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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTC Minutes 2017-03-03 All TOWN OF TIBURON it 1505 Tiburon Boulevard _ Tiburon, CA 94920 ' MEMORANDUM Date: March 13, 2017 To: Mayor and Members of the Town Council From: Lea Stefan], Town Clerk Subject: Summary of March 3, 2017 Council-Staff Retreat On March 3, 2017, the Town Council held a special meeting at The Ranch at Dairy Knoll for the purpose of its annual retreat with Town staff. At 8:30 a.m., Mayor Fraser called the meeting to order. Councilmembers Fredericks and Tollini, Vice Mayor O'Donnell and Mayor Fraser were present. Councilmember Doyle arrived at 9:20 a.m. Staff members present were Town Manager Chanis, Director of Community Development Anderson, Director of Public Works/Town Engineer Barnes, Director of Administrative Services Bigall, Chief of Police Cronin, Planning Manager Watrous, Management Analyst Creekmore, Associate Planner O'Malley, Associate Engineer Lashkevich and Town Clerk Stefani. One member of the public (De]dre McCrohan, The Ark Newspaper) attended, and was joined later by several other members of the public. After asking for oral communications (there were none), Mayor Fraser and Town Manager Chanis reviewed the agenda. Town Manager Chanis said the goal of the retreat was to review several open discussion topics that were generated by Councilmembers in the morning, and to focus on capital project priority setting in the afternoon. Mayor Fraser said each discussion item should be limited to approximately 15 minutes, and is a good forum for brief discussion and direction to staff. The list of projects discussed, a brief summary and direction given, is below: Traffic Relief JPA Funding Mayor Fraser said Tiburon and Belvedere should be proud of the bus program they have put together. The original plan was to only subsidize the program for a brief time, but there are many competing priorities for transportation fiends. He said there is never a guarantee of funds, and the Town will likely still have to subsidize the program to some degree. He said the JPA is considering an incremental increase in bus pass costs over the next 3-5 years, and both the community and the Town should plan to continue subsidizing the program. Councilmember Fredericks said the Bus Program is competing for senior and disabled transportation funds, so it would be helpful to continue working with Marin Transit, particularly as other regional agencies will be competing for available programs. MARCH C�)t ,.x_11 S1.%, ; R;_ri:i_.��rS; VN ARS Pa-C 1 of q Mayor Fraser asked if the Town should include the subsidy in the next budget as a line item while we continue looking for funding sources. He reiterated that there is no guarantee of funds. He thought the Council should decide how to deal with the long-term subsidy, and thought there could be early renegotiation to the current First Student bus contract. Town Manager Chanis said the JPA has done well with their budget, but it might be wise to build up a reserve of funds, particularly as they are in the first year of operation. He suggested Staff bring an item to the Council at the next meeting, giving the Council an opportunity to indicate their support of the subsidy so it can be included in the next budget. Mayor Fraser agreed. Vice Mayor O'Donnell said the service has improved significantly, and agreed that prices could be increased. He said the Town should begin negotiating contracts soon. Town Carbon Footprint/Greenhouse Gas Reduction Options Town Manager Chanis commented that the Town of Tiburon exceeded the statewide target for greenhouse gas emissions for 2015, and showed the target goals for 2030 and 2050. Vice Mayor O'Donnell said that while he does see the value in "going deep green" with Marin Clean Energy, he does not believe cities and towns should do it because it should not be used as a marketing initiative. He thought the Town's funds would be better spent on local projects to reduce emissions — solar power on Town-owned buildings, more electric vehicles, or EV charging stations. He said electric vehicles are soon to become more cost-effective, particularly with the addition of solar power. Councilmember Fredericks agreed. Town Manager Chanis said it is now much more cost effective to install solar. The Town could consider installing solar panels on the roof of the Police Department. Mayor Fraser agreed that the Town should set an example and become a better supporter of lowering emissions. He wondered if the Council should consider installing EV charging stations in the public domain, particularly since electric vehicles are becoming more popular. O'Donnell commented that most electric vehicles charge in their residences overnight, when the power cost is at its lowest. He said a Town Hall station might not get used very often. Mayor Fraser requested the Staff include the item on a future Council agenda for the Council to discuss options for adding solar power to the Police Department, as well as an analysis as to whether or not EV charging stations would benefit the community. EV CharjZinjZ Stations (taken out of order Town Manager Chanis said the business of EV charging stations is changing. In the past, there were many