HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-10-1995 City Council Minutes MInuTES
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
TIME: Tuesday, October 10, 1995 - 5:30 p.m.
PLACE: Snack Bar Area, Community Center, 19655 Allendale Ave.
TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting/Joint Meeting with Saratoga Union
School District and Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High
School District
Mayor Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM and announced that
the City Council had met in closed session to consider several items
relating to ongoing litigation and significant exposure to litigation
but that no final decisions had been reached on any matter.
1. Roll Call
Mayor Jacobs, Vice Mayor Moran., Councilmembers Burger, Tucker and Wolfe
were all present.
2. Report of City Clerk on Posting of Agenda
The city clerk reported that pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the
agenda for this meeting was properly posted on October 6. The notice
of adjournment from the October 4 Council meeting was properly posted
on October 5.
3. Joint Meeting with saratoga Union School District and Los Gatos-
saratoga Joint Union High School District
Mayor Jacobs asked the members of the school boards and school
administration to introduce themselves and the council and city staff
did likewise. °
A. Libraries, Information Technology, Internet Access
Superintendent Gardner indicates that the Saratoga Union District is
approaching the point where schools are being networked with the county
and there is mutual interest in internet access.
The group discussed generally what is going on among the various
jurisdictions. Saratoga High is three days away from going on line and
it may become the central station for the elementary school district to
connect with instead of going through the county. Dolly Barnes,
community librarian, explained the network and internet access being
designed for the library system, which will tie all the libraries
together and allow remote access into the system through the internet.
All jurisdictions agreed to continue to work mutually in this area as
time and budgets and technology allow.
B. Public Safety and Traffic
The Saratoga Union District reported it now had a crossing guard at
Herriman but recruitment for positions was very difficult and any ideas
or leads on finding people interested in working these jobs would be
appreciated. The new Redwood School traffic circulation plan appears
to be working fairly well and is an improvement over the prior
arrangement. Work is underway to tryto improve access and circulation
at Foothill and at Saratoga Schools as well.
Traffic on Saratoga Avenue and Fruitvale Avenue with the opening of the
freeway was discussed. The City indicates that it has hired a traffic
consultant to study the traffic problems in these areas and provide
recommendations for improvement. The City indicates it is also set to
go to complete the final improvements to the Saratoga/Fruitvale
intersection next spring which will bring the crosswalk down to the
south side of the intersection and reduce the pedestrian/vehicle
conflicts significantly. The City will also be looking at the Scotland
and Via Monte egress problem onto Saratoga Avenue with the traffic
consultant.
Public Safety Commission School Liaison Commissioner Angie Fredrick
City Council Minutes 2 October l0, 1995
reminded all present that the joint city/school district committee on
the School Resource Officer program is often the place where traffic
safety issues around schools are first discussed. She encouraged all
schools to continue to send representatives to the meetings and
suggested that since the program and the committee are now three years
old it would be an appropriate to consider the future direction of the
committee at the next meeting.
The School Resources Officer was noted to be working with other
deputies to improve relations with young people, especially at the high
school level. Further it was noted that the sheriff has now assigned
a specific deputy to liaison with each school in the city in addition
to other duties and this should also improve communication.
C. School Growth and School.Facilitles
The Saratoga Union District indicates that its enrollment growth has
averaged 6% a year for the past two years. If this trend continues, an
additional 15 classrooms will 'be needed by 1998. The High School
District indicates that its enrollment is not growing at a high rate.
Saratoga High's enrollment topped 1,000 for the first time in six
years. Enrollment at the elementary district has resulted in limiting
out of district transfers to about 50% of those requested. The
district may need to seek a bond issue in the next two years to build
new facilities and upgrade existing facilities on the existing
campuses. The district thanked the city for the notifications it is now
receiving on all new residential development proposals.
D. Saratoga Youth Action Plan~ What it is and how schools can
help.
Councilmember Tucker invited all present to attend the Town Hall
Meeting on October 14th where the topic of discussion is the'
development of a Youth Action Plan for Saratoga. It was suggested that
to really involve youth in this effort that focus groups of students
should be arranged to take place at 'the schools.
4. Approval of Scope of Services and Authorization of Award of
contract to MBA Associates to prepare an Environmental Impact
Report for the Nelson Gardens P:roject
The City Attorney presented the ~taff report on this item. He noted
that this was not a focused EIR as that term is used Under the
California Environmental Quality Act, but it was so characterized
because all of the studies prepared in the development of the mitigated
negative declaration would be used a:~ existing resource documents and
revised and updated as necessary ra'~her than redoing work which had
already been done. He noted that several changes to the scope of
services need to be made to reflect this distinction and in response to
suggestions made by the attorney for the Friends of Nelson Gardens. He
also indicated that a revised Attac~nent B had been prepared which is
more specific as to the critical path dates for undertaking the scope
of work and completion of the EIR.
Don Macrae asked about the process of EIR review. The City Attorney
indicated that a full review would take place.
Dr. Stutzman asked how the consultant was selected and why original
studies were going to be used when they weren't accepted by the
Council. It was noted that-the firm was picked because it had competed
successfully in being selected to do other EIRs for Saratoga and the
City had found their work to be acceptable. It was noted that, as
indicated previously, the original studies would be reviewed and
revised, updated, and expanded upon as necessary during the
environmental review process.
It was moved by Councilmember Burger,, seconded by Councilmember Wolfe
to approve the scope of work as revised this evening and to authorize
the City Manager to execute a standard contractual services agreement
with MEA Associates. The motion pas~ed 5-0.
S. Report of Personal Communications Service on Request from Pacific
Bell to Locate Cell Site at Congress. Springs Park
City Council Minutes 3 October lO, 1995
The City Manager presented the staff report and indicated he was
seeking direction from the Council regarding whether to enter into
negotiations with Pac Bell to lease a portion of Congress Springs Park
for the location of a mobile telephone transmission site.
Councilmember Tucker indicated that she has concern about saying yes to
the Pac Bell proposal without a public hearing. This proposal would
not place the antennas on a building but on a pole, there was the issue
of radiation, which is of concern to some people, and she is not
favorable to the length of the agreement, which could be for as much as
30 years.
Mr. Zambetti, representing Pac Bell responded that this. is a line
sight system so each of the antenna arrays need to "see" each other.
Since initially discussing Pac Bell's interest with the city staff, Pac
Bell would also like to place a sixth cell site in the center of the
city at the city's corporation yard. He indicated that the other
problems raised by Councilmember Tucker regarding radiation are being
addressed in the application now pending for the site in Saratoga
Village. He indicated that its was Pac Bell's intention to place the
antenna pole adjacent to the freeway sound wall at the same height as
the poles which now support the screen which extends the length of the
park along the freeway sound wall.
In response to a question about other licenses granted by the FCC for
this area, Mr. Zambetti indicated that SPRINT also has received a
license to put in a system and in the future they will probably
approach the city to build the same type of system.
Vice Mayor Moran indicated it would be her preference that all six
applications be bundled together so that the city doesn't end up with
orphan sites if some end up being turned down. Mr. Zambetti indicated
that Pac Bell would intend to proceed to secure as many sites as
necessary but that if one or more sites can't be appropriately located,
that area would not have the service available. Pac Bell will be
locating a total of some 300 sites from Marin County south to Monterey.
In response to the question as to whether two systems could share
same pole, Mr. Zambetti indicated that that is possible.
Mayor Jacobs expressed his concern that Saratoga could become a sea of
antennas in a few years if the city didn't carefully consider what was
going to happen.
It was moved by Councilmember Wolfe and seconded by Vice Mayor Moran
that the City Manage be authorized to go forward with negotiations
using the content of the staff report and the analysis of the proposed
lease agreement prepared by the City Attorney as the basis for
negotiation.
Mayor Jacobs also suggested that to minimize visual impacts that the
lease require Pac Bell to share pole space.
Mr. Zambetti asked if Pac Bell can then go forward with Conditional Use
Permit applications for the city sites. Vice Mayor Moran indicated
that she would prefer to have all the other sites committed before the
city agrees to allow Pao Bell to file for the CUPs. The other members
of the Council concurred in this approach.
The motion then passed 5-0.
cities have expressed the same concern, and he has.ordinance example~
from those cities on how they addressed this issue. Staff was
instructed to work on this issue and provide recommendations.
6. Resolution Establishing Council Appointments and Committee
~ssig~ments.
It was moved by Vice Mayor Moran and seconded by Councilmember Burger
to adopt the resolution as presented. The motion passed 5-0.
City Counoll Minutes 4 October 10, lgg5
7, Award of Construction Contract for Pavement Maintenance
Program (Overlay)
The Public Works Director presented his report on the bid opening.
It was moved by CouncilmemberTuckera seconded by Councilmember Burger
to declare PAVEX as the lowest successful bidder. Motion passed 5-0.
It was moved by Councilmember Tucker, seconded by Councilmember Burger
to the contract to PAVEX in the amount of $258,830.53. Motion passed
5-0.
It was moved by Councilmember Tucker, seconded by Councilmember Burger
to authorize change orders in an amount not to exceed $15,000. Motion
passed 5-0.
8. Self-Evaluation of Previous Meeting
Councilmember Burger indicated that she felt the council should have
dealt more specifically with the sign issues and the oral communication
from the owner of La Dolce Vita. The other members of the council
agreed there is a need to deal moire comprehensively with the sign
ordinance and that the results of the charette should begin to give the
city some indications of a future direction for amending the ordinance.
9. Agency Assignment Reports
Councilmember Wolfe reported that the Cities Association Legislative
Committee is reviewing its criteria for dealing with legislation and
with rotating the chair for the Committee. He reported that the
Transportation Agency is meeting almost daily to deal with the
aftermath of the invalidation of Measure A by the State Supreme Court°
and the impacts on future transportation projects in the County. He
reported that the Housing and Community Development Committee is
looking for a site.to locate a 250 tinit homeless housing site in San
Jose. He reported on the interviews for economic consultants to work
the City and the Business Development Council and indicated a
recommendation would be coming to the City Council on November 1,
1995.
Councilmember Burger reported that the Finance Committee of the Library
JPA has completed its work on the various reserve policies for approval
by the full board, and that the model used by Saratoga was a helpful
guide in the committee's efforts.
Councilmember Tucker reported that NancyAnderson would be representing
the City at the Battered Women Task Force meeting. She also reported
that she had received a communication from the Freeway Noise Committee
recommending certain actions to be taken by the City and requested that
this communication be placed on the next regular meeting agenda for the
Council to consider.
10. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 PM to the Town Hall Meeting at 10:00
a.m. on Saturday, October 14 in the Saratoga Community Center (Senior
Wing, Large Room)
Respectfully submitted,