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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-23-1996 City Council Minutes MINUTES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL TIME: Tuesday, July 23, 1996 6:45 p.m. PLACE: City Hall Administration Meeting Room, 13777 Fruitvale Ave. TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting 6:45 - Closed session pursuant to Section 54956.9: CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-EXISTING LITIGATION Name of case: Harrison v. Saratoga; Guadalupe Rubbish Co. v. Saratoga; Warfel v. Saratoga; Green Valley Disposal v. Saratoga; Bloxham v. Saratoga; San Francisco Baykeepers v. Saratoga; Friends of Nelson Gardens v. Saratoga; Saratoga v. West Valley Community College Mayor Jacobs calls the meeting to order at 7:15 PM. A. Roll Call Councilmembers Present: Mayor Jacobs, Vice Mayor Moran, Councilmembers Burger, Tucker and Wolfe. Staff Present: City Attorney Riback, City Manager Peacock, Finance Director Fil, Community Development Director Curtis, Public Works Director Perlin, Parks and Buildings Superintendent Rizzo. Finance Advisory Committee Members Present: Committeemembers Hahn, Low and Ousley. B. Report of City clerk on Posting of Agenda Mr. Peacock reports that pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on July 19. The notice of adjournment from the July 17 Council meeting was properly posted on July 18, 1996. C. Quarterly Budget and Program Review 1. Preliminary Year End Budget Results FY 1995-96. Mr. Fil reports that year end preliminary cash flow from all sources is a positive $2.0 million. Overall fund balances are up by $2.9 million but are subject to a number of year end closing entries which will change the number by several hundred thousand dollars. Revenues were 108% of the budget, with the general fund revenues totaling 114% of budget. Overall expenditures are at 88% of budget while general fund expenditures are at 93% of budget. These costs will increase as closing entries are hooked but will not exceed budget. The City Council discusses the seven budget scenarios developed by the management staff in the event the utility users tax ballot measure does not pass in November. Staff is requesting the members of the City Council provide feedback on the scenarios in the form of comments or different proposals. Councilmember Burger submits her comments on the various staff scenarios. Mayor Jacobs asks the Finance Advisory Committee to work with staff to develop other scenarios for the City Council to consider. Mayor Jacobs indicates he would like to see the Committee develop a scenario from the ground up. Committeemember Ousley responds that, among other things, the budget is based on the political will of the City Council so some input from the Councilmembers would be helpful in this regard. They have developed a listing of service areas by priority and would be using this as a guide in coming up with a scenario. Any budget so developed needs to reflect these priorities and also needs to deliver a message as to what services will be lost. There needs to be a reason for people to vote ? to continue the tax. It is agreed that the Council will communicate individually with the FAC on its budget ideas, that these ideas will be shared with staff, but that the ideas need to get to the Committee by next Tuesday when the Committee will take this matter up along with its review of the seven scenarios prepared by staff. City Council Minutes 2 July 23, 1996 Council also indicates that no final decisions will be made as to what would be cut from the budget before the election, that individuals running for office should be prepared to state what they would cut, should they be elected. 2. Technology Master Plan Update. Mr. Fil files his progress report on the plan. In response to questions he indicates the City will be taking advantage of joint purchasing opportunities once hardware selection decisions have been made. 3. Capital Projects Status through June 30th. Mr. Perlin reports that the following projects are active: the Wetlands Project at West Valley College, an RFP is being prepared for the engineering design work to be done on the Phase II of the Quito Road Bridge Replacement Projects, determination of ADA projects for bidding, the final design of the Saratoga/Sunnyvale Road Median project, and that later tonight the Council will be asked to award the construction contract for the Saratoga Avenue Scotland/Fruitvale Intersections Signal and Reconfiguration Improvements. Mr. Perlin also reports that he expects Caltrans to go to bid in the Spring of 1997 on the road improvements along Saratoga/Sunnyvale Road in Cupertino, San Jose and Saratoga in preparation of relinquishment of this part of State Route 85 back to all three cities. He reports that the project is expected to cost about $2.1 million. As for the project Saratoga has planned for this same