What to Expect From Tuesday's City Council Meeting

The City Council for its regular meeting, and included on the agenda are some new proposals for the possibly-soon-to-be-eliminated Redevelopment Agency and two resolutions aimed at increasing downtown traffic. 

As recommended at the last council meeting, the city wants to include the financing of a new library—a $10 million undertaking to replace the current facility, which is functioning at capacity—and the replacement of Fire Station 51—which is expected to cost $1.6 million to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, provide adequate facilities to accommodate male and female firefighters and get seismically upgraded—in its list of to be approved.

The projects are being fast-tracked in anticipation of Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed state budget, which recommends eliminating redevelopment agencies throughout the state. The city says that without making a commitment to these projects with redevelopment funds, there would be no other funding source available to complete them. 

The agenda also includes a resolution to have the changed to two hours, an issue downtown business owners and patrons have been complaining about for awhile now. 

The resolution actually stems from a request made by the Chamber of Commerce back in 2009 to change the time-limit on the street parking along San Mateo Avenue. 

Now, after a year-and-a-half evaluation process, the proposal has finally made its way to the council. Through a survey of downtown businesses, 64 out of 97 businesses said they supported the change, while only four businesses said they wanted to keep the one-hour parking and five said they had no preference. 

The main reason given for why people wanted the time-limit changed was so that downtown patrons could stay longer at restaurants and run errands at the local shops, according to a staff report. 

Making the change would cost the city $6,000 to replace the signs, the staff report concluded.

And it looks like the downtown farmers market is ramping up for another year. The farmers market, organized by the Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association, is expected to run from May 1-Oct. 30, and it will be held from 9am-1pm on Sundays. In addition to the farmers market, the chamber is proposing to provide more Sunday activities that would be held in conjunction with the weekly event to keep traffic flowing in the downtown area. 

The chamber’s proposal includes having the citywide flea market, traditionally held on Sundays in , on San Mateo Avenue adjacent to the market and holding a car show in October and a car-free, fitness and activities zone on Jenevein Avenue.

The council is also expected to get an update on the fire relief money from the council subcommittee overseeing the distribution of the rest of the donations made to the residents affected by the Sept. 9 fire.