Your City Council Live: Residents Voice Worries Over Vision Plan Plight, Planning Commissioner and School Honored

Residents turned up at Tuesday's City Council meeting to share their concerns about the city's development plan.

"All of the properties (Parcel C, Victoria Crescent, Sycamore North) are being sold at panic, fire sale prices," said recently retired Hercules Planning Commissioner Sherry McCoy.

McCoy said the new proposed plans for the properties include high residential and likely low retail, which was not in line with residents' vision for the city. "Retail will work in the future market. To base Hercules future on (its) historic low point...doesn't make sense," McCoy said.

"I believe that if you create the opportunity and the space, people will come...We want more unique tax-generating businesses," said resident and real estate agent Jojo Soriano.

Resident and local business-owner Heidi Murphy also asked the council to direct its focus on attracting businesses to Hercules. "We have fees in this city that don't attract small businesses...We are not small business friendly," Murphy said.

-Also at Tuesday's meeting, McCoy was honored for the five years she served on the Hercules Planning Commission.

-Hanna Ranch Elementary School was also recognized by the council for recently making the

8:40, CITY MANAGER'S REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS

Item 1. Continue Legal Ad Hoc Committee -- PASSES 4-0

Item 2. Award an amount not to exceed $794,782 to provide for plant upgrades and for the outfall pipe and authorizing the expenditure of an amount not to exceed $397,391 from wastewater revenue bonds to provide for the city's portion of the contract -- PASSES 4-0

Item 3. Strategic Plan amendments -- MOVED to next meeting due to Delgado's absence from tonight's meeting.

8:30, CITY COUNCIL REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS

Item 1. Council makes appointments to the Community and Library Services Commission.

8:20, CONSENT CALENDAR

Item 1. The continuance of the $35 rate per equivalent runoff unit  for the fiscal year 2012-2013 and requesting the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to Adopt an Annual Parcel Assessment for Drainage Maintenance and the National Pollution Discharge Program -- PASSES 4-0, with Councilman John Delgado absent.

7:45, PUBLIC COMMENT

Jeff Wisniewski, "Changes can be made to the general plan...those changes however should be community-driven and community-accepted..." Mr. Boulanger, at the last meeting, you held up the vision plan (map), you talked about how it was a fantasy...the plan was not a blueprint, it was a road map...You are so obsessed with what you call fantasy, you have missed the reality."

Hector Rubio, "I'm glad that you're getting out of the land speculation business..." Asks the council to rezone Parcel C property into mixed-use.

Phil Simmons, Speaks about the city's redevelopment agency successor agency. Also talks about a planned LED light that he says was approved by the council but not agendized properly. "A huge neon light...in our town, if that's what it's about, would be worthy" of public acknowledgment.

Eric, Selina Williams, We have a need and desire for retail in Hercules.

Brian Miller, Library groups will hold a yard sale 166 Midship Drive in conjunction with the citywide yard sale. All proceeds of the sale will go towards preserving Hercules Public Library hours.

Heidi Murphy, Concerned about recent changes in the city's development plan for recently-sold properties (the plan calls for more residential units). "The future of this city is retail...We have fees in this city that don't attract small businesses...We are not small business friendly."

Jojo Soriano, Speaks about the city's vision plan. "I believe that if you create the opportunity and the space, people will come...We want more unique tax-generating businesses." Asks for businesses like Ranch 99. "We want retail because it's going to generate sales tax revenue." Residents are saying, "We want retail."

Sherry McCoy, "I was concerned by some of the actions the council took (at the last council meeting). All of the properties (Parcel C, Victoria Crescent, Sycamore North) are being sold at panic, fire sale prices...Retail will work in the future market. To base Hercules future on (its) historic low point...doesn't make sense...This is not the vision (the citizens of Hercules have for the city)."

Bob Polacchi, It is our (library help group) intent to raise up to $50,000 next fiscal year for the library. There are three buckets of funds that support our library 1) City's responsibility for building maintenance 2) the 35 hours per week the county gives to the library 3) the funding about the county baseline.

Toni Leance, Talks to the council about a comment made by Mayor Dan Romero about the Hercules Planning Commission.

7:25, Representatives Mark DeSaulnier and Loni Hancock present on the California state budget. The council asks the senators to help Hercules get a bigger piece of its property tax share.

7:15, Hanna Ranch Elementary School is recognized by the city as a . Principal Greg Santiago said the school's success has been a result of strongly emphasizing strong academic curriculum as well as health, physical and other non-academic education.

7:10, The council acknowledges Sherry McCoy for five years of exemplary service on the Hercules Planning Commission.

7 p.m., No reportable action from closed session.