HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-29-1986 City Council Minutes SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
TIME: Thursday, May 29, 1986
PLACE: Community Center M~eting Room
TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting
The meeting was called to order at 5:42 p.m. by Mayor Clevenger: Additional
members of the City Council present were Councilmembers Mayles and Mayor
Protam Hlava. Counci]n~mhers Callon and Fanelli were absent: All of the
members of the Finance Advisory Conm~ttee were also in attendance.
1. Mayor Protam Hlava requested permission to draft a letter for the Mayor's
signature to the Metropolitan Transportation Cannission protesting their
decision to fund Paratransit in Santa Clara County on only a six month
basis for the caning fiscal year. There being no objection, it was so
ordered by the Mayor.
2. Consideration of joining the ABAG Plan I Liability Insurance Pool: it was
moved by Mayor Protam Hlava and seconded by Counciln~mber Moyles that the
City Council approve a resolution electing to join the ABAG Liability
Insurance Pool. The vote was 3-0 in favor.
3. Discuss/on with the Finance cennittee on Proposed/~nendment to the City's
Investment Policy: the Finance Ca~uittee requested additional time to
consider this matter and agreed to prepore a written report to the City
Council on the reckmended changes to the 'City's investment policy.
There was a recess at 5:52 p.m. for dinner. The meeting reconvened at 6:21
p.m.; Councilmember Fanelli having arrived in the interim. The City Manager
then proceeded to present the 1986-87 Proposed Budget. He noted that two
changes were necessary from the budget presented to the Council on May 23; the
first relating to the cost of County Coamunications, and the second relating
to second and third year costs on street maintenance. The Finance Director
distributed copies of the. amended pages to the Proposed Budget reflecting
those changes to the m~nhers of the City Council, Finance Advisory Cannittee
and the audience. The City Manager then proceeded to give an overview of the
budget, the relationship between revenues and expenses in areas such as the
utility users tax and street management program, the enterprise funds and
enterprise activities, and the develol~nent fees and development activities
areas of the City's budget. The calculation of the City's Gann limit was also
discussed as was the s~nnary of est~-mted expenditures for Fiscal 88 and 89.
Following the overview of the budget the City Council proceeded to review the
budget in detail. The following cannents and changes to the proposed budget
were directed by the City Council.
1. The City should endeavor to secure additional Transportation Develolxnent
Act money for bicycle path improvement in the City. The City Manager was
directed to check on the competitive and entitlement grant amounts, and
the City Engineer was directed to include additional bike path
improvements in the Capital Improvements Plan to be prepared during this
fiscal year.
City Council Minutes - 5/29/86 Page 2
2. The City Council suggested that in promoting the Saratoga Housing and
Rehabilitation Progrin that a volunteer fr~n the c~m~nity be sought to
assist the Planning Director in marketing the program.
3. Councilm~mherMoyles in reviewing the median maintenance budget expressed
concern over the adequacy of the current maintenance being provided.
Concern was expressed as to whether or not the City could do a better job
in maintaining the medians throughout the City.
4. Council also requested that a cc~parison of the cost of operating Hakone
Gardens with the total revenue derived from rental of the Gardens plus the
donations be included so they could understand more fully the nature of
the actual net costs to operate Hakone Gardens. Council suggested that it
w~uld be appropriate for the new City Council to maet with the Hakone
Foundation Board of Directors at the end of July to be brought up to date
on the Foundation's progress in raising funds and taking over the
operation and costs of the Gardens.
5. The activity for community groups was noted to be a one-time grant only,
and in all likelihood in future years these additional progr~ would be
covered in s~me part by the expanded senior progr~r~ once the senior wing
addition is constructed in 1986.
i.6. City Council directed that the Sister City activity budget be changed so
_ ~ that object code 4560 Special Events would show a budget expenditure of
$500, and object code 5610 Grants to Other Agencies would show an expense
of $500.
7. 'In discussing the Franchise Administration activity, the Council noted
that it would prefer that the City concentrate on putting together local
origination progr~r~ning in conjunction. with West Valley College, using its
studio and facilities, as well as the facilities donated to the City by
Hearst Cablevision, for c~uunity origination progr ...... ~ng, rather than
attempting to work with KCATChannel 6, public access channel in the Town
of Los Gatos.
8. In discussing the Capital Projects Fund and Program, Councilmember
Fanelli noted that the original intent of that fund was to divert money
out of the General Fund reserve so that it would not be spent
indiscriminately, but rather as a means of establishing sort of a rainy
day fund for emergencies. Placing it with the n~menclature Capital
Projects had evidently caused a problem since, as the City Manager pointed
out, Capital Projects money once transferred into Capital Projects funds
could not be used for operations nor transferred beck. It was therefore a
decision of the City Council to expend the existing fund balance in
Capital Projects to zero as quickly as possible, and to adjust the funding
sources for various capital projects in the Proposed Budget to accomplish
that objective.
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City Council Minutes - 5/29/86 Page 3
9. The City Council also discussed the status of Revenue Sharing funds and
the City Manager indicated his intention to use these funds in the
Proposed Budget for C(mmunity Service Officer and Police purposes. He
will also attempt to zero out that fund in lieu of using .o~:he~r f~ding
mechanisms to support these serv/ces until the Revenue Sharing funds are
depleted since the City, under the current proposals for the
discontinuation of Revenue Sharing, will have only a limited amount of
time in which to expend the monies or return them to the Federal
goverrm~nt. The City Manager also indicated that fr~n a bookkeeping and
accounting and auditing standpoint, it was much s{mpler for the City to
use the r~n~in/ng funds for on-going operations rather than for capital
projects.
10. The City Council discussed the one-time proposal for exmnining the need
for handicapped access r~mps at the intersection of McCoy and Quito.
Staff was directed to investigate such a possibility and report back to
the Council on their findings,
That concluded the discussion on the 1986-87 Proposed Bedget. It was noted
that the fornml budget hearing would take place on the evening of June 4,
1986, at which time resolutions adopting the budget, setting the
appropriations limit and establishing the number of permanent fulltime and
part-time personnel would also be included for the Council's consideration and
eventual adoption.
There being no further business, the adjourned meeting was adjourned at 9:45
p.m.
Respectfully submitted,