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Ojai City Council Minutes of the Regular Meeting of October 9, 2007, 7:30pm

ROLL CALL
On a call of the roll the following Council Members reported present: Steve Olsen, Rae Hanstad, Sue Horgan, and Carol Smith. Also present were: Acting City Manager, Paulette Whiting; City Attorney, Monte Widders; Ojai Chief of Police, Capt. Bruce Norris; Ventura County Fire Protection District, Division Chief, Scott Schuster; Finance Director, Susie Mears, Acting Public Works Director, Mike Culver; Acting Recreation Director, Jayden Morrison; and City Clerk, Carlon Strobel.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council Member Olsen

INVOCATION Moment of Silence

PRESENTATION

Proclamation, November 4th as Fit Kids! Fit Ojai! Day.

PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS

Dale Hanson, on behalf of the Red Cross, announced that on November 8, 2008 there would be a statewide earthquake drill. The drill will be orchestrated by Cal Tech and it is hoped that all cities, school districts, public agencies and business people will sign on to take part.

Ms. Hanson recommended holding a citywide and/or valleywide disaster drill prior to the statewide drill.

Vicki Cohen expressed concern regarding the use of insecticide in the eradication of undesirable invasive plants.

1. CONSENT CALENDAR
a) Warrants for September 20, 2007 and Payroll Warrants for September 27, 2007 in the amount of $452,408.52.
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize payment.

b) Minutes of the Ojai City Council Meeting of September 25, 2007
RECOMMENDATION: Approve as submitted.

c) Ojai Meadows Restoration Project
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Receive and accept all bids submitted for PW 2007-02 (Ojai Meadows Restoration Project) and award the construction contract to the lowest responsible bidder, Shaw Excavating and Grading, in the amount of $482,435.45; and.
2. Adopt Resolution No. 07-37 authorizing the Mayor to sign a contract with Shaw
Excavating and Grading for the Ojai Meadows Restoration Project.

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

DISCUSSION

2. Appointment to Arts Commission

Mayor Smith presented a report from the Appointments Sub-committee and
recommended the appointment of Christine Golden to the City of Ojai’s Arts
Commission.

MOTION: Council Member Olsen moved and Council Member Horgan seconded to ratify the appointment of Christine Golden to the City of Ojai’s Arts Commission.

The motion passed unanimously.

3. Ordinance Extending the Cable Television Franchise Agreement

Acting City Manager Whiting presented an overview of the staff report.

MOTION: Council Member Horgan moved and Council Member Olsen seconded to read by title only proposed Ordinance No. 797 extending that certain franchise agreement dated April 17, 1984 (the “Franchise Agreement”) for cable television service between the City and Time Warner Cable, Inc. (“Time Warner”) for a period of one year; and to pass the ordinance to its second reading to be held on October 23, 2007.
The result of the vote:
AYES: Olsen, Hanstad, Horgan, Smith
NOES: None
ABSENT: DeVito

4. Skate Park Status Report

Acting City Manager Whiting presented an overview of the staff report.

Councilmember Olsen requested verification that the City had fifteen years remaining on their lease with the Ojai Unified School District for the Park and Ride lot which includes the skate park. City Attorney Widders responded that he would verify the term of the lease.

Mayor Smith did not view the remaining fifteen year lease as an obstacle to going ahead with a permanent skate park.

Tom Howes reported that a 501(c)3 company called Skate Ojai had been created and recognized by the State. They are ready to form a committee to raise funds for a permanent skate park.

Sage Intner, Skate Park Task Force, related that recently they had been presented with an option for an above ground park. The concept had not been presented to the full Task Force. She requested additional direction from Council.

Mayor Smith recommended that Skate Ojai secure the necessary consultant to drawn up plans for the skate park, obtain a firm cost estimate and hire a fund raiser to canvas the community to determine what funds might be available.

Council Member Horgan believes that the skate park should be the City’s facility and that the Council had committed its support for a skate park.

Council Member Horgan noted that while the staff report was of interest, she thought the next step was to have the issue come back to Council so Council could reaffirm their support and define the type of skate park project which should be built at the existing site during the remaining fifteen year lease.

Council Member Olsen agreed the skate park should be a City park and a City project. He would like to see the Task Force present a recommendation and a plan to the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Parks and Recreation Commission could then bring the recommendations to Council.

Council Member Olsen sees the fund raising as working together with the City to secure the financing to build a project that best fits the needs of the youth. He stated that the Task Force needed to tell the architect or consultant what the youth wanted in a skate park and then the City should provide the funds for the plans for the project.

Bob Daddi, Skate Ojai, related that his concept was that the money raised would go to the City; the City would then get the specks and build the skate park.

Judy Gabriel commented that before Skate Ojai incurred the expense of creating a design, they needed to know the size of the park, have a commitment from the City, exercise the option in the lease to expand the land area for the skate park, and verify that there was fifteen years remaining on the lease.

Dave England spoke in support of building an in ground concrete skate park at the existing site for the remaining fifteen years of the lease.

MOTION: Council Member Horgan moved and Council Member Olsen seconded to direct staff to bring back a report on the skate park for consideration in conjunction with the first quarter budget review. The report should include: