91-0903_CRA_Minutes_Regular MeetingSEPTEMBER 3, 1991
REGULAR MEETING OF THE SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors of the City of San
Juan Capistrano Redevelopment Agency was called to order by Vice
Chairman Jones at 9:04 p.m. in the City Council Chamber.
ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Gil Jones, Vice Chairman
Kenneth E. Friess, Director
Gary L. Hausdorfer, Director
Jeff Vasquez, Director
ABSENT: Lawrence F. Buchheim, Chairman
STAFF PRESENT: Stephen B. Julian, Executive Director; Thomas
Tomlinson, Deputy Director; Jeffrey C. Parker, Acting Agency
Secretary; Thomas P. Clark, Agency Counsel; David Bentz, Finance
Officer; George Scarborough, Assistant City Manager; Cheryl
Johnson, City Clerk; William Huber, Director of Engineering and
Building; Al King, Jr., Director of Community services; Nancy
Bernardi, Recording Secretary.
MINUTES
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BOARD ACTIONS
1. RECEIVE AND FILE WARRANTS OF AUGUST 22, 1991 f300.30)
It was moved by Director Hausdorfer, seconded by Director
Friess, and unanimously carried that the List of Demands dated
August 22, 1991, in the total amount of $39,226.34 be received
and filed.
2. RECEIVE AND FILE CASH BALANCES BY FUND FOR JULY 1991 (330.50)
It was moved by Director Hausdorfer, seconded by Director
Friess, and unanimously carried that the Finance Officer's
Report of Cash Fund Balances for the month of July 1991 in
the total amount of $-249,261.92 be received and filed.
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3. ARCHAEOIDGIST CONSULTANT AGREEMENT ROBERTA GREENWOOD
X600.401
Written Communication:
Report dated September 3, 1991, from the Community Development
Manager, recommending that a new contract be entered into with
Roberta Greenwood and Associates to extend Ms. Greenwood's
services as the City's Consulting Archaeologist for a one-year
period.
Cassandra Walker, Community Development Manager, made an oral
presentation.
In response to Director Vasquez, the Executive Director
advise.; that copies of the firm's rate schedule would be
provided to the Board.
Approval of Agreement:
It was moved by Director Hausdorfer, seconded by Director
Friess, and unanimously carried that the Agreement for
Consulting Services with Roberta Greenwood and Associates be
approved for a one-year period ending September 30, 1992, in
an amount not to exceed $25,000.
CLOSED SESSION
The Agency Board of Directors and the City Council convened to a
Closed Session at 7:27 p.m., for discussion of pending litigation
per Government Code Section 54956.9(x) (Committee to Restore
Integrity v City) and reconvened at 7:37 p.m.
4. DECORATIVE ARTS STUDY CENTER
This item was heard jointly with the City Council.
Written_ Communication:
Report dated September 3, 1991, from the City Manager and the
Community Redevelopment Agency Executive Director, recounting
the development of the Libros y Artes group and the Decorative
Arts Study Center and their financial relationship with the
City and the Agency. The report set forth financial
arrangements of similar institutions in the County. The
report further recommended that in order to alter the
relationship between the City/Agency and the Center to one of
support and encouragement the following course of action be
taken:
a. The Lease Agreement between
for the Center be amended to
lease payment;
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the Agency and Libros Y Artes
provide for a $1.00 -per --year
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b. A charter be created to define the relationship between
the City and the Center and to establishment the
expectations and responsibilities of the parties
involved; and
C. Capital improvements to the property be accepted in lieu
of demanding past -due rent.
Mr. Julian presented the staff report.
Public Comments:
The following persons addressed the City Council/Agency Board
of Directors:
(1) Joe Bush, 30151 Saddleridge Drive, member of the Board
of Libros Y Artes, noted the need for community support
in order to solicit recurring private and public funding
for the Center.
(2) Jack Pike, 31587 Aguacate Road, Director of the Center,
spoke regarding the hiring of a new Director and the
Center's emphasis on education.
(3) Bob Jones, Mission Viejo, noted the story -telling
festival at the Center scheduled for October 11 and 12
and the success of a similar annual event in Jonesboro,
Tennessee.
(4) Amy Aspell, 32772 Via Malaga, arts administrator, spoke
regarding the Center's positive economic impact on the
community.
(5) Norman Nuremberg, Los Angeles, member of the Board of
Directors for the Center, noted his involvement with the
community over the last 13 years.
(6) Bill Carlson, Laguna Niguel, spoke regarding the
recognition and benefits the Center brings to the City.
