The Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board and Fillmore City Council sat together in a joint meeting on Tuesday, March 31, 2009. This was the first joint meeting of the two bodies since the Council changed over after the November 2008 election. Joint meetings had been scheduled earlier in the year, but were postponed on account of scheduling conflicts and lack of urgent business by mutual agreement. Tuesday’s agenda included forging a cooperative bond, planning community access to Fillmore High School’s all-weather track, directing City staff regarding traffic safety for Mountain Vista students, discussing the Military banner project, and status updates on the Water Recycling Project construction and the Fillmore pool.

After considerable discussion amongst themselves, the Board and Council made separate but coordinated decisions to proceed with a pilot program for community use of the FHS track. Interim City Manager Bill Bartels announced that the City would be opening up the Fillmore pool to individuals for adult lap swimming sessions sometime in April. To facilitate fee management, security, and statistical analysis of usage, the City has purchased a key card system with management software. Because a back path connects the pool to the FHS track, the key card gate could provide restricted access to the pool and track during adult lap swim. Members of a City-founded running club will receive key cards. Bartels and Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush are working together to iron out the details. The Board has decided that the pilot program will provide access to the track from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. because FHS is not using the track area at that time. The Board has a policy against allowing outsiders on the track during team practices, but agreed to reconsider that policy at a future Board meeting when coaches would be present to provide feedback. The Council directed City staff to investigate the community’s needs and include consideration of afternoon or evening accessibility in its proposal. Interested runners and walkers should contact Bartels.

In response to parents’ concerns about school children being too short to be seen and unable to safely cross, the Board and Council considered installing more stop signs at the Fourth St. and Goodenough Rd. intersection and at the Fifth St. and B St. intersection. City Engineer Tom Scott proposed instead that the City prevent parking within 15 feet of those intersections by painting the curbs red. Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush concurred that visibility was the crucial issue. Public Works Director Bert Rapp pointed out that motorists tend to react to unnecessary stop signs by driving faster between them. The Council decided to paint curbs red at the Fifth St. and B St. intersection.

The Board and Council together reviewed their joint use agreements and directed staff to bring them up-to-date by revising obsolete procedures, removing references to positions that no longer exist, including relevant examples of shared facilities and equipment, and clarifying details. Staff will prepare revised agreements in time for legal representatives on both sides to review them before the next joint meeting on June 30th, at which they will be submitted to the Board and Council for approval.

The City has an agreement with FUSD to allow the City to install recycled-water emitters on campuses as part of the new water treatment system. Construction is on schedule, and staff presented a four-phase project timeline describing when the Little League, FMS, and FHS sports fields will be unavailable due to construction.

The Board and Council engaged in extensive discussion regarding the Military Banner project. Board Member Virginia De La Piedra started the grassroots project to honor Fillmore citizens actively serving in the military. She obtained organizational support from FUSD and financial support from various charitable organizations. She requested permission and help from the City in hanging the banners, and was promised that at a joint meeting in September. In response to downtown merchant’s concerns during the recent holiday season, the Council co-opted the idea of placing banners downtown with the intent to visually draw people into the downtown area. The City decided to hang plain red banners downtown, and gradually replace them with the military banners as those became available. Unfortunately, the City did not consult De La Piedra regarding its plans, which conflicted with hers in some details. The City apologized for not including her in those plans and for not notifying her of those plans in a timely manner. The Board and Council agreed on further project details and resolved to communicate better.