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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-21-1997 City Council Minutes MINUTES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL TIME: Tuesday, January 21, 1997 - 5:30 p.m. PLACE: Senior Day Care Center, 19655 Allendale Avenue TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting/Joint Meeting with Saratoga Union School District 5:30 p.m. - Closed session pursuant to Government Code Section 54957 for PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION - Title: City Manager; 6:00 p.m. - Closed session pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(a): CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-EXISTING LITIGATION (Name of case: San Francisco Baykeepers v. City of Saratoga) Mayor Moran announces that no final action had been taken during the closed sessions. She calls the meeting to order at 7:20 p. m. 1. Roll Call Councilmembers Present: Mayor Moran, Vice Mayor Wolfe, Councilmembers Bogosian, Jacobs, and Shaw. Staff Present: City Manager' Peacock, Public Works Director Perlin, Recreation Director Pisani, Parks and Buildings Maintenance Superintendent Rizzo. 2. Report of City Clerk on Posting of Agenda The City Clerk reports that pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on January 17. The notice of adjournment from the January 15 Council meeting was properly posted on January 16. 3. Oral. Communications from the Public on Non-Agendized Items - None. 4. Joint Meeting with ~School District Board Saratoga ,-,oo, ;:%:;;,.;;: ;;:::2',,:2':.,";:;;;,';;::" ,o.-..., O The City Manager reviews the current policy~,tatement adopted by the City Council in August 1996. He also discusses~JnowJe~policy relates to the school district and the discussions the respective staffs of the City .and the District have had to date on developing a joint use agreement and plan for Foothill School. B. City,s Fiscal Realities~ The City Manager briefly describes the budget crisis facing the City and how that crisis may impact the City's ability to proceed to develop joint use agreements which would add to the City's parks maintenance costs when there will be less revenue to cover the current City obligations in the future. In response to a question from the public as to whether the City has, at this point, defined essential'services, the City Manager indicates that such effort is underway and that the Council will be hold its next meeting to work on this subject further on February 3rd. C. Open Gym on Saturday Nights at Saratoga High The ReCreation Director reports on the joint effort between Saratoga High and the City to open the gyms at Saratoga High for high school drop in use on Saturday nights from 8:30 to 11 p. m. on a trial basis for a six week period starting on February 8th. The Boneyard events at the Warher Hutton House for high school students will be moved to Friday night to avoid conflict with this new endeavor. Funding is being provided through the Healthy Lifestyles program. In response to a question from the public as to whether this will be a co-ed activity, the Recreation Director indicates that the activities are planned to City Council Minutes ,2 Januaz7 21, 1997 be co-ed. D. Foothill School Agreement The City Manager circulates a working draft of the joint use agreement for Foothill School. This agreement is similar to the ones developed by the City of Cupertino and the Cupertino School District and is being used as a model for development of the relationships and arrangements for development and future joint use of the Foothill School Site field areas. E. Joint Powers Agreement/Fields The possibility of looking into the formation of a joint powers arrangement for new facilities which could be used on a joint basis by the City and the District is discussed briefly. No conclusions as to whether to further explore this concept were discussed. F. Sharing Services and Facilities The concept of the Central City Hub, as discussed in the Council Park and Facility Priorities document, is discussed in the context of the development of joint use new facilities at Redwood School. The City Manager notes that the priority plan does set aside $100,000 to do the initial planning for such facilities. Mayor Moran indicates that any facilities which may be built would have to rely on the passage of a bond issue since the City would not have the necessary funds from its Park Development Fund or other City funds to provide any facilities on a pay-as-you-go basis. Transportationz 1) Update on ALTRAN8 The City Manager indicates that ALTRANS has responded positively to the City's request to have staggered starting times for the various schools studied as a part of its trip reduction effort. The District indicates that Redwood School can be flexible in terms of its starting schedule if it appears that overall traffic congestion can be reduced. This would encourage more students to either walk or ride bicycles to school. Another aspect of trip reduction which is discussed was to begin to lobby the Transportation Authority to provide bus service which better serves the school age population in terms of getting to and from school at all levels, not just for the college. Councilmember Wolfe indicates that as a member of the Authority Board he will bring this up and work on having something done. Cindy Hartsfield, Redwood PTA, indicates that ALTRANS has met with their group and they are off to a good start. However, ALTRANS does feel that the Authority staff is very hard to work with when it comes to these kinds of things and so real effort has to be expended to get change to take place. 