, Gram, Slavitz PRESENT: EX OFFICIO: Town Manager Curran, Town Attorney Danforth, Director of Administrative Services Bigall, Director of Community Development Anderson, Director of Public Works/Town Engineer Nguyen, Chief of Police Cronin, Town Clerk Crane Iacopi Prior to the regular meeting, the Council met in closed session to discuss the following: CLOSED SESSION - (7:00 p.m.) CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION (Section 54956.9(a)) Town of Tiburon v. Sylvia; Sylvia v. Town of Tiburon Wayne et al. v. Town of Tiburon ANNOUNCEMENT OF ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION IF ANY Mayor Fredericks said that there was nothing to announce from the closed session. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None. CONSENT CALENDAR 1. Town Council Minutes - Adopt minutes of May 6, 2009 meeting (Town Clerk Crane Iacopi) Town Council Minutes #08 -2009 June 3, 2009 Page 1 2. Town Investment Summary - Adopt April 2009 report (Director of Administrative Services Bigall) 3. Commendation for "Blue Zone" Presentation - Approve and authorize Mayor to sign Commendation for Bel Aire student presentation on "Blue Zones" (Town Manager Curran) 4. Cypress Hollow Park - Approve award of contract for improvements to park and authorize Mayor to sign on behalf of the Town (Director of Public Works/Town Engineer Nguyen) 5. FY 2008-09 Street Rehabilitation Project - Approve plans and specification for FY 2008-09 Street Rehabilitation Project and authorize solicitation of bids (Director of Public Works/Town Engineer Nguyen) 6. Reed Ranch and Ridge Road Overlay Projects - Approve plans and specifications for the Federal ARRA Reed Ranch Road and Ridge Road Overlay Project and authorize solicitation of bids pending Caltrans approval (Director of Public Works/Town Engineer Nguyen) 7. Budget Amendments FY 2008-09 - Adopt year-end "clean up" amendments for fiscal year 2008-09 (Director of Administrative Services Bigall) MOTION: To adopt Consent Calendar Items 1 through 7, as written. Moved: Slavitz, seconded by Berger Vote: AYES: Unanimous ABSENT: Collins ACTION ITEMS 1. Appointments to Town Boards, Commissions & Committees - Consider appointment to pending vacancy on Library Agency Board of Directors (Town Clerk Crane Iacopi) Town Clerk Crane Iacopi said that Boardmember Lois Eptstein's term expired at the end of June and that she sought reappointment to serve for another term. Ms. Crane Iacopi said that the pending vacancy had been duly noticed and advertised. She noted that there were no other applicants for the position. MOTION: To reappoint Lois Epstein to the Library Board of Directors. Moved: Gram, seconded by Berger Vote: AYES: Unanimous ABSENT: Collins Town Council Minutes #08 -2009 June 3, 2009 Page 2 PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. Municipal Budget - Introduction of proposed Municipal Budget for Fiscal Year 2009- 2010 (Town Manager Curran & Director of Administrative Services Bigall) Town Manager Curran introduced the item. She said it had been a challenge to balance the coming fiscal year's budget because of the downturn in the economy and reduced revenues. She said that the proposed budget was balanced albeit with a smaller surplus than in years past. Curran acknowledged the efforts of the Town's Department Heads who had reduced their department budgets by 3%. She also noted that the Town did not plan to award cost of living increases or merit pay to any non-represented personnel in the coming year. The Town Manager addressed the possibility of future "take-aways" by the State. She said that the Town had sufficient reserves to cover this contingency and that any take-aways would have to be repaid to the Town, with interest, under Proposition IA. The State could "borrow" up to $369,000 from Tiburon's share of property tax revenue under Proposition 1 A, according to Curran. Curran thanked Director of Administrative Services Bigall for her excellent work on producing a balanced budget and turned the presentation over to her. Ms. Bigall said that she and the Town Manager had met with the Finance subcommittee twice during the year and that she was now pleased to present a balanced operating budget of $20,710,000, with a projected surplus of $18,000. In her power point presentation, Director Bigall discussed projected revenues. She noted that the Town conservatively estimated receipt of I% in property tax revenues, down from 4.6% received last year. She also noted that sales taxes were down, along with transit occupancy tax revenues. Vice Mayor Berger commented on the use of the Town's reserves to fund the budget gap if the State "borrowed" from the Town. He asked whether these reserve funds were earning interest, how much, and whether that interest was being used towards the Town's operating expenses. Ms. Bigall said that the Town would end the year with over $9 million in reserves. She said these reserves had earned $182,000 last year which represented a significant decrease over previous years. She said that the interest went into the General Fund. Mayor Fredericks asked whether the Town would receive COPS funding in the coming year and whether the failure of the recent ballot measures would affect the Town's budgeting in this area. Ms. Bigall said that the Town had received the minimum ($100,000) COPS funding in the current fiscal year. Chief of Police Cronin added that the [larger] public agencies that received more than the minimum amount were the ones affected by the recent election and would face loss of these revenues. Town Council Minutes #08 -2009 June 3, 2009 Page 3 Town Manager Curran said that if the COPS funding was not received by the Town in the coming year for any reason, staff would return to the Council with a recommendation on how to absorb the loss. Ms. Bigall reviewed slides showing revenues and expenditures by department, as well as historical data and projected revenues and expenditures. Mayor Fredericks took the opportunity during the presentation to congratulate Ms. Bigall on her 30th anniversary of employment with the Town of Tiburon. She read a proclamation in her honor. Ms. Bigall