By Jennifer Madrigal
Eastvale – This month there were two City Council meetings. The first meeting was held on June 11, at Rosa Parks Elementary. All council members were present and the meeting started promptly at 6:30 p.m. The invocation was led by Susie Tanner of Life Church. There were no presentations, announcements or public comments.
All items on the consent calendar were approved 5-0.
During the Public Hearings portion of the meeting, Item 6.1 was approved 5-0, and since there were no public comments, the public hearing on that item was closed at 6:34 p.m. Item 6.2 concerning a request for a rate increase from Waste Management for the fiscal year 2013-2014 included an update by City Manager, Carol Jacobs. The item was approved by a vote of 5-0. Item 6.3 concerning the Goodman/Birtcher Commerce Center, Project No. 11-0271, also had a public hearing. Jacobs provided a background and update on the item and explained some of the latest events concerning the project.
According to the City of Eastvale council minutes for the June 11 meeting, Councilmember Bill Link made a request for more “definitive language regarding the condition that the developer would initiate construction of not less than 100,000 square feet of business park within one year of issuance of the first industrial certificate of occupancy, yet that language was still too vague”. Jacobs assured Link that if the council decided to move forward with the project, that condition would be more clearly defined. The item was then opened for public hearing at 6:41 p.m.
Many residents came out to share their opinions on this project. Resident Rania Hamdy requested that the council oppose the project until the occupant can bring something of quality and diversity to Eastvale. Hamdy was concerned that Eastvale would become part of a group where warehouses had not been prosperous. The public hearing portion was closed at 6:46 p.m. Council members were then able to ask further questions on this project. (A deeper look at the Goodman/Bircher project can be found in our cover story). A motion to adopt a resolution approving a General Plan Amendment from high density residential to light industrial, commercial retail and business park, as well as a motion to adopt a resolution approving a major developmental plan review for the development of four new industrial/ warehouse buildings totaling 2,714,829 square feet, subject to conditions of approval, ultimately failed to pass, 2-3, with Rush and DeGrandpre voting yes, and Link, Welch and Mayor Bootsma voting no.
There were no Old Business Items. In the New Business Items section of the meeting, Item 8.1, Adoption of the Annual Operations and Capital Improvement Budget for the Fiscal Year 2014-2015 was presented by Jacobs via Power Point Presentation. Council members raised questions about salaries of various employees and asked for further clarification on salaries, as well as police contract negotiations and police salaries. The item was passed 5-0, with the exception of the addition of an additional Code Enforcement Officer, until a staff report is presented. Items 8.2 through 8.8 also passed 5-0. After some further Council business was conducted, the meeting was adjourned at 7:58 p.m.
The second meeting of the month was held on June 25 at Rosa Parks Elementary. All council members were present, with the invocation led by Pastor Rick Morris of The Crossings Church.
There were no public comments and the consent calendar was passed in its entirety, 5-0.
The Public Hearing portion of the meeting began with Item 6.1 for Delinquent Residential Solid Waste Accounts and placement of such accounts on property tax rolls for collection. The item passed 5-0. The Planning Commission recommended that Item 6.2, for the Adoption of the Eastvale Design Standards and Guidelines, be adopted by the council, and it passed 5-0.
There were no Old Business items. In the New Business section of the meeting Items 8.1 and 8.2 passed 5-0. Item 8.3, Architectural Features for Limonite Avenue Interchange at Interstate 15, failed to pass with a vote of 2-3. Item 8.4, for the establishment of an Eastvale Parks Commission, was presented by JCSD’s Director of Community Services, Chad Blais. This committee would not give the City actual authority over recommendations to JCSD about parks in Eastvale; Councilmember and JCSD Director of Parks and Community Affairs, Ric Welch, left room during vote due to conflict of interest. The item passed 3-1. Item 8.5 passed 5-0. Item 8.6, a request for reconsideration regarding the Goodman/Birtcher Project, was also on the agenda. The item was discussed in great deal and eventually the request for reconsideration passed 5-0. The decision made concerning the project at the June 11 council meeting has been reversed, and the project will once again be put back on the agenda. Council members were able to give their recommendations to Goodman/Birtcher as to what they would like to see at the next meeting.
There was no City Manager report, as Jacobs was out of town. And then, in a shocking turn of events, councilmember Jeff DeGrandpre read a letter to the council and public, accusing three council members of wrong doing. He expressed his discontent with the council no longer being about the residents of Eastvale. Although, DeGrandpre did not cite any actual examples or name any names, he did put in his resignation and will be leaving the council effective July 1.
The next City Council meeting will be held on July 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Rosa Parks Elementary. For more information on City Council agendas and meeting minutes, visit the City of Eastvale website at http://www.eastvaleca.gov.
