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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - April 7, 2010 Public CommentsContinued Apri17,2010 Aooropriatina Funds ($270.000) (PW) Adopted Resolution No. 2010-38 awarding contract for DeBenedetti Park- Electrical Improvements, 2350 South Lower Sacramento Road, to Angelo Utilities, of Sacramento, in the amount of $223,025, and appropriating funds in the amount of $270,000. D-9 Adopt Resolution Awardinu Contract for Lodi GrapeLine Bus Ston Imorovements to Mo/Jas Construction Company, of Stockton ($35.314) (PW) Adopted Resolution No. 2010-39 awarding contract for Lodi GrapeLine bus stop improvements to Mo/Jas Construction Company, of Stockton, in the amount of $35,314. D-10 Adoot Resolution Aporovinu GrapeLine Fixed Route Senior/Disabled/Medicare Fare (PW) Adopted Resolution No. 2010-40 approving GrapeLine Fixed Route Senior/Disabled/Medicare Fare. E. Comments by the Public on Non-Auenda Items THE TIME ALLOWED PER NON -AGENDA ITEM FOR COMMENTS MADE BY THE PUBLIC IS LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES. The City Council cannot deliberate or take any action on a non -agenda item unless there is factual evidence presented to the City Council indicating that the subject brought up by the public does fall into one of the exceptions under Government Code Section 54954.2 in that (a) there is an emeruencv situation, or (b) the need to take action on the item arose subseauentto the agenda's beina posted. Unless the City Council is presented with this factual evidence. the City Council will refer the matter for review and placement on a future City Council agenda. Kari Chadwick spoke in regard to March for California's Future and the path of the march toward Sacramento with a stop in Lodi. Ms. Chadwick encouraged attendance at the Lodi Rally at Hutchins Street Square on April 13,2010, at 5:30 p.m. Stacey Ramsey, representing his securityfirm, spoke in regard to loitering and vandalizing in the downtown area and offered volunteer services to assistwith this challenge. Diane Sulton, a business owner in downtown, spoke in regard to the growing problemwith loitering and vandalism in the downtown area. Suzanne Houck, a business owner in downtown, spoke in regard to the growing problem with loitering and vandalism in the downtown area. Ralph Lee spoke in regard to his concern about the lack of parking nearthe Department of Motor Vehicle building in the City and the process associated with ticketing. F. Comments by the City Council Members on Non -Agenda Items Council Member Hansen reported on his attendance at the San Joaquin Council of Governments meeting and budget for the same. G. Comments by the City Manaaer on Non -A : en a Items City Manager King stated staff will follow up with a community meeting regarding concerns about Elm Street. He also stated parking on the bridge nearthe Departmentof Motor Vehicles (DMV) facility is prohibited and the City does not benefitfrom tickets issued for State Code violations. In responseto Council Member Hansen, Mr. King stated DMV is proceedingwith the relocationto 3 AT&T Yahoo! Notepad - rehouck@sbcglobal.net x,11001. Notepad :2 4/7110 Folder: Unfiled Last Modified: 4/7/107:23 pm 4/7110 Studio 20 Fine Art Gallery 20 W. Elm Street Lodi, CA 95240 To whom this concerns: http://notepad.mail.yahoo.com/YYY,e6fa53/srt,0/?v=177&i=1&pv=161 Close Window Since working to open our art gallery and art studio at 20 West Elm St. in December 2009 and for the last 3 plus months that we have been open, here is a list of some of the things that are in need of being dealt with: First, our business is one door down from the corner of School St. and W. Elm st., between School and Sacramento St. We are 1/2 block from the main parking garage and across the street from another outdoor parking area, next to the Saigon Grill. We are 11/2 blocks for the police department. Our street is completely inlaid with brick and a sun design in the middle, and is possibly the most beautiful street downtown. There are beautiful trees on both sides and we have our own custom designed street lights. At the outset, there is great potential for this street as one of two streets (Pine Street being the other) to be the gateway to the downtown, with an inviting atmosphere. However, this is not the way this area is treated or has been treated, as we have observed from the onset. Instead, our business and all those around us, have been greatly hampered and crippled by our street being a home to the homeless and destitute who camp on all the benches on the north side of the street and the white, young -adult and teenage punks that hang out on the other side of the street and in the alley, who go by the tag of LWC (Lodi White Clowns). The punk kids are the most destructive of property and have damaged the flower bed in our store front several