Fiscal Year Objectives to be Discussed | City Council Meets Wednesday

Future needs of city addressed during second quarter update of fiscal year 2018-19 objectives

SouthPasadenan.com News | South Pasadena City Hall

South Pasadena City Council members will take a comprehensive look at future needs of the city Wednesday night when they address the second quarter update of fiscal Year 2018-19 objectives.

The Strategic Plan was developed through a collaborative process including Council members, leadership staff, and the community in the Spring of 2018.

It identifies six broad goals:

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  • Develop and Implement Strong Fiscal Policies to Ensure a Resilient Financial Future.
  • Create and Implement a Strong Economic Development Strategy to Strengthen the Local

Business Districts.

  • Develop a Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness Plan to Ensure Public Safety through Active Response and Recovery Efforts.
  • Enhance Community Sustainability through Investment in Infrastructure and

Environmental Management Programs.

  • Plan for affordable housing to comply with state mandates and respond to community needs.
  • Enhance Customer Service through Innovation to More Effectively Respond to Community Priorities.

In other City Council action Wednesday: 

Golden Streets Update

The South Pasadena City Council will be asked to authorize City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe to accept a grant award from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority in the Amount of $332,000 for the 626 Golden Street Mission to Mission Ciclovia Bicycle event later this year.

The City, in collaboration with BikeSGV, was awarded $332,000 from Metro to plan and host

Mission to Mission through the cities of Alhambra, San Gabriel, and South Pasadena (Partner Cities).

The event will feature approximately five miles of open streets starting at the Mission Street/Meridian Avenue Gold Line Station traveling east along Mission Street to Marengo Avenue, south along Marengo Avenue to the City limit at Alhambra Road.

From there, it will continue through the City of Alhambra and end at the Mission in the City of San Gabriel.

New City Appointments

South Pasadena Mayor Dr. Marina Khubesrian, with concurrence from the City Council, will appoint the following to a full three-year term ending December 31, 2021:

  • Zhen Tao to the Finance Commission
  • Dollie Chapman to the Parks & Recreation Commission.
  • Karen Tamis to the Parks & Recreation Commission.
  • Amin AI-Sarraf to the Public Safety Commission.

With City Council concurrence, the mayor will propose to re-appoint the following to a full three-year term ending December 31, 2021:

  • Mark E. Smeaton to the Design Review Board.
  • William J. Kelly to the Natural Resources & Environmental Commission.

With the City Council concurrence, Khubesrian will propose to re-appoint the following to a full three-year term ending December 31, 2021:

  • Mark E. Smeaton to the Design Review Board.
  • William J. Kelly to the Natural Resources & Environmental Commission.

Amend Trees/Shrubs Ordinance

The City Council will address a first reading and introduction of an ordinance to amend chapter 34 (Trees and Shrubs) of the South Pasadena municipal code.

On December 5, City Council reviewed edits to the ordinance from staff and the Natural Resources and Environmental Commission (NREC) and directed staff to further reorganize it to make it easier to follow.

The proposed Tree Ordinance amendments reflect the City’s goal of protecting and maintaining a healthy tree canopy.

Commissioner Terms Addressed

City staff is proposing to revise the South Pasadena Municipal Code to clarify that any partial term over one year is considered a full term for commissioners. In this scenario, if a commissioner is appointed to a term over one year, it would be considered a full term, and they would only be eligible for reappointment one additional full term.

City staff is also proposing to provide language under Section 2.23 to state that Brown Act training is required for all commissioners and failure to complete the training as cause for removal from the commission. This will ensure that all commissioners understand the legal requirements of California law relevant to their commissions.

Capital Improvement Plan Update

The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) provides a comprehensive plan for the City of South Pasadena’s infrastructure and facility needs.

The purpose of this report is to summarize the progress made toward meeting deadlines and completing the Capital Improvement projects begun in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-2019 including carry-over projects from FY 2017-2018.

The total CIP appropriation for the FY 2018-19 is $14,773,529 and includes a total of23 projects. The projects are administered by the City Manager’s Office, Public Works and the Community Service Department.

Five new capital projects have been individually approved by City Council in FY 2018-2019. The projects will be taken to Planning Commission to ensure alignment with the General Plan, and a staff report will be brought back to council on a future agenda to approve adding the projects to the CIP.

The CIP is a living document designed to adapt to emerging needs and take advantage of new, unforeseen, funding opportunities that may require expanding or reprioritizing project investments.

In Quarter Two, the city proposes five new projects in the CIP 2018-2023, namely, a CNG Charging Station, EV Charging Station, San Pascual Stables HVAC, and Water Conservation (Medians).

The City Council has heard and approved said projects through independent actions. This would bring the new CIP 2018-2023 project list to 49 total projects.

Changes to Phone Service

Council will be asked to authorize City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe to execute a professional services agreement with Lotus Communications, to replace the current cabling infrastructure in several City facilities in the amount of $113,008; and 2. Authorize the City Manager to approve the purchase of network switches, ports, and hardware in the amount of $28,272.

The City’s current phone system is over 23 years old, out of support, and difficult to repair as parts are increasingly unavailable.

In June of 2018, the City Council approved the replacement of the current cabling infrastructure to support a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system.

A VoIP phone system is a software based telephone system designed to use voice over internet protocol (IP) technology to send and receive phone calls over an IP network. The phone converts analog telephone audio into a digital format that can be transmitted over the internet and converts incoming digital phone signals from the internet to standard telephone audio.

Destruction of Public Records

Consideration of a resolution approving procedure for the destruction of public records will be discussed by the council.

City staff is recommending the City Council to adopt a resolution approving a procedure for the destruction of public records consistent with the City of South Pasadena Records Retention Policy.

The City has an existing records retention policy that was last updated in June 2013, by City Council Resolution 7300. Previously, the records retention policy was last updated in 1997.

The City’s existing records retention policy is comprehensive regarding the categories of records to be maintained and the minimum amounts of time required for such maintenance.

While City Departments attempt to regularly review records, which are out of date and should be purged, according to city officials

City Council approval of the record destruction resolution is the last step in the process and is a consent item, given that the other steps in the process have already created the written record of identification of records for destruction, consistent with the Council-approved records retention schedule.