Council: Special police tax, La Terraza
agreement on Monday agenda
May 02, 2014
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
The City Council will deal with several weighty issues including a decision on whether to move forward on a proposed sales tax ballot measure to boost police services at the Monday meeting.
The May 5 meeting will start at 6 p.m. when the council goes into closed session in the administration conference room to discuss labor negations and the ongoing arbitration with Santa Paula Water LLC, owner of the wastewater treatment plant.
At 6:30 p.m. the meeting will be continued and move to City Hall Council Chambers.
The session will be broadcast live on Time Warner Cable Channel 10 and be replayed per schedule; the city will also live-stream the meeting online and archive it for viewing on demand.
National Drinking Water Week will be recognized with a proclamation presented to Interim Public Works Director Brian Yanez.
Separate public hearings will be held for continuing the Geological Hazard Abatement District’s special property tax assessment of $1,414 annually paid by 75 owners of homes above Santa Paula Hospital. The Hillsborough/Vista Pointe Open Space Maintenance District covers 71 properties, each that are accessed $150 annually.
The Santa Paula Fire Department will be getting a new $528,000-plus engine after the council approves the request to replace one of the engines in the SPFD’s aging fleet.
It could be the final hearing for the La Terraza banquet hall when the council again considers the enforcement agreement for a new use for the building just east of the restaurant.
The Planning Commission approved the banquet hall next to eatery, located at the corner of 10th and Main streets.
The council had delayed a decision at the last meeting and asked that several issues-including those not specific to the enforcement agreement-be addressed before a final decision.
The staff report notes the banquet hall will have a capacity of 300, a number that includes employees; in answer to council questions there have been no police calls for service at La Terraza-owned by Adan Sandoval-or at a restaurant owned by a family member in Oxnard who will manage the new facility.
To tax or not to tax will be the question for the council who will be asked to decide whether to place a sales tax on the November ballot to boost police services.
Issues that will have to be determined are how much of a sales tax voters would be asked to approve and what model, a general or a special tax. The type of tax presented to voters would determine what constitutes a majority vote and how tightly the use of the funds could be controlled.
The last agenda item is the summer council meeting schedule in July and August and how many sessions the council would like to forego.
City Hall is located at 970 E. Ventura St.
