HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 05/02/1977R, 9
MINUTES OF MEETING
OF CITY COUNCIL
PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA
MAY - 2, 19,7 7
REGULAR MEETING
ROLL CALL
INVOCATION
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The regular meeting of the Petaluma City Council was
called to order by Mayor Helen Putnam at the hour of
7:30 p.m.
Present: Councilmen Brunner, Cavanagh, Harberson,
Hilligoss, Mattei., Perry, and Mayor Putnam.
Absent None.
'The Reverend Philip Hall, United Methodist Church, gave
the invocation.
Councilman Hilligoss led` the Pledge of Allegiance to
the Flag.
The minutes of April 4, 1977, were approved as mailed.
The minutes of April 11, 1977, were approved as mailed.
CONSENT CALENDAR Prior to the enactment of the items on the Consent
Calendar, Councilman Cavanagh asked for a brief review
of Item #2, the plans and specifications for the Caul-
field Lane Improvement Project. City Engineer David Young explained the project
consists of the 'improvement of Caulfield Lane "between South McDowell Blvd. and
Crinella Drive. Improvements would provide for a four -lane street. Sidewalk
would be provided on the southerly side and on the northerly side from Park
Lane to Crinella Drive. It also includes traffic signal system at the corner
of Caulfield Lane and 'South McDowell Blvd. Mr. Young explained this is the
last remaining. link on Caulfield to be completed, and it will provide service
by way of Caulfield from.Ely Road to U.S. 101 Freeway, via Caulfield and
Lakeville Street,. Councilman Cavanagh questioned whether all of the rights -of-
way had been obtained and Mr. Young answered in the affirmative.
Councilman Cavanagh then questioned the necessity of Item #5 on the Agenda,
which would provide a resolution of intent regarding the banning of sale of
fireworks within the corporate limits of the City. He felt if it was the
intent to advise vendors of th'e possibility of the Council banning the sale and
use of fireworks in the City limits, the minutes of ApT l.4 would be suffi-
cient. There was some discussion on the matter, and at the conclusion Item #5
was removed from the Consent Calendar. The City Clerk was instructed to have
excerpts of the minutes of Apr11 4 available for vendors when they applied for
permits.
A motion was made by Counailinan Cavanagh, seconded by Councilman Hilligoss, to
approve Agenda Items #1, ff2',, #3•, and #4 on the Consent Calendar. Motion
carried unanmiously,
Agenda Item #1
ABC APPLICATION
PETALUMA SUPER-
MARKET
Agenda Item #2
APPROVE SPECIFICA-
TIONS, CAULFIELD
LANE IMPROVEMENT
PROJECT NO. 9621
RES #7649ANCS
Agenda Item #3
CALL FOR REGULAR
MUNICIPAL ELECTION
JUNE 14, .197 7 AND
DESIGNATE POLLING
PLACES & ELECTION
OFFICERS
RES #7650ANCS
ABC 'application, Petaluma Supermarket, Inc., 601 Peta- [�� Q
luma Blvd. North, off sale general, stock transfer, was l ,
ordered filed.
Resolution #7649 N.C.S. approving plans and specifica- ��U
tions and calling for bids May.26, 1977, for "Caulfield F58
Lane ilmprdVements from Crinella Drive to South McDowell
Blvd. ", Project No. 9621 - including traffic signals at
South McDowell, was adopted.
Resolution #7650 N..C.S. calling and providing for a F7/3
regular municipal election to be held in the City of _
Petaluma, including Petaluma 'High School District, June
14, 1977, for the purpose of electing public officers;
designating the precincts and polling places for said
election:; appointing election officers and providing
for notice thereof, was - adopted..
z.� May 2, 1977
Agenda Item #4
AUTHORIZE MAYOR TO
SIGN'RECEIPT AND
RELEASE -- BROWNING-
FERRIS' INDUSTRIES
RES #7651A_NCS
Resolution N.C.S: authorizing the Mayor to sign
receipt and release regarding Browning - Ferris Indus-
tries, Inc. was adopted. „
DISCUSSION- -IMPRO VED A letter dated April 22, 1977, addressed to all Mayors
PUBLIC• SAFETY of Sonoma Count y,. with a subject line Re, "commendations
COMMUNICATIONS IN for Improved Public Safety Communications, " from
SONOMA COUNTY William K. Johnson, Chairman Sonoma County Board of
Supervisos,s, was read by the City Clerk and ordered
filed.
City Manager Robert Meyer referred to a report he had mailed to the members of
the Council previously regarding the Public Safety Communications System for
Sonoma County. He had asked Mr. Otterlee to be present at the Council meeting
this evening-prepared to answer any questions, raised regarding the proposed
system. He advised the. Fire Chief and Police Chief would be in attendance at
the B:oard•of; Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, May 3., 11:00 a.m., when the matter
would be discussed:.
Mr. Stewart Otterlee, Project Director, Sonoma County Criminal Justice Self'
Assessment Project, addressed the Council. Mr-. Otterlee I advised they are
looking at. the ,total criminal justice system in :Sonoma County -- courts., police
and cor,recaions. They had a specialized study done.in the area of communi-
cations. As a r- ; esult,of a seven -year study and meetings,, 'several recommen-
dations Have. been made by the group on the need for coordiiia•te6 public safety
communications for fire„ police and ambulance services•. The group';s °rec,ommen-
dat'ions! to the Sonoma. County. Board of Supervisors will be 'a County -wide
t e c'oor
dinaed public "safety communications system. Recommendation No- 2 was that the
proposal be funded by the County through revenue sharing funds and /'or through a
County -wide public safety special taxing district. The third recommendation
was that the.operational control be vested in a joint powers :organiza.tion,
Which would be controlled by the participating jurisdictions. 'This would
enable not ionly the County, but the cities and other public sa- f'e.ty jirisdic-
tions, to have a voice in the operation of a system of this nature. ,The fourth
recommendation.was that the it lementa,tio:n be in a phased approach- .Some
communities may want to participate immediately; some may never to par -
ticipate,; and,. others at a future date. Their fifth recommenda was that
the system include an- emergency 911 system. Mr. Otterlee explained this'.system
will eventually be mandated by Siate :law, probably by 1984. The, group feels
this is a very important vital service The 'last recommendation by the Self -
,Assessment Project Group was that a systems engineering consultant be hired in
order for the system, to be functional at, the earliest possible time.. The 911
system kinks the citizen's request through his telephone to a.r:esp'onding public
safety agency for service. Because o.f the different frequencies in various
locations', it is difficult to provide mutual aid- services". The, 911 ,emergency
system would eliminate this difficulty. Mr:. Otterlee explained.the'911 system
will eventually be universal. It is operational now in Washington, D.C
_.
