Your City Council: Sycamore North Gets Weatherized

The half-built Sycamore North building will enter winter . On Tuesday, the Hercules City Council voted to hire Oliver and Company to build a protective roof wrap and connect the building’s sprinkler system for $420,000.

, a retail-residential project owned by the city, is currently on the market as an unfinished project. Construction on the building has been slowed to a halt over the past eight months.  

“We always knew that it needed to be winterized…staff was hopeful that whoever bought the (building) would winterize the project,” Projects Manager Greg Dwyer said Tuesday.

Dwyer said the city has received multiple offers on the building and will try get reimbursed for the winterization. “Buyers realize that that is a big catch point for us,” Dwyer said. In the meantime, the winterization and sprinkler costs will be covered by the Development Fee Fund.

The meeting:

8:45 p.m., CITY MANAGER REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS

1. Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Amendments To Existing Agreements With PG&E And Alliant Insurance Services And Authorize Expenditures Of An Amount Not To Exceed $193,000 For The Hercules Municipal Utility For Fiscal Year 2011--ADOPTED 5-0 WITH AMENDMENTS.
2. Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The Appropriation And Expenditure Of An Amount Not To Exceed $420,000 From The Unreserved Fund Balance Of The Development Fee Fund Specifically For Oliver And Company To Winterize The Sycamore North Project And Connect The Sprinkler System For The Building--ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY
3. Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Market For Sale The Sycamore Crossing, Parcel C and Victoria Crescent Properties And Authorizing The Solicitation Of Proposals From Qualified Real Estate Brokers--ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY
4. Adopt A Resolution Of Intention And Have The First Reading Of An Ordinance Authorizing An Amendment To The Contract Between The City Of Hercules And The Board Of Administration Of The California Public Employees’ Retirement System For Local Safety Employees To Provide Section 20475 (Different Level Of Benefits) And Section 21363.1 (3% at 55 Formula) For New Members Entering Membership In A City Of Hercules Safety Classification After The Date Of The Contract Amendment--ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY
5. Conduct Discussion And Consider The Appointment Of A Hercules Representative To The Selection Committee For An Engineering Consultant To Design The Upgrades And Improvements To The Pinole Hercules Waste Water Treatment Plant--MUST MAKE APPOINTMENT BY NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

8:15 p.m., PUBLIC HEARING

1. Adopt a Resolution Certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report, Approving a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, and Adopting Findings with Facts and Statement of Overriding Considerations for the Hercules Bayfront Project.--ADOPTED WITH A 5-0 VOTE.

8:14 p.m. CONSENT CALENDAR

Approve Joint City Council/Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes of January 25, 2011 and February 8, 2011--APPROVED WITH ONE "AYE" BY COUNCILMAN JOHN DELGADO AND FOUR "ABSTAIN"S

Adopt A Resolution Supporting The City’s Application For $5,100,000 Of 2012 Regional Transportation Improvement Program Project Funds And Providing Assurances That The City Complies With Eligibility Criteria And Will Provide Adequate Staffing--UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED

Adopt A Resolution Confirming The Report Of Delinquent Accounts And Placing Liens On Said Properties And Special Assessments Upon Property Taxes Pursuant To City Of Hercules Municipal Code Section 5-2.01 To 5-2.16, Mandatory Garbage/Solid Waste Disposal--UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED

7:30 p.m., PUBLIC COMMENT

Resident Joseph Guadagne, Speaks about Boulanger. I was at one time disappointed by his actions, but at the same time, he is our councilman. There are some people who can just not let go…They have their opinion…I have mine, this is the other side of the coin.

Resident David Fields, Asks community to attend the Hercules Emergency Library Project's October 23 dinner/dance gala.

Resident G. Phillips, Talks about Councilman Gerard Boulanger's campaign trail lies. "It's time for accountability and you mister Boulanger are to be held accountable...you have breached your trust with Herculeans...You have lied about your education, work experience..." and public service. She has over 150 signatures from residents asking Boulanger to step down.

Hercules Historical Society member Bob Polacchi, Invites the public to the Historical Society's October 22 expo.

Sarah Creeley, Speaks on behalf of the Vogele family. "They built the Hanna Ranch (community) garden." Creeley urges the city to do what it can to help the residents affected by the Carson Street landslide.

Hercules High School student Erin Kuehne, Talking on behalf of the high school's environmental club. She asks that the city has its own coastal cleanup.

Resident Jerry Parsons, Congratulates new City Manager Steve Duran. “(I’ve) had the pleasure of working with (Duran) in the past,” in Richmond.

Resident Billy Vogele, Talks about the Carson Street landslide and recent grass fire on the same unstable hillside. "I'd like to hear that I have support from the city regarding this matter...but I haven't heard (anything) from the city regarding this matter...(there) is a lack of follow-up. I'm very frustrated with that."

Bill Shea, Hercules Rotary Club member, Speaks on behalf of the October 22 spaghetti feed to benefit the Bravo community families who lost their homes in a fire last month.

Miss Hercules speaks about her plans to compete in a state-wide pageant.

Hercules Lions have plans to plant trees around the city, the Lions club president announces and asks residents to join the altruistic club.

The Hercules Sister City Association and Hercules Lions club were honored at tonight's meeting.

Supervisor Federal D. Glover made an appearance at the meeting. Glover has recently set up an office in the City of Hercules.