Council Special Meeting

MINUTES CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING CITY OF MONTEREY Wednesday, September 26, 2012 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, FEW MEMORIAL HALL OF RECORDS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Councilmembers Present: Councilmembers Selfridge, Sollecito, Della Sala Absent: Councilmembers Downey and Haferman City Staff City Manager, Assistant City Manager, City Attorney, Finance Director, Present: Community Services Director, Interim Deputy City Manager, Plans & Public Works, Chief of Planning, Engineering, and Environmental Compliance, Senior Assistant City Clerk, Principal Planners CALL TO ORDER Mayor Della Sala called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS Mayor Della Sala opened public comments on items not on the agenda and seeing no requests to speak closed public comments. PUBLIC APPEARANCE 1. Provide Policy Direction on Fort Ord Base Reuse Plan Reassessment Issues; Authorize Staff to Compose Comment Letter Based on Policy Direction; and, Provide Direction to Staff Regarding Development of City's Property on Former Fort Ord. (Plans & Public Works - 203-02) Action: Received report; adopted Resolutions 12-151, 12-152, and 12-153 C.S. including modifications and additions to the draft resolutions by Council Chief of Planning Engineering, and Environmental Compliance Rerig presented the agenda report. He noted that Council first heard this item at its September 18th meeting and that staff, as requested by Council, has brought back several policy direction items for approval. Mr. Rerig noted that staff recommends Council adopt 3 resolutions included in the agenda report, one that provides a policy direction on the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) Reuse Plan, one that authorizes a comment letter be sent to FORA, and one that directs staff to create a team to receive and evaluate developer proposals on the development of City property in former Fort Ord. Mr. Rerig added that primary issues center around water, development footprint, and the jobs and housing balance. He added that a fourth issue, development fees, would be heard by Council at a later date. City Manager Meurer stressed that staff is recommending Council adopt important policies that address concerns with City of Monterey property on former Fort Ord, noting that councils in the past have directed staff to avoid involvement in FORA issues that relate to other peninsula cities use of their former Fort Ord properties. He asked Council to look at near term and long term uses and decide which benefit the economic vitality of the region and the City of Monterey. City Council Minutes Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Councilmember Selfridge requested staff remove all references to "middle-income" and "middle-class" within the draft resolutions, preferring not to quantify the type of jobs and stressing that all types of jobs are needed in Monterey. Mayor Della Sala opened public comments on the first two staff recommendations and, seeing no requests to speak, closed public comment. Councilmember Selfridge asked that the comment letter come back to Council for approval so that Council can see and agree to the content in the letter. Councilmember Sollecito moved that Council adopt the staff recommendation to provide policy direction on the Fort Ord Base Reuse Plan Reassessment Issues including a deletion of references to "middle-income" as it refers to jobs and amended his motion to include the addition of highlighting of the second to last sentence in the last whereas paragraph of the resolution. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Selfridge the motion passed by the following vote adopting Resolution 12-151 C.S.: AYES: 3 COUNCILMEMBERS: Selfridge, Sollecito, Della Sala NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: 2 COUNCILMEMBERS: Downey, Haferman ABSTAIN: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None City Manager Meurer clarified his earlier comments, noting that the Monterey City Council is in a better position to evaluate what happens on Monterey's property in terms of land use than anyone else and similarly that other local cities who have property on the former Fort Ord should make their own land use decisions, as well as CEQA reviews. Councilmember Selfridge stated that this does not mean that FORA is not necessary though and Mr. Meurer agreed that FORA has a whole host of other responsibilities, like habitat management. He stressed that the City of Monterey policies approved tonight do not mean that the City of Monterey wants FORA to make land use decisions for the rest of the former Fort Ord properties. Councilmember Sollecito and Mayor Della Sala concurred with both Mr. Meurer's and Councilmember Selfridge's comments and emphasized