Monterey County in California has had tt, for three years. There will be ;a
State subvention by -July 1, 1977, where all will be paying for the system on
their telephone bill. Mr. Otterlee felt if the County moved ahead,,'the-sys;tem
could. be operational by July 1, 1978. Without a joint ef'for,t,, it' probably
could not become operationa for s' -ix or seven years'. The system received.
documented conceptual support from the Cities of Cloverdale, Sebastopol and
,Rohnert Park; informal support from the City of Healdsburg,; and -,, Sonoma has
some difficulty with the configuration. The City of Santa Rosa was recently
ready to move ahead on a 911 system on their own; however, they will go with
the County if the County is ready to move forward.
Mr. Otterlee stated the consultant -s found there, are aboutl 52 people in the
County's law enforcement.agencies dispatching police radios. Through a.-con-
solidated system,, between 20 and 30 people could handle. the dispatching func-
tions, although he did state service is . erratic when five people
could not handle all of the calls and at other times one person would be too
many. His. estimate of the cost savings over a period of time would be
from between. $30.0,,000 to $500,0001.
1
Mayor Putnam asked Petaluma Police Chief Robert `Murphy and Fire Chief Joseph
Ellwood for their comments regarding the consolidated system.
May 2, 1977
DISCUSSION -- IMPROVED Chief. Murphy indicated he supported the concept of a
PUBLIC SAFETY consolidated communications system. In the one system
COMMUNICATIONS IN . where he was involved,, it had proven successful and had
SONOMA COUNTY saved $.03 on the.tax dollar for the City; and the
(Continued) County did not.need to raise taxes to cover the system.
Chief Murphy indicated : there : is a possibility the
City of Petaluma would not gain all of the savings,; as it probably would be
necessary to maintain the records system here. He felt there were still some
unanswered questions,, and if the City decided to enter into an agreement for
the consolidated.communications system, one person should be selected tdwatch
out for the City's interest.. Chief Murph y 'indicated in order for the system to
be successful, the cooperative spirit must be maintained between the Board of
Supervisors and its staff and the local council and its staff.
Chief Joseph Ellwood advised he also believes in the concept of the system and
has looked at the one in effect in Monterey County, which is a very successful
operation. He indicated he did, however,',have_ some questions regarding the
implementation of the telephone 'system. Chief Ellwood also questioned whether
or not a computer- system has been considered for Sonoma County. Mr. Otterlee
advised computerization would probably be the only way the County could achieve
a complete system.
At the completion of; Mr. O'tterlee's presentation and a brief discussion by the
City Council, Mayor Putnam asked Councilman Perry to accompany both Chief
Murphy and Chief Ellwood to the Board of Supervisors Meeting, May 3, 1977, at
11:00 a.m.
REQUEST FOR There were.approximately 200 people in attendance at F6
RECONSIDERATION -- the meeting whose prime concern was the request con -
MODIFICATION OF tained in a letter from Dr. Frederick A. Groverman,
GENERAL DEVELOPMENT President of the Board of Directors, Petaluma Hospital
PLAN'& PUD REZONING District, for reconsideration by the City Council of
FOR TROPOSED HILL the.modification of the General Development Plan for
CREST ROSPITAL Park Place Subdivision, and introduction of an ordi-
nance for,PUD.rezoning to accommodate the proposed
Hillcrest Hospital.
Prior to any Council discussion on -the matter, Mayor Putnam reviewed the action
which had taken place the previous week. Mayor Putnam advised she had moved
and the motion was seconded that the matter be referred to the Planning Com-
mission for their recommendation. The matter has been scheduled for the
Planning Commission meeting of May 3, 1977. Their agenda.-indicates a modi-
fication to Qantas Development's General Development Plan for a.hospital site
only, not to include the medical .offices. If the Planning Commission reaches
t -he conclusion and refers the matter back to the City Council, the
matter will be discussed at a Council meeting on Monday, May 9. At that.time,
the Council could introduce an ordinance which would bring the matter back
before the public for a hearing. Mayor Putnam -then asked the City Clerk to
read Dr. Groverman's letter dated April 26, 1977, which "is on file with the
City Clerk.
Mayor Putnam then advised, in order for any response from the Council to the
letter, it would be necessary for a member of the Council who voted in the
majority to deny the modification to the General Development Plan to move for
reconsideration.
MOTION TO RECONSIDER Councilman i4attei spoke briefly before ente a
r mo tion to rec onsider. He stated he wa nted to r eaffirm_
his position taken at the meeting of Monday, April 25.
He was con.cerned.about the economics.of the hospital and with the traffic -
situation at the intersection of McDowell Blvd. and East Washington Street, as
well as McDowell Blvd. itself. He stated the Hospital Board is an independent
,governing body, they have hired experts to - .prepare their 'reports and, although
he does not agree•with them, he would be willing to make,concessions if only
the hospital was to be considered. He then made,a, motion to reconsider the
subject of the modification of the General Development Plan for Park Place
Subdivision. Motion was seconded by Councilman :Harber and adopted by 4
affirmative and 3 negative votes. Councilman Brunner, Cavanagh and Perry voted
it no" .
i00
May 2, 1977
MOTION,TO RECONSIDER Councilman Mattei stated editorials and letters to the
(Continued) ed'itors.had taken issue with the Council for voting
against its own General Plan by not approving the
hospital at the last Council meeting. Councilman
Mattei fel i
P
t the hos tal.was located on the General Plan simply because many
years ago the gentleman who owned the Petaluma General Hospital had purchased
land in the area, built.a home on the land„ and had intended to build a private
hospital. He also stated many people do not realize once the hospital on the
east side o`f the community is approved, Hillcrest Hospital will b.e closed. In
addition, Mr. Mattei stated many people indicated they were surprised'.at the
action taken by the Council when he felt they should not have been surprised.