2) Safety Issues and Priorities The DistriCt Board thanks the City for its continued support of the crossing guard program and for the new signals and intersections at Saratoga Avenue and Scotland. Councilmember Bogosian asks the District what it is doing about the traffic problems at Saratoga School. The District indicates that the student population at the school is up by 100 students. The pickup efforts and plans at the school are working but continued parent support is needed for it to function successfully. Some parents refuse to help out and others fail to show when they say they will help, so this is a continuing problem. It is noted that much the same problem exists at Argonaut School where enrollment is also up significantly. Everyone drives their children to school, schools are not "neighborhood" any more, there is no bus service, and most moms now work. This problem will only get larger as the school age population increases. City Council Minutes 3 January 21, 1997 As an option to public transit, mention is made of the District arranging to use the buses owned by the High School District on a subscription basis. H. Library Bond Status (June 1998) The city council updates the District Board on the proposal by the Library Commission to place before the voters in June 1998, a bond proposal to more than double the size of the community library. I. Warner Hutton House The District Board thanks the City Council for the successful reopening of the Warner Hutton House and indicates how much this is appreciated by the community. J. Overview of District and Facilities Master Plan The District Board hands out a summary of the future physical plant needs of the District which total some $40 million. The Board indicates that it plans to place a bond issue measure before the voters in the district in the near future. Another factor in terms of the District and its finances is the effort underway in many areas of the City to leave their current school district and to become part of the Saratoga District. Such efforts, while understandable, if successful will further strain already overloaded facilities, especially with the effort to reduce class size. Unless school facilities are transferred to the District as part of an annexation, the District is placed in an all but impossible situation in terms of adequately serving its existing District area and its students. The District notes that a special committee of the County Office of Education is now hold hearings on these requests to annex to the District. 5. Resolution requesting Saratoga Legislative Representatives to sponsor Legislation amending Revenue and Taxation Code relating to Tax Equity Allocation It is moved by Councilmember Jacobs, seconded by Councilmember Wolfe, and passed 5-0 to adopt Resolution No.97-04. 6. self-Evaluation of Previous Meeting Council reminds itself that it needs to meet 15 minutes early before the next regular session to be briefed on the operation of the television system for the Council meetings and to receive training in terms of use of the microphones, camera locations, etc. 7. Agency Assignment Reports Vice Mayor Wolfe reports that he has met with the Transportation Authority staff for an orientation session and tour of the Authority~s facilities and programs. Councilmember Bogosian reports he met with the Hakone leadership earlier in the day to review their activity for the past several months. Mayor Moran reports that she represented the City at the Mountain Winery press conference on Monday. 8. Other Council discusses what role, if any, the City should play in having a 4th of July celebration again this year. The Council concludes that support would have to be very limited and could not involve significant staff effort because of other priorities. If the sponsoring and participating groups wish to take the lead then the City would support such an effort at a minimum level of staff involvement. The City Manager indicates that the City needs to make a decision on City Council Minutes 4 Januar~ 21, 1997 retaining a labor negotiator in the next six weeks. Council indicates it wishes to change negotiators and not retain the same firm as last year. The City Manager is requested to find at least three other qualified firms for the City Council to interview. 9. Adjournment to next meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, February 3, in the Senior Day Care Center, 19655 Allendale Avenue. The meeting is adjourned at approximately 9:30 p. m. Respectfully submitted, Harry R. a City Manager