street, right now the City can not expect to get augmented funding through the ISTEA program until after 2000. However, if the proposed sales tax measure passes in November, money committed as local match for other projects would be freed up and funding could then be made available to Saratoga. In addition, the group working on the sales tax measure is proposing to front load the local share of the project's money for the first couple of years, which means Saratoga could be getting as much as $250,000 a year for two years which could be used for this project if it is not needed to meet the City's pavement management needs. The City Council turns to proposals for the next utility undergrounding project. A lengthy discussion ensues as to what project to do next and whether to do one larger project or break the funding for the next four years up into two smaller projects. Candidate areas are Saratoga Avenue south of Fruitvale and Saratoga/Sunnyvale Road between Herriman and Cox Avenues. It is agreed to have the Mayor and Vice Mayor meet with the Public Works Director to discuss in detail the pros and cons of various options and to report back to the City Council in the near future. 4. Status of Tree Planting Efforts through June 30th. Mr. Rizzo reports that the Beauchamps neighborhood is interested in planting some 16 new street trees in their neighborhood and that trees are to be planted as a part of the Wetlands Project at West Valley College. Mr. Rizzo is requested to contact West Valley College concerning their plans to replace the pine trees removed from the area between the street and the parking lot on Allendale Avenue. 5. Economic Development Plan-Business Improvement District. Mr. Curtis reports that at the SBDC meeting this morning the group has formed Team Saratoga, to begin the next phase of an action effort which will be called the Economic Development Project to formalize the ongoing effort to market Saratoga businesses both locally and throughout the Santa Clara Valley area. 6. Community Development Department Work Plan. Mr. Curtis presents his report on the status of the various work plan items noting that many had been discussed in detail with the Planning Commission on July 9th. There are no questions or additional comments on this report. City Council Minutes 3 July 23, 1996 7. Public Relations Efforts In General. There are no questions or comments on this report. 8. Youth Services Planning Effort. There are no questions or comments on this report. 9. Park and Recreation Facilities Priority Plan. There are no questions or comments on this report, Council is due to take final action on the Task Force recommendations on August 7th, having tentatively approved the amended recommendations at their meeting of July 17th. 10. Reopening of the Warner Mutton House and the Boneyard. There are no questions or comments on this report, Council having acted to reopen the Warner Hutton House at their meeting of July 3rd. D. Award of contract for Saratoga Ave. Traffic Signal, CIP 9605 Mr. Perlin reports that the cost of the project, based upon all the bids received, will be some $20,000 over budget but that further modifications to the southerly portion of the Saratoga Avenue/[ruitvale Avenue intersection can cut the cost by that $20,000. After discussion as to the desirability of such a change and its impact on pedestrians, especially children who will be crossing to get to Redwood School. Council agrees to stay with the original design. If savings from the Pavement Management Contract can not make up the difference, then funding from the contingency appropriation will be made. Mr. Perlin reports that bids were opened on July 23rd and recommends that the bid be awarded to Heaps Electric in an amount up to $88,395. It is moved by Vice Mayor Moran, seconded by Councilmember Tucker to declare Heaps Electric as the low bidder. Motion passes 5-0. It is moved by Vice Mayor Moran, seconded by Councilmember Tucker to award the contract to Heaps Electric for an amount up to $88,395. Motion passes 5-0. It is moved by Vice Mayor Moran, seconded by Councilmember Tucker to authorize staff to execute change orders for the project in an amount up to $10,000. Motion passes 5-0. E. Award of Contract for Purchase of Chairs for Community Center It is moved by Vice Mayor Moran, seconded by Councilmember Tucker to declare Mity-Lite as the low bidder. Motion passes 5-0. It is moved by Vice Mayor Moran, seconded by Councilmember Tucker to award the contract to Mity-Lite in the amount of $13,143.97. Motion passes 5-0. F. Joint Meeting with Saratoga Fire District Board Fire Commission Members Present: Bob Egan, Henry Clark, and Jay Geddes. Staff Present: Chief Kraule 1. Discussion of New Headquarters Chief Kraule presents the efforts to date of a committee formed to consider the renovation or replacement of the current station because of age and seismic retrofit needs. He presents to the Council, as a matter of information the various options being considered. The District has money to renovate and retrofit the building to meet earthquake standards but when it is done it will still be an old building. Extra money would be needed to replace the building as it is now configured, which would still require fire apparatus to have to back into the parking bays from off Saratoga Avenue. Parking is a big problem, even with a new building if direct drive in access for the apparatus is provided. Another option being explored is based on the City Council Minutes 4 July 23. 