HomeMy Public PortalAboutM 1982-08-16 - CC_sp~`~ ~ A
SPECIAL MEETING P,UGUST 16. 1982
The City Council of the City of Lynwood met in a special
session in the City Hall, 11330 Bullis Road, on above date
at 9:30 a.m.
Mayor Thompson in the chair.
Councilmen Byork, Green, Morris and Thompson answered the
s^ roll call. Councilman Rowe was absent.
Also present were City Manager Gomez and City Attorney
McEwen.
COMMUNITY ACCESS CORPORATION
The City Manager reported that the Community Access Corpora-
tion was discussed on a regular meeting agenda wherein the
ordinance establishing the cable system was amended in such
a way that Council could make itself the Community Access
Corporation to be responsible for expenditures which came
to the City for the purpose of allowing citizens to have
access to the system.
In organizing to meet the objectives for the cable system,
staff checked with the cable company to see what had to be
done to provide proper access to the public channels. The
contract allows certain things which can be programmed into
the system. Broad coverage can bring in programs which
must be analyzed as to content, length of time, payroll,
training, etc. All of this not only takes time, but also
some organizing to have a section in the City Hall for
issuing information. Someone will need to be hired and one
person may be unable to function alone.
The cable company knows that most of the cities are too
small to perform this function alone and has proposed to
do this for the five cities; namely, Bell Gardens, Paramount,
Downey, Santa Fe Springs and Lynwood. The cable company
would set up the organization (employment, studios, training,
etc.) and offered several alternatives in the proposal,
ranging from an elaborate alternative of 14 people with a
budget of $80,000 to a very limited alternative for approxi-
mately $54,200. All the affected cities would be required
to pay their share in order for this agreement to function
properly. The cable company will do all the coordinating
of the system, and the City will provide the input into the
system relative to material to be covered.
The City Manager stated that there will be four access
channels; however, the City can designate specific channels
to cover a variety of subject matter.
Councilman Morris commented as to whether Council wants the
cable company to do the access programming or not. He felt
that Ordinance No. 1134 states the Council's responsibility
as the governing board and Council would have a committee
to advise the board. Also that he was not in favor of giving
the cable company full control of the access network because
they would determine programming priorities relative to what
is covered on the four channels. He felt control should be
under the jurisdiction of Council. The City Manager stated
that if the City operated the system, the City would have to
bear the burden financially which would amount to quite a
sum of money.
COMMUNITY
ACCESS
CORPORATION
OBJECTIVES
OF CABLE
SYSTEM
ACCESS
CHANNELS
PROGRAMMING
Councilman Byork stated that with the proposal as presented c. Byork
by the City Manager, the cable company would get the opera- coMMENTS oN
tion started, but would not dictate -to Council when and how CABLE TV
the system should be operated, and agreed with Councilman
Morris that Council should have control over the system.
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PROGRAMMING The City Manager stated that Councilman Morris' suggestion
AND CABLE was a good one regarding a .board -~ oversee the programming
CHANNELS and make input to Council as to who would have the final
approval on the programming. He also stated that the
toughest problem for Council would be the programming be-
cause we are now dealing with free speech; cable channels
are theoretically open to everyone. Each city shall have
its own channels and our studios will be located on
Century Boulevard. Another problem will be setting up
guidelines for operation of the access channels and Council
may require assistance from the cable company.
The Mayor stated that the proposal under consideration would
not need any single specialist to run the system properly.
Council is desirous of a good system, but must be fair re-
lative as to who is going to be on the channels, and subject
matter to be covered.
In reply to Councilman Byork's question, Mayor Thompson stated
that if Council enters into this agreement, it will probably
be indefinitely; however, Council must protect itself with
some built-in stop gaps, which must be written into the
agreement.
FIVE CITIES The City Manager stated that this endeavor is a joint venture
IN AGREEMENT similar to the SEAACA arrangement --that is all the five
cities must agree with the arrangements and the guidelines
by which the program will be governed. He met with company
representatives and would contact the other City Managers
in an effort to get things started. He said that staff would
be back to Council at a September meeting with an item relative
to the appointing of an advisory board; and possibly in October,
staff can bring to Council a draft of the guidelines. However,
in the meantime, staff needs to get a handle on this issue
and get things organized by the end of the year, adopt the
guidelines by Spring, and have an operable committee.
