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Ojai City Council Minutes of the Regular Meeting of September 11, 2007, 7:30 pm

ROLL CALL

On a call of the roll the following Council Members reported present: Steve Olsen, Rae Hanstad, Sue Horgan, Joe DeVito and Carol Smith. Also present were: City Manager, Jere Kersnar; City Attorney, Monte Widders; Finance Director, Susie Mears; and City Clerk, Carlon Strobel.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council Member Hanstad

INVOCATION Moment of Silence in remembrance of the men and women who lost their lives on September 11th.


PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS

The following persons requested that the Council place on a future agenda for discussion the possibility of amending the Ojai Municipal Code to allow recreational vehicles to be kept at private residences which have cement pads or improved designated RV parking:
Mark Wesbrook
Beth Kaser
Garrett Kaser
Vincent Diglio
Don Karns
Jim Good
Jim Hahn
Mary Hahn
Donna Diglio
Marilyn Good

City Manager Kersnar stated that staff would prepare a report on the specifics regarding recreational vehicle, boat or trailer parking requirements.

Wendy Hilgers discussed a permanent skate park to replace the temporary skate park and related that the Skate Park Task Force needed Council’s direction on how they should proceed.

City Manager Kersnar noted that staff would prepare an update for the Council and notify the Skate Park Task Force as to when the update would be presented to Council.


1. CONSENT CALENDAR
a) Warrants for August 23, 2007 and Payroll Warrants for August 30, 2007 in the amount of $406,927.16.
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize payment.

b) Minutes of the Ojai City Council Meeting of August 28, 2007
RECOMMENDATION: Approve as submitted.

c) Grandview Avenue Sidewalk Project PW 06-02
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Accept PW 06-02 “Grandview Avenue Sidewalk Project” as complete per
contract documents;
2. Authorize the Mayor to sign and the City Clerk to file the Notice of Completion with the County of Ventura for PW 06-02; and
3. Appropriate $9,979 from Fund 27 to Fund 41 to cover unanticipated cost
overruns.

d) Service Agreement with Solid Waste Solutions for Waste Management Consulting Services

MOTION: Mayor Pro Tem DeVito moved and Council Member Hanstad seconded to
approve the Consent Calendar as presented.
The result of the vote:
AYES: Olsen, Hanstad, Horgan, DeVito, Smith
NOES: None
ABSENT: None

At that time the Ojai City Council also convened as the Redevelopment Agency.

JOINT MEETING OJAI CITY COUNCIL AND THE
OJAI REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY

DISCUSSION

2. Affordable Housing Proposal for 318 Bryant Street

City Manager Kersnar presented an overview of the staff report and noted that for some time staff had been working with the property owner to investigate the possibility of an affordable housing project at 318 Bryant Street.

Council Member Olsen asked if the proposed project included a density bonus.

City Attorney Widders responded that there was a density bonus. He noted that as a matter of State law, a senior affordable housing project would be entitled to certain incentives and, generally, increased density was one of the incentives the City must grant.

City Attorney Widders pointed out that he was hesitant to use the word “decisions” with regard to the concept before the Council. He noted that this was not a public hearing. No members of the public had been noticed, no members of the public who surround the subject property had been noticed, the City did not have a project application, and no CEQA analysis had been done on the proposed concept. City Attorney Widders made clear that no decisions could be made on the proposed project in any way.

Council Member Hanstad asked if Ojai residents could be given first preference. City Attorney Widders commented that in a private project it might, perhaps, be possible.

Bill Kendall, owner/developer, provided a basic concept of the proposed project and related that 50% of the units would be moderate affordable housing and 50% would be sold at market rate.

Mayor Pro Tem DeVito disclosed that he visited the proposed project property. He asked if the driveway adjacent to the storage units were part of the two-acre parcel. Mr. Kendall responded that it was.

Mayor Pro Tem DeVito asked how far the southeast corner of the property was from the fence of the storage units. Mr. Kendall responded that the condominiums units would be approximately 15’ to 16’ from the fence.

Regarding the height of the proposed project, Mayor Pro Tem DeVito asked if the units would be at grade. Mr. Kendall replied that the second story units would look over the self storage, the first story units would be about 4 feet higher than the existing fence.

Council Member Olsen commented that the proposed project was exactly what Ojai did not need. He observed that this was a high density condo project dressed up as affordable housing. Council Member Olsen related that the proposed project was not what he had heard from the community that it wanted. He also questioned the additional impacts on Bryant Street.

Council Member Olsen stated that the City needed to address its most critical affordable housing need which was rental, low income, affordable housing.

Council Member Olsen concluded that it would be a mistake to go forward with the proposed project.

Council Member Hanstad commented that conceptually she supported the proposed project and did not see the proposed project as a mistake if, indeed, it was a senior housing project offering one-half of the 42 units as affordable housing. She also supported assisting with the associated
fees.

Regarding a re-budget of the $500,000 previously committed for the Bryant Street senior rental project, Council Member Hanstad noted that she would like to see the $500,000 put toward a dedicated project to serve the demography described by Council Member Olsen and suggested this be discussed as an alternative at the Housing Element workshop.

Council Member Horgan related that she felt unsure of the concept of the proposed project. She agreed with Council Member Olsen that there was too much density for the affordable housing benefits. She does not support the project.

Council Member Horgan agreed with Council Member Hanstad regarding a re-budget of funds previously committed to the Bryant Street senior rental project.

Mayor Smith commended the proposed project for the following reasons: