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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-09-1996 City Council Minutes MINUTES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL TIME: Tuesday, January 9, 1996- 7:00 p.m. PLACE: City Hall Administration Meeting Room, 13777 Fruitvale Ave. TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting/Jt. Meeting with LibraryCommission 1. Roll Call : The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by Mayor Jacobs. Council Members Present: Mayor Jacobs, Vice Mayor Moran, Councilmembers Burger and Wolfe. Council Members Absent: Councilmember Tucker (arrived at 7:28 PM). Staff Present: City Manager Peacock, Administrative Analyst Jacobs 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 January 5. The notice of adjournment from the January 3 Council meeting was properly posted on January 4, 1996. 3. Joint Meeting Items Commissioners Present: Chairwoman Towse, Commissioners Manzo, Grantham, Sessler, and McLaughlin. Commissioners Absent: Commissioners Ceppos and Foscato. A. Virtual Valley-Internet Status at Library B. Cooperation with seniors on computing classes, etc. C. After school use of Library with closure of Warner Hutton House D. Status of Library JPA E. Sunday Hours F. Capital Improvements to Library The agenda items were discussed in random order. Chairwoman Towse again discussed the cut in funding for library services made by the City Council last summer. Even though the Friends of the Library have provided the $23,000 in funding needed to allow for Sunday hours with no cut in other areas of the budget, it costs more than if the City Council ha~ provided the funding because $2,000 contributions from both the County and Monte Sereno were lost because the City Council did not provide the needed $19,000 in funding. The Commission indicated that the library has problems with young people after school causing problems, but it can not say if closure of the Warner Hutton House after school has had any more impact. Also it must be noted that the problem is universal at libraries, it is not just a problem in Saratoga. The problem is also magnified because the library is too small; there is not adequate room to house all the young people who use the library after school each day. This led to a discussion about the priority of library funding compared to all other funding priorities the City Council must consider. Part of the discussion concerned finding the money to do the preliminary studies on expanding the library and whether JPA money could be used for that purpose. About $40,000 is needed to determine how much money would be required to double the size of the library. Until that is known then efforts to raise funds or go to the voters would most likely be non- productive. Councilmember Burger indicated that she will approach the JPA about this matter. Councilmember Burger gave an overview report of the work of the new Library JPA. She indicated that part of the technology upgrade at the libraries includes installing "smart" computer terminals for those who wish to use the Internet. This is another area where new space requirements are being created where none existed before. City Council Minutes 2 Januar~ 9, 1996 The City Council and the Commi~ssion viewed a short video made by the City staff on the operation !of the library and the overcrowding problems which currently exist~ 4. Council Items ; The City Manager requested that!a special item be placed on the agenda. The item was a request from ~he Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition to support its application for county housing funds to renovate Saratoga Court, a 20-unit senior housing complex in the City of Saratoga. The request is being made this evening because the letter of support must be submitted to the county byi Friday, before the next regular City Council meeting. ~ It was moved by Councilmember ~ucker, seconded by Councilmember Burger and approved 5-0 to agendize the item for consideration. It was moved by Councilmember Burger, seconded by Councilmember Wolfe and approved 5-0 to write a letter in support of a housing fund grant for the Coalition to renovate Saratoga Court. A. Self-Evaluation of Previous Heeting Mayor Jacobs inquired about Councilmember Tucker's concern about approving the minutes at the last meeting without seeing the minor corrections he had handed to the City Manager. She explains that since she didn't know specifically What had been changed she did not feel comfortable approving the changes. The Mayor noted that all the changes were related only to gender differences in referring to certain individuals. The City Council also discussed the memo from the City Attorney on the process for securing a tax override for police services. The Mayor indicated that he and the CityManager had discussed this and that the City Manager had, in turn, inquired of the City Attorney whether the law in this area was still in ~effect. Neither the Mayor nor the City Manager had expected that a memO from the City Attorney on this subject would be generated. Some members expressed concern about such a memo giving the incorrect impression that the City Council was actually considering such a course of action and requested that in the future these matters be discussed first with the rest of the members of the City Council. B. Agency Assignment Reports - None. C. Award of Contract for Investlgative Services for Water Quality of Saratoga Creek ~ It was moved by Councilmember Tucker, seconded by Vice Mayor Moran and approved 5-0, to retain the services of Dr. Rhea L. Williamson, Ph.D., per her proposed scope of work!to perform various studies on behalf of the City as a part of its storm water management program efforts under its NPDES permit. D. Other The Council discussed the request made by SASCC at the joint meeting to have more of the quarterly recreation brochure devoted to information concerning SASCC and its programs. Council indicated it was reluctant to order the Recreation staff how to do the brochure. It was agreed to have Councilmember Burger ask SASCC to talk to the staff about creative ways to include more information which do not either 1) increase cost to the City, or 2) reduce recreation program listings and layouts. The Council discussed a reportlit has received regarding the changing of freeway off ramp signs regarding Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and its change in name to De Anza Blvd. in San Jose and the possible adverse impact on businesses in Sarato~a's Gateway area. Staff was asked to look into the matter and report back to the Council as to whether action on the part of the City is appropriate. Councilmember Burger noted sh'e has met with Public Works Director Perlin to discuss tree planting. She noted that the Tree Committee City Council Minutes 3 January 9, 1996 needs to establish a focus and to clarify its role. The Committee can acquire trees through Our City Forest and can plant them on the City property north of Sacred Heart Church. She also felt another function of the Committee is to approach people who are scheduled to remove a large tree and encourage them to replace the tree with an appropriate substitute for the site. Mayor Jacobs and Vice Mayor Moran indicated that they would like to see progress sooner rather than later, of new trees being planted. If this means that they go on City property, that is fine with them. It was agreed to have Councilmember Burger proceed with the Public Works Department in that direction. Councilmember Wolfe reminded the City Council of the number of actions it has taken since this Council took office to increase the number of trees in Saratoga. This City Council has done much more than just talk about trees; it has required that thousands of new trees be planted as a part of the freeway construction or as a part of other major construction projects in the City. The City Council discussed actions it would like to see competed during the remainder of 1996. These include getting started on the tree planting program. Another action is to experiment with the Warher Hutton House and possibly the High School as a place for young adults to frequent on Friday and Saturday nights. Staff was instructed to work up such a proposal regarding costs and scheduling to use the Warner Hutton House as a coffee house and to use the High School for other activities. Mayor Jacobs indicated he is meeting with representatives from the High School District next week to discuss just such possibilities and that he has also scheduled a meeting with some of the leaders of the restaurant association to discuss Celebrate Saratoga for 1996. The City Council discussed future steps to take with PG&E regarding the need to improve its emergency response performance in light of the problems caused during the storm last month. Possible steps to take would include publicizing the things the City wants to see happening and the meetings with PG&E to resolve them, including preparing a list of issues and getting them to the media and letting people how that if they can't get through to PG&E that they can call the City to report outages which the City can then relay to PG&E. The City Manager was instructed to set up a meeting with PG&E management to discuss these matters with them and to seek immediate corrective action. The City Council discussed the fact that 1996 is the 40th year of the City's incorporation and that events should be scheduled or coordinated with that theme in mind, especially as relates to the Fall Parade and the Street Dance. Vice Mayor Moran was delegated the task of coming up with other possible events and to work with the staff in the City Manager's Office to promote the events. The City Council discussed the work going on with the economic development consultant, the consultant on the storm water management program and the periodic creek clean up activity and requested that staff alert them to the work in these areas so they can participate and so that the community can be made aware of the actions being taken by the City Council. The City Council requested that the staff arrange for the new Planning Commissioner to be interviewed by the Saratoga News and the San Jose Mercury News and that staff arrange for background materials and photos to be sent to the media on Mr. Pierce. 5. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 PM to a Town Hall Meeting Saturday, January 13, at 10:00 a.m. in the Community Center, 19655 Allendale Avenue. Respectfully submitted, Harry R. Peacoc~ City Clerk