The Davis City Council will meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers at 23 Russell Blvd. The following are descriptions of selected agenda items the council will discuss at the meeting.
Consideration of downtown rezoning
City staff believes five parcels downtown, currently occupied by a Davis fire station and Davis Community Church, should be rezoned to match existing public uses, according to a report prepared by community development director Katherine Hess.
Several nonprofit operations serving the homeless population exist at the site in Downtown Davis, including the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter and a house used by Davis Community Meals for transitional housing and shelter during cold weather.
“While these organizations provide important community services, there have also been concerns related to their spillover effect on adjacent Central Park and residential neighborhoods,” said the staff report. “The key concerns include disturbances of the peace, property vandalism, as well as public health and safety-related matters.“
City staff members are also requesting that the council adopt an urgency ordinance “in order to prevent new or expanded uses that might conflict with the contemplated zoning and pose a threat to the public health, safety and welfare.“
New Harmony affordable housing project
The applicants for New Harmony, an affordable housing development in South Davis, are appealing the Planning Commission decision that denied their application. The 68-unit development was denied because of its proximity to Interstate 80 and the potential health impact that proximity could have on children’s lungs.
City Council will have two options. They can either deny the project or commission an Environmental Impact Report to further investigate the impacts of the project. The staff recommendation is to commission an EIR.
Advisory commission appointments
Most advisory commission appointments were made at the City Council meeting on Oct. 7, but three commissions require runoff vote counts, according to a report prepared by deputy city clerk Zoe Mirabile. A runoff vote will be held between Jonathon Howard and Ryan Sharp for the City/UCD Student Liaison Commission to select one member for a four-year term appointment.
Runoff votes will also be held for the Civic Arts Commission, between Steve Bonnel and Nikhil Joshi. Additionally, a runoff vote will be held for the Natural Resources Commission between Carolyn Hinshaw, Mark Lubell, Charles Madison, John Mitchell and Alan Pryor.
Employee compensation workshop
Assistant city manager Paul Navazio will give a presentation on the topic of employee compensation. The presentation will include an overview of the city’s compensation package, comparisons to other cities and public agencies and discussion of the city’s policies regarding compensation.
This workshop was requested by City Council in order to prepare for upcoming negotiations with city employee bargaining groups, such as the police union and firefighters‘ union. Part of the goal is to help the public understand the city’s compensation structure, according to a report prepared by Navazio.
JEREMY OGUL can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.
