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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/08/2001 - City Council Special MeetingROLL CALL PUBLIC COMMENTS NEW BUSINESS Schedule of Public Hearings for Home Ranch SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF COSTA MESA OCTOBER 8, 2001 The City Council of the City of Costa Mesa, California, met in special session on October 8, 2001, at 4:30 p.m., in the Police Auditorium, 99 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Notice of the special meeting was given as required -by law. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Cowan, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag led by Council Member Monahan. Council Members Present: Mayor Libby Cowan Mayor Pro Tem Linda Dixon Council Member Gary Monahan Council Member Karen Robinson Council Member Chris Steel (Arrived at 4:45 p.m.) Council Members Absent: None Officials Present: City Manager Allan Roeder Development Services Director Donald Lamm Planning and Redevelopment Manager Mike Robinson Senior Planner Kimberly Brandt Deputy City Clerk Mary Elliott There were no speakers under Public Comments. The Mayor presented a request for Council to decide on a schedule for the public hearings concerning the Segerstrom Home Ranch project. The Senior Planner summarized her memorandum dated October 2, 2001. She reported that at the Council meeting of October 15, 2001, staff will be presenting a brief overview of the project, the applicant will make a presentation, and - if time permits, the hearing should be opened for public comments. She added that no City Council action will be necessary and the - public hearing should be continued to the next Council meeting. The Senior Planner asked for direction on whether. Council wanted to schedule special meetings along with. their regular meetings. She suggested October 29, 2001, as one of the dates for an additional meeting since -it is the fifth Monday of the month. In response to questions from:the Mayor as to the procedures for the meetings, the Senior Planner confirmed that it would be appropriate for Council to set a.certain time to begin and end the meetings; to limit the time for presentations by staff and the applicant; and to set aside a specific amount of time for Costa Mesa Citizens for Responsible Growth (CMCRG) who have concerns about the project. Council Member Robinson suggested having one or two of the special meetings held as study sessions, which are more informal settings. She agreed with having a special meeting on October 29, 2001, and to trail the Home Ranch public hearings until after conclusion' of regular business when it is being heard at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting. 1 1 1 MI Council Member Monahan was in favor of having one of the special meetings on October 29, 2001, devoted to the Home Ranch project only, and expressed a desire to complete the hearings before the holidays if at all possible. He also agreed with trailing the Home Ranch public hearings to the end of regular business when the project is scheduled for a regular City Council meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Dixon commented that three meetings may not be enough to hear all the testimony if there were a large number of people who wanted to speak. She suggested starting the meetings earlier than the regular time of 6:30 p.m., because of the importance of the project. Council Member Steel stated that his time was flexible and he was open to any decision as to the scheduling of meetings. The other Council Members indicated their agreement to an earlier starting time. Mayor Cowan and Council Member Monahan expressed their preference to have all the hearings scheduled as special or regular City Council meetings instead of having them designated as "study sessions". Council Member Robinson agreed as long as the special meetings were devoted solely to the Home Ranch project. Robin Leffler, 3025 Samoa Place, Costa Mesa, member of CMCRG cautioned that a decision on this project should not be rushed because of the holiday season. She expressed a preference by. CMCRG members of having one of the meetings in a more informal setting, such as a study session, and asked for an opportunity for CMCRG to make a presentation. Tom Egan, 1893 Parkview Circle, Costa Mesa, suggested scheduling as many meetings as possible before Thanksgiving, and if a decision has not been made by then, no more meetings should be held until January, 2002. David Wilson, C. J. Segerstrom and Sons, 3315 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, confirmed that they would be ready to make a presentation at the meeting of October 15, 2001. Mr. Wilson added that they want the project to receive as much study and analysis as the community feels is warranted, and thought a final decision could be reached before Thanksgiving. Council Member Monahan asked if there would be enough time to notice another meeting on Tuesday, November 13 (Monday, November 12, being a holiday) if it were determined at the