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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJANUARY 30,2001 I I I Of/O{OIlC_ 5u O/~-'l _'I 4:,:OO~)0 Of3 001 CIT'I COUNCIL i'HOCEF:i)II,:r;s A"E TAPE RECORDED AND ON FILE IN THE OFFICE 01" .;.~;;: CITY CLERK MINUTES CITY' OF I\F:CAOIA cr:-y COUNCIUREDEVELOPMENT AGENCY 'Jnd the ARC4D:A UNIFiED SCHClOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION ADJOURNED REGULAR (JOINT) MEETING ,January 30, 2001 The Arcadia City Council/Redevelopment Agency and the Arcadia Unified School District. Board of Education met on Tuesday January 30,2001 at 6:00 p.m., in an Adjourned Reguier (Joint) Meeting at the Arcadia Community Center. . . 1. TIm .Joint Meetiny was called to order by School Board President, Joann Sleinmeier. ROLL CALL Pi'-ESENT: Councilrnembers Chandler, Chang, Marshall. Segal and Kovac:ic School Board Members Dougherty, Gibson, McClain, Rorno and Steil1meier AGSENT: None Others present: William R. Kelly, City Manager Mimi Hennessy, Superintendent of the Arcadia Unified School District David Hinig, Chief of Police Don Penman, Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director Jerome Collins, Recreation and Community Services Director Other School District &taff 3. TI~1E RESERVEO FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE TO ADDRESS THE CITY COlJr~CIU f~EDE\jELOPMENT AGENCY OR BOARD OF EDUCATION No one cc::me forwarJ 4. YOUTIi MASTER TI16 Yuuth Ma,ter Plan was originally developed in 1997. It is currently being updated as a P'.AN joint ~roject by the City and the District. Two of the major efforts that have been jointly 012...0-1:5' fund3:J 3r,d suppcrred by the Council and the School Board are the Youth Services SUP'>lvisnr :;md tile YOllth Education Support Officer, which is in its first year. PoiicD Chiof Hir.i9 ;.>resented a report of the progress of the Youth Education Support Officer ?rO!Jram (Y.E.S.; and Toni Cayior, the Y.E.S. Officer. He spoke of the significent success of the prc,gi'am Oil the Arcadia High School campus, and the positive impact Officer Caylor has hed or> slude"ts and staff since she has been on-site. Officer Caylor came into the program in ,luno of 2000, a'1d worker! on campus throughout the summer to set the foundation for ar;tl\'lly in Ill... ["Ii semester. Cilief Hinig noted the program is going exceptionally well, and it is uis'l heipf~ll;'at Officer Cayior brings her experience as a former teacher to this pro!)ram nr:d co;-nrnur.icatrlS witl; ;ile ~tudents very effectively as counselor and law.enforcamen~. Cl1;cf Hini~J cor,lmentod. the pr3sellce of Officer Caylor has clearly produced a decreas~ in th8 num:'wr of ;ncltjents on ~2mpus from external as well as inter.12I'i:lfluences. He noted that b; is vcry pioo;(Jd with II-,e Y.E.S. p;ogram and urged that it continue to be funded. I 1/30/01 " SKATEBOARD PARK (,740 - 70 43:0021 Principal Martin Plourde, Arcadia High School, indicated that having a police officer on campus has had a positive effect on the behavior of the students: Mr. Plourde presented statistics for certain problematic areas of campus life, noting the de'crease in such problems since Officer Caylor's involvement with the students, such as, off-campus incidents, period cuts, campus fights, drug/alcohol use and possession. He en\~isions the on-site officer's position on campus evolving over time with increased teacher-to-bfficer contacts, as well as using the officer more and more in the classroom to make educational pres,entations. I:' In response to questions of hours spent on campus, Chief Hinig reported that Officer Caylor works a four-day, 10 hour schedule. The hours may be flexible depending upon nighttime school activities. Other officers are assigned to the campus when Officer Caylor is off duty. The Recreation and Parks Commission considers it a top priority to construct a skateboard park in the City of Arcadia. In an effort to address this priority, an informal, no-cost asses~ment was performed by Steve Rose of Purkiss Rose and Associates, to determine if the City has a site compatibie for such use. Of several park sites visited (Newcastle, Eisenhower and Bonita), Mr. Rose identified Bonita Park as a feasible location. According to research information provided by Purkiss Rose-RSI, since the 1950's skateboarding has deveioped into the 6th largest participant sport in the United States. It is estimated there are over fen million skateboarders in the United States, with an average age of 13.8 years. Due to property damage and potential hazards to pedestrians, there has been a trend nation-wide, including Arcadia, to ban skateboards in public places and commercial areas, prompting many communities to provide appropriate facilities similar to those