1996 future needs of the Sheriff's station which is housed next door in the old post office building and the possibility of plans by the Federated Church to expand. This could provide the opportunity to have multi- level parking with access either through the Federated Church parking lot or the contempo Realty parking lot. One of the obstacles so far is that the Postal Service, although cooperative and easy to work with has not, as yet, indicated a willingness to sell their land to the District so that an integrated public safety building could be built, with adequate parking, to house the Fire District, Paramedics, and the Sheriff. Therefore, the District is requesting that the City spearhead efforts to create a public safety complex and to work with them to convince the Postal Service to sell its property either to the District or the City so that a public safety facility could be constructed. Mayor Jacobs indicates that such an ambitious plan would require a bond election as the City does not have the funds to pay for a share of such a new building complex. In addition, the current arrangement between the Sheriff and the contract cities regarding the payment of rent for the present facility prorates the entire cost of the rent among the four agencies. However, he feels that this is worthwhile project, one that should be put to the voters, since doing the entire complex with the tuck under parking is by far the best solution and would greatly improve the appearance of this major intersection. Councilmember Wolfe comments that he hopes the style of architecture chosen for the complex will reflect the nature of the community and not just be glass and bricks. It is agreed that the first step is to have the City participate in further discussions with the Postal Service asking them to agree to sell the property for public use. The City Manager was instructed to begin to look into how to structure the organizational and financial arrangements which would have to be made to raise the capital to' purchase the land and build the project. G. Self-Evaluation of Previous Meeting Councilmembers felt the meeting of July 17th went very well. Mr. Peacock indicates that the Council will be finalizing the park development project priorities on August 7th but as yet staff has received no direction as to which project should go first only that the concept of creating a master plan for the civic center hub is not at the top of the list. It was agreed that the City should talk to the three school districts first to see who is ready to do what. Vice Mayor Moran indicates she will help out with getting the various parties together. H. Agency Assignment Reports Councilmember Burger reports that at the League meeting in Monterey the major topic of discussion was Proposition 218, the Taxpayer Bill o~ Rights which is on the November ballot. The consensus is that, if passed, this measure would make governing at the local level even more difficult than at present and will result in a great deal of litigation as it is so poorly written. Councilmember Tucker reports that ABAG is being asked to oppose the Proposition on the November ballot which relates to affirmative action. She also reports that the recommendations of the Constitutional Revision Commission have been broken apart and placed in two separate bills for consideration by the State Legislature. Vice Mayor Moran reports that at the Cities Association meeting there was discussion of the local money which would be coming from the Santa Clara County Proposition A sales tax measure. Cities would receive about $10,000,000 overall with the first coupla~of years being front end loaded as previously discussed. The Cities Association is also waiting to see what San Jose does about "Saturday Night Specials" before considering making a recommendation to the rest of the cities in the county about such a measure. Finally, the Cities Association, at City Council Minutes 5 July 23, 1996 the re~est of the County Solid Waste Management Commission, will be cataloguing illegal dumping ordinances from the 15 cities in an effort to develop a model ordinance on this subject so there is unifo~ity throughout the county. I. Adj our~ent The meeting adjourned at 10:00 PM. Respectfully submitted, arry R. Peaco~ck~ ~ity Manager ~