grant programs that provided free stations, but no longer. He said there are ongoing costs one must pay for, in addition to each cord/charge head. Chanis said if the Council was committed to installing charging stations, it should consider where the stations would go in Town. �9;1P.C;11 3,2i)l C_O( N( II. 51 11 1 Rr 112l v! 51_ vIv9 181' Paige 2 o ti Director of Public Works/Town Engineer Barnes agreed. He gave an overview of pricing that Staff and Council had reviewed in recent years. He said it might not be worthwhile. Mayor Fraser requested the item be included on a future Town Council agenda for further discussion. Tree/View Obstruction Ordinance Remedies Town Manager Chanis and Director of Community Development Anderson commented on several citizen requests to have Staff review the existing View Ordinance, and to consider making revisions to the remedies offered for local disputes, particularly the option for binding arbitration. Director Anderson commented on Staff reservations on making too many changes. Councilmember Doyle said the ordinance does not offer many ways to take positive action for those affected by a growing tree. He said citizens want to be good neighbors, and he hoped that there was a way to help these neighborhoods deal with the issues. He suggested adding a more specific guideline (without the current degree of legal enforcement). He said the Town values its neighborhoods, and the way people treat each other. Councilmember Tollini inquired about the arbitration clause. Town Attorney Stock said both parties must agree to do arbitration. He did not necessarily agree that arbitration is good for municipalities, because the arbitrator does not always understand public law, but said it is quicker and cheaper than court. Planning Manager Watrous added that in some cases, residents have used arbitration as "a stalling mechanism". Councilmember Fredericks said some neighbors have long-standing agreements, and the Town should not make any changes that affect those agreements that work. She agreed that remedies should be streamlined. Vice Mayor O'Donnell and Councilmember Doyle discussed the tradition that the neighbors who want the tree trimmed usually pay for it, but those new to Town are usually unaware of that. Doyle said people lose track of their maintenance, and that is when the problems begin, especially because too much cutting of a tree at the wrong time of year can damage or kill the tree. There was a consensus among the Council to have Staff return with a slight modification to the View Ordinance narrowly focused on eliminating or smoothing out the binding arbitration and remedies process. Ferry Dock Reorientation Town Manager Chanis showed an aerial view of the downtown Tiburon waterfront and harbor, and said there have been sonic discussions amongst the various parties involved in commuter ferry service about the orientation of the floats and docks angled toward each other. He said the Town indicated its willingness to perhaps undertake a scoping study on the current conditions of the docks, and see if there are options for reorientation. There was some discussion as to the complications of ownership in the harbor, but Town Manager Chanis said he suspected the current owners would expect to retain ownership. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... \1,�vzeii 3,2017Cot Ncii. Si,\n Ri rizi .vi Si vv .in Page 3 o S Mayor Fraser agreed that the Council should participate in any discussions the downtown occupants want to have relating to these areas. He thought putting out the Request for Proposals would be a good idea, and the Council should include the other parties involved in discussions. Vice Mayor O'Donnell wondered if the new service goes well, perhaps the issues would be alleviated. He also wondered if it would be beneficial to wait to see how the new service evolves to see what new issues may arise, if any. Mayor Fraser agreed that the Town should continue to be a party in the dialogue to get to the heart of the problems in the harbor, and there are other possible issues that we may be unaware of. He agreed that the Council should continue to discuss other possible improvements. Borrowed vs. Shared Views Design Guidelines Planning Manager Watrous said the Hillside Design Guidelines are an excellent tool for guiding the Design Review Board on what is an appropriate design for a hillside. He said the issue of "borrowed view" has been raised—and whether or not it applies to underdeveloped lots and vacant lots. Councilmember Fredericks wondered if there should be a distinction between a "borrowed" and a "shared" view, and whether or not there are different expectations and impacts with each. She suggested adding language to the guidelines to better define "shared view" as applicable to underdeveloped lots and borrowed views as applicable to vacant lots. Mayor Fraser did not think the Town should introduce a"shared view" policy. He said homeowners expect to keep their views when they move here. Fredericks said the DRB does use the "shared view" concept, even though it is not memorialized in any policy. She agreed that it may not be the best terminology, but thought it was important to memorialize the concept. Councilmember Doyle thought the guidelines