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minutes indexThis data is provided by the Agua Dulce Town Council and published without editorial Comment
7:37pm President Jim O'Keefe called the meeting to order. All Town Council members were present except Julianne Feuerhelm and Lianne Swanson.
NOTE: Nolan Henderson informed the Town Council that he would be out of town on August
28, 1996, the next scheduled Town Council meeting.
OPEN FORUM:
1. Dick Tracy requested information from Town Council member Dennis Dee regarding the modular home that is being set up at 11800 Sierra Highway, adjacent to Mint Canyon Road. Dennis said that he would investigate.
2. Dick Tracy reports that he has been attending Country Fair meetings and that too much money is being spent on "permits" required because of "spite" complaints, and that the money collected at these community events should be spent in the community, not in paying County "fees". Tana Lampton reiterated the importance of Julianne Feuerhelm's committee on large outdoor events and the timely completion of the committee's task.
3. Howard Carlip reported that he was removed from the Water Committee and suggested that the vote to remove him was tainted by [1] a vote of Frank Newcomb, whom Howard claims is a non-resident of Agua Dulce, and [2] that the vote was "engineered" to oust him because many members of the Water Committee were not contacted about the meeting. Howard presented the Town Council with a Thomas Guide map showing the boundaries of the Town Council "area of representation" that indicated that Frank Newcomb did not reside within the area of representation. Geri Dee read paragraph 6 of Article 15 of the By-Laws that states that residence within the area of representation is required for membership on a committee.
Nolan Henderson reviewed the documents and indicated that Frank Newcomb cannot be a member of the Water Committee with voting privileges because he does not live within the Town Council area of representation. However, any Committee Chair has the discretion to include anyone in meetings who can be of service to the community. After discussion, consensus was reached on both of these points by Town Council members.
Tana Lampton informed the Town Council and the Water Committee that she is no longer available to notify Water Committee members regarding meetings.
Jack Wyle reported that he had not attended a number of water committee meetings because he was not notified, and he also had not seen any minutes from these meetings. Jack was concerned that he and other members of the committee would be dropped from the committee because they were not regularly attending these meetings. Jack wants all active members of the water committee informed of future meetings. Geri informed him that this notification to all members would be done in the future.
Further discussion involved the concept of either enlarging the area of representation to include those residents who have legal residence in Agua Dulce but live outside of the area of representation, or by changing the By-Laws to accommodate these residents. These issues are referred to the By-Law committee for review and recommendations.
Howard Carlip requested another vote on his membership when all active members of the water committee are present.
4. Rick Curtis reports that there seems to be a proliferation of telecommunication towers being erected along the Antelope Freeway. He requested that the Town Council take a position against further towers being erected in Agua Dulce. Vinney Lampton reminded the Town Council that these towers are only 20 feet tall, are painted to blend into the background, are landscaped to minimize their visual impact, and are erected in areas where no will see them from their homes. The issue was referred to the Land Uses Committee.
5. Ira Feldman, per a request from Dennis Dee, distributed copies from his archives regarding the Environmental Reports on the SOS Site Clean-up, and some manufacturer data on an Aerobic Home WasteWater Treatment system.
Ira also reported that the Four-Square Church of Agua Dulce was holding an Open House at his barn (11727 Mint Canyon Road) at 12:30 pm on Sunday, August 18, 1996. Ira and the Church have applied for a Conditional Use Permit ( CUP # CP95175) to hold Church activities at his property. A Regional Planning hearing is scheduled for 10/16/96.
6. Art Brewer invited the members of the Town Council to a walking tour of most of Vasquez Park to view the rock art, on a date to be arranged. Art indicated that some of the Park is off-limits because of Native American sensitivities to the religious significance of the rock art.
7. Dennis Dee informed the Town Council that the Left Turn lane on Sierra Highway at Agua Dulce Canyon Road was completed and that the County continued to work on the passing lane improvements on eastbound Sierra Highway from Mint Canyon Road to the top of the hill.
8. Art Brewer requests that the Town Council write a letter in support of renewing the
funding for Sheriff's Deputy Bill Phelton's position with the County Crime Task Force in
Agua Dulce. Consensus was to write the letter.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. WATER COMMITTEE UPDATE: Lillian Smith reports that she has been in contact with Wendy Phillips (Staff of CWQRB), and that Ms. Phillips insists that some language that she considers offensive be removed from both the Preamble to the mitigation plan and the proposed language in the Request for Proposals. Lillian reported that Wendy wants the Town Council to accept the UC Riverside report on its face.
There was a lively discussion about the merits of further changes in the language of the mitigation plan. Dennis Dee stated that since the Town Council submitted the mitigation plan to the State, Wendy Phillips has "nickeled and dimed" the Town Council on the language of the plan to the point that the plan should be renamed the Wendy Phillips Mitigation Plan. Dennis stated that it is his opinion that these word changes represent State staff's attempt to deflect criticism for having spent $230,000.00 on a defective water study. Further, Dennis stated that we will "give away the farm" to the State in any future legal actions by acquiescing to these demands to change the language already approved by the Town Council. Rick Curtis stated that the community is "rock-solid" against infrastructure and that the community thinks the UC Riverside water study is not valid. Geri Dee disagreed and stated that the Water Committee could "soften" the language and still protect our future rights. Other members of the audience made their opinions known on both sides of this issue.