received a standing ovation. She accepted that plaque and said that the pleasure had been hers and that Tiburon was a "great town." Councilmember Slavitz said that there was no better protector of the Town's coffers than Heidi. Ms. Bigall then turned the presentation over to Director of Public Works/Town Engineer Nguyen who presented the proposed Capital Improvement Project component. Director Nguyen said the proposed projects in the area of street improvements, drainage improvements and community projects would elevate the quality of life in the community. He said that federal stimulus (grant) funding had been applied for and received for improvements to Reed Ranch and Ridge Road. He said that $350,000 had been allocated to repair failed streets in the coming year and that hopefully it would be the last year to complete the backlog of those repairs. With regard to drainage, Nguyen said that $200,000 had been budgeted to clean and flush catch basins and lines throughout the Town in the coming year. Director Nguyen said that a community project that had just been completed was the Pine Terrace pathway. He said that funding for other lanes and paths projects that had not yet been bid were being rolled forward into the coming year in conjunction with some Safe Routes to School funding. Nguyen said that staff had also applied for State air quality grant funding to partially fund the improvements to the Lyford Drive commuter parking area. Vice Mayor Berger commented that it would be favorable if both phases of that project could be combined (for increased parking). Nguyen said that the Town had received feedback from the Transportation Authority of Marin that it was a finalist for receipt of funding that could be used for this purpose. Nguyen said that an Open Space Management Plan was being undertaken and that study would continue on the rehabilitation of the Corporation Yard. He said that litigation continued to stall the Del Mar Undergrounding Project but that 11 streets would be patched in that area. Town Council Minutes #08 -2009 June 3, 2009 Page 4 Nguyen also noted that the Town had received Caltrans' approval to place security cameras in the Tiburon Boulevard right-of-way but had not yet received approval for placement in the medians. Mayor Fredericks opened the public hearing. Margo Geitheim, resident of Belveron East, said that she was a parent representative for the Bel Aire Safe Routes to School. She said that they would like to create an easement through their neighborhood for children to pass through to go to school. She said that Vice Mayor Berger had advised her to canvass the neighbors to see if there were any property owners who might be willing to give such an easement. Councilmember Gram said that the Council could not comment on her request during the budget hearing but suggested that Ms. Geitheim do more research and work with staff to determine its feasibility. Mayor Fredericks closed the public hearing. Vice Mayor Berger asked staff about the budget amendments on the agenda. Ms. Bigall said that the "clean up" amendments were for the current year and did not affect the proposed FY 09-10 budget. Councilmember Gram said that while other cities were "jumping through hoops" to deal with the economic downturn, the Town had been looking at "what if' scenarios for over a year. He credited Director Bigall and Town Manager Curran for leading this campaign. He especially credited Ms. Bigall on her command of all the numbers and projections that go into the budget process. He said that Bigall tracked numbers by month and could both project and inform on past numbers. Gram said that it made budgeting "easy" for the subcommittee and the Council. He said that Curran and Bigall were a "great team." Councilmember Gram congratulated Ms. Bigall on her 30 years of service, 12 of which he had worked with her as a member of the Council. He said that she was always "positive" and maintained a sense of humor. Councilmember Slavitz commented on the quality and depth of Ms. Bigall's budget presentations. Vice Mayor Berger echoed the positive remarks of his colleagues concerning Ms. Bigall. Mayor Fredericks also noted that the Police Department had been able to make a 3% reduction in their budget even in the face of increased fixed costs. MOTION: Moved: Vote: To pass first reading of the budget, as written. Slavitz, seconded by Gram AYES : ABSENT: Unanimous Collins Town Council Minutes #08 -2009 June 3, 2009 Page 5 TOWN COUNCIL REPORTS Mayor Fredericks said that she had been in Sacramento earlier in the day advocating against the closure of the State Parks, and in particular Angel Island State Park. She said that Channel 2 news had covered the meeting in which she spoke on the negative "trickle down" effect the closure would have on local businesses in our town. TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT Town Manager Curran called attention to a memo in the Digest that listed the number of grants received by the Town in the past year. She said that Director of Public Works/Town Engineer Nguyen was responsible for writing most of the grant requests. She also noted that Associate Planner Tyler was following the federal stimulus funding opportunities on behalf of the Town. Curran mentioned that she was looking for a date for a Homeowner's Summit, normally scheduled for June, sometime after Labor Day at the suggestion of the Mayor. WEEKLY DIGESTS • Town Council Weekly Digest - May 8, 2009 • Town Council Weekly Digest - May 15, 2009 • Town Council Weekly Digest - May 22, 2009 • Town Council Weekly Digest - May 29, 2009 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Town Council of the Town of Tiburon, Mayor Fredericks adjourned the meeting at 8:45 p.m., in memory of former Mayor Bruce Ross. Prior to the adjournment, Vice Mayor Berger shared his comments on the civic accomplishments and dedication of his former father-in-law, noting that he was the person who influenced him to get involved in public service. Z. ALICE FREDERICKS, MAYOR ATTEST: 7 I,__7 ~ - DIANE CRANE IA PI, TOWN CLERK Town Council Minutes #08 -2009 June 3, 2009 Page 6