TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Stephanie Katsouleas, Public Works Director
Mark Leyman, Park and Recreation Director
SUBJECT:Title
Consider a Request by Councilmember Napolitano and Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery to Discuss Options for a Historical Museum Facility (Public Works Director Katsouleas and Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction regarding the request by Councilmembers Napolitano and Montgomery to provide options for a Historical Museum facility, including possibly redirecting $200,000 previously allocated for the existing Red House maintenance to a new facility.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
Pursuant to the Brown Act, the City Council cannot discuss items not on an agenda unless under limited circumstances. The City Council has developed a process to allow individual Councilmembers to request, with the support of another Councilmember, that items be placed on a future agenda for City Council discussion. At that future meeting, the item is identified on the agenda in full compliance with the Brown Act. Discussion allows an opportunity to the public to provide input and the City Council, as a body, to decide whether City resources (staff time, etc.) should be incurred to present a more comprehensive report at a third City Council meeting.
Accordingly, individual Councilmembers can initiate future agenda items by following the following three-step process:
STEP ONE:
On October 15, 2019, Councilmembers Napolitano and Montgomery requested to discuss options for a Historical Museum Facility.
STEP TWO:
The item is placed on the agenda at the section titled, “City Council Requests and Reports Including AB 1234 Reports” at the end of the agenda with this report. If it does not require any staff time, there may be attachments (e.g., copies of ordinances, resolutions, contracts, etc. previously adopted or approved) to provide background or context. After discussion, the City Council has the following options:
a) Receive and File the report.
b) Direct staff to perform the necessary work to prepare a more comprehensive staff report and schedule the item for a future City Council meeting.
c) Continue the item to a future date.
STEP THREE:
If City Council chooses option b) in Step Two above, the item is placed on a future City Council meeting agenda for action.
DISCUSSION:
As part of the 2019-2024 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget adoption process, City Council allocated $200,000 toward maintenance and repair of the City’s historic Red House (museum) located at Polliwog park. Shortly thereafter, staff conducted an assessment of the current state and maintenance needs of the Red House. The assessment revealed that a substantial amount of work is needed to both protect and restore the facility back to a safe and fully functioning museum. However, much of that work will trigger the need for the facility to comply with the Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, which will be both expensive and alter the interior character of the museum (e.g., relocating walls to achieve accessible hallways and doors). Such work will significantly exceed the budget that was allocated.
Given these findings, during the October 15, 2019 City Council Meeting, Councilmembers Napolitano and Montgomery requested that this item be placed on the agenda for further discussion and that consideration be given to establish a new facility to house the museum’s collection for public viewing. Upon City Council consensus and direction, staff will undertake efforts to research this topic and return to the City Council at a future meeting with more information.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction regarding the request by Councilmembers Napolitano and Montgomery to discuss options for a Historical Museum Facility at a future City Council meeting.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.