(7) Ms. Dale Sercher, owner of the Plaza Arts Center, 31921
Camino Capistrano and newly elected chairperson of the
Capistrano Valley Arts Council.
(8) Joan Scarantino, 27441 Ortega Highway, felt that the
proposal to lease the property to the Center for $1 per
year was unfair to other organizations in the City that
could also benefit from such a financial arrangement.
She felt that many of the City's residents were unaware
of the Center's existence.
(9) Eve Kilgren, Seal Beach, cited support of the Center.
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(10)
Carlos Negrete, 27422 Calle Arroyo, stated that the
Center lost its corporate status and that may be true of
its non-profit status. He stated the lease is improper
and invalid if there is no corporate status. He
requested that Director Hausdorfer abstain due to his ^
prior membership on the Center's Rent Committee.
(11)
Ted Stroscher, 31882 Del Obispo Street, emphasized the
benefit received by the business community due to the
Center and cited his support of the Center.
(12)
Ruth Jacobson, 25502 Charro Drive, member of the Board
of Directors for the Center and Education Chairperson,
spoke regarding the educational use of the Center by
design students at Saddleback College. She also stated
that the curator for the Center, Mrs. Rickardson,
forwarded her support of staff's recommendation.
(13)
Gordon Furth, Monarch Beach, stated that the corporate
status of Libros y Artes was valid, as was the tax exempt
status.
(14)
Mark Clancey, 31982 Via de Linda, representing historic
preservation in the community. He stated that the
General Plan called for the creation of a Cultural
Heritage Foundation envisioned by the General Plan to be
instrumental in acquiring funds to build a museum for
exhibiting historic and archaeological resources founding
in the City and acquiring, restoring and maintaining
historic resources. He felt that the commitment of
resources to the Center might threaten the Redevelopment
AGency's ability to carry out its responsibility to the
cultural heritage of the old pueblo. To demonstrate his
point that the Decorative Arts Center was not fulfilling
the General Plan requirement for a cultural non-profit
foundation, he read a letter dated October 22, 1990 from
Florinda Mintz, Discovery Festival Project Director to
the Decorative Arts Center stating that since the Center
had difficulty including the interests of the American
Indian in the "Spain 1992" exhibit, the Festival of
Discovery would withdraw from that exhibit.
(15)
Terri Whitcomb, San Diego, noted the collection of 18th -.
Century furniture being donated by Mel Martin for exhibit
at the Center. She further stated that the Center was
not elitist and ethnic groups were included in the
Center's planning.
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Council/Board Comments:
Director Hausdorfer concurred with staff's recommendations
and noted the decision of the Council many years ago to
support the Center. He felt that the Center should be given
the opportunity to grow before it can become independent
because its contributions to the community, county, and nation
were more significant than the financial issues. He suggested
that a condition be added to the staff recommendation
initiating an annual review process.
Vice Chairman Jones noted is concerns relative to how the
lease was negotiated early on and urged the Center to obtain
more participation from the average citizen.
Director Vasquez noted that only two of the letters he
received in support of the Center were from San Juan
Capistrano residents. He felt that since the City has already
invested approximately $388,000 in the Center and has only
received $4,000 in rent payments, that Libros Y Artes should
become independent at this time through their own resources.
He felt that although the Center was an asset to the
community, that group was being given a disproportionate share
of the tax dollars. He suggested selling the Center and
assisting the Center in becoming self-sufficient stating the
City cannot afford to support the Center because of budget
constraints.
Director Friess concurred with Director Hausdorfer's comments
and suggestions and discussed the City's past financial
involvement with the construction of the Library.
Authorization-- for Lease_ Revisions and Aecel?tanceof_Capitai
Improvements:
It was moved by Director Hausdorfer and seconded by Vice
Chairman Jones that:
(1) A revision to the lease between the Agency and Libros Y
Artes de San Juan Capistrano be authorized to provide
for a lease payment of $1.00 per year, effective
September 3, 1991;
(2) The capital improvements made to this Agency be accepted
in satisfaction of all rent deficiencies; and
(3 ) An annual review process be initiated and that the entire
issue of the $1 -per -year rent be addressed at the and of
a four-year period.
The motion was carried, with Director Vasquez voting in
opposition.
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ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the Board, the meeting was
adjourned at 9:07 p.m. to the next regular meeting date of
Tuesday, September 17, 1991, at 7:00 P.M. in the City Council
Chamber.
Respectfully submitted,
C. P , ACTING AGENCYISECRETARY
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