Loading...
Resolution No. 5565 '\ K 1 2 3 4 5 RESO~TION NO. 5565 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VERNON APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELEASE WITH THE CENTRAL CITY SOUTH ASSOCIATION WHEREAS, Central city South Association (CCSA) en- 6 tered into litigation with the City of Vernon on December 18, 7 1987 (LASC No. C671345) regarding a zoninq matter in the City 8 of Vernon which was decided in favor of the City on or about 9 september 22, 1988; and 10 WHEREAS,. CCSA appeared and expressed its opposition 11 to the adoption of the Amended Interim Comprehensive Zoning 12 Ordinance No. 976 on May 17, 1988 and has reserved the option 13 of seeking legal redress as to its provisions; and 14 WHEREAS, CCSA has requested certain changes to Or- 15 dinance no. 976 and if its requests are accepted is willing to 16 forego an appeal of court case LASC No. C671345, to desist 17 from a legal challenge to said Ordinance, and in other ways 18 to support the planning and zoning policies of the city of 19 Vernon asset forth in the Settlement Agreement and Release 20 submitted concurrently with this ReSOlution; and 21 WHEREAS, said agreement acknowledges that the City 22 Council cannot contractually bind itself to amend or approve 23 an ordinance, and that said agreement constitutes but one of 24 many factors which the City Council must take into account as 25 it exercises its sole discretion in deciding to approve the 26 amendments set forth in Appendix A to said Agreement. 27 28 1 \ 'f , ' 1 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL 2 OF THE CITY OF VERNON AS FOLLOWS: 3 SECT!ON 1: The city Council of the City of. Vernon 4 hereby finds and determines that the recitals contained 5 hereinabove are true and correct. 6 S~CTION ~: The City Council of the City of Vernon 7 hereby approves the Settlement Agreement and Release, a copy 8 of which has been presented to the City council concurrently 9 with this Resolution and the City council hereby orders said 10 Agreement to be received and ~iledby the City Clerk. 11 SECTION 3: The city Council of the City. of Vernon 12 hereby authorizes the Mayor and the city Clerk to execute said 13 Agreement for, and on behalf of, the city of Vernon. 14 SECTION 4: The City Clerk of the City of Vernon 15 shall certify to. the passage of this resolution and thereupon 16 and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 8th day of November, 1988. ~.. .. .... ONlSe. MALll G,Hayor. 2 . . ... < .. . . 1 STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) ) SS. 2 COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) 3 4 I, BRUCE V. MAI.KENHORST, City Clerk of the City of 5 Vernon, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution, being 6 Resolution No. 5565 , was duly adopted by the City Council of 7 the City of Vernon, and was approved by the Mayor of said City adjQurned . 8 at an~ meet~ng of the City Council held on Tuesday, 9 November 8 , 1988 10 11 12 13 14 (SEAL) 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 -3 , SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELEASE fhis Agreement is made as of the date last set forth and between the Central City South Association, a t benefit corporation ("Association"), and the City of charter city created and existing under the laws of the State of California ("City"). R E C I TAL S A. On or about December 18, 1987, the Association commenced an action entitled Central City South Association v. City of Vernon in the Los Angeles Superior Court in the County of Los Angeles, State of California, Case No.C 671 345, seeking inter Alig, the issuance of a peremptory writ of mandamus requiring the City to set aside its approval by Conditional Use Permit of a hazardous waste incinerator proposed by the real-party-in-interest, California Thermal Treatment Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Security Environmental Systems, Incorporated ("CTTS"), and a declaration of the rights of the involved parties consistent with the issuance of a peremptory writ of mandamus. B. On July 20, 1988, the Superior Court granted the motion for summary Judgment brought by real party-in-interest CTTS and construed the demurrer of the City as a motion for summary judgment which likewise was granted. C. On September 7, 1988, the court reaffirmed its decisions of July 20, 1988 referenced in recital paragraph B above, granting the motions for summary judgment. D. The Association has the right to appeal the court's granting ofCTTS' and the City's motions for summary judgment but has agreed not to do so and to release its claims and otherwis.e to resolve its differences with the City, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein. E. The Association had been active during the 1988 Legislative Session, in supporting legislation identified as Assembly Bill 291 ("AB.29l") (Roybal-Allard), which would have required that the City's Zoning Ordinance be consistent with its General Plan, a requirement currently not applicable to charter cities, with the exception of the City of Los Angeles. F. The Association has the rigbt to pursue all lawful means of seeking to ensure that the City's Zoning Ordinance is consistent with its General Plan, including legislation, but has agreed to discontinue all efforts devoted to this Objective and to otherwise resolve its differences with the City sUbject to the terms and conditions set