Packet for 12-15-20 CTAC Meeting
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PUENTE HILLS HABITAT PRESERVATION AUTHORITY CITIZENS TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Endowment Provided by the Puente Hills Landfill December 15, 2020, Tuesday, 7 p.m. LOCATION : To be held via video (Zoom) and telephonically by joining at this address: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87252067431 Meeting ID: 872 5206 7431 - Or - Phone: Dial by your location +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 872 5206 7431, Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keaJUGSBI Karen Chang, Chair County of Los Angeles John Houser County of Los Angeles Gina Natoli County of Los Angeles Shelley Andros Whittier Charles Lawrence Whittier Ray Wong, Vice Chair Whittier Roy Francis La Habra Heights Catherine Houwen La Habra Heights GinaRose Kimball La Habra Heights This meeting is being held pursuant to Section 3 of Executive Order N-29-20 issued by California Governor Gavin Newsom on March 17, 2020. Any or all Committee Members may attend and participate by teleconference meeting. Consistent with mandates of Executive Order No. N-29- 20, a physical location from which members of the public may observe the meeting or offer public comment will not be made available, however viewing and public comment options are provided above. Members of the public may provide electronic comments by Monday, December 14, 2020 by 4pm before the public comment section of the meeting to [email protected]. Please label the email in the subject heading as “Public Comments.” Pursuant to Section 54954 of the Government Code, the Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority (Authority) will hold a regular meeting of the Citizens Technical Advisory Committee (CTAC) at the above time and location for the purpose of: AGENDA I. Call to order. II. Roll call. III. Public comments. IV. Approval of Minutes for the November 17, 2020, Regular Meeting. V. Standing Reports: Page 2 Agenda December 15, 2020 a) Report by Board Liaison on November 19, 2020, Authority Board meeting. b) Report from social media subcommittee. c) Committee Member feedback from the public as it relates to the Habitat Authority. VI. Verbal update and discussion about response to trail, trailhead and parking lot openings and closures in response to the pandemic. VII. Discussion, receive and file October 2020 Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) Ranger Report. VIII. Receive and file end-of-the-year Authority budget reports for fiscal year 2019-2020. IX. Receive and file information about Authority volunteers recognized for their contributions: April Garbat Vaughan, Claudia Alvarez, Tom Merlino and Licha Gonzales. X. Discussion, receive and file half-year update regarding Authority camera study that investigates wildlife and recreational use patterns across the Habitat Authority’s Preserve. XI. Receive and file update regarding new law AB 992 relating to social media and the Brown Act. XII. Discussion, Committee members’ statements, Executive Director’s comments, responses or questions. XIII. Adjournment and announcement of next meeting. The Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority is a public entity established pursuant to the Joint Exercise of Powers Act by agreement between the City of Whittier, Los Angeles County, and Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County. Regular meetings of the Citizens Technical Advisory Committee are scheduled for the Tuesday before the third Thursday of every month. NOTE: 72 hours prior to Citizens Technical Advisory Committee meetings, the entire Citizens Technical Advisory Committee agenda package is available for review, along with any meeting-related writings or documents provided to a majority of the Committee members after distribution of the agenda package, at the Authority’s website, www.habitatauthority.org. Questions about any agenda item can be addressed to Andrea Gullo, Executive Director, 562.945.9003. NOTE: Members of the public may address the Committee on any item shown on the agenda. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, if you require a disability related modification or accommodation to attend or participate in this meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, please call Melissa Miller at the Habitat Authority office 562.945.9003, at least 48 hours prior to this meeting. DRAFT Minutes PUENTE HILLS HABITAT PRESERVATION AUTHORITY CITIZENS TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE November 17, 2020 The regular meeting of the Citizens Technical Advisory Committee was held on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, via video and telephonically. I. CALL TO ORDER. The Chair, Karen Chang, called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. II. ROLL CALL. A roll call was taken, and there was a quorum at this time. Members Present : Shelley