Meetings are on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm.

Upcoming agenda information and streaming video of meetings are available at http://www.cityoffullerton.com

City Hall is located at 303 W. Commonwealth, Fullerton

Contact Council at (714) 738-6311 or council@cityoffullerton.com

Announcement: 

St. Mary’s Annual Festival will be held in Amerige Park on October 18, 19, and 20. This festival is open to the public and will offer many rides, game booths, food stalls, and music. 

Closed Session Report:  

The City Attorney reported that in the case of Orange County Water District et al. v. 3M Company et al., the City Council had previously authorized a sum with 3M Company and DuPont. The Council approved unanimously.

Public Comments: The majority of residents who spoke advocated for keeping the Walk on Wilshire. A full summary of public comments is available in our print or e-edition (click here to read the newspaper online).

Commission & Committee Board Appointments 

Ad hoc fiscal sustainability committee: 

The City Clerk said they had received three applications. Mayor Dunlap appointed Jack Dean. Whitaker appointment Bill Brown. Jung appointed Tony Bushala. Charles and Zahra did not have appointments. Zahra asked to put it out for another round of applications, and Charles asked for this to be advertised more widely. Dunlap moved the item, and Whitaker seconded. The item passed 4-1, with Zahra voting no.

Item 13: Cal City’s Conference in October

Dunlap suggested Jung should go. Zahra nominated himself since he attended that last conference. In the last gag meeting, he had to attend as an alternate and vote because the delegate didn’t attend. Charles said that Mayor Pro-Team is already there at large, and it’s good to have another person there to represent Fullerton specifically; she suggested Zahra for this. Mayor Dunlap asked about the cost, and the City Attorney said it’s in Long Beach, so there’s no cost, and two attendees are already paid for. The City Manager said there should be a vote for the voting delegate and the non-voting delegate. Zahra made it clear that he has attended many conferences on behalf of the city out of his own pockets and doesn’t take free rides. Dunlap made clear that was not his intention. The Council voted 3-2 to have Jung as the voting delegate, with Zahra and Charles voting no. 

The consent calendar was approved unanimously. 

Item 11: Downtown Fullerton & Transit Station Wayfinding Update 

The City presented this update with Serbert Perkins Design, the contractor. For context, the City has been awarded a $799,030 grant for improvements at the transportation center through the CleanCA Transit Enhancement program. As part of the deliverables for this grant, a city-specific brand and wayfinding signage for the station/downtown areas were included. A community survey was distributed to 800+ households and businesses surrounding Downtown. 400 responses were received. The grant agreement requires all items to be installed by December 31, 2024. Branding reflects the key themes of history, culture, and Leo Fender, which were some of the most popular responses in the survey. The City was presented with 4 designs for consideration:

As for location, a pile on where the SoCo district sign is was presented, at the base of which would be vehicular wayfinding. An option could be to place a sign near Fox Theatre. Another option was to update the “Welcome to Downtown” bridge to a more contrasting identity as one enters Fullerton. 

The City has collaborated with LOSSAN, Metrolink, and OCTA to review pedestrian-use signage concepts at the transportation center. 

The presenters recommended that the Council provide feedback on brand/theme concepts, sign family concept, and choose one small destination gantry signage.

Questions on Item 11: Downtown Fullerton & Transit Station Wayfinding

Dr. Charles asked how much the grant would cover. The staff answered that the grant will cover most of the signage around the station. If the Council wants something streetwise, they must supplement that through a future grant. Zahra asked who covered the cost of the repair.

The contractor said that the next level of the study is to develop a nomenclature. Long-term maintenance of these would be done through public works. The specifications are run through the Public Works office to ensure they’re good for at least ten years. 

Dunlap asked if the intention is for directional signage to be replaced or if they are also adding new signage. Contractor answered that at first they’re replaced in kind just in Downtown Fullerton and between the Transit Center. For maintenance, they have a 10-year warranty.

Dunlap stated his hope to maximize the amount of money. He emphasized that one of the best things about our Downtown is the train station and the bridge that already says “Welcome to Fullerton,” updating that and some of the signage is the direction he wants to go in.

Seven people spoke on this item in public comments. 