Last week'was the first real time anything had been presented to the Council to
make a decision. The matter had been brought before the Council about six
weeks ago in .a general discussion. Three weeks ago the Council,Iad 'a draft
Environmental Impact Report which had been prepared for the proposed Hillcrest
Ho,sp.ital, which used 1975 traffic figures. The figures were updated °and'
presented to the Council last week. The E.I.R. suggests that an improved east -
west access to the hospital should be accomplished. Mr. Mattei stated the only
reason he would be willing to change his vote would be on the basis of per -
mittirig only the 100 -bed `hospital which would produce a traffic pattern of '940
cars a day, whereas the,medical offices would create 2,000 cars,per day. He
could concede to building the hospital but would have to give great consi-
deration to any other development along North .McDowell Blvd. until some arrange-
ments are made to improve the traffic pattern on this thoroughfare.
Mr. Mattei also stated he was upset when he learned, even after his objection
to the proposed offices adjacent to the hospital,,. that 15 doctors have pur-
chased' land or taken an option on it across. the street from the proposed
hospital site Mr.Mattei indicated he felt such a develo.pment.wo.uld ad'd to the
traffic problems. Mr. Mattei ndicated,'however, in spite of the adversities,
he would be willing to go along with the ho'spital site alone..
Dr. Fred Groverman, President of. the Petaluma Hospital District Board of
Directors, spoke to the Council.. He thanked the Council for reconsideration of
the issue. He stated the issue as to whether or not the Hospital District
should build a new hospital ::separately should be the responsibility of the
publicly elected Board of Directors ofi the Hospital. All five.memb of the
present Board of Directors strongly :favor relocation of; the, hospital.. It is
the least costly,, long' -range solution to the hospital situati!o,n in, Petaluma.
Dr. Groverman referred to.a report given to the Council at this meeting. It is
a 'traffic capacity study of the North McDowell and East Washington area just .
completed by 'Del Davis and Associates,, and verified by a traffic eng-ineer. The
study states that with the extension of Maria Drive and a :second left: -hand. turn
lane -, the.hospital and medical office traffic can be accommodated at.service
level " 'C " . Based upon the urgency of the ;S`itua'tion and the mitigating measures .
to:ease.the traffic problem, Dr;. Groverman.req:uested the Council's reconsi
deraton on the modification of the.General Development Plan for Park Place
Subdivision.and the introduction of an ordinance to rezone, land for the pro-
posed Hillcrest Hospital.
Mayor Putnam advised the report on the potential traffic circula -tion improve-
ments is ,:a fairly complex document, and the Council has.not had an.,o:pp'ortunity
to evaluate it and asked City Engineer David Young for his commen -ts.. Mr. Young
indicated the report deals with eight suggested ways of improving the traffic
problem on North. McDowell Blvd., some of which are contained in the-
Environ-mental Impact Report; one of which was 'the extension of Maria Drive. The
report contains two operational suggestions, one ;of' which .is to increase the
sensitivity of'the signals at the• inter:section.of East Washington Street and
McDowell Blvd. Mr. Young indicated the southbound detec.tors_are -;nQt as sen-
sitive-as they .should be. Caltrans is aware of the problem and is working on
it.
The second suggestion contained .in the report for an additional northbound left
turn lane 'has also been under .consideration and .discUssigns' have %been 'held with
Caltrans.. Mr. Young suggested it was probably, a good idea as :develo;pment takes
place along North McDowell Blvd. One of the adverse problems created by such a
change would be drivers southbound on McDowell B'lvd., making a right -hand turn
on Washington Street, would have to yield the .right -of -way and .would be un-
accustomed 'to a multiple left turn movement. 'There could be a higher degree of
collisions; however, right -of -way assignment is definitely positive, but it
would increase the capacity as outlined in the report..
May 2, 1977
MOTION TO RECONSIDER Another suggestion in the report was for an additional
(Continued) east -west arterial; Mr. 'Young indicated this is some-
thing everybody hopes for, but .nobody can locate a
route. It would necessitate.an additional overcrossing.of the freeway, which
would be very expensive and Mr. Young feels it would be quite some time in the
future before this could be accomplished-
Point No. 8 in the report mentions the widening at East Washington Street and
North McDowell Blvd. As this intersection has already been widened with left
turn directional signals and an ultimate traffic signalization system, it would
be doubtful whether the intersection could be improved by this action.
Mr. Young then returned to Item 5 and 6 contained in the report. Most of these
suggestions deal with the necessity of getting traffic out of the intersection
of East Washington Street and McDowell Blvd. Somewhere between East Washington
Street and Corona Road,, it would be highly desirable to have off and on -ramps
from Highway 101 into the North McDowell area. From a , soufherly connection on
101, it would be very desirable.to bring in a set of on- and off- ramps, i.e.,
an off -ramp in the southerly direction in the northbound lanes to connect with
McDowell. The best location for 'this would be where Qantas Development Cor-
poration is putting in an arterial street. It would provide direct linkage to
Ely Road, and eventually to O1d.Adobe Road. A reciprocal movement would be an
on -ramp to the freeway by leaping the freeway with an overcrossing and coming
into the southbound lanes with an on -ramp. Mr. Young disagreed with the report
wherein it stated a railroad undercrossing might offer a means of traversing
the freeway and eliminate the need of a crossing ,structure. He did not feel it
was physically possible from the drawings s.ubmiteed to accomplish a railroad
undercross. The provision of on- and off- ramps near the,Qantas Development
Projects would take a considerable load off the North McDowell /East Wasington
Street intersection, and as;new areas develop, this would eliminate traffic at
the intersection. Mr. Young advised the writer also suggests northbound ramps
using the railroad undercrossing connecting to the Santa Rosa direction on 101.
