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Home My WebLink About03-25-1975MINUTES OF THE ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA March 25, 1975 The Adjourned Regular Meeting of the City Council was called to order at 7:10 P.M. by Mayor Vernon S. Evans, in Room 831, City Hall, 20 Civic Center Plaza, with the following Council- men present: Harry K. Yamamoto, ~ohn aarthe, James E. Ward, Gordon Bricken, and Mayor Vernon S. Evans. Councilman J. Ogden Markel arrived at 7:45 P.M. Councilman Lorin Griset was absent. Also present were City Manager Bruce C. Spragg, City Attorney James A. Withers, Police Chief Raymond Davis and Assistant Clerk of the Council Patricia E. Rice. Lynn O'Dell, representing the "Register" was also present. INVOCATION PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Following the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, Mayor Evans gave the Invocation. MANPOWER PROGRAMS On the motion of REPORT Councilman Yamamoto, seconded by Councilman Bricken, the Council unanimously (5-0) approved the staff recommendation Title I Manpower Program distribution to SBR and OIC for 1975-76. Mayor Evans asked Mr. Spragg for any comments in addition to his written report to Council regarding the funding pro- posal for SER and OIC for 1975-76. Mr. Spragg stated that the distribution proposed was based on 90% of the money that the City might receive; that the City anticipates re- ceiving another $175,000 under Title I and a similar amount as a consortium bonus. ~e added that staff ha~ recommended the money be allocated to the two institutional programs for the amount they would have received for the full twelve months if they had been in operation for a full year, and has adjusted the OIC percentage from 52% to 57.9%, which is the minimum amount they are guaranteed to serve Santa Aha residents. Mr. Ray Villa, Executive Director of SER, stated that he was disappointed in the 10% cut; that he felt services would have to be curtailed; and that the majority of the disad- vantaged people are in the Santa Aha area. Mr. Spragg assured Mr. Villa that the anticipated additional funds would represent a budget equal to or more than last year. CA 140.4 CA 140.9 CA 140.21 APPROPRIATION ADJUSTMENT Councilman &arthe's BOWERS MUSEUM motion, seconded by Councilman Yamamoto to approve the Appro- priation Adjustment (No. 104) of $10,000 in order to close the escrow for the purchase of the Grabhorn Restaurant property, to complete the Revenue Sharing Expansion Program for Bowers Museum, was unanimously approved CS-O). CA 65.3 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 117 MARCH 25, 1975 APPROPRIATION ADJUSTMENT ELECTION MAILING COST approved Appropriation Adjustment election mailing cost (5-0). On the motion of Councilman Yamamoto, seconded by Council- man Ward, the Council (No. 105) of $6,000 for CA 65.3 Councilman Markel arrived at 7:45 P.M. PARAMEDIC & CRIME The following motion ABATEMENT PROGRAMS made by Councilman FUNDING REPORT Bricken and seconded by Councilman Ward was carried (5-1) with Councilman Markel dissenting: Instruct the City Attorney to initiate the necessary legal process to call a special election to place a proposition on the ballot to raise funds through an increased property tax to fund a portion of the necessary level for police and para- medic services, as identified by the Citizens Crime Preven- tion Commission and the Citizens Paramedic Advisory Committee in their reports. In the preliminary discussion Councilman Yamamoto expressed his desire that Council make some definite commitment now because of the time necessary to implement the programs. Councilman Ward stated that he thought the recommendations of the Crime Commission and the Paramedic Commission were excellent and done after thorough research, but that the funding should also be thoroughly analyzed before a decision is made. Councilman Bricken said that he did not feel that the paramedic and crime programs necessarily needed to be tied together; that there was sufficient support, from his contact with the citizens, for efforts to improve the crime situation; and that the question of raising the property tax should be put to the voters. Mayor Evans stated that it would be possible to hold the line on some City expenditures and decrease some programs to fund partially from the City budget; that the program the citizens want is one that will not only hold the crime rate at its present level, but reduce it; that he is not sure the program proposed can be expected to do that; that probably a program to decrease the crime rate would mean much more of an expenditure than is proposed; and that he is in favor of doing it right in the first place. Councilman Yamamoto said that the Criminal Justice System is not geared for prevention, and that real prevention is achieved by working with the kids in their own neighborhoods through clubs. Chief Davis told the Council that he had been with the City of Santa Ana for two years and one month; and that the Police Department had been operating at a 60% level and was reaping the problems of that condition. He stated that the detectives are at a frustration level; that they are working to the limits of overtime; that the addition of 88 additional per- sonnel to the Police Department is Plan 5 or the absolute lowest possible program that could conceivably make a dent in the crime rate, a bare bones program. City Manager Spragg said that there are only a couple of sources of revenue that are adequate to meet this level program; that the tax rate is a binding agreement, but there is the matter of timing and getting a ballot measure ready would take three months or more, and the first available election date would probably be November 4, 1975; that Santa Aha has one of the lowest tax rates; and that it has not been raised for two years. CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 118 MARCH 25, 1975 Mayor Evans said that we can't get people to live and invest in Santa Aha if we can't give them protection; that somebody has to take the first step; and that the current economic condition hasn't improved the situation. Mr. John Meola of the Citizens Against Crime group said that if the Council goes to the people with this question, they are going to say, "What's wrong with the Police Department"; that if the Council believes Chief Davis is qualified to run the department, it should accept his recommendation for more staff; and that by asking the people whether or not they want a better police department, Council is passing the buck. Mayor Evans asked how long it would take to make the program operational if personnel were hired tomorrow. Chief Davis said four to five months in basic school training and about nine months total to be reasonably effective; that 21 patrolmen and three sergeants are needed for each team policing zone; and that probably it would take 1-1/2 to 2 years to see an impact on the crime picture. Councilman Bricken suggested that possibly the City could by cost cutting proceed with recruiting 30-40 additional per- sonnel, and then go further into the funding problem by going to the ballot, thereby getting the program started now. CA 47.9 CA 64.2 ORAL COMMUNICATION Councilman Yamamoto was FOUNTAIN VALLEY authorized to represent SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPOSAL the City Council at the California School Board of Education Conference to be held in Fresno on April I0, 197S, and to express the Council's support of the Garden Grove School District in its request for retention of Los Amigos High School within the District, and Council's oppo- sition to the High School's inclusion within the newly pro- posed Fountain Valley School District, on motion of Council- man Garthe, seconded by Councilman Ward, and carried (S~I) with Mayor Evans dissenting. CA 38 EXECUTIVE SESSION At 9~30 P.M. the Council adjourned to Executive Session to consider person- nel matters and reconvened at 10:15 P.M; with the same Councilmen present. ADJOURNMENT . On motion of Council- man ~arthe, seconded by Councilman Markel, the Council unanimously adjourned the meeting to April 2, 1975 at 12:00 Noon in Room 831 of the City Hall, 20 Civic Center Plaza for an Executive Session to consider personnel matters. ASSISTANT CLERK OF THE COUNCIL CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 119 (Next Page is ]2]) MARCH 25, 1975