were clear, simple and that local architects understand them. He said problems arise when a new property owner wants to maximize profit and architects that are not familiar with the guidelines only consider the single space. He thought people might take the guidelines more seriously if they were referred to as "rules" instead. Mayor Fraser suggested telling the DRB to not use the "shared view" terminology as the Town do not have a shared view policy, and did not think changing the wording would be a good idea. Planning Manager Watrous thought that the term "shared view" was used only sparingly by the DRB. He said the guidelines include a word of caution that one may not be entitled to their views forever, but the addition on to a home needs to be balanced with protection of others' views. Councilmember Tollini agreed that more definition might be appropriate. She thought one might reasonably assume a vacant lot would be built upon, but not expect their view to be blocked by the expansion of an existing home, and deference should be given to the existing home. \Iv1"c:r1 3,2017Co1 Nc n SrA] I-RIrRI ms I:,\I\1A]"), IlaC 4 of 8 Vice Mayor O'Donnell commented one might reasonably expect that an underdeveloped, dilapidated home would be torn down and built to similar standard to other homes in the area. He did not think putting more definition would make the matter clearer, because each property is different. He said adding in a new guideline might make them more difficult to apply, and it has worked well for two decades. Doyle agreed. He said the Town has a good Design Review Board, and sometimes situations get tricky. He said the DRB will even grant variances to not affect neighbors' views. He thought the Council should leave the language alone, and continue letting the Design Review Board handle the view issues as they have. HE agreed that every lot is different. Open Space Manal4ement Director of Public Works/Town Engineer Barnes gave an overview of several open space management projects. He said there were different scenarios to consider with regard to funding. Town Manager Chanis said the Council has the option to re-prioritize projects previously defined in the Open Space Management Plan. Councilmember Fredericks said it was of concern to her that there is considerable risk of loss of habitat given both existing funds and the timeline previously laid out. She said that more money is needed, and perhaps the goals should be refocused. The Council asked Staff to come forward with different options for funding at different levels. Councilmember Tollini suggested allocating more funds to catch up on previously stated priorities, so as to not take away from other priorities. Mayor Fraser directed the staff to come back to Council with a plan; he said the Council is open to including more money in the budget for open space management and would consider the Staff's recommendation. Review of Budget Reserves Town Manager Chanis showed various figures of the budget reserves maintained by the Town, and the reserves the Town uses to fund capital projects, along with various unallocated, restricted and discretionary funds. Capital Project Priority Settiniz Mayor Fraser then moved the meeting into Capital Project Priority Setting. Town Manager Chanis gave a brief overview of the capital project priority setting process, and showed a list of thirty-six projects, with "tiered" rankings. He said the projects were weighted differently, with the heaviest weight given to those projects that reduced health and safety threats, costs of deferred maintenance and a legal mandate. He showed a list of"Tier 1" projects, and said that five were currently active; of"Tier 2", one project active; and of"Tier 3", one project active. He asked that the Council validate this priority setting process to help guide Council and Staff in future funding discussions. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ \1.\RCt13,2017C)i Neat-SIAFFRI I1v1:\I S( NINIA�, Paw 5 of 8 Chanis also showed various figures representing the Town's fund balance if all the projects currently active were completed, and how the Town's funds would grow if no projects were completed. Mayor Fraser agreed that the Council should develop some criteria to give themselves and Staff a sense of direction and prioritization when discussions turn to funding. Councilmember Tollini said the Council should decide what it wants to fund this year in capital projects. Councilmember Fredericks said the Council should take into consideration that some of these projects should be done together, even if they are not grouped in the same tier. Mayor Fraser said the Council should decide on project priorities so the Staff will be able to better approach budgets in future fiscal years with respect to capital projects. Town Manager Chanis said the most immediate decisions the Council needs to make are about McKegney Green and the Hawthorne Undergrounding general benefit, two projects in which the Town's financial role in funding are still unclear. Open Discussion McKegney Green Town Manager Chanis said the current plans for McKegney Green were 75% complete, and Staff anticipates the Town will be able to do construction this summer. He said Staff is reluctant to put the