Mr. Young feels this'would.be unnecessary in that the interchange at Corona
Road will take the place of the northbound on- ramps, By extending North
McDowell southerly to the Old Redwood Highway, it would enable,the' Redwood
Highway interchange to be used for the northbound direction. Mr. Young indi-
cated he felt No. 5 in the repor•t,, the new ramp from 101, to be the most single
important piece of construction to open the North McDowell territory.
Mr. Young then spoke about funding the project,, doubted whether Caltrans
has money at the present time for interchange or overcr.ossing construction.
Because of the shrinking gas tax dollar, Mr. Young feels it will not be long
before they barely have sufficient funds for maintenance. In order to con-
struct any type of interchanges on 101, Mr. Young feels it will be necessary to
provide local capital. He estimated the cost for just the southbound con-
nections to be between $1.5 million and $2.0 million.
At the conclusion of Mr. Young's presentation, there was a discussion regarding
whether or not the Hospital District would approve the concept of the modifi-
cation for the hospital site alone. Dr. Groverman• indicated they would be
willing to go without the office buildings at this time; however, he felt it
would be better plannin'g:'f the medical and professional offices were con-
sidered at the -same time Mr. Mattei indicated it would be two years before
the hospital would be completed. In the interim, he felt definite plans should
be taken regarding the traffic situation at the intersection and along North
McDowell.
Mayor Putnam then asked for comments from the audience. Mrs. Olive Simoni, a
resident of East Petaluma, indicated North McDowell Blvd. is the'only
p.or,t'ion of the Boulevard which has traffic problems. She finds it very diffi-
cult to enter South McDowell Blvd. at any point, except where there is a traf-
fic light.
Mr. Phillip Joerger next spoke to the Council and read from a prepared state-
ment. Mr. Joerger objected.t:o the Board of Directors overriding the vote of
the people, which defeated the $..89 property tax increase. He objected to the,
fact that the Hospital Board of Directors can impose an additional $.20 pro-
perty tax if the new Hospital's revenues do not meet expenses.
oa.
Mah 2., 1977
MOTION TO RECONSIDER The next person to speak to the Council was Mr. Charles
(Continued) Cowen, Administrator of Hillcrest Hospital. He asked
if the Council could not approve the General Plai and
control the mitigating measures through a P.U,.D. and site design review.
Councilman "Mattei was firm in.his answer that he would approve the hospital
site alone and riot make any other commitments.
Mr. Mary Pollack, representing Cotter Health Centers of Sebastopol:, indicated
his corporation has two hospitals in the vicinity of Hillcrest. Corporate .
decisions have,been made in the area of the existing hospital., These decisions
were made onthe published report that the existing hospital would remain in
its present location for 50 years. Mr. Pollack further indicated if this
promise is reneged upon, there is a strong possibility a lawsuit would be filed
by his corporation. Mr..Pollack's fourth point was that a commitment made by
governments should be preserved,to protect the taxpayers to whom that com
mitment was made -. Councilman Harberson questioned Mr. Pollack :if.he was
speaking in terms of the Hospital Board when he spoke of the .governing body and
advised that the Hospital Board of Directors is a separate entity from the
Petaluma City Council.-
Mr. Ralph Reardon spoke to the Council expressing concern regarding ambulances
being able' to get to the hospital;, and suggested that two hospitals, one on the
east and one on the west side be maintained. Dr. Groverman responded by
stating it is impossible for the district to have two hospital locations.
Amy O'Brien of Santa 'Rosa suggested the Council make some effort t`o correct the
traffic problem at the intersection now which would also correct the problem
for the future hospital.
Dr. ;Robert Brig - den spoke to the Council and advised it was his understanding
the governmeh,t' would not permit two hospitals to be located in Petaluma. He
urged the Council to take an aggressive approach to 'improving the traffic
situation,regardless of the outcome of the hospital.
The.next person to address the Council was Mr. Ernie Curtis, representing ITC.
Mr. Curtis indicated his group. 'ha'd :fought the. battle of the. hospital about a
year and half; ago. They felt.'Hillcrest Hospital was an excellent facility
which needed expanding.. His group opposed the measure because of the $..,:89 tax
rate wh ch would impose a tax of $890 on some dairy ranches Mr. Curtis also
pointed out there are medical. related facilities, including two. convalescent
hospitals, located near the ,p resent.H.11crest. Hospital site, •which'are depen-
dent upon the ho.-spi tal.. He did not feel that the Hospital could be paid off
.without the District assessing the $.20 tax rate. Mr. Curtis further stated he
,felt the election defeat of the proposal clearly indicated the people of Peta-
luma and the•Petaluma Hospital District did not want a new 100 bed,`hospitaa.
The next person to speak.was.Mr. Bill Brotman. Mr Brotman indicated'he had
been a resident of Petaluma since 1969 and when he moved here, Hllcrest had
approximately 54 beds. The population of Petaluma at that.time was about..
14.,000 people. Mr. Brotman said it is now 1977, the population. is nearing
35,000 and Hillcres.t Hospital still has 54 beds, which will not serve 35,00:0
people. Mr. Brotman indicated Petaluma needs a hospital; and he recognized
that there is a traffic problem. He urged elected officials and,memb'ers of the
commun`i.ty work together in order for the community to get the services that are
req,uired have the traffic situation alleviated.
Mr.. Elmer "Smokey" Webb started he has lived in Petaluma since 1909'.. The City
has a hospital. He urged it remain in its present_ location., as a t is already
paid for.