MAKEUP of Councilman Morris reported on his position on the makeup on
BOARD MEMBERS the board. He suggested that each Councilman appoint a re-
presentative and then the Council would collectively select
two representatives from the community, constituting a board
of seven (7) members. We can get people who represent the
community as a whole -- some may be favorable or unfavorable
to Council but the prime objective is to get expertise
regardless of personal positions. He stated that Council
should have the last approval on the recommendations from
the advisory board relative to the decision making process
on the use of the cable system and its four channels. The
matter of stipends, bylaws, etc., for the board is a matter
for Council to decide upon. He also felt that the board
should have some input and powers affixed.
sET UP The Mayor stated he would like to see all the necessary elements
SPECIAL by January 1, 1983. May need to have a special meeting in the
MEETING BY interim to resolve these problems as we do have deadlines to
JAN 1983 meet if we are to have an effective system. Someone should
contact Councilman Rowe relative to the advisory committee
so he can give his input into the matter. He felt there is
more expertise in the community than we think who can serve „~„~
the City in a constructive manner.
ADVISORY Discussion was held relative to the Community Affairs Commission
COMMITTEE being the Advisory Committee. It was also reported that the
DISCUSSION Commission's d.irECtion at the present time has somewhat changed,
and Council needs to give them some direction as to what its
intended roles are relative to serving the citizenry of Lyn-
wood. Councilman Green requested that the City Manager provide
Council with an attendance record of the Commission over the
last six to ten months period.
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Councilman Morris asked if it would be improper if Council
form the committee and arrange a meeting with the committee
to discuss the Council's objectives so they would have a
better understanding of what Council wants.
Mayor Thompson stated he felt Council should give serious
consideration to the formulation of the committee and its
defined objectives before taking any further steps. This
effort could be achieved in the form of workshops soon.
He stated that the Council must know exactly what it wants
the committee to do and its composition before Council goes
on record as creating an advisory committee.
The City Manager stated that staff would be back to Council
in September with pertinent data and means by which to go
forward in accomplishing its stated objectives.
TREE TRIMMING PROGRAM
Director of Public Works/City Engineer Williams stated that the
tree trimming program started in 1979 and was funded by the
Landscape Maintenance Assessment District. Since 1979,
approximately 55°s of the City's trees should have been trimmed;
but as you drive through the City, it is difficult to see that
this has taken place. The reason for this is that the program
called for spot and minimum trimming which meant that tree
limbs were trimmed above the traffic, but no topping was done.
Because of this spot trimming, we have been averaging six
complaints per day.
The City Engineer further stated that a-tree trimming
proposal would entail zone trimming. There are three zones
proposed for trimming at the present time. These zones are
"^` within an area bounded by Century Boulevard on the North,
E Atlantic Avenue on the East, and City's southerly boundary
and Bullis Road on the West. The bid package staff is propos-
ing is an alternate deficit package. City is not sure what
this package will cost and are submitting an alternate bid
package --this will allow City to reconcile the trimming with
the monies available.
City Engineer Williams showed a video tape on the various
street conditions in the City and the problems they are causing
to the City's streets, sidewalks and obstruction of signal
and street lights. He stated that money is available to
only complete trimming in Zones 1, 2 and 3, and staff would
have item on tYie August 17, 1982, agenda, requesting approval
to go out to bid.
C
TREE
TRIMMING
PROBLEMS
GOING OUT
TO BID ON
TREE TRIM-
MING
The City Manager stated that the park maintenance monies must REAPPORTION
be loosened so staff can put some of this money into the tree ING FUNDS
trimming program, because the current budget figures are not FOR TREE
enough to perform the work. The way the money was budgeted TRIMMING
in the Parks and Recreation Department was disproportionately
allocated. Some $250,000 was allocated for total landscape
maintenance which included the parks. There is $60,00 for
tree trimming and $_190,000 for park maintenance. $60, 000 per
year is not enough for the tree maintenance. The monies need
to be reconsidered in their allocation and presented to Council.
$200,000 would be a good allocation for trees as $60,00 is not
enough to have an effective program.
The Mayor stated that if the Tree Trimming Program is approved
all the residents should be properly notified when the work
will be accomplished on their street which would help the
citizenry feel better about the overall program.
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It was moved by Councilman Morris, seconded by Councilman Byork,
and carried that the special meeting be adjourned to its regularly
scheduled meeting of August 17, 1982.
a! j~~~
ANDREA L. HOOPER, City Clerk
City of Lynwood
APPROVED NOVEMBER 2, 1982
LOUIS A. TH~MtSON, May r
City of Lynwood