the need to provide these policy directions to FORA. Mayor Della Sala moved and it was seconded by Councilmember Selfridge to authorize staff to prepare a comment letter to FORA and to bring back the letter to the City Council at the next regular meeting for approval; the motion passed by the following vote: AYES: 3 COUNCILMEMBERS: Selfridge, Sollecito, Della Sala NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: 2 COUNCILMEMBERS: Downey, Haferman ABSTAIN: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None Mayor Della Sala moved, and it was seconded by Councilmember Selfridge, to approve Resolution 12-152 C.S. providing policy direction to FORA and the motion passed by the following vote: AYES: 3 COUNCILMEMBERS: Selfridge, Sollecito, Della Sala NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: 2 COUNCILMEMBERS: Downey, Haferman ABSTAIN: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None 2 City Council Minutes Wednesday, September 26, 2012 RECUSED: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None Mayor Della Sala asked representatives from the two companies that submitted property proposals to come forward and speak briefly about their company and ideas for development. Don Orosco from DBO Development Company and Frank Flores from Monterey Sports Management spoke about their proposals. Mayor Della Sala opened public comment on this item and Mr. Cutrufelli, from Cypress Sports, spoke in favor of development of the property, stressing there is a great need for recreational and sports centered areas within Monterey. Seeing no more requests to speak, Mayor Della Sala closed public comment. Councilmember Selfridge expressed concerns that the City's marketing was ineffective if out of 400 targeted companies only 2 companies submitted proposals. She asked that the City have an opinion of value done on the land before moving forward with assembling a team. Councilmember Selfridge stated she has no problems with either proposal submitted, but would like to know the value of the land to know how best to utilize it. Mr. Rerig described the request for qualifications (RFQ) process that was issued, noting many media formats were in fact used. Councilmember Selfridge asked if this property was evaluated by the Mayor's blue ribbon committee and Mr. Rerig and Mayor Della Sala noted that the committee was not tasked to look at the former Fort Ord property when it was doing its appraisal of City owned property and that its efforts were targeted at commercial and downtown areas instead. Mr. Rerig stated the staff recommendation before Council tonight is not approval of any project, noting instead that this is to set up a framework to evaluate proposals by a subcommittee and that the subcommittee's recommendation would come before Council for approval. Mr. Rerig noted that at the beginning of the negotiation phase a market analysis would be performed. Mr. Meurer clarified the difference between a request for qualifications and a request for proposals for Councilmember Selfridge. Mr. Meurer stressed that the Council has already zoned the property which limits how the property can be developed and impacts its value. Councilmember Selfridge noted that 3 locals said they were unaware of the RFQ and Mr. Meurer stated that at some point locals need to watch and make themselves more aware of what is going on at City Hall. Councilmember Sollecito asked Council to refocus on what is before it tonight, stating he too is not ready to pick a proposal, but is ready to continue with this process and let staff facilitate a subcommittee and that that does not mean the City is going forward with any proposal at this time. Councilmember Sollecito moved to approve the staff recommendation to form a subcommittee and look into the two proposals received and the motion was seconded by Mayor Della Sala. Mayor Della Sala, Mr. Rerig, and Councilmember Selfridge discussed the need for an appraisal and when that would happen. Councilmember Selfridge asked that one be done first, before approval of the recommendation before Council tonight. Councilmember Sollecito moved to amend his motion to include an opinion of value be included in the staff recommendation and the seconder agreed to the amendment. The motion passed by the following vote adopting Resolution 12-153 C.S.: AYES: 2 COUNCILMEMBERS: Sollecito, Della Sala NOES: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Selfridge 3 City Council Minutes Wednesday, September 26, 2012 ABSENT: 2 COUNCILMEMBERS: Downey, Haferman ABSTAIN: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None ADJOURNMENT Having no further business before the City Council, Mayor Della Sala adjourned the meeting at 5:18 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Catherine Raynor Chuck Della Sala Senior Assistant City Clerk Mayor 4