provided for'tennls, basketball, baseball and soccer. In 1997 the California legislature .passed Assembly Bill 1296 giving cities and public entities limited protection from lawsuits brought as a result of skateboard related injuries, or damages occurring on public property from persons 14 years or older. According to the 1988 U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, I technological developments in safety equipment and skateboard design have greatly reduced the number and severity of skateboard injuries which has lessened the liability exposure. The design and construction of a skateboard park involves considerably more than location, size and funding... issues such as fences vs. open, staff vs. unsupervised, portable ramps vs. permanent, fee vs. free, skateboard vs. in-line, BMX, etcetera; maintenance; enforcement of equipment regulations; liability issues; and, impacts on adjacent neighbors have to be addressed. In most all cities contacted by staff, it was apparent that input from the'skaters themselves was critical throughout the design, planning and construction process. Some communities continue this involvement by having skaters monitor and "police" their facility. Other staff are assigned to monitor the facility, or the police department has incorporated periodic drive-bys into their patrol schedules. Location, design and related issues are crucial to success or failure, according to staff. Considerable discussion ensued related to the Bonita Park site for a skateboard park, and funding. City Manager Kelly noted, at this point in time there is a possibility of using State Park Bond Funds for the majority of the construction. Concerns were expressed regarding liability issues, injuries and accessibility to Bonita Park for emergency vehicles and access to telephones; the potentiai intrusion of a skateboard facility projecting far out into the grassy areas where band practice occurs. Some felt that the area would be too small for such use. City staff commented there may be competing' activities, assuming the skateboard park is used all y<;lar round, these issues would have to be worked out. Currently Bonita Park is used as a playground, youth hut, baseball games and the access gate at one end of the property is in constant use. I 2" 1/30/01 I I 1 5. TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE O<{~D- 'JL ".: ~ '\.li;~'rp',"~"H if. .1' .(t~-~'lrf:I' 'I> 1"11 43:0022 School Board Member McClain commented that the Bonita Park Site should be more than adequate for a skateboard park. He has visited parks in other cities which were very actively used, with no safety issues. The police drive-by observation of the park would be adequate also. School Superintendent Hennessey stated ill part, the School District's current use of the Bonita Park School site encompasses a variety of programs for pre-school aged children to adults, from 7:00 a,m. to 8:00 p.m. In addition, a portion of the site is leased to the Serpendipity Pre-school and Day-care program. Ms. Hennessey further noted, the primary reason the District would have concerns about a skateboard park at the adjacent City Park would be if it impinges on the District's Bonita Park School site. However, if such a park is neighbor to Bonita School she does not think noise from a skateboard park would be more bothersome than a baseball game. City Manager Kelly noted a landscaped wall could be constructed to filter such noise, . The possibility of a skateboard park joint venture of Arcadia and Sierra Madre or Monrovia was briefly mentioned, since these two cities are also exploring this type of recreation. Board Member McClain noted that he believes it is important when, in discussion of design, the subject of usage be included, such as in-line or skateboard; dividing uses between these two activities.., input from users is needed for clarification. In September, 1999 the City and School District formed a committee for the purpose of promoting safety around City schools as it relates to traffic, pedestrian movement and public transit. The Committee visits each schooi in the District, reviews vehicular and pedestrian patterns and movements and recommends changes that would improve overall safety around the schools. Regular members of the Committee include the City Traffic Engineer, Police Department Operations Captain and School District Director of Maintenance, Operations and Transportation. At each school, the principal and a member(s) of the PTA also participate as well as others that may be involved at the local school level in student safety. Other ad hoc participants can include the City Street Superintendent, a Police Department Traffic Officer and the City Transportation Services Officer. The Committee reports to the Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Business Services and' the Assistant City ManagerlDevelopment Services Director. Last fiscal year the Committee visited each school within the Arcadia Unified School District, some more than once. As a result, a number of changes and improvements were made at each of the schools to improve the safety of students before and after school hours. The January 30, 2000 staff report lists some of these improvements in detail. In addition, staff has coordinated Arcadia Transit operations to provide convenient and safe bus stops for each school. Also, the Police Department has directed traffic and law enforcement as requested, and developed a "decoy" program involving use of a parked patrol vehicle around schools. Further, with the assistance of Arcadia High School students, a video was produced promoting school safety which has been shown on the local cable channel and at all schools, and during certain school events. This cooperative program has been a great success and will continue as an on-going effort to promote school safety. A discussion ensued relative to the Traffic Committee and parent participation. The Committee was set-up to coordinate communication between parents and staff to jointly review problems of traffic and transportation. School Principals are the chief spoke persons for the Committee to the parents... a parent can contact the school principal regarding a traffic area or concern. The principal is in charge of passing this concern or suggestion along co the Traffic Committee for consideration. 3 1/30/01 43:0023 The matter of school bus transportation was considered which, since that passage of Proposition 13, the District charges for transporting students to and from school. It was noted I the District cannot compet~ with the City's dial-a-ride program, which transports riders door- to-door. Very few students walk or ride bikes to school:.. parents are concerned about safely issues. The Traffic Committee has considered various creative proposals to encourage students to ride school busses, walk or bike to school without much success to-date, although it was noted that Arcadia schools provide parents with maps of safe routes to school, where crossing guards are on duty and traffic signals en route, to encourage parents to use these safe routes. 6. COMMUNITY Historically the community has periodically considered various means of establishing an CULTURAL auditorium within City boundaries. Many years ago $100,000 was raised to that end. The ARTS CENTER/ January 30, 2001 staff report sets forth the needs that a community auditorium would serve AUDITORIUM for the City as well as the School District. Currently there is no auditorium in the City that accommodates more than 330 people. The School District is in need of a performing arts o 7 ~ b - 3.3 venue that would accommodate 1,200 to 1,500 people. The District currently rents the San Gabriel Civic or Citrus College auditorium for programs. Transportation to and from these venues is paid for out of interest earned in the Auditorium Fund. District staff noted that its instrumental music program has outgrown the recently buill music building at the High School and has no classroom space large enough to fully accommodate the entire band or orchestra. -. The staff report noted the most cost effective location for a performing arts center/auditorium would be the area between the District office and the High School administration building. Further, the site is adjacent to substantial parking facilities and centrally located in the community. I The potential source of funds to construct a community cultural arts center/auditorium could be: a DistricUCity "good faith" effort; Federal grants; State School Building funds; Fundraising gifts; and, a bond. Considerable discussion ensuad. City Manager Kelly commented that staff has estimated the cost of an auditorium would be in the range of $5 to $12 million depending upon the use, configuration and location of the facility. Mr. Kelly stated in part that, between the City, the Arcadia Redevelopment Agency and the School District possibly $2 to $4 million could be raised for the project. This amount, along with Federal funds and other sources could accomplish construction of the facility. In the discussion it was noted, the auditorium is a perceived community need... it will have to be tested to determine what does the community think about it; what part of the community would want and use it; what will it cost and where will it be located. School District Superintendent Hennessey felt the most obvious location ,for the facility would be the Library lawn, which is existing City property that is already approved for school use. Superintendent