project out to bid until the Council develops a funding plan. Vice Mayor O'Donnell said the field should not only be for soccer-players, and they should be fair to all parties using the field. He suggested reconvening the committee, alongside the project proponents, to see how much money can be privately raised, but added that fundraising will likely not be successful unless the Town makes a commitment. Mayor Fraser asked the Staff to put together a funding calendar, with deadlines that the Council, the subcommittee, and the project proponents can abide by with respect to developing a funding plan, with finds from both the Town and the community. Councilmember Tollini expressed reservations of the cost of the field. She said it was extravagant, given the percentage of the population that uses it, and given the other competing capital projects. She was in support of fixing the field, and implementing a matching program, to match private contributions. Councilmember Fredericks agreed that the proposed field was expensive, but questioned if there was an effective project that costs less. She thought that the alternatives previously discussed were not identified to be effective projects. Town Manager Chanis agreed that those projects would cost less, but would not fit the criteria the Council requested. 1 _101, Cot \C-11, 51 \l r RI,I R1:11 ` t 0 t?{ Tollini thought a safe and effective field could be built for much less. Vice Mayor O'Donnell said the experts they hired said that the proposed project is the only way to do it properly, and to not have to later re-do it. He said it is the only field in Town. Councilmember Doyle said that one of the main reasons people move here is for the schools, but there isn't very much to do in Tiburon for the kids. He agreed that it is a lot of money, but perhaps this is the one thing Tiburon can do for the youth in the community. Vice Mayor O'Donnell agreed that the field should be done in a cost-effective way, but believed that it should be made to be playable, not just look nice. He cited various ideas to bring the cost down: working with MMWD to bring the meter price down, creating a "friends of the field" fund, or perhaps a generous investor. He said it would be very difficult to ask the soccer groups for money before the Town commits in some way, and accepts a bid. Councilmember Fredericks asked if there was a less expensive project option. Town Manager Chanis said a "recreation" green field would be less expensive, but would not be sand-based, which was a specification of the project. Councilmember Fredericks suggested that the Council decide on a fixed price the Town is willing to pay for the recreation field, but if the community can come up with the additional fiends, we will build the sports field. She agreed that the Town owes some money to the field for public usage. Councilmembers Doyle and Tollini agreed. Mayor Fraser directed Staff to return to Council with options for a non-sand recreation field. Hawthorne Undergrounding General Benef t Town Manager Chanis said the Staff is requesting Council clarity on one other currently active project: the Hawthorne Undergrounding general benefit. He said the "Down's policy indicates that the Town does not pay for any portion of the undergrounding project, but past projects have not had any general benefit. The early estimate for the general benefit for this project was approximately $800,000 - $1.2 million). There was some discussion as to what is included in the general benefit—any benefit that cannot be attributed to a specific property in the proposed district, or in this case,primarily the removal of poles adjacent to the Old Rail Trail. Councilmember Tollini asked how general benefit is paid for in other communities. Town Attorney Stock said the public entity typically pays with Rule 20A funds, but all of Tiburon's Rule 20A funds have already been used. Town Manager Chanis said there were several ways the cost could be financed. Mayor Fraser asked for confirmation that the Town's policy was that the Town does not fund general benefit. Chanis said the policy says 100% of costs will be borne by the project proponents, and does not specify general benefit. ... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ............I...."1111-.................... \hiu:n 3. \c ii_ S I AI r RI I IzI yrSI \tMAR) ,i r 7 of R Mayor Fraser said a subcommittee had been formed to study changes to the policy. He suggested the next Council meeting to have an item on the agenda to have a discussion about funding the Hawthorne general benefit. Beach Road Flooding Vice Mayor O'Donnell commented that a project should be undertaken to alleviate the Beach Road flooding—he believed it should be next on the priority list following McKegney Green and the Hawthorne Undergrounding. Councilmember Fredericks agreed, and added that there is a safety issue. Town Manager Chanis said Staff would bring this item back to the Council for discussion and to review potential solutions and pursue design of a project. The meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m. JIM �(SFR, MAYOR ATTEST: L-A STEFAN , TOWN CLERK .. ........ .. ..... ............ . .. ......... 1, 21>,201 C i�l V'� I o f,AI I RI-1 R ;CI SI \1\1,A1.7 1)a'—, `S i)I S