Andros Whittier Charles Lawrence Whittier Ray Wong, Vice Chair Whittier Gina Natoli County of Los Angeles John Houser County of Los Angeles Karen Chang , Chair County of Los Angeles Catherine Houwen La Habra Heights Roy Francis La Habra Heights GinaRose Kimball La Habra Heights Members Absent: none Authority Representatives Present: Andrea Gullo, Executive Director Michelle Mariscal, Ecologist Melissa Miller, Administrative Assistant Kenn Hughes, Deputy Chief Ranger, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) Members of the Public Present: Steve Huber, Whittier Audubon III. PUBLIC COMMENTS. Steve Huber stated it’s nice to hear everyone’s voices. DRAFT Minutes November 17, 2020 Page 2 IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE OCTOBER13, 2020, REGULAR MEETING. Member Natoli noted that in item XI of these draft minutes it seems that a word like “research” has been inadvertently omitted from the last line of the discussion record, and Member Houwen confirmed that is the word that should be added. Member Natoli motioned to approve these minutes as just revised by Member Houwen. Member Francis seconded this motion, and the motion passed in a roll call vote, with Member Kimball abstaining. V. STANDING REPORTS: a. REPORT BY BOARD LIAISON ON OCTOBER 15, 2020, AUTHORITY BOARD MEETING . Member Houwen updated the Committee on actions and happenings of the Authority Board of Directors meeting in October. b. REPORT FROM SOCIAL MEDIA SUBCOMMITTEE. Member Andros thanked Executive Director Gullo for her handling of the Authority’s Instragram postings, and she added that the postings of users on the Authority’s Facebook and Twitter accounts are generally positive, with one recent member of the public communicating that she really wants the Hellman Park Trailhead to reopen. Executive Director Gullo thanked Member Andros and April Garbat, a former member of CTAC, for their continuing positively worded posts. c. COMMITTEE MEMBER FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AS IT RELATES TO THE HABITAT AUTHORITY. Chair Chang noted that all public communications from the Authority need to be as transparent as possible, especially as regards any possible community facility district, so as to try to prevent or decrease the spread of inaccurate information. VI. DISCUSSION, RECEIVE AND FILE SEPTEMBER 2020 AND FIRST QUARTERLY 2020-2021 MOUNTAINS RECREATION AND CONSERVATION AUTHORITY (MRCA) RANGER REPORTS. Deputy Chief Ranger Hughes briefly reviewed the information as presented in the reports, noting that there were no calls from the public in September reporting DRAFT Minutes November 17, 2020 Page 3 anyone climbing over the new gate extensions at the Hacienda Hills Trailhead. He added that the “other” category in the rangers’ contacts chart now includes the number of trail users found to not be wearing mask, and that Turnbull Canyon continues to be the trailhead with the worst compliance with that mandate. Member Natoli asked why the number of parking violations in La Habra Heights are higher than in Whittier or Hacienda Heights, and Deputy Chief Ranger Hughes replied that the area near the front gate at Powder Canyon Trailhead is a no-parking zone. Member Kimball asked if the Preserve trails will be closing again due to the current surge in COVID infections, and Executive Director Gullo replied that the Authority will continue to follow the directives of the Los Angeles County Health authorities, whenever they might change. VII. VERBAL UPDATE AND DISCUSSION ABOUT RESPONSE TO TRAIL, TRAILHEAD AND PARKING LOT OPENINGS AND CLOSURES IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC. Deputy Chief Ranger Hughes stated that trail users at the Hacienda Hills Trailhead comply 80% - 90% of the time with the mandate to wear masks. VIII. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS REGARDING ADOPTION OF THE AMENDED “MOUNTAINS RECREATION AND CONSERVATION AUTHORITY PARK ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PARK RULES AND REGULATIONS, AND PRESCRIBING PUNISHMENT FOR VIOLATION THEREOF” DATED JULY 1, 2020. Executive Director Gullo briefly introduced this item, and Deputy Chief Ranger Hughes stated that the revision means that if a monitoring camera captures the license plate information on a vehicle involved in committing a violation, a ticket can now simply be mailed to the owner of that vehicle. Member Natoli suggested that the ordinance’s specification of Malibu in section 3.20 might open a question of how specifically the rest of the ordinance applies to the Preserve. Member Lawrence motioned to recommend that the Board of Directors adopt this new MRCA ordinance. Member Houser seconded this motion, and the motion passed unanimously in a roll call vote. IX. RECEIVE AND FILE AUTHORITY’S COMMENT LETTER REGARDING CITY OF LA HABRA HEIGHTS PROJECT PRG 2020-019 AT 2009 SKYLINE VISTA DRIVE. Executive Director Gullo briefly reviewed this item as presented in