09-0325_CC_Minutes_Adjourned Regular MeetingMINUTES
March 25, 2009
Joint Meeting
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
CITY COUNCIL
PLANNING COMMISSION
CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION
PARKS, RECREATION & EQUESTRIAN COMMISSION
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
UTILITIES COMMISSION
DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE
HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD
Mayor Nielsen called the Adjourned Regular Joint Meeting of the San Juan Capistrano
City Council, Planning Commission, Cultural Heritage Commission, Parks, Recreation &
Equestrian Commission, Transportation Commission, Utilities Commission,
Design Review Committee, Housing Advisory Committee and Youth Advisory Board to
order at 6:08 p.m. in the City Council Chamber.
ROLL CALL
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Sam Allevato, Tom Hribar, Laura Freese,
Mayor pro tem Dr. Londres Uso and Mayor Mark Nielsen
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: None
PLANNING COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Tim Neely, Ginny Kerr, James Mocalis,
Robert Williams, Bruce Tatarian, Vice Chair Gene Ratcliffe and Chairman Sheldon
Cohen.
PLANNING COMMISSIONER ABSENT: None
CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Ed Nunez, Lorie Porter,
Vice Chair Janet Siegel and Chairman Nathan Banda
CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSIONER ABSENT: Don Tryon (Excused absence)
PARKS, RECREATION & EQUESTRIAN COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Jill Hanna,
Kenneth Hart, Peter Margarita, Vice Chair Gail Zukow and Chairperson Ilsa Byrnes
PARKS, RECREATION & EQUESTRIAN COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Ken Ficklin, Jean Savage,
Vice Chair Larry Kramer and Chairman Matt Gaffney
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: David Foster (Excused absence)
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UTILITIES COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Alan Freisleben, Lee Goode, Richard Hartl,
Vice Chair Raymond Miller and Chairman Dan Merkle
UTILITIES COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None
DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Ginny Kerr, Robert Cardoza,
Vice Chair Tim Neely and Chairman Jeff Parkhurst
DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT: None
HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Nancy Campman, Gila
Jones, Jess Lopez, David Solt, William Bonney, Vice Chair Joanne Marquez and
Chairperson Gene Ratcliffe
YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS (Adult Advisors) PRESENT: James Schenold
and Jennifer Freiss
DISCUSSION ITEM
B1. COUNCIL PHILOSOPHIES, EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, AND TOPICS RELEVANT
TO THE COUNCIL AND CITY COMMISSIONS (610.70) - No action taken.
Council Members' Opening Comments:
• Become more proactive.
• Provide knowledge to staff.
• Expedite the process.
• Support Council Priorities
• Be fair and accessible.
• Make the health and safety of residents the number one priority.
• Maintain the quality of life, vitality of business, esthetics, culture and equestrian
lifestyle.
• Importance of rehabilitation of downtown.
• Become leaders in the community by supporting and helping other organizations
in the City.
• Have an open mind and listen to all recommendations.
• Take into consideration the long term fiscal health of the City.
• Encourage each Commissioner to be familiar with the General Plan.
PLANNING COMMISSION
Council Members' Comments:
• Support businesses and development that enhance the City.
• Expedite projects.
• Use an open mind approach.
• Site plan analysis important with parking.
• Awareness in changing trends in society.
• Proactive with future General Plan amendments and Zoning Code revisions.
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• Support Council Priorities.
• Envision long term goals.
• Consider applicant's expenditure during process.
• Awareness of limited staff time.
• Consideration of more joint workshops.
• Make presentations at City Council meetings.
Planning Commissioners' Comments:
• Seeking support from Council on projects denied by Commission.
• Land Use determination early in the project to avoid unhappy applicants.
• Having more joint workshops with Council, other Commissions and Committees.
• Involvement with Strategic Plan.
• Decisions to be consistent with the General Plan.
CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION
Council Members' Comments:
• Promote community involvement.
• Important to be clear and defined as to what are the road blocks for development
within historic sites.
• Make presentations at Council meetings to share history of buildings.
• Work on developing a Native American Site for ceremonial/educational purposes.
• Help bring cultural heritage back to the General Plan.
Cultural Heritage Commissioners' Comments:
• City Council Need to promote City's history and educate residents.
• For 50th anniversary of incorporation in 2011, the City needs to start now to plan
events for the entire year to bring visitors.
• Village site should be about all ethnic groups.
• Have an educational amphitheater to give presentations to students/visitors.
• Having a Visitor Center will keep visitors in town.
• Re-establish Historic Site policy.
• Ecology Center creating a Native American Village on their site.
Parks, Recreation & Equestrian Commissioner Comment:
• Re-establish Historic Site policy.
PARKS, RECREATION & EQUESTRIAN COMMISSION
Council Members' Comments:
• Bring recreation ideas for the new Open Space Master Plan.
• Acknowledge aging population and their needs.
• Re-examine recreation needs assessments.
• Work together with Volunteer Activities Committee.
• Expedite projects.
• Encouraged more dialog with recreational organizations for economical
opportunities.
• Need a Joint Use Agreement with San Juan Hills High School.
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Parks, Recreation & Equestrian Commissioners' Comments:
• Importance in being involved in process with other Commissions.
• Lack of communication among Commissions.
• Wearing name tags to promote public involvement.
Not enough warning or time to do site reviews before meetings.
YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD
Council Members' Comments:
• Need involvement with Teen Center/After School programs due to budget cuts.
• Council to support Board ideas.
• Encourage participation with other Commissions/Committees to present youth
concerns and views.
• Communicate regular with Council regarding their concerns and views.
Youth Advisory Board Members' Comments:
• Board Involved in number of activities and fundraising events.
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
Council Members' Comments:
• Traffic congestion main issue with residents.
