Fillmore council approves paying for gate at high school track

The Fillmore City Council voted Tuesday to fund a key-controlled gate at the Fillmore High School track despite warnings from City Manager Yvonne Quiring about the city's financial future.

Led by recently appointed Councilman Eduardo Gonzalez, the council voted 4-1 to approve the gate. Mayor Gayle Washburn dissented.

"I move to approve for payment on the gate so we can move forward to bigger issues we need to face," Gonzalez said.

The gate is expected to cost about $7,000.

"I think everybody would like to see the gate going in. The challenge is that we're looking at laying off staff and other cutbacks," Quiring said.

The city is facing a $1.4 million shortfall in next year's budget, having cut $2.6 million during the past two years.

Gonzalez and Councilman Steve Conaway expressed optimism that civic groups will be able to raise some of the money after the gate is installed to reimburse the city.

Runners and others who use the track will be able to gain access by paying $25 a year to use the key-card gate, which will be on the west side of the facility.

Washburn objected to funding the gate, saying the council had recently denied a request by the senior center for a special door that would be accessible to those with disabilities. She said that project was paid for after women's groups organized bake sales and other events.

"I think with the installation of the gate, we will be able to get donations," Conaway said. "Walking is beneficial. I'm glad the motion's on the table. It makes sense, and we will be able to recoup our costs."

Community Development Director Kevin McSweeney gave the council a report on three projects city staff members have been addressing. McSweeney said he and others in the Planning Department have streamlined permitting process, especially for small projects such as room additions, patio covers and remodeling. The streamlined process will reduce the time for a permit for such projects from two to three weeks to a day.

Other permitting changes include having general weekly meetings overseeing the development application review process so that fire, police, planning, engineering and building department representatives can get together and review development applications, certificates of occupancy, business licenses and other use applications. That will mean that all concerns can be aired at one time.

McSweeney also discussed signs, especially along Highway 126. Washburn and others on the council said they would like to accommodate retail businesses without creating visual blight. During talk about what to do with the unfilled sign frames along the highway. City Attorney Theodore Schneider said a sign is considered abandoned after six months, which means that if it is an old sign, it loses its nonconforming status and should be scheduled to be torn down.

The third topic McSweeney raised was the one-third retail requirement for the downtown business core. The requirement is a part of the Downtown Specific Plan adopted in 1994 and amended in 2001. The goal was to create a "lively pedestrian shopping district" in the downtown area. McSweeney questioned whether requirements that "only retail commercial businesses shall be allowed within the front one-third of the ground floor for structures fronting on streets in the core area" and other stipulations were effective. He said he wanted to get feedback from downtown merchants about the retail and sign issues before coming back to the council in late March with final recommendations. The recommendations could include changes in zoning ordinances.