SPECIAL JOINT RIPON BOARDS/COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
City Council/Consolidated Fire District/Unified School District
Ripon City Hall – PD Briefing Room
March 23, 2009, 5:30 P.M.
Attendees: RUSD: Mike Fisher, Jack De Liddo, Ernie Tyhurst, Donna Parks, Louise Nan; RCFD: Don Wever, Don Moyer, Dennis Van Der Maaten, Bill Berghorst, Dennis Bitters; City: Red Nutt, Chuck Winn, Garry Krebbs, Charlie Gay, Tom Tersptra, Leon Compton, Dick Bull, Dan Brannon, Sheryl Prater; Public: Mike Vanden Boesch, Jennifer Sanguinetti.
In the absence, due to a family emergency, of Ripon Unified School Board of Trustee, President Larry Stewart, Vice President Ernie Tyhurst presided over the meeting.
Public Comments: An opportunity was given for public comments. There were no comments at this time.
Introductions were made.
E. Tyhurst began by stating the purpose of the meeting was to have open discussions on issues that will affect the community at large and each of the agencies jurisdictions. One issue is Manteca’s Austin Road project.
C. Winn concurred adding that the idea is to come up with discussion points that affect all three districts. He congratulated the newly elected fire, school and council board members. Further, C. Winn commented that the procedure is simply a candid discussion on how each district interacts on issues and is intended for discussion, only. Issues of concern may be taken back to appropriate staff for further review and comments.
C. Winn continued by presenting a power point presentation on the San Joaquin Valley Regional Blue Print. The intent of the blue print which is a long term regional vision for San Joaquin Valley started out as voluntary, but is now mandatory. San Joaquin County is the only jurisdiction to-date that has not adopted one of the blue print options. Items covered were: growth and urban sprawl, air quality, agriculture, transportation, housing, environment and economy.
Further, the cost for rapid transit and buses and the actually percentage of the population using or likely to use these modes of transportation verses automobiles was discussed. C. Winn said problems arise not so much with funds to purchase buses but operational costs. E. Tyhurst said Measure K funds can be used for operating costs for regional and metro systems. C. Winn interjected that if Measure K funds were to be used, there wouldn’t be funds left for repairing and maintaining streets.
J. De Liddo asked if what was being said was that it would be cheaper for the average person to travel the highways then use rapid transit. C. Winn said he thought buses were underutilized and there are a host of environmental friendly buses out there.
L. Nan inquired if the blue print is being adopted county by county or by cities. C. Winn explained the process adding that Ripon has adopted a general plan that has community input and the blue print is a ‘one size fits all’ concept. He further explained the affordable housing requirements and pressure for higher densities which on paper may sound good, but in actuality people don’t want to live in higher density neighborhoods. When asked, they want homes with two to three car garages and larger yards.
D. Moyer said maybe we need to involve our legislators to let them know Ripon doesn’t want to live in multi-family dwellings – the ‘one size fits all’ concept is contrary to the philosophy of this community. He added other communities may agree. C. Winn stated that everyone south of us has bought into Plan C which is considered ‘smart’ growth with much higher densities. He would like to maintain as best we can, local control. G. Krebbs remarked that the whole reason is to improve air quality and we have been placed in the wrong region. Kern County doesn’t have any effect on us, the Bay Area does and the legislature is not addressing the real issue which is jobs to housing ratios.
C. Winn said he is not anti-environment; we need to protect what we have and E. Tyhurst added if the City is forced to change its general plan, this will affect the other districts, and higher densities can be a real problem.
E. Tyhurst asked the group if there were any other local impacts between the districts.
D. Van Der Maaten began by saying there is an 800 lb. gorilla sitting in the meeting and he is very concerned with public safety. Since the frontage road has gone in behind Ripon Christian School the circulation has greatly enhanced traffic circulation at RC and the fire departments response time, but it stops at Ripon Unified. He would like to get the issue on the table.
