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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-11-1998 City Council Minutes MINUTES S~TOGA CITY COUNCIL TIME: Tuesday, August 11, 1998 - 6:30 p.m. PLACE: Adult Care Center, 19655 Allendale Avenue TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting/Joint Meeting with Sheriff and Public Safety Commission Special Meeting for the Purpose of Closed Session Administration Conference Room Pursuant to Gov. Code 54957.6: CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATOR Agency negotiator: Larry I. Perlin Employee organization: Saratoga Employees Association; Saratoga Management Organization and Pursuant to Gov. Code 54957: PUBLIC EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE\ DISMISSAL\ RELEASE Mayor's Report on Closed Session - No actions taken. 1. Roll Call The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m. Councilmembers Jacobs, Moran, Shaw and Mayor Wolfe were present; Councilmember Bogosian was absent. Also present were City Manager Perlin, Community Development Director Walgren, Deputy City Attorney Faubion, City Clerk Cory, and Administrative Analysts Irene Jacobs and Jennie Loft. 2. Report of City Clerk on Posting of Agenda Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on August 7. The notice of adjournment from the August 5 Council meeting was properly posted on August 6. 3. Oral communications from the Public on Non-Agendized Items - None. 4. Joint Meeting with Sheriff and Public Safety Comm~ssion Public Safety Commissioners present were Andreson, Biester, Dippel, Lemmon and Chair Hexamer. Representing the Sheriff's Office were Captain Wilson and Lt. Colla. A. Report on Sheriff,s Activities for FY 1997-9S Captain Wilson distributed a budget review report for 1997-98 and answered Councilmembers' guestions. Councilmember Shaw stated that there has been a rash of burglaries in a certain area of Saratoga and asked how to notify residents. Captain Wilson said that using the Internet could become feasible. He encouraged residents to close their garage doors. B. Preview of 8heriff,s Activities for FY 199S-99 Captain Wilson noted the reduction in the Community Services Officer staff due to the resignation of the Sheriff's Technician. He recommended adding video cameras to all patrol cars using Citizens Option for Public Safety funding. He estimated it would require about $5000 for each of the seven cars. Councilmembers expressed concerns about using COPS funds for supplies rather than services. C. Ordinance on Sleeping in Vehicles City Manager Perlin reported that complaints had been received concerning people using the streets or parking lots to camp. The proposed ordinance is aimed at these transients rather than at guests of Saratoga residents. D. Publlc safety Commission Work Plan Chair Hexamer reviewed various activities of the Commission, including City Council Hinutes 2 ~u~ust ll, 1998 the Public Safety picnic, the Class A roofing ordinance, traffic concerns on S0bey Road near Marshall Lane School, the ALTRANS program, and City Code review. Commissioner Dippel reported in detail on the Marshall lane School traffic problems and the proposed solutions, including paving the shoulder of Sobey Road and installing signs. City Manager Perlin estimated the cost of the Sobey Road paving at $5- 7,000, which might be included in the Pavement Management Program. In addition, signs and striping would be needed, he said. E. Adult Business Ordinance Community Development Director Walgren reviewed the ordinance. City Manager Perlin commented that the Public Safety Commission should make recommendations on the ordinance before the Council considered it. F. Supplementary Code Enforcement Staffing through COPS funding City Manager Perlin stated he would like the staff member to be hired as a City employee rather than 'a Sheriff's Office employee. Captain Wilson felt that, if the COPS money were used for hiring staff, it would be best for the person to work for the Sheriff to avoid the issue of "supplanting," among other reasons. He pointed out that in any case the COPS funding decisions would be reviewed by the County committee. He answered further questions from Councilmembers. Chair Hexamer said the Commission favored continuing using the COPS money for Code Enforcement personnel working directly for the City. Mayor Wolfe asked whether there were enough funds to both hire staff and pay for the videocameras. Councilmember Shaw believed the figures showed there would be enough funds to do both. Councilmember Moran preferred to use the money for personnel, and perhaps phase in the videocameras over time. G. Staffing for Public Safety Commission Mayor Wolfe acknowledged the departure of Jennie Loft, who had served well as staff to the Public Safety Commission and enabled them to accomplish a great deal. City Manager Perlin noted that the Commission would' not meet in September, and the new staff person should be available in October. Chair Hexamer then brought up the issue of vehicles driving in bicycle lanes. He suggested that signs indicating a fine for this serious violation might be in order and said the Commission would have a recommendation on the matter. 5. Purchase of Flail Mower Attachment City Manager Perlin reviewed the staff report. Councilmembers asked various questions about the financial justification for purchasing the flail mower and the possibility of leasing the equipment, sharing the purchase with another jurisdiction, or continuing the current mowing contract. City Manager Perlin explained that staff members could operate the flail mower with no appreciable decline in their other work. Purchasing the mower rather than contra~ting the work out would thus save money over the long run, he said. Councilmembers requested that staff explore other options as mentioned above. City Council Minutes 3 August 11, 1998 Councilmember Shaw noted that purchasing the equipment could work financially considering depreciation. 6. Status of Library Commission Recruitment Mayor Wolfe directed staff to re-advertise the vacancies, thank the applicants and ask for their patience with the process. 7. Self-Evaluation of Previous Meeting - August 5 - No comments S. Agency Assignment Reports Moran - possible ordinance changes concerning septic abandonment and backflow inhibitors. City Manager Perlin replied that the City Attorney was working on the ordinances and would schedule them for the Council agenda. Shaw - the Hakone Foundation voted on a new set of rates which will soon appear in the Council agenda. Jacobs - received a letter from Keyin Skelly of Saratoga High School about closed campus issues; Principal Skelly does not plan to close the campus for juniors and seniors. Wolfe - a citizen watching the last Council meeting had called him to state that most bicyclists pedal safely; Mayor Wolfe asked her to do a spot about bicycle safety and motor vehicle and pedestrian safety. 9. Other Moran - Brought up letter from the Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council asking for their allocation in a lump sum; she favored this. City Manager Perlin preferred to distribute the funds quarterly as had been done previously with Community Development Block Grant distributions. He explained that summer months are low revenue months, and it would assist the cash flow to make a quarterly distribution. Administrative Analyst Jacobs commented that the previous CDBG distributions had been made quarterly because the CDBG reimbursements were made quarterly. A. Report from Mayor on 408 Area Code Meeting Mayor Wolfe reported on the meeting, saying that Saratoga is at the junction of several electronic exchange stations. It is difficult to retain one area code for Saratoga, but one way of doing it would be by an "overlay." The overlay would retain one area code for Saratoga, but phone numbers would be ten digits, even for calls within Saratoga. Mayor Wolfe hoped to join with other cities to convince the Governor to delay implementation of the split area code proposal so that the overlay proposal could be considered. City Manager Perlin reported that he expected to be on leave during the week of August 17. 10. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Grace E. City Clerk