Minutes for May 14, 2018

Call to Order
1. Chairman Brian Molsberry called to order, the regular meeting of the Mark West Community Advisory Council at 6:00 pm.
2. Roll Call: Members present were: _X_Brian Molsberry, _X_Roni Berg, _X_Pete Lescure, _X_Tim Preston, _X_ Mike Edwards
3. Approval of Minutes: On a motion by Council Vice Chair Berg, and seconded by Councilmember Edwards, minutes of the regular MWCAC meeting, April 9, 2018, were approved. The motion carried on a voice vote (5-0).
Ex parte Communications-None
Public Comments on Non Agenda Items: This time is set aside to receive comments from the public regarding matters of general interest not on the agenda, but related to MWCAC business. Pursuant to the Brown Act, however, the MWCAC cannot consider any issues or take action on any requests during this comment period. Each person is usually granted 3 minutes to speak; time limitations are at the discretion of the Chair.
1. Larkfield resident Rick Hall stated his appreciation for MWCAC for “new digs” (the Learning Center at Mark West School District- our new meeting place)
2. Larkfield resident Shelley Ramsey requests that Transportation & Public Works present on a possible traffic light on Mark West Springs Road, at Pacific Heights/Brighton Drives.
Correspondence-None
Council Member Announcements and Disclosures: Information only-None
Referrals from PRMD: These were addressed in the discussion section
1. Mockingbird Ranch, a proposed 35 lot Subdivision, 5050 Old Redwood Highway.
  Dana Burwell, property owner asked to be on an agenda. Not a referral from PRMD. It was submitted to the County in 2008. The proposed site plan was updated in 2017.
2. File No. MNS18-0003, 1100 Wikiup Dr.
Presentations: Referrals from Sonoma county PRMD: ACTION ITEM
Before each presentation Councilmember Preston announced that if either of these presentations resulted in any action by the Council, he would have to recuse himself, as he is a resident in the areas they will be talking about.
1. Brad Sherwood, Sonoma County Water Agency, spoke about adding sewers to Larkfield Estates. The water agency is proposing to the Board of Supervisors that during the rebuild process, the Larfield Estates and other neighbors have the opportunity to connect to the Airport/Larkfield/Wikiup Sanitation Zone.
  
  It would be a voluntary, not mandatory program. (1)
  
  They will be taking it to the Board of Supervisors at their public meeting on June 5.
  
  There will be no interest accrued or payments required until 2030. It will actually be based on design and construction. There are three separate charges involved: Service Connection, Design and Construction, and an Annual Service Charge, about $940 for 2019-19 (adjusted annually by estimated 4%). The overall proposed cost would be about $7.5 to $8 million dollars at an estimation of $45,000 per cost of each system.
  
  Property owners would be provided with a 20-year, 2.5% interest assumable loan, starting in year 2030. Loan payments would be about $2,750 per year from year 2030 to 2050
  
  Connection fees ($12,023) owed to the ALWSZ are due at the time of occupancy. ALWSZ is proposing to provide 20 year, 2% interest assumable loans for property owners impacted by the fire. Loan payments would be about $750 per year from year 2020 to 2040.
  
  If the Board of Supervisors approves it, it will go out for design, get approval for financing and hopefully be completed by the end of 2019.
  
  Sonoma County is going to be allowing for temporary holding tank permits on properties that will be occupied prior to the system completion.
  
  Approximately 60 residents have shown interest in connecting to sewer with more expected as the program officially rolls out. There are about 140 homes in the area.
  
  The cost will be higher for those residents who choose to hook up at a later date. The county cannot stub-out (the sewer service extension to the property line connection) for those that choose not to be served. That would be a notice of service and they cannot give a notice of service for those who opt out. Therefore if they elect to have service at a later date, they would incur the cost of those individual stub-outs.
  
  Contact Sophie.Porcelli@scwa.ca.gov or (707)524-6430 for more information.
  
  All were invited to a tour of “poop scoop”. Free public tours of the Russian River County Sanitation District and the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District.
  
  Tour registration is required. To learn more and to register, please visit http://www.sonomacountywater.org/tours. Registration will be confirmed via email. Children must be 12 years old to attend a tour and must be accompanied by an adult.
  
  Answers to Council Questions: The proposal is in keeping with the state requirements. Everyone on septic will have to meet those requirements. The down side is that the price will be added to their property tax bills, allow for higher density building but zoning won’t allow it. There’s plenty of capacity. The county will not reassess homes unless they are larger.
2. The program is available to all the burned houses in the Larkfield without sewer service. Homeowners will pay the connection fee at time of occupancy, not time of hook up. 2) Jennifer Gray Thompson, Executive Director of REBUILD NORTHBAY FOUNDATION Rebuild Northbay Foundation (RBNF) was born out of fires on October 13th, about four days into the disaster. Founder Darius Anderson gathered top leaders across multiple sectors – private, public and nonprofit – who came together to deal with the immediate devastation. Anderson’s vision was to create a long-term organization to deal with the immense needs of rebuilding the north bay region.
  
  Jennifer Gray Thompson became executive director in early January of 2018. RNBF tasked Gray Thompson with clarifying the organization’s vision, mission, and focus to enable the region to rebuild better, safer, greener, and faster. RNBF advocates for better housing stock, the ability to address previous housing challenges, including affordability and availability. They insist that the homes have to be good, not just fast. Keep the price the same but build them better. RNBF is working to increase the number of energy efficient homes and supports incentivizing greener builds through rebate program such as provided by PG&E and Sonoma Clean Power.
  
