Title
Highlights of the Rules Committee Meeting of January 13, 2016
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: The Committee recommends bringing the selection process for a second cannabis dispensary to the Council for consideration on February 16, 2016.
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CITY OF SAN LEANDRO
CITY COUNCIL RULES COMMITTEE
January 13, 2016
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
San Leandro City Hall
835 East 14th Street
San Leandro, California
(Sister Cities Gallery)
HIGHLIGHTS
1. CALL TO ORDER
Councilmember Cox called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
1.A. Attendance
Committee members present: Councilmember Cox and Councilmember Thomas
City staff present: City Manager Chris Zapata, Assistant City Manager Lianne Marshall, City Attorney Richard Pio Roda, Assistant to the City Manager Eric Engelbart, Administrative Analyst Sbeydeh Walton, Deputy City Clerk Vivian Chiu, Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli, Captain Luis Torres, Lieutenant Robert McManus, and Senior Planner Sally Barros
Public present: Councilmember Jim Prola, Councilmember Corina Lopez, Planning Commissioner Kai Leung, and Gordon Galvan
1.B. Announcements
Councilmember Cox announced that Item 2.C. would be taken out of order and discussed first.
2. DISCUSSION ITEMS
2.C. Discussion of a Proposed Council Policy on Police Reward Offers
Councilmember Cox pointed out a few typos in proofreading the draft policy.
Chief Spagnoli noted that the draft policy is a result of a Council request to increase the amount of a reward offered for a recent homicide. The policy outlines the guidelines and procedures for making offers. City Manager Zapata noted the need for uniformity.
The Committee inquired about typical reward amounts and authority given to staff. Councilmember Cox asked questions about privately funded reward offers: expiration, deposit requirement and waiver, purpose, and anonymity. Councilmember Thomas expressed concerns about the possibility of the Council being lobbied for higher rewards and suggested incorporating parameters into the policy. He also asked about the consistency in the level of passion for victims in different situations.
Chief Spagnoli explained that the practice is to bring to all rewards to the Council. Police Department already has a small amount of money set aside and a department policy in place for rewards at the informant level. She commented that staff developed this policy using policies of other city councils and that the Committee can recommend changes. She noted that the best practice is for investigations and rewards to be done under one roof and that vagueness would provide more flexibility. A staff report outlining the circumstances and recommended amount would accompany reward offers for Council consideration. Chief Spagnoli noted that rewards are utilized as an investigative strategy and should not be offered as a standard practice. Staff looks at the totality of the circumstances rather than the character of the victim in determining rewards.
City Manager Zapata commented that the proposed updates can be incorporated into the draft policy and that the policy is not set in stone.
2.A. Discussion Regarding a Possible Chinese Name for San Leandro (continued from December 9, 2015)
The Committee received a one-page handout on the Google translation of “San Leandro” and the suggested characters.
Administrative Analyst Walton provided an overview on the suggested characters and their meanings, and introduced Planning Commissioner Kai Leung. He explained that the proposed combination of characters denotes goodness in all aspects of daily living and makes a more significant name for the Chinese culture. Administrative Analyst Walton proposed to bring a recommended Chinese name to the Council for consideration after consultation with the Asian key stakeholders in the community and a language academic. There would also be outreach to the Asian community to ensure consistency in the translation.
City Manager Zapata commented that it is important to let the public know that the City is not changing its name and requested for an accounting of where the name is used.
The Committee made comments and asked questions. Councilmember Cox expressed that she is in favor of the suggested translation. Councilmember Thomas inquired about other available characters and other choices for the translation.
City Manager Zapata requested for a list of translations for other cities. Administrative Analyst Walton commented that it is desirable for the final characters to be phonetically accurate and have meanings with positive connotation. Kai Leung expressed that there are many characters to choose from, but the character “住” is an ideal choice as it represents good living and life.
The Committee directed staff to bring the final translation back to the Rules Committee.
2.B. Discussion Regarding Proposed Language Changes to Add a Second Medical Marijuana Dispensary (continued from December 9, 2015)
Assistant to the City Manager Engelbart gave a status report. Police staff members were in attendance, as requested at the last Committee meeting, to provide comments on cultivation. The Committee was requested to provide, at the end of today’s discussion, directions to staff on the selection process for the second dispensary.
Lieutenant McManus reported on the issues related to cultivation and distribution.
Assistant to the City Manager Engelbart read the selection procedures as written in the December 9th memo into the record, per the request of City Manager Zapata.
The Committee members made comments and asked questions. Through discussion, the Committee made the following recommendations on the selection process and criteria:
- Limit the selection to the top two of the candidates, not counting the one selected for the first dispensary
- Adjust the applications fees respective to costs
- Apply more weight to community benefits and maintain at least the same weight for security plan
- Provide more Council involvement, with presentations by the two applicants
- Seek police input in addition to consultant analysis
The Committee did not reach a consensus on requiring a time gap between the opening of the first and second dispensaries. The discussion can continue at a Council meeting.
Committee Recommendation for City Council Consideration
The Committee recommends bringing the selection process for a second cannabis dispensary to the Council for consideration at the second regular meeting in February.
3. PUBLIC COMMENTS
None.
4. COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS
Councilmember Cox expressed appreciation for staff’s work.
5. SCHEDULING OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Councilmember Cox reported that at the next Council meeting she will make a request to schedule an item relating to the County’s Community Choice Energy Committee.
City Manager Zapata suggested adding the word “Heritage” in front of “Tree Ordinance.” The Committee concurred.
6. ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 10:27 a.m.