Dr. Angelo Leoni was the next person to ad'dres's the Council. In,speaking about
the"Petaluma Hospital District, Dr, Leoni advised Rohfe rt Park, and he believed
Cotati, had recently withdrawn from the District, which would leave Petaluma
and the immediate environs the only remaining territory in the.Dis,trc.t. .He
made a comparison of the proposed site and t-he present Hillcrest° Hospital site,
stating the ,best. thing that can be said about McDowell is that it is flaf. The
present'ho,spital site is quiet, above the fog, there are very few traffic
problems, no noise, and the area is not subject'to air pollution or seismic
hazards. He stated there are approximately 11 acres on the present.site, many
of which are usable.. The ho itself, is a $3 million to $4 million invest-
ment, and on the basis of the fact hospital was to remain at the site for
May 2, 1977+
MOTION TO RECONSIDER approximately 50 years, many physicians and dental
(Continued) offices had moved to the area, as well as convalescent
hospitals. 'Dr. Leoni stated he concurred with the
statement made by Stone and Youngberg'when,th'ey advised the project could not
be built without using the $.89 tax override. He further stated no decision
has been made what'would happen to the present hospital facility if a new
hospital is to be built. Dr. Leoni stated he -felt the-Hospital District is
obsolete and should be
Diane Nelson, a volunteer worker at Hillcrest Hospital, stated the hospital is
overcrowded. As a volunteer worker at the hospital, she has observed many
people being left °in the lobby in wheelchairs. The emergency room is over-
crowded and many times she has been asked to move people away from the oper-
ating room located near the emergency section. Ms. stated she had been
working as a volunteer for four years. She indica�ted:Councilman Mattei stated
we must start with the traffic problem,•;however, "she questioned when do we
start with adequate facilities £'or the people of,Pefaluma,.
Mr. Harold Wo.jciechowski address'ed•the Council stating that many people in
Petaluma utilize Kaiser Hospital and other hospitals out of town. He concurred
there is a problem getting back,and forth across town to the Hillcrest Hospital
site, but if the hospital was moved on the eastern side of the community, the
same problem would exist,, only in the reverse.. He felt even though the State
has mandated that only one 100-.bed hospital could be built, he felt it was time
for the City to take a stand.and oppose the State on this regulation. He
further stated he was opposed to the tax which may be imposed by building the
new hospital.
The last person to address the City Council was Mr. Bob McFarland, 1709 Tampica
Court. Mr. McFarland indicated he had been standing, out in the hall studying
the•aerial map, and it is clear to him that the proposed site takes into
consideration the future development for Petaluma., Mr. McFarland stated it was
clear there was a need for expansion, and he did not feel the present hospital
site could be expanded. The facilities are.overcrowded. He conceded there was
a traffic problem, and urged the Council to look to the needs of the Hospital
District at this time, and at a future time consider the development of the
medical facilities.
Councilman Hilligoss stated she had been involved with the project for many
years, and had worked with the Hospital Auxillary. She agreed with some of the
issues presented by both sides; however, as a Councilman, she had the feeling
that many of the people who spoke and who were present at the Council meeting
this evening'fel.t the Co was actually the Hospital Board of Directors. As
the City Council, the only decision that can be'mad'e by them is whether this
site is the proper place for a hospital. She personally felt its a good loca-
tion. She conceded there are traffic problems which should be cleared up by
the City. What is left for the Council to'decide is whether or not this is the
right place for the hospital to be located.
Mayor Putnam advised the matter had been brought back :for reconsideration on
the motion of Councilman Mattei. The discussion by the Council separated the
medical and professional offices. The traffic problems are of longstanding.
She advised the audience that nobody knows the difficulty in trying to resolve
highway problems with,the Highway Commission better than she. She had followed
the Highway Commission all over the State of California trying to get something
done about Washington Street. She then asked the City Attorney's advice on how
to handle the matter of reconsideration.
City Attorney Larry Klose indicated it still appears the zoning matter has to
b.e referred back to the Planning Commission. -If there is any change to the
development plan as last brought before the City Council,, the Council could
modify the General Development Plan at this meeting 'however, the matter of the
zoning would still have to go back to the Planning Commission for further
consideration.
There was a general discussion on the procedures to be taken and a final deter-
mination was made to refer the matter back to the Planning Commission as had
been done the previous week.. City Manager Robert Meyer advised the Planning
Commission had scheduled the • two matters, i...e., the modification of the General
Development Plan, and the rezoning,for the• Hospital site alone, for their
meeting of May 3. When they take their. action and refer it back to the City
Council, the matter could be taken up by the Council at the meeting of May 9.
The.Council concurred to refer the matter to the Planning Commission.
ID3
1 W-4
May 2, 1977
MOTION TO RECONSIDER Councilman Cavanagh then indicated he had several
(Continued) questions he would like to have answered. One was how
did the `Hospital Administration arrive at a 77.9 per-
.:
cent occupancy •rate for the hospital. Mr. Charles
Cowen responded by stating it was a matter of taking the patient days and
dividing by the .number of beds "which gives you the occupancy level. He also
stated occupancy fluctuates greatly from season to season, from. year to year,
and from weekday to weekend.
Councilman. Cavanagh then asked about,th•e economics and the Committee who had
worked on the project. Mr. Cowen indicated there is the Hospital Bonding
Corporation, incorporated n the State;of California,, and their f unction is to
issue bonds ,and lease back the hospital to the District. The Chairman is Mrs.
Sharon Dado, and the Committee members include Art Lafranchi, Geos -ge Gambonini,
Ron Harri -s, and Bob Goetzinger.
Councilman Cavanagh indicated he had been advised' the hospital . wa's.'losing $3
million in,revenue because it does not have the proper facilities and.asked Mr.
Cowen to respond... Mr. Cowen indicated they are aware that about 40 percent of
the people living in Petaluma presently do not use Hlicr:est Hospital, ` but he
was unable to comment on the $3 million amount Councilman Cavanagh mentioned..
Dr. Groverman indicated he had made the statement, and al:tho:ugh,he did not have
the figures to back it up, he based his statement on the annual budget for the
hospital which is around $4.5 million, which does not include ,doctor f`e'es, but
only hospital income. He felt having people go out of town for healthcare
deprived the community of this revenue.
Councilman Cavanagh.concluded his remarks by stating he felt i was regretta-
ble this City's Council had been put on.the spot regarding the hospital issue.
The first time, it really had been brought before the Council was the previous
week. Mr. Cavanagh indicated he has not, as yet, seen the plans or an archi-
tect's drawing of the proposed hospital.
RECES'S
Mayor Putnam called a recess at .1&:05 p.,m,., and the
Council 'reconvened at 10:20 p.m.