  RNBF has three main areas of concentration: advocacy, coordination, and economic/workforce development. They represent four counties covering the fire affected region: Sonoma, Napa, Lake, and Mendocino. Their first delegation went to DC in January. They were one part of the reason the region received a 90 percent reimbursement, from the federal government, to cover fire related costs and recovery. They were the fire areas’ top lobbyists in the state and wanted to leverage all they had. They went for better reimbursements and better meeting of needs.
  
  For the moment, the bulk of their time is spent on coordination. They begin with the question, “What do people need and how can they help?” Coordination is a big need. Now the focus is recovery. RNBF represents the private sector. They were successful in securing the funding for Coffey Park walls. The goal is to always meet unmet needs, like fences, for people who have lots, joined by a common wall that burned.
  
  Rebuild Northbay Foundation is hoping to get another 2-300 volunteers for the fence project in Larkfield and Mark West Estates. This may be possible through the MWCAC. With the planning of neighborhood fencing they needed an attorney. Martin Hirsch of Less Perry, LLP Attorney at Law, is now helping on Coffee Park and Mark West, Pro Bono.
  
  Berry Friedman and his vendors are donating material and Sonoma County Habitat For Humanity is working with them, on the fence-building project.
  
  Nor Cal Ford is going to film it for a commercial, making it a symbol for everyone. They are also working on a digital online portal, “Rebuild Connect.” It should take about five months to build. You will be able to make your own portal, which will be very interactive. It will be hosting all the rebuild info in one place.
  
  They really want to have it up and active before the week of the anniversary of the fire. (3)
  
  Work Force and Economic departments are working on a program to teach people to build greener, focusing on getting people here, to teach skills to build greener, such as permeable driveways.
  
  Answers to questions from Council: Building sound walls is very expensive and would have to pass thru County Design Review.
  
  Doing something about kids safely walking down Mark West where the sidewalk stops and there is no save place to walk is a Supervisor Gore question. It is out of the scope of the Rebuild Northbay Foundation.
Subcommittee Reports and Following Discussions
1. Franchise Fee Monies:
  1. Council Vice Chair Berg presented the “Neighborhood Improvement Funding Program”. She explained that it comes with an application and a fillable PDF of the Application on line.
    
    She explained the history of the Franchise Fees and the Application packet to new people in the room. The application will be live on website.
  2. Traffic and Transportation & Public Works (TPW), of the “Request for Old Redwood Hwy Speed Limit Reduction”. He explained that the speed limit request is for both pedestrian and vehicular safety. TPW Director, Johannes Hoevertz came to the meeting to explain the denial. The request was for the portion between Mark West School, at Lavell Road and Mark West Springs Road. He said that the speed limit is controlled by California Law, which dictates that the speed limit be set at the 85’th percentile of the speeds measured by a speed study. That portion of Old Redwood Highway (ORH) is a minor arterial (MiA) and is four lanes across. It is meant to convey significant traffic and therefore the posted speed (derived from a traffic study) is justified, from an engineering standpoint. He stated his opinion that a study would indicate it is prudent and safe.
    
    CHP can only enforce speed limits set by law.
    
    There are three ways to control speeding: Engineering (Signals and other controls), Enforcement (CHP), and Education (temporary feed back signs). He is aware that there is a risk at the Molsberry crosswalk. There is money in the budget to install a high intensity, ladder light cross walk, with flashing lights. The budget will be approved June 30; then design and build. Hopefully it will be done before October.
    
    Councilmember Lescure presented his report stating it met other criteria giving ample reasons to reduce speed. He suggested they read it and do their own study on these criteria. They would see that this section of ORH meets the criteria for speed reduction. He said, due to commercial or residential, this portion can be reduced. (4)
    
    Discussion followed about all the reasons it is so dangerous on ORH.
    
    Larkfeld resident, Rick Hall presented a hand-drawn map between Lavell and Mark West Springs Roads (.8 mile), showing 11 intersecting streets, one marked crosswalk, 35 driveways, zero traffic lights or stop signs and a 35 mile per hour speed limit. He did applaud the installation of the traffic lights. His point was to do the work now in support of the future. This area will have more pedestrians, not less.
    
    Jen Mendoza, assistant to Supervisor Gore said that she thought this section of the road is on another plan for 2019. She will follow up on that. Larkfield resident Mike Holdner suggested taking it back to two lanes with a center lane for turning. It would match both ends of the section and automatically slow down the traffic. He further suggested the outer lanes should be converted to parking. Director Hoevertz suggested Councilmember Lescure meet with TPW Engineer, Chet Jamgochian. Councilmember Edwards will also attend the meeting with Jamgochian.
Discussion Items: ACTION ITEMS – Action if indicated
1. Mockingbird Ranch, a proposed 35-lot Subdivision, 5050 Old Redwood Highway. It was submitted to the County in 2008. An updated proposed site plan was updated in 2017. 2. File No. MNS18-0003, 1100 Wikiup Dr. Council chose to put both these items on June’s agenda. They also agreed to add Amy Lyle, Airport Area Specific Plan and Jim Dickey for an opinion opposing adding sewer access to Larkfield Estates. Council Vice Chair Berg would like to have a representative from CA Human Development present to us specifically on the Fulton Day labor, with the possibility to show the labor available to the rebuild. Council suggested putting it on the July agenda.
Adjournment: ACTION ITEM There being no other Council business to discuss the meeting was adjourned at 7:36 pm.