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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-03-04; Child Care Commission Ad Hoc; MinutesMinutes Of: CHILD CARE COMMISSION Time of Meeting: 6:30 P.M. Date of Meeting: March 4, 1993 Place of Meeting: CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Baker called the Meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Chairperson Baker, Commissioners Cutler, Gilk, L'Esperance, Mead, and Schwei Absent: Commissioner Isenhart Staff Present: Lori Lieberman, Assistant to the City Manager COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON ITEMS NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA: There were no requests to address the Board. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Cutler, and duly seconded, to approve the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of January 28,1993, as submitted. VOTE: 5-0 AYES: Chairperson Baker, Commissioners Cutler, Gilk, L'Esperance, and Mead NOES: None ABSTAIN: None Commissioner Schwei arrived at 6:37 p.m. NEW BUSINESS: There was no new business to discuss. OLD BUSINESS: 1. Possible Extension of Child Care Commission At the last meeting, the Commission requested staff to draft a letter to the City Council requesting a six month extension. The letter was provided as requested. Chairperson Baker led a discussion about whether or not the Child Care Commission should be extended past their scheduled sunset on June 20,1993. The possibility of merging with the Carlsbad Education Foundation was discussed. Chairperson Baker and Commissioner Gilk have both attended two meetings of the Education Foundation to date and reported that only a few members on the Foundation's board appear to be interested in merging the two organizations. However, Chairperson Baker did receive a telephone call from the Education Foundation's attorney in Sacramento requesting information on the goals of the envisioned Child Care Foundation. Commissioner Gilk commented that the Child Care Foundation will require a great deal of work, whether it operates autonomously or merges with the Education Foundation. She does not feel that she would have sufficient time to be a dedicated worker after June 1993. She would have to resign from the Commission if it is extended past the sunset date. Commissioner Gilk left at 7:00 p.m. CHILD CARE COMMISSION March 4, 1993 PAGE 2 At the present time, Commissioner Mead would not be in favor of merging the two foundations. She would like to see the Child Care Commission extended because it can accomplish more with the strength of the City behind it, while a foundation would not have City backing. Lori Lieberman, Assistant to the City Manager, advised the Commission that the City is very concerned about costs due to the State's budget crisis. She does not feel it would be wise to request an extension of the sunset date for six months and then request that the Child Care Commission be made permanent. She suggested that a decision should be made one way or the other. Commissioner L'Esperance commented that child care issues will never go away. She feels the Commission needs to be continued so there is a forum to address child care issues. Commissioners Mead and Schwei agree philosophically. Commissioner Cutler likes the idea of a permanent Commission but is not sure what the Commission would do. He feels the Commission needs to have a definite mission in order to continue. Chairperson Baker is more concerned about youth issues in general. She feels that a commission dedicated to child care is too restrictive. Commissioner Cutler agrees; he thinks the Education Foundation is a good vehicle and he would like to see that pursued. ACTION: Motion was made by Commissioner Cutler, and duly seconded, that the Commission plan to sunset as scheduled. Between now and the time of sunset, a Commissioner may prepare a written plan which can be presented, discussed, and voted on at a future meeting prior to the sunset date. VOTE: 4-1 AYES: Chairperson Baker, Commissioners Cutler, L'Esperance, and Schwei NOES: Commissioner Mead ABSTAIN: None Commissioner Mead requested this item be again placed on the next agenda. She feels any action to continue the Commission needs to be taken by the end of April. Staff requested that written proposals be submitted by March 18th so they can be included in the Commissioner packets for the March 25th meeting. COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS: No reports were made. However, Chairperson Baker noted that the Education Foundation has a meeting scheduled for this very night and she urged Commissioners to attend, if at all possible, so they could form their own opinion of whether the two entities could be merged successfully. ADJOURNMENT: By proper motion, the Regular meeting of March 4, 1993 was adjourned at 7:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, LORI LIEBERMAN Assistant to the City Manager Min DRAFT February 24, 1993 Honorable Mayor Lewis and City Councilmembers City of Carlsbad 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 Dear Mayor and Councilmembers: The Carlsbad Child Care Commission is scheduled to sunset on June 20, 1993. While the Commission has accomplished the majority of the goals set forth by the City Council, there are still several tasks to be completed by the Commission. The tasks include processing, through the Planning Commission and the City Council, proposed land use zoning changes in order to facilitate the development of child care centers in Carlsbad. An additional task would include the establishment of a child care foundation. The Commissioners would also like to provide educational opportunities for parents and initiate an outreach program to educate the business community about child care issues. The Commission is therefore requesting that the City Council extend its term for a six month period. I believe this will provide ample time for the Commission to complete its work. Please do not hesitate to contact me at (619) 728-4068 with any questions. The Commission looks forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, JULIE BAKER CHAIR CARLSBAD CHILD CARE COMMISSION ma