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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-09-06MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 CIVIC CENTER COUNCIL CHAMBER 73510 FRED WARING DRIVE, PALM DESERT, CA 92260 I. CALL TO ORDER - 3:00 P.M. Mayor Jonathan convened the meeting at 3:01 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Present: Councilmember Jan C. Harnik Councilmember Kathleen Kelly Councilmember Gina Nestande Mayor Pro Tem Susan Marie Weber Mayor Sabby Jonathan Also Present: Lauri Aylaian, City Manager Robert W. Hargreaves, City Attorney Rachelle D. Klassen, City Clerk Russell Grance, Director of Building & Safety Ryan Stendell, Director of Community Development Martin Alvarez, Director of Economic Development Janet M. Moore, Director of Finance/City Treasurer Tom Garcia, Director of Public Works Stephen Y. Aryan, Risk Manager Lt. Matt Martello, Asst. Chief, Palm Desert Police/Riverside Co. Sheriff's Dept. Grace L. Rocha, Deputy City Clerk III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - A (CLOSED SESSION ITEMS) None IV. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION Request for Closed Session: A. Conference with Real Property Negotiator pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8: MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 1) Property: Lease Property - Parkview Professional Office Complex, 73710 Fred Waring Drive, Suite No. 200, Palm Desert Negotiating Parties: Agency: Lauri Aylaian/Janet M. Moore/Anthony Hernandez/ City of Palm Desert Property Owner: City of Palm Desert Other Parties: Coachella Valley Association of Governments Under Negotiation: x Price x Terms of Payment 2) Property: Desert Willow Overflow Parking Lot (APNs 620-400-008 and -024) Negotiating Parties: Agency: Lauri Aylaian/Martin Alvarez/City of Palm Desert Property Owner: City of Palm Desert Under Negotiation: x Price x Terms of Payment B. Conference with Legal Counsel regarding significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2): Number of potential cases: 2 C. Public Employee Performance Evaluation pursuant to Government Code Section 54957: Title of Position: City Attorney With City Council concurrence, Mayor Jonathan adjourned the meeting to Closed Session of the City Council and Successor Agency at 3:02 p.m. He reconvened the meeting at 4:00 p.m. V. RECONVENE REGULAR MEETING - 4:00 P.M. A. REPORT ON ACTION FROM CLOSED SESSION. Mr. Hargreaves reported that an agreement between the Successor Agency of the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency and Desert Wave Ventures, LLC, for Lot B at Desert Willow for a potential wave park, was approved and executed; the Agreement will be available to the public tomorrow morning. There is another agreement between the City and the same party, Desert Wave Ventures, LLC, with respect to the City's parking lot parcel that gives the developer an option to take that property down and develop it as a joint -use parking lot. That agreement is not fully executed, but will be available tomorrow morning as well. He added that both agreements were approved by the City Council by unanimous votes. VI. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - Councilmember Gina Nestande 2 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 VII. INVOCATION - Councilmember Kathleen Kelly VIII. AWARDS AND PRESENTATIONS A. PROCLAMATION DECLARING THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018, AS "FIND FOOD BANK DAY" IN THE CITY OF PALM DESERT. On behalf of the entire City Council, Mayor Jonathan presented the proclamation to Ms. Barbara Ben -David, representing Find Food Bank. Ms. Ben -David thanked the City for their continued support. She said this was their 35th year serving the Valley and it was "Hunger Action Month," asking everyone to advocate to the fight against hunger. They hope to be around for another 35 years serving the residents throughout the greater Coachella Valley. Mayor Jonathan commented that Valley residents don't often think there are hungry people locally, but there are. Ms. Ben -David agreed, stating the 85,000 they serve every month, stretch from Blythe to every city across this Valley, including Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs. B. PRESENTATION AND REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL BY ONEFUTURE COACHELLA VALLEY (OFCV). President/CEO Sheila Thornton of OneFuture Coachella Valley, noted their Board Leadership Team was present this evening, and they include Board Chair Pete Del Rio, Board Treasurer Tom Davis, and Development Director Julie Olivas. She said OneFuture Coachella Valley is about 17 months old, but they have been around for 13 years. They were formerly part of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) Workforce Excellence Division. They originally started with a grant from the James Irvine Foundation. The concept behind their work is "Education is Economic Development." In a region where there are significant issues with educational attainment, less now because of the work they've done on high school graduates, but they are still nearing the bottom in terms of college readiness in the nation. As a matter of fact, the Inland Empire is number one for youth unemployment in the nation, and it has everything to do with students being prepared for the workforce and having the critical thinking and communication skills necessary to be employed. Whether that's in entry level jobs or continuing education for a degree, certificate, or doctorate, it's essential every student graduates with some level of post -secondary aptitude, which is what they're all about from the very beginning. OneFuture Coachella Valley serves to aggregate the work and align the work of hundreds of partners who are working on a Tong -term plan that they believe 3 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 in and are already changing economic lives of individual students, their families, the communities, and the overall economy of the Desert. Ms. Thornton went on to provide a slide presentation that included information on how they transitioned from CVEP to OneFuture Coachella Valley forming their Board, hiring their staff, and creating partnerships. She provided a myriad of statistics on how they have been doing. Most notable Coachella Valley Outcomes include: they have 47 Career Academies/Pathways programs serving more than 6,500+ local high school students; FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) completion rates, which have increased from 48% to 70% since 2011; $19.7 million potential financial aide funds available due to local FAFSA completion efforts; $13.3 million in scholarships awarded to 1,975 students; 35% have graduated from college with an Associate's or Bachelor's degree, potentially generating $10,295,151 in additional local wages; 134 paid student interns hosted by 51 local businesses through Health Career Connections. In Palm Desert specifically, 150 scholarships were awarded amounting to $1.1 million. The most powerful part of their work is that they have matched their funding with more than 15 nonprofit organizations. If you look at the FAFSA completion rates nationally by regions, they are at about 45%. OneFuture Coachella Valley started at 35% and they are now at 75%, reflecting the tremendous work done by the local community. MR. TOM DAVIS, Treasurer for the OneFuture Coachella Valley, stated the City of Palm Desert is such a great example of economic development. He said his day job with the Aqua Caliente Band & Cahuilla Indians is in Planning and Development and Economic Development. He also serves on with CVEP Team. Together they are trying to build from the ground up, and this is the very first investment in economic development in the community, and Palm Desert is the center of higher education in the Valley with its three higher education facilities. They are invested in searching a partnership with OFCV and Palm Desert to continue this economic development enterprise, because it translates into many different things for the community and the entire Coachella Valley like jobs, revenue, higher wages, and better labor work force. He hopes the City of Palm Desert can join them and continue the support. Mayor Jonathan said Council looked forward to future collaborations in helping them be successful. With City Council concurrence, the OneFuture Coachella Valley report was received and filed. 4 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 C. PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZE THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2018, AS "CONSTITUTION WEEK" IN THE CITY OF PALM DESERT. On behalf of the entire City Council, Mayor Jonathan presented the proclamation to Ms. Norma Bruton, representing Daughters of the American Revolution. Ms. Bruton announced that September 17 marked the 235th Anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States of America, which is the foundation document for the Country's form of government. It is also the 63rd year that the Daughters of the American Revolution has been working with cities and communities to recognize this amazing event. They are very appreciative of the City of Palm Desert's proclamation and for its support and participation in this wonderful celebration. She noted they have a local chapter with about 145 local women that belong to their membership. IX. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - B None X. MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS & REMARKS TO THE COMMUNITY A. Councilmember Jan C. Harnik Committee Reports and General Comments. 1. Legislative Breakfast - she and other Councilmembers attended this breakfast to learn what Sacramento has been up to this past year. She noted that the League of California Cities gave a presentation. Mayor Jonathan added that the presentation was very interesting and enlightening. 2. Palm Desert Marketina Committee - reviewed the new tools that will be used for social media, because they directly impact the markets the City needs to cultivate and bring to Palm Desert. 3. Westways Maaazine/Auto Club of SoCal - reported the September issue highlighted Palm Desert's McCallum Theatre, Hotel Paseo, a new Sushi Restaurant on El Paseo, and the City's Public Art Initiative. She gave kudos to Management Analyst Deborah Glickman. 4. Leaaue of California Cities Conference - pointed out the City Council was getting ready to attend the conference to learn about what it can do better and how to solve problems, stating she was looking forward to it. 5 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 Mayor Jonathan added the LOCC is in constant battle to maintain local control. He said Sacramento has a slew of legislation, which at times erodes cities' ability to control its own fate, which was something he was hoping to address with Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia and Assemblyman Chad Mayes, but he didn't get a chance to do so. Hopefully, they will continue to fight for the City's ability to control its own fate within the City. B. Councilmember Kathleen Kelly Committee Reports and General Comments. 1. Haul Pass Program - attended the ribbon cutting of the program at College of the Desert (COD). She said SunLine has secured funding to enable all COD students to use their Student I.D. Card as a pass to ride the bus wherever and whenever. It's a key way to overcome obstacles to economic advancement that OneFuture Coachella Valley was talking about earlier. It was a tremendous moving event to see how excited students were as they came by the booth to learn that there really is such a thing as a "Free Ride." She added SunLine expects to seek funding to expand the program to high school and Cal State University -San Bernardino students. C. Councilmember Gina Nestande Committee Reports and General Comments. 1. Open Gov on the Citv's Website - she noted the 2018-2019 Palm Desert Balance Budget was approved over the summer. The budget is 3% higher than last year due to public safety costs and the State mandated minimum wages. She mentions this to let the public know that the City Council believes in transparency, and to become more transparent, the City partnered with an entity called "OpenGov." By going to the City's website: citvofpalmdesert.orq and clicking the box labeled "News," then "Palm Desert Enhancing Financial Transparency," it will lead you to OpenGov where you can see the interactive financial data and charts. D. Mayor Pro Tem Susan Marie Weber Meeting Summaries Report for the Period of August 12-26, 2018. With City Council concurrence, the Meeting Summaries Report was received and filed. 1 Citizens on Patrol Luncheon - she and the Mayor attended this luncheon. She said these volunteers are out in the community when it is hot, cold, or windy, assisting residents or visitors whenever there are problems. She thanked Management Analyst Johnny Terfehr for setting it up, because the volunteers really appreciated it. 6 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 E. Mayor Sabbv Jonathan Committee Reports and General Comments. 1. Bailey & Coffee - explained that Superintendent of Desert Sands Unified School District Scott Bailey makes the circuit and his stop this week was at IW Coffee, which is a coffee shop on Cook Street and Highway 111. He said it was very nice that the Superintendent engages with the community. 2. Soroptimist International of Palm Desert - he was invited to do a presentation, and he had the opportunity to learn about them. If someone is looking for a wonderful group of women to be a part of, this was an organization that did wonderful work. 3. Palm Springs State of the City Luncheon. - he said Councilmembers attempt to attend all the other city's State of the City events to give support and find out what they are doing in their communities. 