Joint Public Hearing of the

City Council of the City of Ripon and the

Ripon Community Redevelopment Agency

CITY HALL, 259 NORTH WILMA, RIPON, CALIFORNIA

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2009 - 7:00 P.M.

CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order as indicated at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Winn.

COUNCIL ROLL CALL: Council Members Dean Uecker, Garry Krebbs, Vice-Mayor Elden “Red” Nutt, Mayor Chuck Winn

Absent: Council Member Charlie Gay

AGENCY ROLL CALL: Directors Dean Uecker, Garry Krebbs, Vice-Chairman Elden “Red” Nutt, Chairman Chuck Winn.

Absent: Director Charlie Gay

OTHERS PRESENT: City Administrator Leon Compton, City Attorney Tom Terpstra, City Engineer Kevin Werner, Planning Director Ken Zuidervaart, Recreation Director Kye Stevens, Director of Public Works Ted Johnston, Police Chief Richard Bull, City Clerk Lynette Van Laar, Deputy City Clerk Jeanne D. Hall, Information Systems Technician Dan Brannon, Marshall Linn, Jon Huffman, Leo Zuber, Stephanie Hobbs.

RIPON REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY

MOTION: MOVED, SECONDED (KREBBS, UECKER) AND CARRIED BY A VOTE OF 4-0 (GAY ABSENT) TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 09-8.

OPEN THE JOINT PUBLIC HEARING

Mayor Winn stated that the purpose for this joint hearing of the City Council and the Agency is to consider the Amendment and the Negative Declaration of Environmental Impact for the 2009 Amendment to the Redevelopment Plan. Winn said that the Council and the Redevelopment Agency will be considering the Agency's report to the City Council on the 2009 Amendment which includes the report and recommendations of the Planning Commission regarding the Amended Plan's conformity with the City's General Plan; the summary of information presented to taxing agencies, property owners, tenants and businesses; and the Negative Declaration prepared in connection with the 2009 Amendment.

Mayor Winn introduced Marshall Linn and Jon Hufman of Urban Futures, the agency which aided in preparation of the amendment.

Jon Hufman gave an overview of the Amendment to the Redevelopment plan for the Ripon Community Redevelopment Project.

Marshall Linn described the Redevelopment Agency as the most affective tool to eliminate blight. He said that the state of California has over 400 cities, and 95% of the cities have a Redevelopment Agency. He said that the Agencies provide jobs and economic growth. He said that the Redevelopment Agency is extremely important and that you just have to look at what has been accomplished in Ripon – jobs, blight removal, affordable housing, increased land value, and new or improved public facilities.

Linn noted that the Redevelopment Agency cannot tax anyone, it does not affect zoning, and it cannot change the General Plan. It is financed through tax increment caused by the increased property values. He added that the school system is made whole by the state. Linn explained that the Agency must have debt to operate. He said that of all the Agencies, Ripon is in the top five by making more tax dollars work in Ripon.

Linn also explained that the amendment is needed to fix an error that occurred in the language of the amendment done in 1997. The original cap was to be $175 million, but a technical error listed the cap at $90 million. He said he has conferred with the School District and the Fire District, and everyone agrees that the plan needs to be corrected. He said that the schedule is that the ordinance will be adopted on August 4, and will go into effect on September 3. The amendment to the plan will be finalized on November 2 by referendum.

Planning Director Zuidervaart read a letter from the Ripon Unified School District, requesting that their projects be added to the list: a practice swimming pool, stadium restoration, land purchase for elementary school, reconfiguration of the high school, a performing arts center, and tennis court restoration.

City Attorney Terpstra said that the projects can be added to the list, but it must be understood that not all the projects will be built.

PUBLIC HEARING OPENED:

Leo Zuber, Ripon, stated that he had concerns about how the financing worked, and he did not see that past projects solved any problems with blight or gave any improvements to the city. He was concerned that the number may be manipulated to describe blight where there is none. He said he does not agree with the plan because it does not address blight, but he does not oppose the amendment.

PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED

Vice Mayor Nutt stated that this amendment is correcting the cap to what it is supposed to be, not raising it above the $175 million.

City Administrator Compton said that the county agrees with the $175 million cap.

Nutt noted that the Ripon staff found the mistake.

Council Member Uecker said that the school has a dream list, but we need to be sure we are doing the right projects, and he emphasized that the Council is responsible to make these choices. He said he agreed to add the school projects to the list.

Council Member Krebbs said that the list is a general list. He said that we do not have the specifics of any project until we are ready to do a project. Priorities change over time. He said he did not have a problem with adding the school projects to the list. We will decide later what projects we will do. Important projects like water lines and sewer projects are buried and you never see them, but they are very important projects. The list is just a general idea of needs.

MOTION: MOVED, SECONDED (UECKER, NUTT) AND CARRIED BY A VOTE OF 4-0 (GAY ABSENT) TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 09-9.

REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ACTIONS, continued:

MOTION: MOVED, SECONDED (UECKER, NUTT) AND CARRIED BY A VOTE OF 4-0 (GAY ABSENT) TO ADD THE SCHOOL PROJECTS TO THE LIST AND APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 09-10.

CITY COUNCIL ACTIONS:

MOTION: MOVED, SECONDED (NUTT, UECKER) AND CARRIED BY A VOTE OF 4-0 (GAY ABSENT) TO ADD THE SCHOOL PROJECTS TO THE LIST AND TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 09-58.

CITY COUNCIL ACTIONS, continued:

MOTION: MOVED, SECONDED (UECKER, NUTT) AND CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING AND INTRODUCE ORDINANCE NO. 773.

AYES:              Uecker, Nutt, Krebbs, Winn

NOES:              None

ABSENT:         Gay

ABSTAIN:      None

There being no further business, the joint meeting adjourned at 8:04 p.m.