Hennessey pointed out the next step is to get some actual data back from the community. Ms. Hennessey noted that she and Mr. Kelly are proposing that the City and District consider conducting a formal poll by a professional group that can determine what the community as a whole would want and support, and until these issues are known it does not make sense to continue. What Mr. Kelly and Ms. Hennessey are proposing, they believe, would cost somewhere between $12 and $20,000 for consultant to do a real survey depending upon some variables in what they are asked to do. . ! Council and School Board Members spent a consider<lble amount of time in an exchange oi thoughts as to how the survey questionnaire should be presented to the community; an I auditorium; a multi-faceted facility encompassing an' auditorium, art gallery, classrooms, a dining facility; a pElrforr~i~o arts center; and the funding for such a facility; aiso, if the City and 4 1/30/01 ':tl,\,,"'Ii;l"',;ftr\~lr , ,~j f 1 {.( I . m" .}t~..r l' -"-"! . 'I" y ~ \" (', 43:0024 I the District put up a certain amount of money for the project would the citizen vote for a bond issue? Mr. Kelly noted a consultant would help define the survey questions. ~ With respect to a bond issue, Councilmember Marshall said she would not support this, other Councilmembers felt that a bond issue wouid not be necessary because there are other potential funds available... foundations, Federal and State grants for example. On going maintenance costs for such a facility was another concern expressed by some. ,\ The subject of a limeline for the survey to, be conducted and submission of applications for Federal and State funds by the City's lobbyists was raised... the City Manager noted these things take considerable time, however, foundation fund raising could take a couple of years aiso. .. . . The possibility of Mr. Stronach's proposal (owner of Santa Anita Race Track) to construct an arena at the track that the City/School District could use for a certain amount of days each year, was presented, and briefly discussed. I .. School Board Member Dougherty, in reference to an auditorium, felt that there needs to be sorne staff analysis of such a facility... what goes into an auditorium... the staging and dressing room areas... basic things, perhaps a community committee could be formed to put together some ideas, and then a pollster could be retained. Mayor Kovacic noted that the School District is in a better position to analyze the performing arts aspect of the proposed facility. He noted also that Arcadia is a unique community with a 35% or 40% Asian population, a pollster should take this into consideration also. While several Council Members believed that a majority of the community would be in favor of a community auditorium or cultural arts center, Councilmember Chandler expressed concerns relative to priorities. School District funds could be better used to improve current facilities, and City facilities, in particular Fire Station No.1, will have to be replaced because it is not up to earthquake standards and cannot house large fire rigs. It Is his opinion that an auditorium is a School Board issue, and if constructed on School District property, the maintenance of such a building should be theirs also. Councilmember Chandler asked if an auditorium is the District's first priority. This, in reference to condition$ that need to be cleaned up at Arcadia High School. With respect to the City's priorities he does not believe an auditorium is the City's first priority either. . At the conclusion of the discussion relative to an auditorium/cultural arts center, School Board President Steinmeier noted Council had a majority in support of a survey to poll the cornmunity. 7. 'ITEMS FOR The following items were mentioned' for discussion at the next Joint City Council/School FUTURE JOINT Board Meeting, to be scheduled in six months: Update on the auditorium issue; trash and MTG. recycling collection issues; an update on the skateboard park with Ms. Jessica Anderson in DISCUSSIONS attendance; safety emergency issues; school zone overlay for business development; and, City/School District processes and programs that could be joint ventures. Mayor Kovacic presented a cobalt blue mug with the City's in'scription to each Member of the School Board. ' - ". .. I ~ ,'. 5" 'j/30/01 ADJOURNMENT (Feb. 6, 2001) ATTEST: 43:0025 At 8:47p.m. the Adjourned Regular Joint Meeting of the Arcadia City Council and the Governing Board of the Arcadia Unified School District ADJOURNED. The City Council to Tuesday, February 6, 2001, for a regular meeting at 4:30 p.m. in the Administrative Conference Room at the Arcadia City Hall. ~,<) ~- CJlme D. Alfor~~::~~Y/Clerk) 6 1/30/01 I I I