forth herein. G. On or about August 29, 1988, in a good faith . effort to settle the matters of dispute between the Association and the City, the Association communicated its withdrawal of -I ~. -2- support for AB 291 to the Governor's Office and to the sponsor of the legislation. H. On or about September 27, 1988, the Association submitted a request for reconsideration of the decision by the Department of Health Services to issue a hazardous waste incinerator permit for the hazardous waste incinerator proposed by CTTS in the City as identified in the litigation, on the grounds that further environmental analysis of the CTTS project was required under the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Section 21000, .at. Ji.il!'l., "CEQA"). I. The Association has the right to pursue all lawful means of ensuring that further environmental analysis of the hazardous waste incinerator in the City be completed under CEQA before the issuance of a hazardous waste incinerator permit. However, the Association has agreed to discontinue all efforts devoted to this objective and otherwise to resolve its differences with the City subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein. J. As a further indication of the good faith effort of the Asso.ciation to settle the matters of dispute between the Association and the City, the Association shall communicate to the Department of' Housing and Community Development and the Southern California Association of Governments its support of the City's position on the adequacy of the City's proposed housing element revision. -3- K. On or about May 17, 1988, the city adopted an Ordinance entitled "Amended Interim Comprehensive Zonin~ Ordinance No. 976." L. The City has agreed to consider changes to the Amended Interim Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 976, in order to, among other things, clarify the allowed uses and development of currently existing structures with a floor area of between 50,000 and 75,000 square feet and to clarify when certain development standard exactions may be imposed. M. The Association and the City acknowledge that the City Council of the City of Vernon cannot enter into an agreement to rezone property, since such an action remains its sole legislative determination for the benefit of the health, safety and welfare. of the general public, but that the settlement and avoidance of litigation and/or legislative advocacy Constitute valid factors which the City Council may take into account in making a legislative decision. N. The Association recognizes that Amended Interim Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 976 has an effective termination date of May 18, 1989, subject to a one-year extension, and that the City Council of the City of Vernon cannot enter into an agreement to adopt a final ordinance containing any special interest provisions or in any other way to restrict its legislative discretion. -4- AGREEMENT NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the mutual covenants and promises contained herein, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows: Section 1 - Condition Precedent: A. As a condition precedent to the enforcement and operation of this agreement, the City Council of the City of Vernon shall have first adopted specified changes to the Amended Interim Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 976 dealing with the allowed use in the M-Zone as specifically set forth in Attachment "A". Section 2 - Procedural Obligations: A. !?rocedural Obligations Of AssQciation 1. The terms of this Agreement provide that the identity Of the roembers of the Association shall remain confidential and may not be subject to discovery except as provided in this Agreement. The .procedures for ensuring strict confidentiality are set forth in this Agreement at Subsections A throughC, of Section 2 herein. -5- 2. The Association shall formulate a list of its members ("membership list"), whether individual, partnership or corporate, since its inception, which shall be sealed and delivered to a mutually agreeable disinterested third party. The disinterested third party upon receipt of the membership list shall verify under penalty of perjury that the sealed envelope contains the membership list and shall send a copy of the verification to the City and to the Association. 3. The members of the Association and the Association shall be bound by all provisions in this Agreement that they may not institute litigation on any matter covered by this Agreement. Each such member shall execute a copy of this Agreement by counterpart which shall be deposited under seal with the membership list. 4. Each member of the Association, whether individual, partnership or corporate, authorizes William D. Ross to sign on behalf of each of the individual members of the Association, and thereby bind each and every member of the Association to the terms as set forth in this Agreement. . -6- B. Procedural Obligations Of The City 1. The City agrees that it, its representatives, employees, elected representatives, or their successors will not attempt to discover the membership of the Association or the individual members or the executed copies of this Agreement except as allowed in this Agreement. 