HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-26-1972 City Council Minutes SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
TIME: Tuesday, September 26, 1972, 7:30 P.M.
PLACE: Crisp Conference Room, City Hall, 13777 ~Fruitvale Ave., Saratqga, California
TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting
I. ROLL CALL
Present: Councilmen Bridges, Diridon, Dwyer, Kraus and Smith
Absent: None
II. BIDS AND CONTRACTS
A. REALIGNMENT OF SARATOGA CREEK AT WILDWOOD PARK - Cont. from 9/6/72 & 6/20/72
The Mayor introduced Mr. Lloyd C. Fowler, Director of Engineering, Santa
Clara County Flood Control, who reviewed the history of Saratoga 'Creek at
Wildwood Park, starting with the 1963 flood and the problems of the Fourth
Street Culvert. Flood Control plans for a proposed creek alignment and
improvement plans'date back as far as 1960. In 1964-65, Mr. Fowler was
approached by the parties then owning Wildwood Park to do something about
the foot bridge which had been wiped oht during the 1963 flood. About this
same time, the District was considering a location of a debris basin on
Saratoga Creek. It was also during this period of time or sometime there-
after that the City gave consideratio~ to the purchase of Wildwood Park, and
the District, working with!i~the City, p.lanned to have the debris basin moved
up-stream in order to make a lake in the proposed park. Mr. Fowler- stated
that there was erosion on both sides qf the stream, although the worst erosion
was on the south side of the creek. In 1966, there was a proposed development
on the south side of the creek betwee~ the City, Flood Control District and
private developers, and a year ago this was developed for a debris basin,
moving the southerly side of the creek Or the southerly bank toward the park
to provide room for the proposed Village Parking District. Mr. Fowler
commented that over the I2-year period,~ some 11 alternatives were developed
and reviewed, all of which included raSving the+ southerly bank to the north.
He further pointe.d out that the. culver. t under the Fourth Street Bridge was
always a part of the alignment prOgr~a~. Mr. Fowle~ concluded by saying that
in 1969, an agreement between Flood Control District, the City and private
parties was entered into on the south.iside, providing for a debris basin.
At that time, money was put into the~budget Go build the/.proposed-debris
basin.,' ~He then commented% that since tha~ time the City has changed its
mind, and the agreement regarding the~debris basin was r~scinded in the
spring of this year to provide for the realignment of' the creek to follow
the same alignment on the south side as the deb~s basin would have covered.
Former ~ayor, Charles Robbin.s, commented that the decisions made 4 or 5 years
.ago were made in good faith by the City Council, based on the information
available at that time. He felt that; those decisions had been made, and the
question facing the Council at this t{me was one of recognizing the facts
as 'they are and moving forward.
Mr. Larry Tyler also commented on the brief history of the creek, and he
felt that the City had rescinded the earlier agreements, and at that time
had moved forward in good faith to ge~ the realignment accomplished.
Mrs. Kay Duffy of the Parks and' Recreation Commission asked severaly~questions
regarding the alignment of the channel and also the design as shown in the
preliminary engineering drawings. She said that the Commission was very
concerned about the hazards of the area and the effect that the realignment
would have on Wildwood Park. ~----~--~-I~
Councilman Dwyer stated that he felt there should be some realignment ~n
order to meet our contractual· obligations with the Village Parking Assessment
District and the adjascent property owners. He moved to re-establish as
policy the realignment of Saratoga Creek at Wildwood Park in order to meet
these obligations: This motion was seconded by Councilman Kraus, and the
vote was 4 to 1 in favor of realignment, Councilman Bridges~'8"~"~"."~
. votln no
The motion was carried.
It was further moved by Councilman Dw~er that the work continue on the
realignment of the creek and the Fourth Street Culvert, but that the bid
opening be delayed to next spring. Meanwhile, the landscape architect
should provide design work to tie in with the engineering design to make the
creek compatible with Wildwood Park. The motion was seconded by Councilman
Kraus and carried.
B. CONSIDERATION OF SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP
Mayor Smith introduced Mr..Charles Robbins, former mayor, who indicated that
" he would be taking a trip to Japan inithe very near future and wanted to
discuss with the City the possibility'of establishing a "sister city"cfj
on"
relationship or a "brother gard relationship with a city in Japan. After
some discussion, the City Council encouraged Mr. Robbins to look at all the
possibilities and make a recommendation to the City upon his return from the
Orient. It was moved and'seconded that Mr. Robbins follow through on h~f~
request and report back to the City Council on his return. This was unani-
mously approved.
III. ADJOURNMENT
The Mayor announced a convening of an executive session to discuss personnel
matters following the Committee of the Whole Meeting.
The meeting was adjourned to the Committee of the Whole Meeting.j
pec f
es t ull 6
espectf~
ROBERT F.-
CITY CLERK