Discussion on Item 11: Downtown Fullerton & Transit Station Wayfinding

Zahra said that art is always subjective. There are design elements to the signs but they serve a practical purpose, he’d like to see them blend into the environment. He was not a fan of the big arch, it’s expensive, and we already have the bridge, that money can be used to put outside Downtown to lead people there. Having a map strategically placed at the train station area when people come off would be nice. The airport needs to be at least part of the signage so people know there’s an airport there. He clarified for the public that the airport has a different funding mechanism, and it’s being improved. He asked if this signage is restricted only to Downtown. Or can we have signage elsewhere? 

Whitaker said we should go with function over form for the most part, and he particularly liked the logo with the historic city hall and now the police station (#3); the other ones wouldn’t link up with our history. He stated the color scheme with black and teal colors are probably the most effective. He liked the idea of incorporating tiles where possible; it brought the golden era back and included artsiness.

Dr. Charles said that she’s not that fond of #3 and prefers #2 or #1. She thinks it should just be all text instead of an icon. #1 is the easiest to read. As for the color scheme, orange and blue is CSUF, so she prefers #1. She liked the idea of a light-up behind the arch because as beautiful as the tile is, it takes up a lot of space. Similar to Zahra and Whitaker, she rejected the gateway option. She suggested installing a sign as people are driving from Brea to mark the starting point of Downtown Fullerton. Responding to the map idea, she suggested using the one the city utilized for July 4 and the Night of Fullerton. 

Jung asked if the transit center enhancement grant was just limited to signage. Can it also be extended to other historic facilities in Downtown?  Can we collaborate with OCTA and Caltrans to get a landmark Downtown Fullerton sign eastbound and southbound on the Harper exit?

Miss Thomas responded that the grant is more than just branding and wayfinding, it is specific to Fullerton Transportation Center, it includes pedestrian walkways and the bridge, drinking fountain replacements, bike parking replacements, bench replacements, class 2 & 3 restriping on certain streets, shelter light fixtures, digital sign installations, and beautification through enhanced landscaping as well. Some of this work has already started. 

Dunlap favors a text logo and #1 color scheme. He said the “f” is an interesting tie, most people won’t know what it is, but that’s a great way to let people know. He was not in favor of the arches since the underpass already exists.

Zahra is more inclined to #1 because it’s easier to read, the “f” becomes a focal point in the design and suggested including an explanation of what the “f” refers to; it has more of an Art Deco feel too which aesthetically looks better. Charles mentioned that #1 is more inclusive because it is easier to read, especially when driving. 

Color scheme #1 and design #1 were the winners, and the lattice rather than the tile. The Council decided to enhance the bridge rather than make it a standing monument. The council also requested that signage be created on all four corners of entry into Downtown.

Item #12: New Street Sweeping Operation Implementation – Cost & Schedule Analysis

The current operation of street sweeping is weekly, split into 5 zones, done Monday-Friday. The changes discussed would reduce it to a biweekly (twice a month) operation with an annual cost savings of $185,000. However, there is an initial cost to install new signage. The first step for this is a rerouting exercise throughout the city, which takes three months to complete. The cost of new signs is $374,32350. Currently, there are 5,000 signs, 1,000 more would be needed. Decals cannot be used here because they last for at most a year and require constant maintenance. Dunlap and Zahra wanted to explore the decal option more, asking questions about costs and longevity. Staff presented three options for the installation of new signs:

Zahra asked if the savings would offset the cost of the sign materials. Staff answered that the savings start to accumulate when the contract is amended, which isn’t realized for another year. Theoretically, the cost of the materials we could recoup that. 

5 people spoke in public comments regarding this item. 

Discussion on Item 12: Street Sweeping

Zahra clarified that the reason these cars are not being moved is not that people are unwilling to move them but rather that there is simply no available space to relocate them, especially on the south side.

Sanitation is part of the water bill and supports street sweeping and tree trimming. The fund is struggling financially. Zahra emphasized that while savings will help, issuing citations alone won’t solve the problem.

No motions regarding this were made tonight. It will come back to the agenda in November.

Zahra suggested the possibility of rolling out this program in quadrants or by districts when Charles expressed concern regarding the long timeline. 

The city manager recommended that they start mapping that out bimonthly since the majority of the Council is supportive of alternating sides.

The city manager clarified that the city would not enforce it; it would just issue warnings. 

Next City Council meeting will be held on September 17.