4. Coffee with the Mavor at the Joslyn Center - he thanked the Joslyn Center staff for hosting today's Coffee with the Mayor event. Over half of the people that attended had never been to the Joslyn Center. One of the purposes of the Coffee with the Mayor is to use different venues in Palm Desert every month to introduce people to the City's resources. 5. BriahtSide Newsletter - the new issue is out and it's full of amazing things that are happening in Palm Desert. It includes information on the Concerts at the Park Series, which are free to the public for the month of October; they are held at the Palm Desert Civic Center Park. Also, the City is sponsoring the "Musical Ambassadors of the Army," The United States Army Field Band & Soldiers' on November 7, 2018, at the McCallum Theatre. The way to obtain a ticket is detailed in the newsletter. F. City Council Requests for Action.. None G. City Council Consideration of Travel Requests/Reports,. None 7 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 XI. STAFF REPORTS AND REMARKS A. City Manager 1. City Manager's Meeting_ Summaries Report for the Period of August 13-24, 2018. With City Council concurrence, the Meeting Summaries Report was received and filed. 2. Personnel Update: Senior Transportation Engineer Randv Bowman. She introduced Mr. Bowman, stating it's an important position for the City of Palm Desert, especially when looking at the Valley Wide Synchronization of Traffic Signals Project, making roads more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, and making them safe for all forms of mobility. Randy comes to us from Columbus, Ohio. Latisha Marks accepted the position of Office Specialist in the City Clerk's Office. She has been at the front desk as a temporary staff for about two months now, and everyone is liking to see her smile and professional demeanor at the front counter. Heather Chernicki had been working as a temporary staff in the Finance Department, and she accepted the permanent position of Office Specialist in the Economic Development Department. In her capacity she will also be assisting the Marketing and Business Development team. B. City Attorney None C. City Clerk None D. Public Safety 1. Fire Department None 8 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 2. Police Department None XII. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES of the Regular City Council Meeting of August 23, 2018. Rec: Approve as presented. B. CLAIMS AND DEMANDS AGAINST THE CITY TREASURY - Warrants Dated 7/27/2018, 7/31/2018, 8/10/2018 - 2, and 8/17/2018. Rec: Approve as presented. C. CLAIMS AND DEMANDS AGAINST THE CITY/HOUSING TREASURIES - Warrant Dated 8/24/2018 (Joint Consideration with the Palm Desert Housing Authority). Rec: Approve as presented. D. APPLICATION FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE by Mezzomondo, 73850 Highway 111, Suite A, Palm Desert. Rec: Receive and file. E. RESOLUTION NO. 2018 - 70 - A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California, Setting Forth Its Findings and Authorizing the Destruction of Paper Records that Have Been Digitally Imaged from the Department of Community Development/Planning, to Rely on the Electronic Record as the Official Record — Youth Committee Applications/Reference Letters from 2005 - 2014 (Exhibit "A"). Rec: Waive further reading and adopt. F REQUEST FOR RATIFICATION of the City Manager's Approval of Chemical Cost Overrun for Knorr Systems, Inc., at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center in the Amount of $9,646.07 for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 (Contract No. C34282). Rec: By Minute Motion, ratify the City Manager's approval of chemical cost overrun for Knorr Systems, Inc., Santa Ana, California, at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center in the amount of $9,646.07 for FY 2017-2018 — funds are available in Fund 242 Accounts in the FY 2017-2018 Operating Budget. 9 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 G. REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION for the City of Palm Desert's Voting Delegate to Vote in Favor of the 2018 League of California Cities Annual Conference Resolutions. Rec: By Minute Motion, authorize the City of Palm Desert's League of California Cities Voting Delegate to vote affirmatively on Resolution Nos. 1 and 2 at the League's 2018 Annual Conference in Long Beach, September 12-14. H. REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION to Release Maintenance Bond in the Amount of $2,065 for Offsite Improvements at Fairfield Inn, 74764 Technology Drive (MMP Properties, Inc., Applicant). Rec: By Minute Motion, release Maintenance Bond in the amount of $2,065 for offsite improvements at Fairfield Inn, 74764 Technology Drive. I. REQUEST FOR APPROVAL of the 2018 Airstream-1 aloozm Ev- - Rcc: Dy . 1) I to aarru-raIooza &r , rdl eu, 0; 4) 6-verrt—sprerffserrshivin—ttre—amourtt—erf This item was withdrawn from the agenda. J. REQUEST FOR APPROVAL of the 2019 Palm Desert LiveWell Festival — Saturday, January 5 (Seth Cash/MyCityEveryday, Applicant). Rec: By Minute Motion, approve/authorize: 1) Palm Desert LiveWell Festival scheduled for Saturday, January 5, 2019; 2) temporary waiver of Palm Desert Municipal Code (P.D.M.C.) Section 11.01.140 - Amplified Sound; 3) temporary waiver of P.D.M.C. Section 11.01.080(0) - Placement of Advertising Signage in Parks; 4) temporary waiver of P.D.M.C. Section 11.01.080(Q) - Prohibited Conduct Generally in City Parks - Vendor Sales. Ms. Aylaian requested Item I be withdrawn from the Agenda. Upon motion by Harnik, second by Kelly, and 5-0 vote of the City Council, the remainder of the Consent Calendar was approved as presented (AYES: Harnik, Kelly, Nestande, Weber, and Jonathan; NOES: None). 10 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 XIII. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER None XIV. RESOLUTIONS None XV. ORDINANCES A. For Introduction: None B. For Adoption: None XVI. NEW BUSINESS A. REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF THE EL PASEO MASTER PLAN ALTERNATIVES AND THE EL PASEO RETAIL MARKET STUDY PREPARED BY GIBBS PLANNING GROUP. Associate Planner Keven Swartz stated that in 2016 at the request of now Mayor Jonathan, City staff formed a team to discuss strategies to ensure El Paseo's continued success and future viability. The team didn't want to make drastic changes and knew it needed professional services, therefore, at the request of Sargent Town Planning who helped out with the General Plan and San Pablo Planning, reached out to Gibbs Planning Group (GPG) and entered into a Professional Services Agreement with them. In September 2017, Mr. Gibbs conducted his first site visit, toured El Paseo, met with Councilmembers, merchants, stakeholders, and staff. In January 2018, the first Study Session took place where Mr. Gibbs introduced the El Paseo Retail Market Study and current vacancy rate, which is 11.5%. The study compared the commercial performance of El Paseo with other