Sacramento Preservation Commission Meeting – December 16, 2015
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Sacramento Preservation Commission Meeting – December 16, 2015
The Sacramento Preservation Commission convened on December 16, 2015, at 5:30 PM in the Council Chambers of New City Hall (915 I Street). The meeting covered a consent calendar, updates from the Preservation Director, a presentation on the 40th anniversary of preservation in Sacramento, a discussion on a potential mitigation fund for historical resource losses, and provided direction on the 2015 Certified Local Government (CLG) Annual Report. The meeting included public comments and concluded with member comments and adjournment.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (November 18, 2015): The commission unanimously approved the minutes from the previous meeting.
- 2016 Regular Meeting Calendar: Commissioner Marshak noted a conflict between the April 2016 meeting and the California Preservation Conference (April 16–20, 2016, at the Presidio). The commission voted to approve the calendar with the exception of the April meeting, pending confirmation of a rescheduled date. [Note: The agenda states a meeting date in December 2015; the calendar year is for 2016.]
Director's Report
- Digitization of Historic Records: Preservation Director Roberta Deering announced that intern Dakota Smith scanned 23 boxes of original landmark survey forms from the late 1970s and 1980s. The physical records were transferred to the Center for Sacramento History, and the electronic forms will be linked to the Sacramento Register online, with completion expected before Dakota leaves at the end of January.
40th Anniversary of Preservation in Sacramento
- Presentation: Members of the ad hoc committee (Melissa Goudreau, Carew Bounds, and Commissioner Mark Huck) presented plans for the 40th anniversary celebration, commemorating the passage of the preservation ordinance (likely 1975 or 1976). The celebration will include downtown banners, a traveling exhibit, educational outreach, a city proclamation, and a reception, all focused around May 2016.
- Research and Student Involvement: Public history graduate student Wesby is conducting research on 40 years of preservation milestones and will produce a thesis by May 2016.
- Budget and Sponsorship: The minimal budget is $8,000; roughly half has been raised. The commission was encouraged to solicit sponsorships from businesses and individuals.
- Community Engagement: Monthly social hours and hosted walking tours are planned to broaden participation. The next social hour is January 14, 2016, at Bottle and Barlow, with a walking tour on January 20.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ann Yan Douglas: Raised concerns about maintenance and vegetation (trees) in Old Sacramento and near the Governor's Mansion, as well as an alleged power surge near the Centennial Building. The Chair suggested contacting the appropriate departments and offered to follow up.
- Ann Yan Douglas (on Mitigation Fund): Asked if a fund existed for historic site maintenance; was informed there is no dedicated fund at present, but there is a small historic places fund for private projects.
Discussion Items
- Mitigation Program for Historical Resources Impacts (Item 5): Commissioner Huck proposed creating a fund to mitigate unavoidable loss of historical resources, potentially funding surveys, registration, and maintenance. An ad hoc committee will be formed to explore this idea, with a formal resolution agendized for the next meeting.
- 2015 CLG Annual Report (Item 6): Roberta Deering presented the report and requested commission input on critical preservation planning issues, accomplishments, and goals. Commissioner Marshak identified insufficient staff and development pressures (entertainment/sports complex, 10,000 housing units) as critical issues, and suggested goals including adding staff and increasing education for city officials. Commissioner Piner suggested exploring deconstruction and material salvage incentives.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved except for April 2016 meeting.
- 2016 Calendar: Approved with April exception; date to be confirmed.
- Mitigation Fund: An ad hoc committee will be formed; details to be discussed at the next meeting.
- CLG Annual Report: Commission provided verbal direction; additional comments due by December 30, 2015.
Member Comments
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned after Commissioner Huck requested that the proclamation discussion be agendized for the next meeting.
Meeting Transcript
The uh December 16th, 2015 version of the Preservation Commission meeting for the City of Sacramento. We will be taking all of the items in order this evening as they are listed on the agenda. Um if there's any members of the public that would wish to speak. There are uh slips in the back for you to fill out on which item you would like to speak or whether it's uh item not agendized um this evening, that's fine as well. And you can bring them up here to our handy clerk up in the front to um distribute to us up here at the Diaz. Um if you have any cell phones, um make sure to get those switched into a uh non-audible mode so that they don't disrupt the proceedings. Um we do tape everything here tonight, so um it's nice for you know things not to uh mess with the recording. So having said all that, we will launch directly in to our agenda for this evening. And uh starting with the uh rule call. Commissioner Fuller. Here. Mr. Moffat. Here commissioner Bones. Here, Commissioner Forrest. Commissioner Huck. Here. Commissioner Marshak? Here. Commissioner Piner. We have a quorum. Excellent. Excellent. All right, we will move on to the uh consent calendar. Uh we had a meeting on November 18th of 2015. And I if there was any comments on the meeting minutes. Ah, from the meeting minutes. Oh not the meetings. Oh, okay. Uh we will take them individually. All right. Um for the approval of the meeting minutes, if there is any discussion of them, any review, any um comments to be taken on those. Um if someone would like to uh provide a motion to accept the meeting minutes then. I move to that is wonderful. Any second? Okay. You have those down. Excellent. All those uh in favor of accepting the minutes, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed and any abstentions. Thank you. All right. Uh the second item, the Preservation Commission regular meeting calendar. Um that Mr. Marshak. Thank you. Uh it appears that the April meeting conflicts with the California Preservation Conference. Uh oh. Which runs the 16th through the 20th.
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