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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-12-1996 City Council Minutes MINUTE8 SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL TIME: Tuesday, November 12, 1996 - 7:00 p.m. PLACE: City Hall Administration Meeting Room, 13777 Fruitvale Ave. TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting - Joint Meeting with Saratoga Business Development Council/Team Saratoga 1. Roll Call Councilmembers present: Mayor Jacobs, Vice Mayor Moran, Councilmembers Burger and Wolfe. Staff Present: City Manager Peacock and Community Development Director Curtis. 2. Report of City Clerk on Posting of Agenda Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on November 8. The notice of adjournment from the November 6 Council meeting was properly posted on November 7. 3. Oral Communications from the Public on Non-Agendized Items - None. 4. Joint Meeting with SBDC A. Operations of the SBDC and Teem Saratoga Councilmember Wolfe provides background on the SBDC, its involvement and evolvement as an organization. The genesis for forming the SBDC is the concern for continuing business prosperity as set forth in the Vision Statement with the opening of the Route 85 Freeway, and the rebuilding of the E1 Paseo Shopping Center. The theme developed by the SBDC for business in Saratoga is Arts, Culture, Theater and the Best Dining in the West. Saratoga is the SOUL of Silicon Valley, possessing unique character and physical beauty. Team Saratoga Chair Dick Wood recounts the changes which have impacted business in the last three years, those mentioned by Councilmember Wolfe and the closure of the Mt. Winery Concert Series. The SBDC first met two years ago this month to address the subject of economic development for Saratoga. He recounts the numerous accomplishments of the first two years, the farmers market, new signs, opinion surveys, the entertainment guide, the Kilbourne report, the creation of Team Saratoga, and Saratoga Market Days. Bill Cooper reports on the saratoga Market Days promotions, the object of which is to get Saratogans to shop Saratoga. A slide presentation follows which depicts shopping areas in Saratoga and surrounding cities as an indication of how business is being conducted in the 1990s. Dick Wood concludes by indicating the future work plan for Team Saratoga and stresses that this effort is one which is continuous and needs the continuing support of the business community and the City to be successful. Team Saratoga plans to have its action plans and recommendations finalized for presentation by May 1, 1997. The four objectives of the plan are to address: 1) Attracting Saratogans to Shop in Saratoga 2) Improving the Business Mix in Saratoga 3) Attracting Business Patrons from Outside Saratoga 4) Creating "Smart" Business Environment 5. Green Valley Disposal Presentation: Proposal to extend Franchise Gerard Wen, President of Green Valley Disposal, puts forth a proposal to help the city meet is 50% diversion requirement under state law by the year 2000. He notes that the City currently has a diversion rate in the mid-40% range. To move to the 50% range and beyond he proposes the development of a commercial recovery facility (MURF). In order to City Council Minutes 2 Nov~er 12, 1996 do this the company is seeking an extension of the current franchise agreement and the landfill agreement between the City and Guadalupe Landfill. Guadalupe is proposing to reduce its base tipping fee to $22.73 a ton and will guarantee landfill space through the end of the requested extension, which is 20 years for Green Valley and 25 years for Guadalupe. He proposes to reduce residential rubbish rates by $1.50 to $1.75 a month for four years and then only have the rates increase by a cost of living factor, removing the time-consuming and costly process of rate review. These savings can be realized through longer amortization of costs over the extended life of the contracts. He proposes to introduce a co-collection vehicle which would handle both rubbish and yard waste, reducing the number of trucks which service each residential account each week from three to two. He also proposes to provide, at no extra cost, a wheeled rubbish container for each residential customer. Mr. Wen indicates that in order to determine how customers feel about these proposals Green Valley commissioned a public opinion poll which indicates that residents generally favor this proposal. He leaves the detailed report on the public opinion survey with the City. Jim Zanardi, President of Guadalupe Landfill, indicates to the City Council that the landfill has a 45 year life expectancy, given its current capacity and level of use. He shows a graph on the growth of landfill fees. He shows a graph on rates at various other landfills in the region. He shows a graph on the daily tonnage taken at these Various landfills as compared to Guadalupe. He shows a graph on the revenues versus tonnage as these various landfills. In answer to questions: the public opinion polling was done by telephone;theMURF has been approved by the City of San Jose but would require state permits as well; truck traffic into the landfill under this proposal would actually decrease, so it should be a relief for the residential neighborhood in San Jose which adjoins the road into the landfill; the cost to equip the MURF would be between $6 and $7 million but there would be no building costs, as the building already exists on the landfill site. The City Council thanked Mr. Wen and his associates for the presentation. Self-Evaluation of Previous Meeting City Manager Peacock indicates that he has forwarded a letter to PG&E instructing the company to cease collecting the Utility User Tax. Council discusses the issue of commercial recycling and the mandate for diversion. In response to a question City Manager Peacock indicates that the MURF approach for commercial recycling is not the only way to achieve the 50% diversion goal, but that to achieve it, the new programs would have to deal with the commercial and industrial sectors of the City's programs. Another approach would be to require curbside commercial recycling in much the same way that residential recycling is required. An issue for such commercial recycling would be where to place the additional containers which would be required. In many commercial areas, rubbish storage space is at a premium already. 7, Agency Assignment Reports Mayor Jacobs and Vice Mayor Moran report that they had held a meeting with the principal of Saratoga High regarding continued efforts to move to a closed campus for all grades. Dr. Skelley indicates to the Mayor and Vice Mayor that this is still being worked on but there are serious space and food service problems which must be addressed. A split lunch hour was suggested, which Dr. Skelley indicates he would like to avoid for several reasons. Mayor Jacobs notes that in the 1970s the high school was a closed campus and split lunch periods did exist, at a time when the enrollment at the high school was much greater than it is today. The idea of extending the lunch hour was also something worth considering. He indicates to the Mayor and Vice Mayor that he expects to make a decision on any change from the current policy where the campus is closed for freshmen and sophomores only by late summer of 1997. City Council Minutes 3 ~vember 12, 1996 Councilme~er Wolfe reports the water district is proposing to increase fees to cover the cost of its growing enviro~ental obligations. Councilme~er Burger indicates that the LibraT JPA has completed its first year of operation. ~ evaluation of the new fom of governance is that operationally things are going veT well but that there have been reco~endations made for some changes which have come from the Board's Finance Co~ittee which have been accepted. Vice Mayor Moran indicates that she is seeking the Chair of the Transportation Agency Policy AdvisoTCo~ittee. She now sexes as the Vice Chair of that group. 8. Closed Session pursuant to Gover~ent Code Section 54957: PUBLIC EMP~YEE PE~ORMANCE EVALUATION Title: City Manager This matter is continued to Nove~er 20, 1996, due to the absence of Councilme~er Tucker. 9. Adj our~ent Council discusses the swearing in of the new meters of the City Council and the City Council reorganization. It is agreed to have the swearing in ceremonies, the reorganization and an appropriate reception for the new meters of the City Council on Dece~er 3rd, and to conduct a regular meeting on Dece~er 4th rather than tTing to cosine the two activities into one meeting on Dece~er 4th. The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:00 PM. Res ectfully s~mitted, ~l r~eacO