• Work to approve projects in the City Council's Traffic Congestion Relief Program.
• 2002 Transportation Plan is outdated.
• Work with staff on traffic Hotspots around town.
• Support projects that divert traffic around town.
• Provide congestion relief for residents.
• Consider extending EI Horno Street, under 1-5 Freeway to Rancho Viejo Road.
• Consider extending San Juan Creek Road east to La Pata Street.
• Promote Council's carpooling resolution with schools.
• Review Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) for flaws.
• Study the efficiency of and need for the red light cameras.
• Work on improvements to downtown traffic flow and parking locations.
• Involvement in alleviating impacts with Ortega 1-5 Interchange project.
• Work closely with Planning Commission on General Plan amendments.
• Include joint meetings with Planning Commission when possible.
• Seek areas in town for traffic improvement.
• Reduce driveways on Del Obispo Street to 2-3 with traffic signals; consider other
locations.
• Be proactive with regional transportation issues.
• Bring significant work project suggestions to City Council for prioritization.
• Concerns with discontinuation of services to seniors from Orange County
Transportation Agency.
Transportation Commissioners' Comments:
• Red light cameras on Ortega/Del Obispo are beneficial to avoid right turn on red
• La Pata extension not a priority for outside agencies.
• Commission willing to promote carpooling to school.
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• Ortega 1-5 Interchange project will remove some fast food restaurants.
• Provide traffic relief by studying roads that don't go through.
• Consider having improvements done before developments.
• Need to explore other solutions for parking issues besides parking permits.
DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE
Council Members' Comments:
• Assistance with Downtown development.
• Bring consultants to assist with color selections through town
• Expedite process to benefit applicants.
• Requirements to applicants to be clear and upfront.
Design Review Committee Members' Comments:
• Need support from Council on Land Use determinations.
• Flexibility on designs coming forward.
• Guidelines need to be communicated early in the project.
UTILITIES COMMISSION
Council Members' Comments:
• Commission needs to function as a business.
• Importance of finding funds for training.
• Importance in notifying residents and equestrian facilities of sewer spills that
affect the creeks.
• Assistance in resolving MtBE issues.
• Work on grease interceptor program and provide assistance to restaurants.
• Pursue Federal and State funding for water treatment projects.
• Pursue water independence goal and possibility of selling water to surrounding
jurisdictions.
Utilities Commissioners' Comments:
• Facing low supply of water.
• Identified operational elements that need to be included in Commission's duties
such as wastewater, reclamation water and storm drain systems.
• Monitoring MtBE issues.
• Groundwater Plant has significant enhancements in plan.
• Need better form of communication protocols with Council and other
Commissions.
HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Council Members' Comments:
• Need to be active and creative in finding affordable housing sites.
• Active in pursuing State to recognize Mobile Home Parks as affordable housing.
• Proactive at contacting other cities for helpful information.
• Committee to explore possible use of Redevelopment monies to buy out RHNA
numbers from State for affordable housing.
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• Create a beautification home program that encourages the maintenance and
preservation of older homes in the community.
• Look into possibility of purchasing units at the Capistrano Villas and selling as
affordable housing.
• Provide assistance with possible Mobile Home Park closure.
Housing Advisory Committee Members' Comments:
• Inadequate in -lieu fees in the past.
• Looking into redeveloping existing sites.
• Habitat for humanity concerned with new housing in -lieu fees.
• Opening of homes for the Habitat for Humanity project postponed.
• Affordable housing not profitable for builders/contractors.
• Encourage mix -use units.
• RHNA reform should be tied to jobs not population and number of credits should
be based on number of bedrooms per unit.
• Preference in meeting monthly rather than quarterly.
• Working on overcrowding issues in the community.
• Possibility to work on promoting 2010 Census.
• Working on Mobile Home Park inventory and performing site visits to gather
information on parks and residents needs.
Additional Council Members' Comments:
• Suggestion to bring back to future meeting Council Policy No. 211 for
modifications related to Commissioners/Boards attendance.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - None
ADJOURNMENT
City Council: Mayor Nielsen adjourned the City Council Joint Meeting at 10:30 p.m. to
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. for Closed Session; and then 6:30 p.m. for the
public Business Session, in the City Council Chamber.
Planning Commission: Chairman Cohen adjourned the Planning Commission Joint
Meeting at 10:30 p.m. to their Adjourned Regular meeting of Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at
6:30 p.m., for the public Business Session, in the City Council Chamber.
Mayor Nielsen adjourned the following Commissions, Committees and Board to their
regular meetings
Cultural Heritage Commission: adjourned at 10:30 p.m. to Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at
5:00 p.m., for the public Business Session, in the City Council Chamber.
Parks, Recreation & Equestrian Commission: adjourned at 10:30 p.m. to Monday,
April 20, 2009 at 6:00 p.m., for the public Business Session, in the City Council
Chamber.
Transportation Commission: adjourned at 10:30 p.m., to Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at
6:00 p.m. for the public Business Session, in the City Council Chamber.
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Utilities Commission: adjourned at 10:30 p.m. to Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 8:00 a.m.
for the public Business Session, in the City Council Chamber.
Design Review Committee: adjourned at 10:30 p.m., to Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 7:00
p.m., for the public Business Session, in the City Council Chamber.
Housing Advisory Committee: adjourned at 10:30 p.m. to April 22, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. for
the public Business Session, in the City Council Chamber.
Youth,/A visoN Aboard: adjourned at 10:30 p.m. to April 13, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. for the
pubic Bes Session, in the City Council Chamber.
Res ul y ubmitted,
Rlk#,WRRIS, DEFMTY CITY CLERK
Approved: April 7, 2009
ATTEST:
MARK NIELSEN, MAYOR
3-25-2009