R. Nutt said this is the time to talk about it because it won’t happen over night. D. Van Der Maaten asked if everyone has had a chance to drive it, adding that living on Maple Ave., he has seen a great improvement and it is almost appalling to him to stop public safety. He would like to hear why it won’t be a good idea to complete the road and if there are ways to mitigate any issues.
L. Nan interjected that the Department of State Architecture, through a letter to the school district, has said that they have an undersized campus for 900 students and if the road goes through, projects for growth would not be approved. The high school needs room for expansion. Further, the path of the road would take out a diesel tank, varsity baseball field, some student parking and the bus barn.
D. Moyer asked if the school district has looked at closing Ripon El and expanding the high school. L. Nan replied it has been discussed and that Ripon El is close to the 450 student capacity.
D. Van Der Maaten asked if there was a way to mitigate, would Ripon Unified look at it and be willing to take a look at the issues to mitigate to its satisfaction.
E. Tyhurst commented that thanks to Dr. Nan, they are working on adopting a strategic plan through 2014, meeting facility needs with a variety of options. Because of funding issues right now, it may take a long time to develop the land on River Road; however, these issues will be discussed in a public forum. The plan is intended to create future goals, looking at circulation and recreational opportunities including a cross over between the City and the school using recreational facilities. One of the policies talks about security and safety of the students on campus.
R. Nutt said we need to understand the issues and how we can help you and you can help us.
D. Van Der Maaten suggested putting a work team together because there seemed to be a block wall. This size community lends itself to open discussions.
G. Krebbs added he hoped new housing will take off again in the near future, but the population and student body populations that had been projected over the next decade need to be reevaluated
L. Nan commented that the school district just completed a growth report in 2008.
J. De Liddo said the school district has a major economic issue and can’t afford it, but the atmosphere has changed so they can talk about it.
D. Moyer remarked that if they all chipped in, the bus barn... D. Van Der Maaten asked L. Compton if the City had offered mitigation measures in the past and L. Compton nodded affirmatively.
C. Winn said he could appoint R. Nutt and G. Krebbs to the committee, both accepted. The other bodies could also appoint two members. G. Krebbs and R. Nutt both interjected that they want the committee to actually meet.
E. Tyhurst said only by default since the school board president is not here, with respect to assigning a committee, asked M. Fisher and J. De Liddo if they would be interested. J. De Liddo asked if the committee would identify the real issues. D. Van Der Maaten replied that would be step one, then they would look at ways to mitigate.
M. Fisher said it seems like the same issues are being covered which were identified in a joint meeting in October, 2006.
L. Nan said the joint meeting was with the school district and the City Council. D. Van Der Maaten said that meeting was a great starting point but that the fire district was not involved.
C. Winn added that the committee members can go back to their respective boards and the boards can see what the respective bodies can resolve.
E. Tyhurst remarked that the railroad has talked for a long time about double tracking – that would have an impact. T. Terpstra informed the group that the City is buying railroad land at the end of Main St and double tracking was not indicated on this side so it is probably not an issue.
D. Van Der Maaten asked if the group could move this along by getting a committee and then committed himself and Bryce Perkins from the fire board. M. Fisher and J. De Liddo from the school board agreed to sit on the committee along with G. Krebbs and R. Nutt, City Council members.
D. Bitters asked L. Nan if he could get a copy of the letter from the State Architect. L. Nan said, yes.
E. Tyhurst commented that parking is an issue for the school district and there may be issues with getting too close to the railroad tracks.
D. Moyer said that the State Architect responds to political pressure and it’s not impossible to get things done. L. Nan interjected that you can’t negate the fact of a small land locked campus.
E. Tyhurst continued that at one point there was a proposal for a sales tax increase to be shared by the agencies – finances are a real big issue until things get better and the State is taking redevelopment monies.
Lastly, the joint boards and council discussed meeting again setting sometime toward the end of June because each body would have a better handle on their respective budget concerns. Then the meetings would be set quarterly.
The City Council will host the June meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 P.M.
Submitted by: Sheryl D. Prater
Development Specialist
City of Ripon