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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - unsigned - 1990-11-14 - Adjourned Regular Meeting1 11/14/90 City Council, Adjourned Regular Meeting City Hall Conference Room Redding, California November 14, 1990 7:00 p.m. The Adjourned Regular Meeting of the City Council was called to order by Mayor Buffum with the following Council Members present: Arness, Dahl, Fulton, Moss and Buffum. Mayor Buffum advised that the purpose of the meeting is to hold a joint session with the Downtown Mall Advisory Committee to receive their recommendations concerning the siting of City Hall in the Downtown Mall. Members of the Downtown Mall Advisory Committee present were Mike Arnold, Jim Bauman, Chuck Chain, Kent Dagg, and Jim Van Dyke. Also present were Assistant City Manager McMurry, Director of Planning and Community Development Perry, Director of Public Works Galusha, Assistant City Clerk Strohmayer, and Secretary Stenographer Rudolph. Members of the community present were Bob Dicker, Dick Smart and Mike Martin of the Record Searchlight. RECOMMENDATION OF SITING CITY HALL IN THE DOWNTOWN MALL (C-050-025) Mike Arnold, Chair of the Downtown Mall Advisory Committee, made the following presentation to Council: "Thank you Mayor Buffum. Thank you to the City Council for allowing us this opportunity. We have no formal written report to provide to the City Council at this time. City Council has received copies of all the materials that have been made available to us in our meetings. You should have all the materials and minutes from the meetings, and all the things that we used to research the probability of placing the City Hall in the Downtown Redding Mall. Our Committee feels, at this time, it is not necessary to provide a full report, since the base square footage necessary for the transformation of the Downtown Mall into a City Hall has been withdrawn by Mr. Dicker. Until which time as the City could negotiate for necessary space, our report would be useless. In spite of all the outside influences and the many pressures that this Committee has received during the time of our research, we were able to do substantial research to all points that were initially brought up regarding the detrimental reasons why you should not place City Hall in the Downtown Mall. Our Committee found no reason that the Downtown Redding Mall could not be considered as a site location for City Hall. This conclusion came after several hundred hours of research, with a lot of different people working on it, with interviews from engineers, architects, other experts in the field, and those that were experts in the field of remodeling and space utilization. In addition, the City staff gave a great deal of time and effort and provided the Committee with valuable research in the areas of traffic studies, parking facility needs, etc., and we wish to thank them for their help. All of you should have received copies of all those reports, which I'm sure that you have read and reviewed. In conclusion, this Committee wishes to make it very clear to the City Council that the City has a responsibility for a portion of the Mall which is under the City's jurisdiction, and it is our Committee's recommendation that the City Council should review the need to take care of deferred maintenance items that have been pointed out by various individuals, as well as other items relating to the Mall, and that special consideration for the future of that facility should be a priority in their minds. This concludes the report of our Committee. As Chairman of the Committee, I wish to thank all the members of the Committee for their work, the City staff and all those that have been involved, and the support of the Council. On behalf of the Committee, we would like to extend our thanks to all those 2 11/14/90 who have made this challenging and interesting responsibility more of a labor of love for many of us, just because we felt that it was necessary to have a full understanding of the Downtown Mall as a site location. We want to thank everyone involved and at this time we will be happy to answer any questions you might have." All Members of the Committee present acknowledged that they were in agreement with this Report. Council Member Dahl asked for clarification of the Committee's recommendation. Mr. Arnold responded that the Committee's charge was based on Mr. Dicker's offer to the City for the base square footage necessary for a City Hall site. Inasmuch as the offer has been withdrawn, a recommendation is a moot issue. It is now up to the City Council to decide whether to pursue other means to secure space in the Downtown Mall. Mayor Buffum asked if there was a suggestion of eminent domain. Mr. Arnold indicated that would be one option available to the City Council if they wish to further study the Mall. The Committee had hoped to have more figures to present to the Council, however, attempts at getting that information have not been successful. Kent Dagg stated that the Committee as a whole stands behind their recommendation that was publicized many times before the withdrawal of the Dicker's offer; that they had found nothing that said it should not be studied as a potential site. Mayor Buffum asked if the Committee felt strongly enough about the site that cost would not be considered the primary objective. Mr. Arnold said that, this Committee unfortunately, has been viewed by the press and some others, as a Committee that promotes the Downtown Mall as a City Hall site. He assured Council that the Committee has studied this issue in a very objective manner to determine whether this site should be studied as a viable location for City Hall. The Committee has not uncovered any facts which indicate the mall is not a viable location. The Committee, however, has uncovered suggestions that there are problems. Those problems have been studied and answers to many questions are reflected in the Committee's meeting minutes. Currently, the Committee's position is that it would make a reasonable site and cost is going to be relative to a lot of factors. It would be relative to the acquisition of the property, and the extent of remodeling. Mr. Dagg indicated that none of this could be determined, however, without a professional study. Mayor Buffum asked if a study is to be done, if Mr. Arnold felt it should be done by someone not only out of the area but out of the state. Mr. Arnold stated that there are more than likely a lot of people who could provide such a study. The Committee was given the name of Mr. McCluskey as someone who has been involved in remodel projects not unlike this. It was later learned that he has never converted a retail center to a government agency type project before. The Committee requested Mr. McCluskey to submit a cost estimate, and instead, he rendered an opinion of feasibility. Given the time constraints, the desire to move forward, and the withdrawal of the Dicker proposal, the Committee submitted the above. Council Member Moss stated that it was his understanding that the Committee feels there is no way, even with additional City resources, they can dig any deeper into this project, but that it is time to turn it over to a professional for an opinion. Committee members were in agreement with this. Mr. Arnold said the City had spent a lot of time and money on the Parkview and Benton sites and feels that the same should be done on the Downtown Mall in order to get a fair comparison. 3 11/14/90 Mr. Dagg indicated that the City was going to have to get an opinion on the Downtown Mall, regardless if it is a site for City Hall, because of problems that need to be addressed. Mr. Arnold stated Mr. McCluskey's report indicated the Downtown Mall has some problems that could visibly be seen and need to be addressed. Many of the engineering problems that the Committee was originally given to review were found not to be as extensive as many had believed. Mayor Buffum asked for the Committee's informal opinion on the City subsidizing one mall and not others. Mr. Arnold indicated that the only thing he would comment on was the fact that the City already owns a great deal of property in the Downtown Mall and it has been categorized and characterized by many people as a park that just happens to have a roof over it. The City does more than just water the trees, etc. The City is responsible for the roof and air conditioning, and the City owns the common area of the Downtown Mall. Members of Council thanked the Committee for their report and the effort they put forth concerning the siting of the Downtown Mall as a location for City. Council Members discussed their views on the Downtown Mall as a site for City Hall. It was the concurrence of Council Members that an item should be placed on Tuesday's agenda, November 20, 1990, concerning the Downtown Mall and the possibility of it being a site for City Hall. After a decision is made, it can then be furthered discussed at the Special Meeting and Quarterly Workshop on December 1, 1990. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, at the hour of 7:34 p.m., Mayor Buffum declared the meeting adjourned. APPROVED: ________________________________ Mayor Buffum ATTEST: _________________________________ Assistant City Clerk