commercial high -end streets throughout the Country. The Study concluded El Paseo could support a significant amount of retail and restaurants, with an emphasis on restaurants. A second Study Session took place on July 17, 2018, to review the El Paseo Draft Master Plan Alternatives. The draft focused on three unique districts and four potential street configurations. Also in January, staff met with the El Paseo Merchants Association (EPMA). He displayed the El Paseo Corridor which runs from Highway 74 to Portola Avenue, stating the street was one -mile long. Based on 2017 numbers, vehicle traffic is 12,800 per day on an annual average. Rule of thumb is that each traffic lane could hold about 10,000 vehicles per day, and El Paseo is 11 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 geared toward 40,000 vehicles with its four -lane configuration. The speed recommended by GPG is 25 mph and it's currently posted at 35 mph. Staff discussed the idea of creating three districts along the street, because GPG found that El Paseo is too long as a shopping district when the average shopper walks two to three blocks for about five minutes. Other considerations are that the street is not pedestrian -friendly and very vehicle oriented; lack of gathering spaces or seating areas for pedestrians; the street is losing small and unique businesses; businesses close too early; and it's lacking night life. The street is geared toward restaurants with upscale lounges and bars. The Gibbs Group created a document with recommendations for both planning strategies and physical enhancements to the Corridor. The document presents both near- and long-term strategies. All long-term options for the ultimate street configurations are conceptual and further study is necessary to determine their viability. He went on to explain the three districts as follows: District 1 - Shopping District between Highway 74 and Lupine Lane. Currently this area has high -end shops and restaurants; District 2 - Entertainment area that is between Lupine Lane and Larkspur Lane. This area is centered around The Gardens on El Paseo, it's known for having events, and it also ties into the future San Pablo Avenue Improvements and CV Link; District 3 - Mixed -Use Village is between Larkspur Lane and Portola Avenue. This area focuses on mix -use developments of residential and office uses. The document calls attention to three distinct street configurations that offers tailored designs for each of the three districts. He displayed two plans, Master Plan 1 and Master Plan 2. The GPG is recommending Master Plan 1, Option A, which does not alter the existing lane configuration of El Paseo, but introduces traffic calming elements that include creating bulb -outs at major intersections, mid -block crossings, narrowing traffic lane widths from 12 to 10 feet, and reducing the median to 8 feet. By reducing the median, sidewalks are widened to 18 feet. Option B is more aggressive, proposing a road diet where the existing four -lane configuration would be reduced to one lane in each direction, which includes removal of the center median. The sidewalks on either side will be widened to 32 feet. Again, this also includes creating bulb -outs at major intersections, mid -block crossing, and reducing traffic lanes from 12 to 10 feet. By removing the median, it provides an opportunity to host events without having the obstacle of the median. Now for Master Plan 2 for District 1, the GPG recommends Option B. For District 2, which is in the middle of the street, they recommend Option D that includes a road diet for the existing four -lane configuration and reducing it to one lane in each direction. It will include the removal of the center median to create a 40-foot promenade on the north side. Again, creating bulb -outs at major intersections, and narrowing traffic lane widths from 12 to 10 feet. Benches and artwork would be distributed on both sides of the street. Now on the east end, you can have Option B or C, which also proposes a road diet where the four -lane configuration would be reduced to one lane. It widens the center median to 36 feet, creating a walkable linear park surrounded by shade trees and 12 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 geared toward the residential district. This option includes creating bulb -outs, mid -block crossings, and narrowing traffic lanes. The document recommends near -term improvements which should be prioritized and implemented as soon as possible. One of staff's recommendations is that the City Councils begin implementation. He displayed samples of the suggested improvements such as the pedestrian cross walk markings, ease pedestrian signals, mid -block crossings, both the Barnes dance or scramble options. Staff suggested taking control of all landscaping and upgrading them, mainly the trees and palm trees, and direct staff to develop a program to allow for parklets/dining decks along El Paseo. When it comes to the cross walks, the idea is to restripe or introduce some type of art to them. The ease pedestrian signals eliminate the need for pedestrians to push the signal button, and the idea behind the Barnes dance or a scramble configuration is that you could actively walk diagonally or north and south and/or east and west at lit intersections. A lot of the palm trees you see along the curb are owned and maintained by the owners, which are not maintained consistently or alike, some have flowers and others do not. The GPG pointed out that tourists and residents don't distinguish on who maintains them, but it reflects on the City, which basically is a miss match. In closing, City Staff and Gibbs Planning Group created a planning document to guide the future of El Paseo. Staff believes the strategies in the document are sound and recommended approval of adopting it as a long-term planning document and implementation of the near -term solutions, which will help in developing the overall future of El Paseo. He added this was a collaborative team effort with the City Council, Gibbs Planning Group, City, and various staff members on the El Paseo Merchants Association Committee. Mayor Jonathan requested staff elaborate on staff's recommendation No. 3 regarding the research and demonstration project. Mr. Swartz replied the City Council could direct staff to provide a demonstration similar to what it did for the San Pablo Project. If Council would want to see the recommended near -term solutions, staff could put together a program and/or look at other alternatives. Mr. Stendell offered that further action would be necessary, because the City would most likely be procuring grant funding requiring City Council approval. He recalled for the City Council that in 2016 a lot of this started with the idea of doing a demonstration project, and staff didn't want to forget it. Councilmember Kelly questioned what it meant to adopt the documents as a guide, because to her it doesn't commit Council