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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-29-1991 City Council Minutes MINUTES ~ARATOGA CITY COUNCIL TIME: Tuesday, October 29, 1991 7:00 p.m. PLACE: Senior Day Care Room, Community Center, 19655 Allendale Ave. TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting/Joint meeting with Board of West Valley-Mission Community College District 1. ROll Call Councilmembers Anderson, Clevenger, Monia, Stutzman and Mayor Kohler were present. Board Members Abrahams, Atkins, Mahan, Rucker, Simmons, Williams and Winter were present. Staff Members present were West Valley College President Chavez, Chancellor Mellander, City Manager Peacock, and City Attorney Riback. 2. Report of City Clerk on Posting of Agenda The City Manager/City Clerk reported that pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted.on October 25. The notice of adjournment from the October 22 Council meeting was properly posted on October 23. 3. Discussion of Football Games at West Valley College T~e status of playing games was discussed. Three games have been played this fall, two games remain. About 350 attended the first game, and the expected average attendance would be between 250 to 300 people. Councilmember Monia related the history of the issue. The main issue among the neighbors is a continued mistrust of the College because of past actions of the College. The neighbors feel that if they agree to allow any games, things would just expand from there, and the issue of the stadium would just come up again. President Chavez indicated that the issue is playing football. There is no interest in pursuing the construction of a stadium. Whether the playing of intercollegiate football can be regulated by the City is open to legal question. A recent Santa Cruz case was cited by several as an indication the City's authority is limited. A general discussion ensued between various board, Council, and community members concerning the issue of football games and a stadium. Jeffrey Schwartz said that, at a meeting with about 40 residents from the neighborhoods around the College, President Chavez had made a firm commitment that he would recommend against any more home football games at West Valley at any time in the future and that it was a breach of faith for President Chavez to respond to Mrs. Anderson that the College didn't want a stadium, but did want home games. Dr. Schwartz also said that if Dr. Chavez had changed his mind he was obligated to notify the residents he had met with because they had not even come to the City Council meeting, in reliance on his promise. Chancellor Mellander made it clear that President Chavez has decided there will be no football games next year unless he is later overruled by the Board. There has been no breach of faith and to imply that such was the case, as alleged by Dr. Schwartz, is what leads to continued antagonism, and he wants the minutes to reflect his comments. Dr. Schwartz said that the District had ignored Bert Martel's request to discuss the football situation last spring, as had the City. He stated that the District had scheduled home games; denied it; attempted to construct concrete steps and bleachers without a building permit, without a vote of the Governing board and in clear violation of a court order and a City ordinance; had failed to tell neighboring City Council Minutes 2 October 29, 1991 residents about the games scheduled at West Valley, or to hold public hearings; had gotten informal Board approval for the home games without a Board hearing or Board vote and had violated District policy governing use of the practice field without rescinding or modifying the~ policy. Dr. Schwartz said that the specific breach of faith he had referred to, however, was promising the residents one thing and then doing something contrary to that promise. Student Trustee Simmons distributed a resolution of the West Valley College Student Senate supporting home football games on Friday afternoons and requested the Council and Board establish a joint committee to gain consensus on issues which impact the College and the Saratoga community. Mayor Kohler complimented Mr. Simmons for his comments and Councilmember Stutzman urged the parties to try to begin to work together. Councilmember Monia echoed these sentiments and recited the cooperative efforts between the City and College on the past two years. The issue is to find a way to satisfy the neighbors that this is not just another camel's nose under the.tent. Councilmember Clevenger reminded all that the relationship between the City and the College has been good for the past ten years. The relationship problem is between the College and the neighbors. Mayor Kohler noted that there was not sufficient support on the City Council to form a committee. 4. Discussion of Location of a Possible Skateboard Park at West Valley College The Councilmember related the problems the City has had regarding finding an appropriate location in the city for a skateboard part which is far enough away from surrounding neighborhoods. Although the Board did not take any official position regarding having such a facility at the College, most members and the administration did not appear to be receptive to the idea. 5. Closed Session on litigation in the case of Wanka v. Saratoga and on personnel matters for discussion of Interim Planning Director position The City Council instructed the City Attorney regarding the Wanka (Villa Montalvo) case and confirmed retaining Stan Eisner as interim planning director as proposed by the City Manager. 6. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Harry R. Peacock City Manager