Beating LAFCo to the land
planning punch on Council agenda

April 11, 2014
Santa Paula News

By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula Times Beating LAFCo to the punch of land planning and purchasing new vehicles are on Monday’s City Council agenda.

The April 7 meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. with public comment before the council goes into the City Hall Administration Room for a closed session.

Labor negotiations, continuing arbitration with Santa Paula Water LLC and a public employee evaluation of City Manager Jaime Fontes are on the closed session agenda.

The meeting will be continued to City Council Chambers at 6:30 p.m. and broadcast live by Time Warner Cable Channel 10 for later rebroadcast per schedule. The session will also be live-streamed on the city’s website and archived for viewing on demand.

The council will present two proclamations to Ventura College Santa Paula Campus noting the celebration of Women’s History Month in March and to April’s DMV/Donate Live California Month.

The Consent Calendar, those items considered routine, includes the purchase of a Dodge Charger to replace one of the city’s aging police patrol cars; the new vehicle will use equipment from the older car, a longtime practice of the SPPD. 

According to Chief Steve McLean’s report the city will enter into a cooperative purchase agreement with his former employer-the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office-to get a better price from an Anaheim-based dealer. McLean’s report notes the purchase will save the SPPD the 3 percent to 5 percent more that would be charged by local dealers.

When the council tackles the order of business Fire Chief Rick Araiza will ask for funds to repair first response Engine 81 and to commence the development of specifications to purchase a new replacement engine.

Planning Director Janna Minsk will update the council on issues concerning LAFCo (Local Area Formation Commission) and its guidelines for keeping Adams and Fagan canyons in the city’s sphere-of-influence.

Minsk’s report notes that a recent meeting with Kai Luoma, the new LAFCo executive director, centered on more planning for the undeveloped canyon areas, specifically development applications and processing by the city for the two expansion areas as discussed by the full panel in a contentious hearing held in March 2013.

“Should no development applications be submitted in the near future by project applicants” wrote Minsk, “it would be difficult for LAFCo staff to recommend keeping Fagan or Adams canyons within the city sphere.”





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