2. The City agrees with the Association to designate a disinterested third party who shall retain the membership list and the executed copies of the Agreement as described hereinabove. C. Procedural Obligations Of The Association And The City 1. The Association and the City hereby agree that the sealed membership list of the Association and the executed copies of the Agreement shall be held in confidence subject to the terms of this Agreement by a disinterested third party agreeable to both the City and the Association. The cost of retaining the disinterested party, as described, shall be borne equally by the Association and the City. -7- 2. If the parties can reach no agreement on a disinterested third party, then this Agreement shall be filed with the court in the case of Central City South Association v. City of Vernon. et al., L.A.S.C. No. C671345 as a proposed stipulated settlement of said case. The membership list and affidavits shall be appended thereto as a sealed document to be reviewed by the Court in camera only upon application by the City and good showing of probable cause as to a breach of the Agreement. Notice of such an application shall be given to the Association and its members via its attorney, if known, and otherwise by publication. 3. The Association and the City hereby agree that the members of the Association will be prohibited from instituting litigation over matters set forth in the settlement agreement, unless the City unilaterally modifies substantive matters covered by this Agreement. 4. The Association and the City hereby agree that in the event that litigation is filed by any indiviciual, partnerShip or corporate entity, concerning the substantive provisions of this Agreement that the City may inquire of the disinterested third party as to whether the petitioners or plaintiffS in the litigation were -8- members of the Association included in the list of membership prepared pursuant to this Agreement. Section 3 - Substantive Qbliaations Of The par~ies: A. Substantive Obligations Of The Association 1. The Association agrees not to file an appeal regarding any matter pertaining to Central City South Association v. City of Vernon, et a1., Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. C 671 345. 2. Neither the Association nor the City shall reimburse the opposing party or parties for its or their attorneys' fees, costs or expenses expended or incurred in preparation for or in connection with this action [LASC No. 671 345], except as otherwise agreed between the Association and the City. 3. The Association agrees to withdraw its support for legislation similar to that identified as AB 291 during the 1988 Legislative Session and to refrain from any efforts designed to achieve the objective that the City's Zoning Ordinance be required to be consistent with the City's General Plan. -9- 4. The Association agrees to withdraw from any further participation in the proceeding before the State Department of Health Services for the the issuance of a hazardous waste incinerator permit to CTTS in the City. 5. The Association shall communicate in writing to the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Southern California Association of Governments its support of the City's position on the adequacy of the City's proposed housing element. 6. The members of the Association hereby release and discharge the City and its elected representatives, its employees, representatives or their successors of and from all manner of actions, causes of action, debts, liabilities, claims and demands of every kind and nature whatsoever, whether known or unknown, which the Association ever had or may now have against the City arising from or connected with all claims and causes of action which have been or could have been asserted in the litigation [LASe No. C 671 345] arising from or connected with any approvals, or acts or omissions to act by the City, its elected representatives or employees arising therefrom. -10- 7. The Association shall conununicate in writing to the City Council of the City of Vernon its support of the City's General Plan and Comprehensive Zoning Ordinances. The Association and its members both jointly and severally agree for a period of ten years not to institute any legal action challenging the provisions or adequacy of the General Plan or the consistency of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance therewith. 8. The Association agrees that, subject to the condition precedent set forth herein, the willingness of the City Council to give due consideration to the settlement and avoidance of litigation and/or legislative advocacy and the execution of this Agreement constitute sufficient and valuable consideration to bind the Association and its members to the terms thereof. B. Substantive Obligation$ Of The ~ssociation And The City 1. Each of the parties hereto hereby represents and warrants as follows: (a) EaCh party hereto has received independent legal advice from his or its attorneys with respect to the advisability of executing this Agreement. -11- (b) Except.. for the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, nOne of the parties hereto has made any statement or representation to any other party or his or its attorneys regarding any fact relied upon by a party entering into this Agreement and, in executing this Agreement, no party hereto relies upon any statement, representation or promise of the other party or any other party which is not set forth herein. (c) Each party hereto has made such investigation of any and all