November 5 meeting that another special meeting would be required. The City Manager responded that it would be possible to hold an additional meeting. Mr. Wilson reported that it would not present a conflict for the applicant. Responding to a question from Mayor Cowan, Mr. Wilson stated that the Home Ranch presentation would take approximately 30 minutes followed by a question and answer period. Mayor Cowan asked Robin Leffler how much time the CMCRG group would need to make a presentation at the special meeting of October 29, 2001, and if three hours for a presentation followed by questions and answers would be sufficient. Mrs. Leffler thought that three hours would be ample time, but was not sure how many members of the group would be available on October 29. Ernie Feeney, 1154 Dorset - Lane, Costa Mesa, asked if speakers would be limited to three minutes at the Home Ranch hearings. The Mayor responded that Council would make that decision later. Mrs. Feeney reported that IKEA plans have gone out to bid, giving her the impression that this project is a "done deal". Council Member Robinson wanted to assure the public that the Home Ranch project is not a "done deal" and anyone who wishes to speak will have that opportunity. Bob Graham, 3260 Dakota Avenue,, Costa Mesa, commented that each week of delay costs the City $25,000.00. He understood that Council did not want to rush this project, but reminded them that this money could be spent for improvements within. the City. MOTION Schedule Mayor Cowan made the following motion: Begin the regular and Guidelines meeting on October 15, 2001, at 5:30 p.m. and trail Home Established for Home Ranch to the end of the meeting, have a staff presentation, Ranch Public Hearing applicant presentation, open the hearing for public comments, and end at midnight; have a special public hearing on October 29, 2001, which shall be televised, again beginning at 5:30 p.m., give Costa Mesa Citizens for Responsible Growth (CMCRG) three hours for a presentation plus time for interaction with Council; open the hearing for public comments, and end at midnight; for the regular Council meeting on November 5, 2001, begin at 5:30 p.m., again trail the Home Ranch item to the end of the meeting, open the. public hearing, and end at midnight; reserve Tuesday, November 13, 2001, for a public hearing, stating that she first needs clarification about the starting time if a Redevelopment Agency meeting is required that same evening; and finally, hold a public hearing at the regular City Council meeting of November 19, 2001, at 5:30 p.m., trailing the Home Ranch item to the end of the meeting and finish at midnight. Council Member Steel seconded the motion for discussion. During discussion, 'the Mayor stated that the order of presentations would be decided by Council at a later time. The City Attorney advised Council to continue the public hearing to the next meeting date decided upon by Council. In reference to Mayor Pro Tem's question on whether or not the public may speak more than once, the City Attorney recommended that no restrictions be placed upon the number of times a person wants to speak, even if that person has spoken at a previous meeting. Council Member Robinson suggested that the Mayor ask those who have already spoken to wait until new speakers have had the opportunity to speak. Mayor Pro Tem Dixon wanted to make sure the public is advised of the schedule via publication, and to include in that notification that anyone who has already spoken at a previous meeting should allow new speakers to speak first. Council Member Monahan requested that either the City Manager or Development Services Director generate press releases to that effect. The motion establishing a schedule and guidelines for the Home Ranch public hearings carried 5-0. Mayor Cowan asked if there were any more suggestions on the format for the meetings? During discussion, Council agreed to limit each speaker to four minutes; however, CMCRG will have a total of three hours for its entire presentation no matter how long any individual speaks. Council Member Monahan thought it would be appropriate for the Mayor to announce at the beginning of each meeting that new speakers should be allowed to speak first; without the request being placed into an official format. MOTION Council Member Monahan commented that since it has been Approved Format decided the CMCRG will have three hours to make its presentation, he would make a motion to that effect, and include in the motion that speaking time for Home Ranch will be limited to four minutes for each person, and that would be for all five meetings. The motion was seconded by Mayor Cowan for discussion. She asked that Council Member Monahan amend his motion to state that as a Council, they would support the concept of new speakers first. Council Member Monahan agreed to the amendment and the motion carried 5-0. ADJOURNMENT The Mayor declared the meeting adjourned at 5:25 p.m. Mayor of the City of Costa Mesa _ ATTEST: Deputy Cit Clerk of the City of Costa Mesa 1 M