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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-09-1997 City Council Minutes MINUTES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL TIME: Tuesday, December 9, 1997 - 7:00 p.m. PLACE: Adult Care Center, 19655 Allendale Avenue TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting/Joint 'Meeting with Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council 1. Roll Call Councilmembers Bogosian, Jacobs, Moran, Shaw and Mayor Wolfe were present at 7:02 p.m. Also present were City Manager Perlin, Recreation Director Pisani, City Attorney Riback, and Deputy City Clerk tory. 2. Report of City Clerk on Posting of Agenda Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on December 5. The notice of adjournment from the December 3 Council meeting was properly posted on December 4. 3. Oral Communications from the Public on Non-Agendized Items City Manager Perlin introduced Captain Robert Wilson of the Sheriff's Department. Captain Wilson in turn introduced the new Assistant Division Commander, Lieutenant Cary Colla, and the new School Resource Officer, Deputy Ron Bruce. 4, Reports from city Attorney on Massage Ordinance, Adult Business Ordinance, Anti-Loitering (Curfew) Ordinance The City Attorney reviewed the three ordinances and answered Councilmemberse guestions. Captain Wilson stated that the Sheriffts department had the capability of performing the background checks required by the ordinance. Staff was requested to examine fee schedules for new permits required by massage ordinance and to consider how ordinance could be administered with existing staffing. There was consensus to discuss the Massage Ordinance on January 13 and to direct the City Attorney to work on the Adult Business Ordinance, using a combined zoning ordinance and permitting ordinance format. There was also consensus to proceed with the Anti-Loitering ordinance and agendize it in January. S. Draft Recluest for Proposal for Prides Crossing (Miller Avenue) traffic study There was consensus to send out the Request for Proposals. In addition, the RFP will note that the consultant should examine how traffic diverted to the arterial streets will affect those streets. The consultant must also state which of his recommendations apply only to the study area and which may apply to a wider area. The RFP should also direct the consultant to work with the Public Safety Commission in order to develop the reasoning for guidelines. More tasks may be added to the RFP after the consultant is selected. 6. JOint Meeting with Saratoga Area senior Coordinating Council Olga Macfarlane, Senior Center Executive Director, introduced representatives of SASCC: President Roy Cook; Vice President, Senior Center Peggy Corr; Vice President at Large Gla~ys Armstrong; Past President Dane Christensen; Vice President, Finance Ron Duffin; Mary Richards, Adult Care Center Director. A. Modification of the City of Saratoga SASCC Agreement, with inclusion of Saratoga Adult Care as a unit of the corporation. Ms. Richards reviewed the Adult Care Center program, stating that most users do not pay the full fee of $43 per day. In answer to Mayor Wolfe, she stated that a number of other cities subsidize adult care Cit~ Council Minutes ~ DOCm"~OEg# ~997 centers. Mayor Wolfe noted that Saratoga could not afford to do so. Ms. Richards and Ms. Macfarlane answered Councilmembers' questions. Mr. Christensen noted that the caregivers of the users benefit from the program as well as the users themselves. Mrs. Corr noted that the Coordinating Council represents the entire West Valley area, not just Saratoga itself. B. Proposal in concept for rehab and use of CDB~ funds for desired improvements for Senior Center and Saratoga Adult care center° City Manager Perlin noted that the City is in the process of transferring responsibility for much of the CDBGprogram administration back to the County. In this way the City will be relieved of the necessity for administering small grants to a number of grantees. This would save staff and Council time. He stated it would not impact the rehabilitation of the caretaker~s house at Hakone. Councilmember Moran asked whether CDBG funds could be used for improving the heating, air conditioning, or security in the Senior Center. No immediate and definitive answer was forthcoming, but staff will look into this. C, Proposal for maintenance of certain equipment and furnishings with a specific annual dollar allocation. MS. Macfarlane stated that equipment and furniture maintenance costs average approximately $6,000 per year based on actual expenditures over the last four years. She recounted how the City had at one time paid these costs but had not done so in recent years. City Manager Perlin explained that in earlier years the staff had interpreted the SASCC agreement to mean that the City was to maintain SASCC~s equipment. More recently, however, the staff had scrutinized the agreement more carefully and believed it had been incorrectly interpreted in the past. He suggested that the Council contribute a fixed dollar amount which, if not completely expended, could be used to start a sinking fund for equipment replacement. Councilmembers expressed mixed opinions on the sinking fund. MORAN/SHAW MOVED TO DIRECT THE STAFF TO USE UP TO $3,000 FROM THE CONTINGENCY FUND TO REIMBURSE SASCC FOR ACTUAL EXPENSES FOR MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. Passed 5-0. D. Expectations of fiscal and program audit by City of Saratoga. Olga Macfarlane stated that the federal government required a certification rather than a full audit. There was consensus to require the same level for the City. City Manager Perlin stated that the SASCC agreement needed to be re- written. There was consensus to do so.. 7. Continuing Discussion of Recreation Department Funding and cost Recovery Plan Recreation Director Pisani reviewed her report. Councilmember Bogosian asked for a further breakdown of the activities of the Recreation Supervisors and the Recreation Director. Alan Roten of the Finance Commission stated that the '80/20 rule often applies to effort and benefits. Recreation Director Pisani noted that, for every $1.00 of expenditures cut, there would be a loss of $1.03 in revenue. Councilmember Shaw stated that fixed and variable costs should be separated. Councilmember Jacobs felt the report should come from the Finance Commission, but the Commission should decide who else should be on the City Council Minutes 3 Decm~erg, 1997 task force. There was consensus to direct the Finance Commission to establish a task force to prepare reports on the indirect cost allocation model and the Recreation Department cost recovery plan. The Commission will decide who will be on the task force, including Parks and Recreation Commissioners and staff members. The cost recovery study is to be forwarded to the Council by March 1~ the indirect cost allocation study, by April 1. S. Self-Evaluation of Previous Meetings - 11/51 11/191 12/3 Councilmember Jacobs noted that the Council deliberations during the December 3 meeting looked good. Councilmember Bogosian stated the permissible length of communications had been cut from three minutes to two minutes during the meeting, but that two minutes was adequate. He thought people should be encouraged to say they agreed with a previous speaker rather than repeating what the speaker had said. 9, Agency Assignment Reports Bogosian - Noted that the next meeting of the Hakone Foundation conflicted with the Council meeting, so no Councilmember would be present. He also stated that the Library Joint Powers board is changing because some members were not re-elected. There will be a new chair and vice-chair in January. 10. Other Wolfe - Explained further his reasons for wanting a Saratoga Citizens Recognition Committee. City Manager Perlin suggested that citizens recognition be placed on future agendas for adjourned meetings. Calling it a committee, he said, might incorrectly imply that the committee would have meetings, agendas, and so forth. The Deputy City Clerk then reviewed the tentative agenda for December 17. Wolfe - Suggested that citizens~ groups should be asked to meet with other cities to see how unfunded mandates can be handled. Councilmember Moran felt that Saratoga commissions often have a great deal to do already. Moran - Asked about progress on equipping the Multi-Purpose Room for broadcasting Council meetings and getting Planning Commission meetings broadcast. City Manager Perlin asked that the Council determine exactly what they wanted now that more facts were available. TCI had proposed sharing $5975 to bore under the pa~king lot to equip the Community Center with cable. In addition, using the Multi-Purpose Room for Planning Commission and Council meeting would cause loss of revenue to the Recreation Department. Councilmembers discussed alternatives and agreed to discuss the matter further in January. Moran - Stated that she had been at a meeting at Saratoga High School. Students expressed discomfort at being harassed by the Sheriff. Jacobs - Noted that he would be meeting with the Sheriff and Principal ' Skelly in January concerning school lunch closure. City Manager Perlin noted that Principal Skelly will be asking for funds to build a swimming pool at the high school. Shaw - Asked if the City could assist in modifying the library using Park Development Funds. No definitive answer was forthcoming. Moran - Stated that the California Theater Center had recognized Saratoga as a center of culture. The Center is looking for a new home and may be able to refurbish the Civic Theater. She agreed to get further details from the group. C~y Council Minu~os 4 Deo~mhor 9~ ~997 Moran - Asked that a meeting with the Friends of the Warner Hutton House be set on the Master Meetings Calendar. 11. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 11:25 p.m. The next regular meeting will be on December 17. Respectfully submitted, Grace E. Deputy City Clerk