1998/12/02CITY OF ANAHEIM, SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL
MEETING, DECEMBER 2, 1998
Special Meeting of the Anaheim City Council held December 2, 1998
Present:Shirley McCracken, Mayor Pro Tem
Lucille Kring, Council Member
Frank Feldhaus Council Member
Jim Ruth, City Manager
Dave Morgan, Assistant City Manager
Tom Wood, Deputy City Manager
Jack White, City Attorney
Lee Sohl, City Clerk
Randy Gaston, Police Chief
Ed Aghjayan, Utilities General Manager
Roger Smith, Fire Operations Division Chief
Kris Thalman, IGR Manager
Guest: Assemblyman-Elect Lou Correa
Mayor Pro Tem McCracken called the meeting to order at 3:20 p.m. in Conference Room No. 2
of the City Manager’s Office, 7th Floor, City Hall. The Notice of Special Meeting was delivered
and faxed between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. on December 1, 1998.
The Special Meeting was called to meet with Assemblyman-Elect Lou Correa to discuss local
issues.
City Manager Ruth welcomed Mr. Correa, and gave a brief overview of state-wide issues which
are of particular interest to Anaheim, including funding for infrastructure improvements; the
COPS program; legislation concerning shopping carts; and the fact that Anaheim has it own 104
year old utility and are now moving through deregulation. Legislation relating to possessory
interest taxes on events at the Convention Center is very important to Anaheim, as we have a
large and successful center, presently expanding. There is a lot of support among cities with
Convention Centers, for change to the possessory interest tax legislation, which will impede and
not improve the local economy. Telecommunications is important to Anaheim, especially since
there is legislation which takes away local authority and control.
Mr. Ruth advised that Kris Thalman and Phil Tsunoda from his office are the liaison persons
covering legislation for the City of Anaheim.
The City Manager requested that City Council Members add any of their concerns to the
discussion.
Mayor Pro Tem Mc Cracken pointed out that Anaheim has been very active in the work to fund
the Santa Ana River Flood Control Project and that Anaheim would be the city to take the brunt
of any major flood on the Santa Ana River. She noted that the Seven Oaks project is to be
completed in July of next year, but the City still has to worry about the Prado Dam being raised.
Concerning water, Ed Aghjayan noted that the City worked energetically against water legislation
to deal with water transmission and wholesale water movements and rights to aquifers. The City
of Anaheim relies on aquifers and would have had to give up some of its historical rights which
would have affected the quality, cost and quantity of water. The City’s position is that it would
wish to retain its rights pertaining to the aquifers.
Mr. Aghjayan also noted that the City had worked closely on the drafting of AB1890 in
connection with the electric restructuring issue, and the key element for Anaheim is local control.
CITY OF ANAHEIM - SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING,
DECEMBER 2, 1998
Mayor Pro Tem McCracken stated that transportation is also a very important issue in Anaheim.
The City is strongly in favor of the El Toro Airport proposal, but roads and rail transportation are
important as well. Anaheim is very much impacted by the regional transportation issues
because of its location and all it does to keep people and things moving.
Mr. Ruth advised that the City staff has been working on light rail and that OCTA will be bringing
new alignments to the City shortly, which for the first time are responsive to Anaheim’s concerns
for the C-R area.
Roger Smith, Fire Operations Division Chief, stated that his department has concerns and needs
in the area of anti-terrorism. A lot of funding is needed in the areas of training and equipment.
They are doing some things with the D.O.D., but there are other programs which could support
them from the State level.
Randy Gaston, Police Chief listed the following issues as important to law enforcement in
Anaheim: the COPS supplemental law enforcement program; changes to asset forfeiture laws
which limit or take away the ability to take assets and use them against drug trafficking; the
adult entertainment laws, in particular they are hopeful that the “theatre exemption” will be
overturned.
Council Member Kring noted that she is interested in cutting regulations and working to make
California a more business-friendly state.
Council Member Feldhaus stated he would like to reintroduce the subject of enterprise zones
and tourism zones. (A few moments were taken to summarize the efforts to pass such
legislation over the past two years.)
Dave Morgan, Assistant City Manager, introduced the subject of revenue stabilization, and
noting the pattern of the State getting into trouble and then look to local government to solve
their problem -- local government needs some protection. He explained that the City of Anaheim
and County of Orange are donors in the State scheme of things as they do not receive a
proportionate share of their own taxes back.
It was also pointed out that the state level of support for Anaheim schools is important to the City
in many ways. Anaheim works with its school districts and has adjoining parks for recreation
next to schools, but the schools have a heavy burden of students, and are aging structures,
many of them are already year-round schools. Businesses, as well as residents, are interested in
what the schools are like when making a relocation decision.
Mr. Ruth rounded up the discussion, advising that Tom Wood will be working with the IGR team
and the Anaheim City Council to have the City’s legislative agenda in place. This should be
presented to the Council in January of 1999.
Mr. Ruth offered the floor to Assemblyman-Elect Lou Correa, who indicated that he very much
wants to receive input from Anaheim on legislative proposals. He reviewed that he ran for office
on the issues of education, health care, and job creation. He is looking at a proposal to allow
businesses which adopt local schools to receive tax credits. He noted that electric deregulation
is a hot issue, and he is personally interested in the light rail and El Toro issues.
Mr. Correa explained three things he knew will be happening: the 8-hour day will come back; the
minimum wage will go up; and workers compensation will be going up.
Mr. Correa was given a historical pictures arrangement with the City Seal for his office.
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CITY OF ANAHEIM - SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING,
DECEMBER 2, 1998
By general consent the meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
LEONORA N. SOHL
CITY CLERK
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