Geri Dee MOVED, second by Jim O'Keefe, that the Water Committee be directed to reword the Preamble and the proposed Request For Proposals letter to remove offensive, "fighting" words, and submit the new language to the Town Council for approval.
VOTE: 3 ayes, 2 nays (Dennis Dee and Tana Lampton).
After discussion, the next meeting of the Water Committee was scheduled at the Women's Club building at 7:30 pm on August 19, 1996. Lillian Smith reports that she met with the Senior's Club who are concerned with the impact of infrastructure on the community. They contributed $200.00 to the Water Committee. Lillian Smith reports that JoAnne Darcy volunteered to facilitate a series of meetings between the Town Council and Mike Antonovich's office and other County departments.
There followed a lengthy discussion over the appropriateness of paying the engineering bills incurred regarding the UC Riverside report. Bernice Cressy reported that Ken Schmitt's bill had been paid in full. Nolan Henderson MOVED, seconded by Jim O'Keefe, that the Water Committee be directed to pay Allen Seward's bill. VOTE: 5 aye, 0 nay.
2. FILM COMMITTEE UPDATE: Dick Tracy reports that there continue to be many movies shot in the community, but that he has received few complaints. Dick reports that many times the films begin shooting before he gets a copy of the permit from the County.
3. PARLIAMENTARIAN: A position of Parliamentarian was suggested so that one person could be in a position to remind the Town Council and the audience of various provisions of the Charter, By-Laws, Robert's Rules of Order, and various motions previously voted and passed by the Town Council. This person would be an expert on procedures. After discussion, this item was tabled for discussion later in the year.
4. VOSS ST. CARETAKER MOBILEHOME CUP: There was a discussion about whether the Town Council wished to change its position in opposition to this CUP. The consensus was NO because [1] there was already another residence on the property, [2] the Community Standards District mandates 1 house per 2½ acres, and [3] the residence will require another septic system when the CWQRB identifies septic systems as a contributor to the nitrate situation in the Sierra Pelona Drainage Basin. Art Brewer reported that the issue may be moot because the relative who intended to use the mobilehome passed away.
5. PARKS COMMITTEE: Tana Lampton distributed and then read a memo FAXed to Art Brewer that requested copies of his correspondence to the County regarding the proposed Interpretive Nature Center Building at Vasquez Rocks County Park. Art had requested at a prior Town Council meeting (July 10th) a Letter of Support be written before a August 1st deadline on a Grant application.
Art was asked for more information regarding the building and grant applications prior to writing the Letter of Support. Art did not turn over any of the requested correspondence. Art then began to read part of the Town Council Letter of Introduction to County Parks and Recreation along with comments about Tana's performance on the Town Council and asserted that she was going to be removed from membership with the Vasquez Rocks Nature Center Associates.
Dennis Dee interrupted Art's reading of the letter to remind everyone that complaints
against a Council member, per the By-Laws, must be first made in private to the Town
Council President and can only be made public with the accused Council member's
permission. Art then asked that the Introductory Letter be rewritten to remove any
references to him. Jim O'Keefe reported that Art had telephoned him and rescinded his
request for the Letter of Support "a week ago Sunday" (August 4th), and that Jim
had not relayed this information to Tana. Tana was upset because she had continued to work
at gathering information as part of her duties as Park's Committee Chairperson and because
her Committee members had taken time from work to attend these special meetings.
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Regional Planning: 4 different permits on telecommunication towers.
Regional Planning: Voss Street Caretaker CUP
Regional Planning: FourSquare Church/Feldman CUP
Regional Planning: on-line at http://planning.co.la.ca.us.
Regional Planning: Permit for Valley Sage Partners (Pratty Property) renewed to May 18, 1997. (Tentative Tract Map No. 50385 - (5).
2. Letter from the US Postal Service that mail service to the Post Office Boxes at the Century 21 location is still in negotiation but service there will continue until September 1, 1996. Geri Dee asked if the Town Council was still in agreement about a joint purchase of a Cluster Box at the Women's Club. The Cluster Box should pay for itself in a few years and be available to Community Organizations 24 hours a day. Consensus was to pursue this issue due to uncertainty.
3. Letters from City of Palmdale complaining of derogatory articles in the LA Times.
4. Letter from the Castaic Town Council requesting copies of our charter and by-laws.
5. An anonymous letter and map alleging an illegal residence and non-conforming septic leach field on Barber Road. It was MOVED and seconded that the Secretary, Dennis Dee, forward all such anonymous letters to Supervisor Mike Antonovich with a cover letter asking that these letters be forwarded to the appropriate agencies and asking for a response. VOTE: 5 ayes, 0 nays.
TREASURER'S REPORT: Geri Dee reports a beginning balance of: $ 3,009.70
deposits: 198.00
expenses: 974.84
ending balance as of 8/14/96: $2,232,86
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
1. Motion by Nolan Henderson, second by Jim O'Keefe, to approve the minutes of 5/22/96. VOTE: 5 ayes, 0 nays.
2. Motion by Geri Dee, second by Jim O'Keefe, to approve the minutes of 6/12/96. VOTE: 5 ayes, 0 nays.
3. Motion by Geri Dee, second by Jim O'Keefe, to approve the minutes of 6/26/96. VOTE:
4 ayes, o nays, 1 abstain (Henderson)
AGENDA: Water Committee update
2nd reading of Resolutions
Treasurer's Report
ADJOURNMENT: 11:10 pm
Respectfully submitted, Dennis C. Dee
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