facts or other matters pertaining to this Agreement as he or it deems necessary, and no party hereto relies upon any promise or representation by any other party, or any attorney of any other party with respect to any such matter. (d) Each party hereto has read this Agreement and understands the contents hereof. (e) Each of the parties is the holder of their respective claims, if any, being released pursuant to the Paragraphs above and has not heretofore assigned such claims to any third party. -12- 2. Each of the undersigned specifically waives any and all rights under California Civil Code Section 1542, as such provision relates to the specific releases contained herein. Each of the parties acknow1ege and agree that the release set forth in Paragraph 6, Page 8 above is limited to the matters specifically set forth in this Agreement and shall in no manner be interpreted or construed as releasing any other rights or claims not expressly stated herein. Section 4 - Condition Subsequent: A. As a condition subsequent to the enforcement and operation of this Agreement, the specified changes to Amended Interim Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 976 set forth in Attachment "A" .shall remain in full force and effect. Any substantive alteration of said provisions shall have the effect of nullifying this Agreement and all of its terms. However, no amendment to the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Vernon shall be deemed a substantive alteration of said provisions unless, first, notice shall have been given in writing to the City Council prior to or at the hearing on such an amendment that a person bound by this Agreement considers the amendment to constitute a substantive alteration, and, second, that a competent court of law shall have ruled the amendment to be a substantive alteration. -13- Section 5 - Severability: If any provision or clause of this Agreement or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not effect other provisions or applications of this AgreelDent which can be carried out without the invalid.provisionorapp1ication and to this end the provisions of this Agreement are severable. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have hereun.toexecuted this Confidential Settlement Agreement and Release as of the date last below written. DATED: November Jr, 1988 CENTRAL CITY SOUTH ASSOCIATION By: Its: v~ D.~ WILLIAM D. ROSS Authorized Representative DATED: November ~, 1988 ~ By. .. · · . ' . LEO S C.MALB. G . . ........... ........ Its: ATTEST: d,-/M BRUCE V. MALKENHORST, City Clerk -14- DATED: DATED: November ~t 1988 ATTORNEYS' APPROVAL AS TO FORM: November ~, 1988 ROSS & SCOTT A professional Corporation By: w~~ b~~ William D. Ross Attorneys for CENTRAL CITY SOUTH ASSOCIATION City Attorney By: Da&d~B~a~l~Y~o/ City Attorney for THE CITY OF VERNON -15- ATTACHMENT "A" Secti9n 7 - Amendment To Sections 4.4.2. Section 4.4.2 of the Amended Interim Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance is amended to read: 4.4.2 - Conforming Use In An Existing Building: An existing building or portion of an existing building containing a conforming use at the passage of this Ordinance cannot be converted to a non-conforming use, except as set forth in Section 4.4.8. Sec~ion 8 - Amendment To Sections 4.4.3. Section 4.4.3 of the Amended Interim Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance is amended to read: 4.4.3 - Removal Of Non-Conforming Building, Structures, And Uses: Every non-conforming building, structure and use shall be completely removed or altered to structurally conform to the uses and development standards permitted in the zone in which it is located within the herein specified times: a. Where property is unimproved or contains only parking or where the property has only minor, temporary or auxiliary buildings or structures: within three (3) years of January 1, 1989. b. Where the non-conformity occurred as a result of the adoption of Ordinance No. 752 on February 25, 1964: within forty (40) years of that adoption date. c. Where the non-conformity occurred as a result of the adoption of Ordinance No. 856 on July 1, 1975: within forty (40) years of that adoption date. d. Where the non-conformity results from the adoption of Ordinance ~o. 975, effective April 5, 1988, or Ordinance No. 976, effective May 17, 1988 or from this. Ordinance: within forty (40) years of January 1, 1989. Section 9 - Amendment To Section 4.4.4. Section 4.4.4 of the Amended Interim Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance is amended to read: 4.4.4 - Inadequate Off-Street parking Or Loading: Any use which does not conform with the parking and loading requirements .of this Ordinance shall be subject to the following provisions: a. Where sufficient space exists on the lot or parcel for compliance with the requirements of this Ordinance, off-street parking and loading area shall be provided in accordance with this Ordinance upon any - 2 - change of use of occupancy or within three (3) years of January 1, 1989, whichever shall occur first. b. Where insufficient space exists on the lot or parcel for compliance with the off-street parking requirements of this Ordinance, at the time of any expansion, or structural alteration of the building or buildings, the City Council, in accordance with Section 5.1 (Variance), may relieve the occupant of all or part of the provisions of the off-street