. LETTER FROM LEON. A letter received by the City Clerk April 21, 1977,
V. B0HL1'NG RE addressed to the Council,'from Mr. 'Leon V. Bolding,, 405
\� PROPERTY` - -11 ROCCA Sixth Street, was read by the City Clerk and ordered
DRIVE filed.
Mr. Bohling s,p,oke.to the Council and stated the damage to the residence of 11
Rocca Drive was due to the river and the storm drain that goes through the
property. He had moved the original house from the site.and at °the• t -ime
approximately 12 houses were to have been moved, but- suitable locations could
not be found for them. In order to meet code standards, he.had to update the
house prior to selling it. The situation in the area has ,been a problem for a
number of years, and before he could build another house on the `lo t., he had to
have deep pilings set, and an additional soils test done which cost ,him over
$1,200.. The City had waived the sewer fee, and because o,f the additional
expense, he is asking for relief of permit fees in the amount.of $44.9.57.
City Manager Robert Meyer stated at one time the Council did imp =ly it?'would try
to move the`houses and become involved to that extent.. This was never done,
and Bohling's house was the only- on.e which had been..moved. He further indi-
Gated there was no way the;staf'f could waive fees. He asked Mr. Bohling if he
presently owns the house. Mr. Bohling responded by stating he owns it, but.he
is in the process of selling it. The hous'e.is new, but too small for his
family. It is only 1,,020 square .fe.et, and he expects to remain at 405, Sixth
Street,.
City Manager Robert Meyer indicated if he was going to, sell the house, it may
raise a question, (3f whether or not the Council can assist ri the matter.
Councilman Mattel indicated this is a °matter which has been unresolved for a
long time, and if possible, he would.lik'e to see some action taken, without
incurring 'a lot of obligations for the City. City Attorney Larry Klose stated
he had read the former City Attorney's file on this location and suggested the
matter be referred back back to the staff for report and recommendation and bring
the matter back to the Council. Councilman Mat-te indicated he hoped if. there
was any 'possible way the Council could do it, he would like to .see' some resti-
tution made to Mr. Bohling.
May 2, 1977
LETTER FROM RICHARD The let -ter directed to the City Council by Mr. Richard
W. BLAIR RE "BETSY Wayne Blair, 420 Arlen Drive, Rohnert Park, California
ROSS FLAG" dated April 24, 1971, had been distributed to members
of the Council and was read at the meeting. A copy
of the letter_ -'is on file with the City Clerk.
Mr. Blair's letter asked that the City Council: consider flying the Betsy Ross
Flag on all City buildings and designate this year, .1977, as the Bicentennial
Year of our National Flag.
Mayor Putnam asked the City Clerk to respond to, Mr.. Blair's letter advising him
the American Legion had.pres.ented. flags to the Cityin. memory of Dr. L. J.
Snow. The request by the American Legion was to have the donated flags flown
on City buildings to honor Dr. Snow'.
LETTER -- SONOMA COUNTY_ A letter directed to the City Council by Marion Hodge,
VOICE RE DEVELOPMENT Member of the Board of Directors, South County Voice,
HIGHWAYS 37 & 121 dated April 20, 1977, had been distributed to members
of the Council and was not read 'by the City Clerk.
City Manager Robert Meyer advised since the letter concerns Planning matters,
i.e., land use in the vicinity of Highway 37 and 121, the letter should be
referred to the Planning Commission for their comments. Mayor Putnam asked the
City Clerk to refer the letter to the Planning Commission and so advise Ms.
Hodge.
CLAIMS & BILLS Resolution #7652 N.C...S. approving claims and bills
RES #7652ANCS #1999 to, #2154, inclusive,''General City; and, #365 to
#392, inclusive, Water, approved for payment by the
City Manager, was introduced by Councilman Perry,
seconded' by Councilman Brunner,, and adopted by 7
affirmative votes.
WATER EMERGENCY' STATUS :
VARIANCE REQUEST Community Development and Services Coordinator Frank
Gray reported the Golden Eagle Shopping Center had
intended to ask fora variance; however, the well they drilled on property on
the north side of East Washington Street near Lakeville was of a very low
yield. The developer will seek other alternatives and return to the City
Council with their request for a variance.
City Manager Robert Meyer advised the Old Adobe School District has two wells
on Maria Drive which would provide sufficient'water to irrigate grounds at the
Bernard Eldredge School and,LATercera School. The District is concerned
regarding these schools, because they are built on adobe soil. The District
would like to protect their liability insurance because adobe soil has a ten-
dency to crack and small children could.b injured.ori the playground. Mr.
Meyer advised tl'e School'Di °strict would be requesting a variance from the City.
STATUS OF WELLS Mr. Meyer reported the Director Water Utility Oper-
ations, Tom Wilson,, advised the Stubb Street Well is
completed; and it is'expected to produce about 300,00.0
gallons per day.
City Engineer David Young reported the Stony Point Well is.ready to have the
casing installed and would be tested very soon. Mr..Young indicated the well
would be s- creened off at the 240 -foot level ,so water would not be siphoned off
from neighboring wells. As a side light, Mr. Young advised at the 500 -foot
depth, the drill was bringing up what they .felt were fossilized bits of Red°
wood which would indicate,.in geological time, a river - ran through this area.
WATERING CITY PARKS
AND GREEN AREAS
about 100,000 gallons
which are used for hui
water all of the park
City Manager Robert Meyer advised in following up the
Councl''s direction from the last meeting, the figures
he has received indicates there would be a need for
of .water per day from the City's own wells, not those
nan consumption. This amount of water would be needed tc
areas and during mild weather, the City would need about
M ,
May 2, 1977
WATERING CITY PARKS 50.,000 per day. The watering would be very closely
AND GREEN AREAS_ monitored by Park personnel to see that•no waste or
(Continued) runoff would be permitted. There would;als_o be a
provision that during any time of. extreme emergency or
really hot weather,, there would be no watering at all. The plan would -be to
water the parks once a week during - mild weather and every other day" during
the hot weather. The City would use the watering truck for some of. the smaller
areas and for watering trees. Mr. 'Meyer felt the program could be handled with
the City "s manpower and by keeping the areas partially green, it would save
replanting and reseeding lawn a -rea&. The plan for wader ng would be tailored
to meet the needs o,f the community; in other words', where there are playing
fields for baseball, soccer., :etc.,; these areas would be watered more than just.
lawns and park .area. Mr. Meyer•advised it would require an amendment to
sections' of the emergency water ordinance to permit the City to water the parks
and public lands.