to any of the options, but recognizes them as a reference point for further consideration. Mr. Swartz agreed, stating this guide would be similar to the General Plan. 13 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 Councilmember Kelly said that response throws her off, because The General Plan is a commitment to work toward specifically defined objectives and she didn't view this proposed guide as committing to specific parts of it, which is why she's asking the question. Mr. Stendell replied there was no absolute answer to the question, but Mr. Swartz was not too off base. A planning document like the one being proposed is very similar to a General Plan. If you look at the General Plan, Chapter 10 provides four or five different options for San Pablo, and the City took it a step further by defining which option to take. A planning document, in his opinion, will require the City Council to take many more actions, but it doesn't commit the City to any of the options. Councilmember Kelly said it wasn't helpful to analogize this document to some other action and just needed a clear answer to her first question, which is that by adopting this as a guide was the City committed to working toward any of the A, B, C, and D options. Her presumption is that the answer is no, and that it's more of a reference point for further consideration. Mr. Swartz agreed, stating the options are just recommendations from the Gibbs Planning Group. Councilmember Kelly asked if the mid -block crossing was a raised crossing. Mr. Swartz responded staff hasn't gotten that far, but the one displayed appears to be raised, but it doesn't have to be. Councilmember Harnik stated that when this item was discussed with the merchants, they wondered if art or pavers should be used, but there was no definitive solution. However, everyone agreed the mid -block crossings proved to be an asset. She added that at the Business Improvement District (BID) meetings, many merchants came together for special meetings to discuss all these items. She thanked Marketing Manager Thomas Soule and Mr. Swartz for coordinating them. At the end of the meeting there was concurrence that the near -term recommendations were needed. They ultimately recognized that going through the Planning and Public Works Department was critical to get the best product. She noted the merchants were more interested in knowing the traffic numbers during a high season than what the average was for the year. Councilmember Kelly asked if staff was contemplating some form of user activated means to stop traffic or would it be the visual presence of the cross walk and/or something that will be figured out later. Mr. Garcia said there is a myriad of mid -block crossing options. In fact, very exciting ones with automatic detection wherein pedestrians approach a 14 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 crosswalk and it will illuminate the cross walk via in -pavement markings or by flashing beacons that can be incorporated with the speed table. As staff gets closer to a design, he will be glad to bring that back to the City Council for concurrence. Councilmember Nestande stated that as part of staff's presentation, it was mentioned the Gibbs Study indicated people walked two or three blocks at most, questioning how they came up with that number. Further, do any of the proposed designs encourage people to walk more than three blocks. Mr. Swartz replied that the idea of creating districts is to incentivize people to walk to another area because it could be different, but he wasn't sure of how they came up with that number. Mr. Stendell offered there are several trade organizations that study the habits of shoppers, and whether you are talking to Mr. Gibbs or unilaterally other organizations, you hear similar results. He said people are willing to walk for half a mile or less when shopping without some sort of unique draw to take them further. Mayor Jonathan addressing the near -term improvements, asked if staff had analyzed the cost of those improvements and what portion of that cost would be wasted once it gets to the full-blown configuration of El Paseo. He questions this, because it concerns him if the City spends $1 million on improvements only to undue them a couple of years later. Mr. Swartz replied staff did not look at that issue, but GPG did recommend the bulb -outs, which is being considered as a mid-term improvement. Further responding, he confirmed the idea is to come back to the City Council once staff finalizes what those near -term improvements would be. Further responding, he agreed to bring back cost estimates as well. Councilmember Nestande asked about the time frame for construction, because she worried it will have a negative impact on shoppers. Councilmember Harnik interjected, stating it was premature, but a good point. She said the City may need to get some professionals in helping staff coordinate the construction portion. She went on to say the merchants were very passionate about having the City implement any near -term improvements where they would immediately see an increase in walkability. For example, the ones that can be easily done are the lower -cost improvements like the mid -cross markings where you only need paint or the ease pedestrian signals. To say the merchants were passionate is probably an understatement, because this was important to them. However, the Barnes dance or scramble at intersections, only one person wanted them at every intersection. What makes the Barnes dance pedestrian crossing 15 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 special is that there are not many of them, so she suggested doing it only at San Pablo where the City is trying to create a center. Otherwise, if you have too many of them, they become burdensome. Mayor Jonathan asked what happens next if staff's recommendations are approved today. Mr. Swartz replied that staff will go back and look at the near -term recommendations, cost, and if Council wants to direct staff into a demonstration project, they will do so. Mayor Jonathan noted the City has dedicated a lot of time and money to get to this point, so in terms of time frame, when can Council reasonably expect to see construction on these near -term improvements on El Paseo. He noted Council already expects to see construction start on the San Pablo Project next year. Mr. Stendell pointed out the staff report notes the near -term improvements are critical, because one of the biggest questions with regard to any of the four options is whether it will be four -lanes versus two -lanes, which is the crux of all the design issues. Most likely staff will conduct focus studies on traffic count through the next season and work on some of the near -term solutions in the meantime. Public Works has taken a cursory look at the improvements, but they will be back fairly quickly to start implementing those items authorized by the City Council. Once staff learns more, it can start looking at Options, A, B, C, and D, and moving forward with a conceptual design, and at that point, this becomes a typical project going through the process. Staff didn't put an action item on tonight's agenda for specific selection of options, because it's not at that point yet. The merchants expressed concern over that specific item of two versus four traffic lanes, and staff continues to have the same concern. There is a need for more study on this critical issue. Mayor Jonathan said his question wasn't answered, but he's getting the sense that it's going to be a multiple -year process. Ms. Aylaian added that the nature of the various improvements is varied, in that some are and can be done quickly and easily. She suggested carving out the first three near -term improvements, which are the crosswalk markings, ease of pedestrian signals, and mid -block crossings as something that potentially can be accommodated this year. She went on to say staff will come back and indicate the specific places where it will recommend the three near -term improvements mentioned. However, she wasn't sure if the ease of pedestrian signals could be done this season. Mr. Garcia concurred. 16 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 Councilmember Harnik requested a more specific time frame, stating that because of how passionately the merchants are about all this, perhaps the City can start off with the painting of the mid -block crossings. Also, what does mid-term mean. Ms. Aylaian explained that mid-term improvements may require more than paint where you have to put in curb ramps and the changing of irrigation. Mr. Garcia added the City would also like to make it safe for the pedestrians to cross mid -block with warnings beyond oncoming traffic through some means, which might take a little bit of lead time. Councilmember Harnik suggested placing a window time frame on the mid-term improvements, because when she goes back to a meeting with the El Paseo Business Improvement District, they will want answers. She said these merchants gave a lot of their time to this effort, and they will want to hear something. Mr.Garcia believed that improving the cross walks can be done in the next couple of months with a painting contract. The ease of pedestrian signals will require a longer lead time; it's a little more nebulous. With the mid -block crossings, he believed staff can come up with a design in a couple of months, but not in time for this season. He will attempt to start construction by February 2019. Councilmember Kelly questioned why there was not a fifth near -term improvement, because it seemed to her that taking control of the landscaping was an easy one. Ms. Aylaian stated anytime you are working with multiple property owners, many of whom do not live locally, it becomes complicated in getting their permission. Many owners do an excellent job of controlling their own landscaping and may not be willing to relinquish control. Others would probably just assume the City take over or thought they didn't have to do it. This was more about getting permission, deciding who will maintain the landscaping, and who will pay for it. Councilmember Kelly praised staff for the huge amount of work that has gone into this both before the Gibbs Planning Group was retained. The collaboration and coordination that this work entailed with Councilmembers that ended with stakeholders is bearing fruit. The merchant's engagement was tremendously helpful, because clearly Council wants to play its part in supporting El Paseo as it continues to be a central part of the City's identity and success. She fully embraces staffs recommendation as the right step to take at this time. The enthusiasm of the BID is important and the relative ease of these steps are meaningful. The document provides a list of things 17 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 the City can tackle in the near -term. In response to the Mayor's concern about whether this might be wasted expenditure, she would say it was not because Council will learn from these small steps, which will better inform anything it does from this point forward. It will absolutely learn from the San Pablo Corridor Project and may possibly surprise Council by how things play out. Whatever is learned from the San Pablo Project will make anything Council does in the future for El Paseo more successful. She believed Council will learn more about the needs of El Paseo itself as the possibility for another hotel or other developments come to fruition. She said Councilmember Harnik showed off her minutes, and she had her notes from the first Study Session when GPG gave their presentation, and one of the things emphasized that she wrote down was that a fuller study would be imperative before making a decision about the options to reduce traffic lanes. Staff has expressed a commitment to do further work, and her own perception from tossing out trial balloons to residents, is that Council will want fuller resident and stakeholder business engagement before making final decisions about that issue. Today, before the City Council is a constructive and important step to take, and she couldn't wait to have some of those exciting mid -block crossing experiences. Councilmember Nestande moved to, by Minute Motion, adopt/authorize: 1) The El Paseo Master Plan Alternatives (EPMPA) and the El Paseo Retail Market Study (as an appendix) prepared by Gibbs Planning Group to guide potential street configurations for El Paseo; 2) staff to begin implementation of near -term recommendations as stated in the EPMPA; 3) authorize staff to research and prepare a demonstration project utilizing concepts found in the EPMPA; 4) authorize the City Manager to sign applications for any and all grant funding sources in conjunction with said near -term recommendations or demonstration projects — no direct fiscal impact related to this request, individual actions related to near -term strategies and costs associated would come back to City Council for action. Motion was seconded by Kelly. Councilmember Harnik reiterated she took notes from what she heard the merchants say, and she tallied up how many people were on the same page on a certain topic, and occasionally, there would be one person that was not totally in agreement. For the most part, the merchants reached consensuses. She understood that taking control of the landscaping would entail somewhat of a process to figure out. However, the merchants do want more shade trees and that type of aesthetic. The widening of sidewalks was important to everybody, but the Barnes dance not so much. There was an occasional comment made about "polishing the past." The evolving convenience and aesthetics were a theme heard integrated into their comments. The idea of districts was not well received nor supported by the merchants. From her point of view, she understood that integrating different types of activities, retail