times, they have scratched our storefront window with their keys , which we use for advertising and promotion 24/7, they have scratched the paint off our entry rail, and they have yelled obscenities into our gallery. Furthermorethey broke off one of our side -view mirrors on our mini van which was parked in the private, paid parking area behind our gallery in the alley. Both the drunks and the punks urinate on and around all our cars in the alley and we've even seen one doing it first hand. The punks have defaced and marked with graffiti and with knives the benches, street lights, and lamp posts. They litter and and leave all their trash everywhere, including in front of our studio. They also are extremely boisterous and rowdy and are often obscene in their language and actions, where we have witnessed numerous times sexual innuendos and profane and disrespectful behavior to and in front of all passersby. If we had any inclination of the magnitude of these problems, we would never have opened our studio there. Just a couple weeks ago, Abraham printing had a window smashed on her car, as well. Lodi advertises as having a beautiful downtown and hope to attract tourism in a signature wine region. Being an art gallery, we are also a tourist attraction, as are the many boutique businesses and restaurants downtown. Because these groups of people are intimidating and harassing passersby and merchants and disrupting the comfort and enjoyment in the area and free flow of commerce from and to the parking areas, these people have become public nuisances, according to the California Civil Code 3479. We and other merchants in the area, 1 of2 4/7/2010 5:21 PM AT&T Yahoo! Notepad - rehouck@sbcglobal.net http://notepad.mail.yahoo.com/YYY,e6fa53/sMO/?v=177&i=1 &pv=16I including the city itself, cannot operate our businesses and prosper with the current situation of drunks and punks, who need to be abated from the area immediately. I repeat, immediately they need to be abated. Even under the best of circumstances, these is still a difficult time to make it as a business anywhere. Lodi needs to back up its written stance of promoting downtown with proper actions and attitudes of support. We have some simple and inexpensive solutions to abate the transients and destitute and punks from our street and the downtown area. First, remove all the benches on our block (east of School Street), and place some benches in or around the salvation Army, where I don't see any benches. This more than anything else will deter them, as they are the only ones using them 98% of the time. Second, put up a few web -cams, one at the parking lot entrance, one on the comer of the alley and one behind our building in the alley, and one or more in a few other strategic locations. Then broadcast them 24/7 on the web --where the police department can also observe them. Third, place a slightly larger kiosk at the end of the parking lot that is styled like the others downtown, and make it an information both that could be manned by volunteers on the weekends. This is is like something I encountered in Vancouver, BC, at the end of a downtown parking area. Fourth, Make sure all the lights are working and repaired (two more have gone out since we moved in—now there's 4 out). Also, turn the overhead lights on at night, especially on the weekends. Fifth, place some hanging flower baskets on the light posts. If you want to promote and build an inviting image of downtown, then it starts with the entry into the area and the right attitude towards the merchants and patrons. Could you imagine walking into Disneyland on Main Street only to be greeted by transients, drunks, beggars, and punk gangs hanging out.? Of course not, because Disneyland puts the welcome mat out in an inviting atmosphere, or they would be out of business. Why would we want to do anything less in Lodi? The bricks and inlay on our street block alone cost millions, and I have no idea what the parking garage, lights and trees cost, but its in the multi -millions of dollars. Let's stop treating our block like its just the doormat to skid row, and instead, treat it like its a welcome mat to Disneyland, instead. Let's stop catering to the transients, drunks and punks and start building an attitude that promotes businesses and patrons in a healthy and safe environment for everyone to enjoy. Lets back up our words with constructive actions that will lead to prosperity and enjoyment downtown rather than adding to the stress and torment that permeates the current situation--wherewe struggle to survive in a hostile business environment, just a across the street from the theater, downtown --the main attraction of the downtown. Thank You, Ron and Suzanne Houck Owners of Studio 20 Print Date: Apr 812:14am Copyright© 2010 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2 of2 4/7/2010 5:21 PM