Some.discus -sion was held regarding the City's use of .sprinklers versus the
possibility of citizens being given the same privilege. Mr. Meyer"-indicate.d
the City could control its own employees and , would very cautiously monitor the
sprinkler system; however„ it would be a virtual impossibility to enforce the
use of sprinklers on private land. Mayor Putnam asked that the'watering`by
sprinklers on public lands be very cautiously handled. in order to maintain good
public relations and avoid criticism. Mr. Meyer indicated the best time for
the City to water would be early in the morning.
Councilman Harberson advised he had received many telephone calls from people
with small chi-ldren who live in the area where. there is adobe soil. They are
concerned about the City being able to keep the areas green for safety of'their
children; and the majority - of'the calls he has 'received are in favor of'. the
program,. He also questioned whether or not the City would be using more
recycled sewer water for this purpose.
At the conclusion of the discussion, a motion was made by Councilman Perry,
seconded by Councilman Harberson, to have an amendment to the ordinance pre-
pared for the Council's consideration to provide a plan for watering the parks.
Motion carried unanimously.
STATE SENATE City Manager Rober..t.Meyer advised the Council that
RESOLUTION - COMMEM0- State Senator Behr and Assemblyman Michael Wornum had
RATING DAN `RI.ORDAN "S sponsored a resolution commemorating the,100th Birthday
IOO.TH BIRTHDAY: of Dan Riordan„ which would be presented to .him at his
home. on Tuesday, May 3, at 2:45 p.m. The Council was
invited''to attend.
LEGISLATION AFFECTING CITIES:
SENATE BILL 12 Assistant City Manager David Br•eninger, advised the
Council he'had reaffirmed the opposition to
Senate Bll;,l2 as the +hearing on the matter was sched-
uled for May 2, 19`77.
ASSEMBLY BILL 999, Mr.'Breninger advised this bill is similar to Senate
Bill 12 and,, although it is a. League of California
Cities sponsored bill, it has been amended. The League
recommends opposition unless the bill is amended to
include alternate new local revenue sources.
SENATE BILL 514 The.'bill relates to tax incentive for residential
rehabilitation. Mr. Breninger advised the League of
Cali-for:nia Cities is asking Councils to'. review the bill
and make comments.
CITY COUNCIL REPORTS
NATIONAL CONFERENCE Mayor Putnam advised she had been asked,to attend the
OF THE JUNIOR LEAGUE National Conference of the Junior`League in Pasadena
today. The reason she was invited' was because they
were attaching a great deal of' importance to land use.
The panel discussion was regarding urban land use. Mayor. Putnam advised the
interesting,aspect , of the panel discussion was the fact that agencies from all
over the United States had.used portions of the.Petaluma Plan. Mayor Putnam
asked the representative from the Urban Land Institute,, who was an attorney, if
he would send a copy of his remark h C`
s to t_e ity.
May 2, 1977
1 o-1
REDWOOD EMPIRE
Councilman Cavanagh gave a.brief report regarding.the
DIVISION MEETING
meeting held April 30 in San Rafael. The morning
SAN•RAFAEL
session was, a discussion on the Metropolitan Trans-
APRIL 30
portation Commission. Councilman Cavanagh reported the
City had 10 or 12 representatives at the evening meet-
ing when the main speaker
was the 'editor 'of the California Journal. Members of
the Redwood Empire Division
appointed to the Water.Quality'Advisory Board were
Vice -Mayor Donna Born
of Santa Rosa and' Wes Chesboro of Arcata. Councilman
Hlligoss reported she
and the Finance Director John Scharer had attended the
MTC meeting in the morning.
The workshop was concerned with the needs of
transportation in our
area. She also advised Senate.Bill 12 and Assembly Bill
999 were reviewed in the
afternoon meeting.
APPROVE PRIVATE
Planning Director Ronald Hall advised this particular F/ 9 7�
STREET BETWEEN
request was to provide a private street for a two lot
OLIVE STREET &
parcel map comprised of 3.12 acres. The property is on
RAYMOND AVENUE
the north side of Olive Street and south of Raymond 5 0(�•
G.H.G. ENTERPRISES,
Heights. Mr., Hall reviewed the staff report-from. the
INC.
Planning Department to the Planning Commission dated
RES #7653ANCS
March 29, 1977, a copy of which is on file with the
City Clerk. Excerpts of the Planning Commission Minutes
of April 19, 1977, submitted
and filed with the City Clerk. Petaluma Planning
Commission Resolution
No. 2 -77 adopted April 19, 1977, "submitted and filed.
Mr.Hall indicated the
reque °st had been referred to various City departments and
no adverse comments had
been received. The City Engineer 'did indicate the map
may create somewhat of
a problem because of the access to the private street,
however, the Building
Inspection Division would handle the encroachment. The
City Attorney had reviewed
the.private street maintenance agreement and found
it was satisfactory.
The Planning Commission recommends'fhe private street be
approved.
Resolution #7653 N.C.S. approving private street for G..'H.G. .Enterprises, Inc.,
(between Olive Street and Raymond Avenue) was introduced by Councilman Perry,
seconded by Councilman Har-berson and adopted by seven affirmative votes.
APPROVE TENTATIVE Planning Commission.Resolution No. 6 -77 adopted April/ /�
SUBDIVISION MAP 19, 1977, submitted and filed. Excerpts of the Plan- /
PETALUMA INDUSTRIAL ning "Commission minutes of April 19, 197.7, submitted
PARK NO. 3 and filed. Staff report from the Planning Department
RES #7654ANCS to the Planning Commission dated April 7, 1977, sub -
mitted and filed.