parking and maneuvering requirements if the City Council determines: 1. The strict application of the off-street parking requirements of this Ordinance creates an unreasonable hardship; 2. The proposed use will not adversely affect the surrounding area; and 3. The existing use does not require the number of spaces specified by this Ordinance. c. Compliance with the off-street loading requirements of this Ordinance shall occur at the time of any changes in use, occupancy, expansion, structural alteration of the building or within five (5) years of the effective date of this Ordinance, whichever shall occur first. However, the City Council, in accordance - 3 - with Section 5.1 (Variance), may relieve the occupant of all or part of the provisions of the off-street loading requirements of this Ordinance if the City Council determines: 1. The strict application of the off-street loading requirements of this Ordinance creates an unreasonable hardship; 2. The existing use does and will not adversely affect the surrounding area; and 3. The use does not require the number of spaces specified by this Ordinance. In the granting of the variance, the City Council may require that loading spaces and areas existing on the site comply with the provisions of this Ordinance regarding length, width, overhead clearance and any other dimensional standard. Section 10 - Enactment Of Section 4.4.8. Section 4.4.8 is added to the Amended Interim Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and enacted to read: 4.4.8 - Warehouse Use: - 4 - a. A property in the M Zone which on the effective date of this Ordinance is improved with a building area of more than 50,000 square feet, but less than 75,000 square feet may sUbsequently be utilized for either industrial or warehouse purposes until January 1, 2014. b. If on January 1, 2014, said property is used as a warehouse, then it may continue to be so utilized; and if it is thereafter converted to industrial use, it may not be reconverted to warehouse use at any time during the time period specified in Section 4.4.3(d). c. If on January 1, 2014, said property is used for an industrial use, it may not thereafter be converted to a non-conforming use within the zone. - 5 - .., . , 1 2 3 4 5 RESOLUTION 1IO.55~' A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VERNON APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A LETTER AGREEMENT AMENDING THE FIRM TRANSMISSION SERVICE AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF VERNON AND THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY 6 WHEREAS, the City Council of the city of Vernon 7 adopted Resolution No. 5539 on July 26, 1988, which approved 8 and au.thorized the execution of a Firm Tra.nsmission Service 9 Agreement ("Agreement") with Southern California Edison Com- 10 pany ("Edison"), under protest, which provided fortransmis- 11 sion service for the capac:i ty and energy which will be pur- 12 chased from the Department of Water Resources of the State of 13 California starting January 1, 1989; and 14 WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Vernon 15 adopted Resolution No. 5559 on October 4, 1988, which approved 16 and authorized the execution of a letter agreement with Edison 17 dated September 27, 1988, which provided Vernon with the op- 18 portunity to modify certain terms and conditions of the Agree- 19 ment in the event that the Federal Energy Regulatory commis- 20 sion ("FERC") or the courts made decisions in other matters 21 which would affect certain terms and conditions of the 22 Agreement; and 23 WHEREAS, FERC has denied Edison's methodology which 24 was used in establishing the rates in the Agreement; and 25 WHEREAS, Vernon and Edison desire to enter into a 26 letter agreement amending the Agreement to provide for initial 27 transmission services rates in conformance with the FERC's 28 decision.. . ... 1 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF 2 THE CITY OF VERNON AS FOLLOWS: 3 SECTION 1: That the City Council of the City of Ver- 4 non hereby finds and determines that the recitals contained 5 hereinabove are true and correct. 6 SECTION 2: That the City Council of the city of Ver- 7 non hereby approves the letter aqreement, a copy of which has 8 been presented to the City Council concurrently with this 9 resolution, and the City Council hereby orders said letter 10 aqreement to be received and filed by the City Clerk. 11 SECTION 3: That the City Council of the City of Ver- 12 non hereby authorizes the Mayor and the city Cle~k to execute 13 said letter aqreement for, and on behalf of, the City of Ver- 14 non. 15 SECTION .: The City Clerk of the City of Vernon 16 shall certify to the passaqe of this resolution and thereupon 17 and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 8th day of November, 1988. ~. ATTEST: rL-- -2- ". . 1 2 STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) )ss COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) 3 I, BRUCE V. MALKENHORST, City Clerk of the City of 4 Vernon, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution, being 5 Resolution No. 5566 , was duly adopted by the City Council 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 of the City of Vernon, and was approved by the Mayor of said an adjourned City at x/regular meeting of the City Council held on Tuesday, November 8 , 19 88 L-, /H/Z;~ BRUCE V. MALKENHORST, City Clerk (SEAL) -3-