2014 10 21 CC MinutesCITY COUNCIL
MINUTES
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2014
A regular meeting of the La Quinta City Council was called to order at 3:30 p.m. by
Mayor Adolph.
PRESENT: Councilmembers Evans, Franklin, Henderson, Osborne, Mayor Adolph
ABSENT: None
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON AGENDA — None
CLOSED SESSION
1. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL — ANTICIPATED LITIGATION:
SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE TO LITIGATION PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (2)
OF SUBDIVISION (d) OF GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9.
(Number of potential cases: 1)
COUNCIL RECESSED TO CLOSED SESSION AT 3:32 P.M.
MAYOR ADOLPH RECONVENED THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AT 4:01 P.M. WITH
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT. NO ACTIONS WERE TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION
THAT REQUIRES REPORTING PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION
54957.1 (BROWN ACT).
Mayor Adolph led the audience in the pledge of allegiance.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON AGENDA
PUBLIC SPEAKER: Philip Bettencourt, La Quinta — Mr. Bettencourt invited
Councilmembers to the World Affairs Council of the Desert event on October 26, 2014
at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort to hear speaker Karen Ross, Secretary of the
State Food and Agriculture Department, addressing the topic "Agriculture: National
Security and Global Trade Policy." He also invited residents to an event at the Rancho
Mirage High School on November 6, 2014 at 6:00 p.m., showing and discussing "Not
My Life," a film about human trafficking.
CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA
Councilmember Henderson requested that Consent Calendar Item No. 4 be moved to
Business Session No. 1 for discussion and separate vote. Council concurred.
ANNOUNCEMENTS, PRESENTATIONS AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS — None
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
OCTOBER 21, 2014
CONSENT CALENDAR
1. APPROVE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 7, 2014
2. APPROVE DEMAND REGISTERS DATED OCTOBER 3 AND 10, 2014
3. RECEIVE AND FILE TREASURER'S REPORT DATED AUGUST 31, 2014
4. pulled by Councilmember Henderson and moved to the Business Session
section for discussion and separate vote >>> APPROVE A LEASE
AGREEMENT WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR SPACE AT CITY
HALL
5. DENIAL OF CLAIM FOR DAMAGES FILED BY: PHILLIP PETTIBONE; DATE
OF LOSS — MARCH 10, 2014
6. RECEIVE AND FILE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE REPORTS DATED JULY
31, AUGUST 31 AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2014
MOTION — A motion was made and seconded by Councilmembers Evans/Franklin to
approve the Consent Calendar Item Nos. 1-3 and 5-6 as recommended. Motion passed
unanimously.
BUSINESS SESSION
1. Consent Calendar Item No. 4 pulled for discussion and separate vote:
APPROVE A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
FOR SPACE AT CITY HALL
Councilmember Henderson requested clarification of Exhibit A to the agreement
because the map provided did not delineate the office space to be leased. Community
Services Director Hylton explained the location of the space to be leased and also
explained that the Chamber events would include its monthly Board meetings and any
other event applied for and approved by the City Manager or his designee. Ms.
Henderson said the Chamber seems to want to fill the role of visitor center but it should
be an advocate for the business community to City officials and feels there is a conflict
of interest when the Chamber accepts funds and leases space from the City. For these
reasons, Ms. Henderson said she is opposed to the Chamber moving into city hall.
Councilmembers Osborne, Franklin, Evans and Mayor Adolph agreed to support the
lease because it will improve the connection with city staff and their joint cooperation
and coordination on economic development matters. Members also noted that the
Chamber's current space in the library is needed to expand popular, well -attended
library programs. They added that a dynamic center for visitors such as an electronic
kiosk should be used because stacks of flyers, brochures and business cards will not be
permitted in the city hall lobby.
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 2
OCTOBER 21, 2014
MOTION — A motion was made and seconded by Councilmembers Evans/Franklin to
approve a lease agreement with the Chamber of Commerce for office space at city hall.
Motion passed: ayes 4, noes 1 (Henderson voted against the motion)
STUDY SESSION
1. DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE LA QUINTA VILLAGE
Community Development Director Johnson presented the staff report, which is on file in
the City Clerk's Office.
Councilmembers discussed the village boundaries; the Specific Plan of 1988; the length
and width of proposed north -south and east -west pedestrian access ways; ownership of
Frances Hack Park; support for creating a walking community; the need to contain costs
for additional parking and traffic studies by using information from past studies or doing
addendums to past studies; in -lieu parking fees; possible location for a future parking
structure; support for completing the necessary environmental studies in advance
(depending on cost) as a tool and incentive for attracting developers; the need to slow
traffic on Calle Tampico for pedestrian safety, to encourage crossing by hotel guests
and to create a village atmosphere; the use of signage and a village map app for visitors
to find village shops and attractions; the need to create a sense of place or brand for the
village, and; relating the connectivity and flow of the village to all other sections of the
city.
By consensus, the Council directed staff to move forward on the concept and report
back at the time the mid -year year budget is presented.
REPORTS AND INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
La Quinta's representative for 2014, Councilmember Franklin reported on her
participation in the following organizations meeting:
COACHELLA VALLEY ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP
JACQUELINE COCHRAN REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Department Reports were received and filed. Copies are available in the City Clerk's
Office.
City Manager Spevacek reported that of the nine compensation agreements with taxing
agencies to be executed by the end of the calendar year, six have been completed and
the remaining three are on schedule.
Mr. Escobedo, Assistant to City Manager, reported that a representative of the Small
Business Administration will be touring the city October 23, 2014 to view private
property damaged in the September 8, 2014 flood. Although public property damage
around the city has been toured by both the State and County Offices of Emergency
Services, neither has yet issued an official emergency declaration as requested by the
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 3
OCTOBER 21, 2014
City Council. Mr. Escobedo said that due to bureaucratic delays, staff has been
steering residents to the Ygrene program, which is able to offer loans for some types of
repairs and has discounted their fees. He added that repairs already completed may
also be eligible for Ygrene loans for up to one year after the event.
Public Works Director Jonasson provided an update on storm damage repairs to streets
and public property.
Assistant La Quinta Police Chief Walton provided background and an update on recent
crimes in the La Quinta Cove neighborhood and in response to Councilmember Evans,
said he will research and report back on the correlation between early -release prisoners
and the people committing these crimes.
Councilmember Henderson said that police statistics released should be honest and
accurate but should not show murders as a percentage increase/decrease over
previous years because La Quinta's two recent murders will read as a 200% increase in
murder in the city. It is very important that potential new residents and businesses do
not pull up such a statistic.
MAYOR'S AND COUNCIL MEMBER'S ITEMS
City Manager Spevacek introduced new employee Ted Shove who is now the Business
Analyst in the City Manager's Office.
Council briefly discussed the permitted uses at the property located at the corner of
Monroe Street and Avenue 58 and concurred that the matter should go on a future
agenda.
PUBLIC HEARINGS — None
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, a motion was made and seconded by
Councilmembers Evans/Franklin to adjourn at 5:52 p.m. Motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Digitally signed by City of La Quinta
DN:serialNumbera,I=La hdnta, 3cr,
c=Cit st=California, 1=La Quinta,
o=City of La Quinta, cn=City of La
Quinta
Date: 2014.11.05 09:00:08 -08'00'
SUSAN MAYSELS, City Clerk
City of La Quinta, California
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 4
OCTOBER 21, 2014