and restaurants throughout the entire district would create more vibrancy. Artwork was continually talked about, in fact, artwork at the mid -block crossings was supported in a big way, and of course, they 18 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 are in favor of the parklets. As mentioned previously, the merchants want traffic counts before making a decision on whether it should it be two or four traffic lanes. Additionally, they were not in favor of a wider median, because they want people next to their storefront. Because they embrace the art, they want to leave the medians as they are currently. Therefore, starting with the simple things is a great start. There was emphasis on the mid -block crossing, because there is jaywalking happening, so anything that can encourage pedestrians to cross in a specific area would be helpful. She agreed Council will learn a lot from the near- and mid-term improvements, but it was important to keep the merchants on board and moving along with the City. Further, as mentioned by Councilmember Kelly, let's see how the City can get residents involved so that they understand the vision of the City. Mayor Jonathan stated that Councilmember Harnik mentioned the merchants are passionate about the improvements and they want the City to start as quickly as possible. He would ask if they were passionate enough to pay for the improvements, and what's their investment in this. When the City looks at all the vacancies, at the end of the day, most cities don't take on the responsibility for making their businesses successful; it's the business owner who bears that burden. He questions what parts have they played in creating the vacancies, have they lowered their rents, and have they maintained their property. In many cases, the answer is no. He felt it was dangerous to just listen to certain people who have specific and narrow needs and allow them to dictate. He understood Councilmember Harnik was not suggesting it, and agreed Council needed to incorporate their thinking as part of the decision process, but not allow them to dictate what ultimately needs to be done. The needs of the City and the residents are much broader to the needs of those merchants. He would rather see a collaborative process where they do their part as the City does its part. He believed Palm Desert has gone beyond what most cities do. For example, the City hired the Gibbs Planning Group to look at El Paseo. The merchants didn't come together and self -assess to hired GPG. The City also hired Buxton to attract the appropriate retailers to the City, including El Paseo, and its currently discussing expending a huge amount of funds to do the improvements. Again, he said Palm Desert is doing far more than other cities, and he's glad and proud that it's doing so. He recalled when the mall was being proposed early on, and many of the merchants were against it because of the competition and the potential for running them out of business. However, a few of them saw it as the potential for more shoppers into the City, and their job would be to draw them into their stores. The merchants, in his experience, are not always understanding the bigger picture. Council witnessed that again with the special events where there was great resistence to closing down the street, but then they began to see a lot of people being exposed to their stores. Even if those in attendance don't make a purchase on the day of the event, they were made aware of that business and they come back. He agreed Council needs to take their 19 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 input seriously, but to some extent, with a grain of salt. How does it relate to the near -term recommendations, the merchants may be anxious for them, but not more than he is to see this thing move forward and completed. It's much more important, in his mind, to do it right than to do it quickly. There is an opportunity for creativity, in that he wants to see the City featured in the Western Cities magazine for having the best mid -block crossing any other city has ever devised and setting the bar. Councilmember Kelly's comments about the cost and this being an education process resonated with him, but he hopes staff doesn't go to the extreme. In other words, you wouldn't paint a wall that you know is going to be torn down the following week. He agrees staff needs to look at these improvements, and once it implements the grand master plan, hopefully, the City won't have to spend too much money on something that will be removed. Lastly, it was important to look at the greater vision as it looks at the Downtown City Corridor, and what it means to the future success and sustainable viability of Palm Desert as a retail center. It was crucial to move forward as soon as possible, but with care and the constraints of doing it right. He said Council is embracing all improvements, including the bulb -outs and parklets, which are easy and inexpensive. However, he would like to move forward with the re -purposing, re -imagination, and reconstruction of El Paseo, not only with the near -term improvement, but with the rest of the process. Councilmember Nestande commented that perhaps Council isn't as concerned about the summer months as it is with the season, but she was hoping one of these plans would bring more shoppers during May, June, July, August, and September, when so many of the merchants close up or struggle to pay the bills. Without any evidence, she originally liked Option D because of all the shade trees, thinking people will walk their dogs, bring their families to go shopping or purchase a coffee. However, the feedback she got from some of the El Paseo merchants was that they didn't like that idea, because they felt people would stay in that middle area. She said the question still remains on whether there is a design that will also foster people to come during the summer months. Councilmember Kelly believed the parklets speak to Councilmember Nestande's concern by providing a pleasant place to be out doors. In so far restaurants are concerned, by the evening hours, it can be comfortable if misters are used. There is a piece of this which affords an opportunity or experience on how to achieve a larger goal. Councilmember Harnik reiterated that the merchants want more shade trees, the canopy type. She said palm trees make people feel like they are in the desert and suggested they be staggered. 20 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 Mayor Jonathan noted there is an overreaching goal within the Gibbs recommendation that shade trees be provided. There is a recognition that Palm Desert does have elements in the desert that happen to be heat. Mr. Stendell agreed, stating all four options, A through D, places a high emphasis on shade, but to the Mayor's point of not spending money on them if they will be removed later. Most of the Tong -term options have changes to the actual physical location of the trees, which makes it hard to put them in as near -term improvements. Councilmember Harnik responding to Mayor Jonathan's previous comments about the merchants, she pointed out that having a business on El Paseo is an investment. The merchants pay association dues, they have their own marketing plan, and to some, it's their life savings. She added they work hard to work together to make El Paseo vibrant. She mentioned there was one merchant who said, "let's polish the past," but remarks like those are not taken into consideration when making decision going forward. The merchants understood they need to talk to public works and planning to have the best results, and they were not suggesting they would be the deciding factor, but they definitely provided input. She said these merchants spend 50 to 60 hours a week on El Paseo, so they are able to provide good input to this process, which will be factored in along with other components. Lastly, she suggested looking at the mid -block crossings, cross walk markings, and the Barnes dance as demonstration projects, stating the City can gain public sentiment. The demonstration on San Pablo was done through a Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) grant and some City funds, but it learned a lot from it and the City garnered public support for the project. Mayor Jonathan said he agreed with Councilmember Harnik's comments about the merchants investing in their business. In response to the comment about the districts, he is very much enchanted with the concept because El Paseo is a mile -long street. He said he could see the possibilities and its worth exploring. He added that having districts didn't mean you could only put restaurants and bars in a certain area. He went on to say that at this morning's "Coffee with the Mayor," a merchant on El Paseo, west of Highway 74, asked not to be forgotten. When he heard that comment, he thought perhaps the City had, especially with the potential expansion of CV Link on Painter's Path. He said maybe staff can think of ways to ensure the west section is not the unwanted step child, because there are many merchants there that are invested in the process as well. Mayor Jonathan called for the vote and the motion carried by a 5-0 vote (AYES: Harnik, Kelly, Nestande, Weber, and Jonathan; NOES: None). 21 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 B. REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO AMEND THE SCOPE OF DESIGN FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT ITEM 20C - FREEDOM PARK SKATE PARK CONVERSION AND PICKLEBALL LIGHTING IMPROVEMENT PROJECT TO A TOTAL PROJECT COST OF $250,000. Management Analyst Johnny Terfehr stated staff is asking for an amendment to the Skate Park Conversion Project, and to appropriate $150,000 from the Unobligated Capital Improvement Project Park Funds to the $100,000 already allocated for the project. Councilmember Kelly noticed the minutes from the Parks & Recreation Commission explicitly said without bleachers, yet she sees them displayed. Mr. Terfehr explained that staff wanted Council to see the bleachers that will not be put in, stating pickleball players felt they would be a hindrance. Mayor Jonathan recalled there was a consensus from the pickleball community in favor of hanging out space with picnic tables, chairs, and places where they could put their stuff down while they waited for their turn to play. Mr. Terfehr said they wanted more space, because it's a very social game. Pickleball players come with their chairs, gear, and they converse while they watch the games. He said the bleachers are geared more toward audience type of group, which limits their interacting. Mayor Jonathan offered that one of the challenges they are facing is that they lack the space, so they are crowding because of the high demand. Players are waiting in line for their turn, and they have a system to say who is next. His point is, he heard they wanted an expansion of the space to serve as a place where they can sit down at benches and have a table. He wants to make sure they end up with a sitting area and not just a walk way. Mr. Terfehr reiterated it was just open space and there are no plans to put benches or any kind of sitting area. Councilmember Kelly stated it sounds like open space is the best approach because it's the most flexible. She said people tend to bring their portable chairs and arrange them as they see fit. The problem she sees with anything stationary is that it may not suit their purposes. 22 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 Councilmember Harnik moved to, by Minute Motion: 1) Approve amendment of Freedom Park Skate Park Conversion and Pickleball Lighting Improvements Expansion Design as recommended by the Parks & Recreation Commission; 2) appropriate $150,000 from Unobligated CIP Park Funds (Fund 233) to Account No. 2334618-4400100; 3) amend Project 20c of the FY 2018-2019 Capital Improvements Program to increase Year One Budget from $100,000 to $250,000 — funds are available in Fund 233 for appropriating to Account No. 2334628-4400100 for this project. Motion was seconded by Kelly. Mayor Jonathan asked that the City keep its options open with regard to the open space, stating the City has a lot of pickleball players and it should allow them to guide us. The benches with tables don't have to be fastened to the ground so they can be moved around. He didn't want to advocate to put them in nor that the players had to bring their own chairs, because it's clearly a sitting area. Therefore, he asked to keep the options open, because if the City was ready to put in some bleacher, accommodating them with tables and benches would not exceed that cost. Also, the staff report indicates this design does not increase the total number of courts in the City, which he found problematical, because the City has always been very responsive to the needs of the residents and this was another opportunity to do so. Clearly, the City has been hearing this for a number of years that it's the fastest growing sport in the Country and a growing demand for pickleball courts. He noted the Indian Wells event has a waiting list of over 500 and they sold out very quickly. Therefore, he would like to see staff move that ball forward for more courts, stating there was discussion about the next regional park as a potential area. At some point, not to far from now, perhaps the City needs to build another pickleball facility. Mayor Jonathan called for the vote and the motion carried by a 5-0 vote (AYES: Harnik, Kelly, Nestande, Weber, and Jonathan; NOES: None). XVII. CONTINUED BUSINESS None XVIII. OLD BUSINESS None XIX. PUBLIC HEARINGS None 23 MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 XX. ADJOURNMENT With City Council concurrence, Mayor Jonath` journed the meeting at 5:45 p.m. ATTEST: RA ELLE D. KLASSEN, -CITY CLERK CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA SABB o ' . THAN, MAYOR 24