BRIEFLY IN COUNCIL

The following is from the July 1 City Council meeting.

City Clerk pay 5-0

The council rectified a clerical error in the city budget and belatedly put City Clerk Martha Anderson at the top of her salary range and awarded her a 3% exceptional performance bonus.

WHAT IT MEANS

The salaries of the city clerk and the city treasurer, and merit increases are determined by the council. Merit pay is only effective for one year.

Street rehab 5-0

A $5,389,244 contract was awarded to Sequel Contractors for construction of the 2008-09 street rehabilitation project, and a $124,000 contact was awarded to Caltrop for construction administrative services for the project, the largest street project in the city’s history. Funding was included in the new budget.

WHAT IT MEANS

Neighborhoods included in the project are: Mystic Hills/Skyline/Upper Park Avenue; Thalia Street to Cress/ Temple Terrace to South Coast Highway; Rembrandt/Van Dyke and Diamond Crestview; Loma Terrace, Y Place, Mermaid Street between Third Street and Loma Terrace, and Third Street between Mermaid and Forest Avenue, after the Community and Senior Center is completed; alleys between Thalia and Cress streets; and other areas, left out of prior resurfacing projects.

Development fees 5-0

The council increased fees for building permits and planning and zoning services, although the current fee revenue is adequate to cover the department’s fee-supported functions. However, the revenue does not cover related overhead costs. And the staff received a 5% salary increase starting July 1.

WHAT IT MEANS

Fees will go up by about 5%. For a complete list of increases, visit the city’s website and click on the July 1 agenda, item 20.

Bus Depot relocation 4-1

The council voted to take no action on Councilwoman Toni Iseman’s proposal to relocate the Bus Depot from Broadway to the Village Entrance site. Iseman was opposed. Iseman said the relocation would provide more parking in a highly traveled area of town. Mayor Jane Egly said the council should wait until the Village Entrance project is more defined before taking any action to relocate the depot.

WHAT IT MEANS

The bus depot will stay where it is for now.

Heritage Tree 4-0

A property owner who chopped down a Heritage Tree without council permission found himself out on a limb.

He claimed he removed the pine tree because it was diseased and he was ignorant of the fact that it was on the Heritage List. However city staff had noted its existence and asked how the proposed construction on the site would affect it.

WHAT IT MEANS

The tree will be replaced with a 48-inch box-sized tree in the rear of the property.

Stringline restrung 3-2

The council narrowly supported the appeal of an oceanfront property owner who objected to the way his proposed project was to be measured. The applicant proposed to demolish existing apartment buildings on two lots and replace them with one single-family residence on each building site. Stringlines are drawn on plans connecting the backs of neighboring buildings to determine how far out the proposed project can be built.

A requirement for on-street parking was unanimously denied as premature until the Design Review Board reviews a specific project.

WHAT IT MEANS

The revised stringline allows the approved construction site to be closer to the ocean edge of the property, which is not defined as a bluff top at this location.

— Barbara Diamond