Planning Director Ronald Hall described the subject property. It is located
between North McDowell Blvd. and Old Redwood Highway. The site is comprised of
13 acres which would be divided into 19 industrial lots .of 20,000 square feet
each. The developer proposes to. use the lots for M -L (Light Industrial) use.
In the comments by reviewing agencies Mr. Hall indicated the Sonoma County
Water Agency would require the proposed lots to be 31 feet mean sea level in
order to avoid flooding -since the area is located in the 100 -year flood plain
zone. Mr. Hall advised each industrial use in the subdivision would be required
to go through an environmental review. The original requirement placed on the
subdivision was to have the individual.industrial lots _provide their own source
of water, however, this has been changed so that.the subdivider must provide a
water well and pump approved by the Director of Water Utility Operations for
the subdivision. Community Development and Services Coordinator Frank Gray
advised the water ordinance requires that no building permits shall be
issued until an alternate source of water is,provided, He advised the City has
reached an agreement with Mr. Jayred to purchase water from the Scott well.
This well would provide the alternate source of water as building occurs. At
the conclusion of the discussiont Resolution #7654 N.C.S. approving tentative
subdivision map of;Petaluma Industrial Park No. 3 was introduced by Councilman•
Mattei, seconded by Councilman Brunner and adopted by seven affirmative votes.
REPORT ON WATER A letter from Stone and Youngberg, Municipal Financing
. RATE INCREASE Consultants, directed to the Mayor and members of the
City .Council and dated April 22, 1977, submitted and
filed. This letter had been Agenda.Item #10, but- had deferred until the
discussion by Mr. Scharer on the water rates'...Mr: Scharer advised the letter
simply reminded the Council of its bonded indebtedness for the 1959 sale of
water revenue bonds..
�o
May 2, 1977
REPORT ON WATER Memorandum dated April 13., 1977 directed to the City
RATE INCREASE Manager by F_,inance Director John : Scharer was reviewed
(Continued) by`Mr. Scharer. Mr: Scharer advised the Water.Commis-
sign had reviewed the•proposed' changes in water rates
and how they are;aff'ected, not by the drought but by the new Cotati intertie.
Mr. Scharer advised the 'Sonoma County Water,Agency rate for water, assuming
there was not a drought condition, would have'been $105.33 per acre foot as
compared to the 76 -77 rate of $57.75:. This increase of $47.58 is a result of
the new - inter ie. The combinatidn of decreased sales and the increased cost of
aqueduct,water will result in an approximate loss of operating income amounting
to $389,69;3. To offset some of these losses;, Mr. Scharer was - recommending
consumer rates be changed from the basic water -r -ate of $.35 per 100 cubic feet
to $.38,per 100 cubic feet.. This would increase revenue by $83 „573. Mr.
IScharer's second, recommendation.was to increase the charge for meter connection
fees from $240, with no refund for credit, to $340 for subdivisions. He also
recommended an increase for new service fees for 5/8 inch and 3/4 inch.meters
to more realistically reflect the cost .for installation of services. In order
to provide these changes Mr:. Scharer advised it would be necessary to nd the
present ord= inance.
There was some discussion regarding the readiness -to -serve charge and whether
or not it should be elimina"ted..and a straight .charge for water 'usage assessed.
Mr. Scharer advised there was no proposed plan to raise the read' nesS - to - serve'
charge from $2.50. The elimination of this. ,charge and charging a straight
charge for water would affect those people who ar.e. least able to pay for the
additon'al cha rge. Maintaining the - readiness - 'to- serve charge, and charging for
each 10.0 cubic feet of water at a of. $:38; is the most acceptable way for
the accounting” department to handle water billing. Councilman'Hilligoss sug,e.
gested that rather than have a readiness -to -serve charge a minimum .billing be
instituted. Mr. Scharer indicated this could be done and is used in. Santa
Rosa.; however, North Marin County Water District uses "the readiness -to - serve,
charge. At. the conclusion of the discussion, it was determined an -amendment! to
the ordinance should be prepared for the Council's consideration and adoption.
AMEND ZONING ORD. TO Ordinance' #1241 N.C.S. amending Zoning Ordinance
Attest:
Citf Clerk
PREZONE 21,,ACRE'S -
N.0 -S:, by ,prezoning A.P. 047- 213 =18 -, A.P. 047= 213 -19
N. McDOWELL AND OLD
and A.P. 137- 010 -38, located at the. southeast corner.
REDWOOD HIGHWAY -
Old Redwood Highway and North"McDotirell Blvd.,., from
SANDERSON
County M -1 to City M =L (Light Industrial,) '(Sanderson)
ORD #1241 NCS
was introduced b. Councilman Perry, y, seconded by Coun-
(INTRODUCE TO PUBLISH)
Gilman Hilligoss° and ordered published by seven affir-
mative votes. Public hearing date: May 16, 1977.
AMEND ZONING ORD,. TO
Ordinance-#1242 N.C.S. amending ".Zoning 'Ordinance #10,7:2
PREZONE'NW CORNER OF
N..C.S. by pr.ezoning A..P. 19.- 201 - 'loca'ted at' the
"I" ST., & SUNNYSLOPE
northwest corner of "I" ;Street and Sunny Road to
`
ROAD (JONAS)
R -1710,000 was introduced by Councilman.Hlligoss;,
ORD #1242 NCS
seconded by Councilman Perry, and ordered published -by
(INTRODUCE TO PUBLISH)
seven affirmative votes. Public hearing- date!: May 16,
L9.77 .
Q APPRECIATION`
RESOLUTION EXPRESSING
Resolution of appreciation to John Strong for the
donation of a weathervane for the Five. Corners Commu:-
TO JOHN
S;TRONG FOR WEATHERVANE
nity Center was introduced by Councilman Perry, seconded
RES #76!'55ANCS
by Vice -Mayor Brunner and adopted by 7 affirmative votes..
ADJOURNMENT'
There being no.f;urther business to come before the
Council the meeting was adjourned at 11 :45 p.m. to
Monday, May 9, 1977, 9:100 a,.m•
Mayor
Attest:
Citf Clerk