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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-22-1998 City Council Minutes MINUTES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL TIiVIE: Tuesday, September 22, 1998 - 5:30 p.m. PLACE: Adult Care Center, 19655 Allendale Avenue TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting/Joint Meeting with Parks and Recreation Commission Closed Session pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9: CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-EXISTING LITIGATION Name of case: San Francisco Baykeepers v. City of Saratoga and Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9 (b) CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION Significant exposure to litigation in one case Mayor's Report on Closed Session - No actions taken. 1. Roll Call The meeting was called to order at 7:06 p.m. Councilmembers Bogosian, Jacobs, Moran, Shaw, and Mayor Wolfe were present. Staff members present were City Manager Perlin, City Attorney Riback, Recreation Supervisor Tucker, Parks and Recreation Director Pisani, and Irene Jacobs, staff liaison to Parks and Recreation Commission. 2. Report of City Clerk on Posting of Agenda Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on September 18. The notice of adjournment from the September 16 Council meeting was properly posted on September 17. 3. Oral Communications from the Public on Non-Agendized Items - None. 4. Recommendations from Staff on Organizational Changes in the City Manager's Office and Finance Department City Manager Perlin reviewed the memo from Mary Jo Walker, Finance Director. MORAN/SHAW TO APPROVE THE STAFFING CHANGES AS PROPOSED, AND DIRECT THAT STAFF BRING BACK A RESOLUTION AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. PASSED 5-0. 5. Septic systems Abandonment Update from City Attorney City Manager Pedin provided background information, and City Attorney Riback outlined the goal and recommended regulations contained in the memo to Council dated September 18, 1998. The memo included recommendations regarding the following: septic system regulation, existing septic system abandonment programs, and sewer system and lateral inspections and repair. It concluded with discussion of the fiscal impact of the proposed programs. City Attorney Riback said the Santa Clara County ordinance is comparable to others he had looked at in that it encouraged connection to public sewer systems and phasing out of septic systems. State law says ira property is within 200 fL of a public system it must hook up to it; it was problematic for the City to increase that footage. CONSENSUS - ADOPT COUNTY ORDINANCE AND COME BACK WITH FISCAL ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS OF REQLYIREMENTS SUCH AS REQUIKING INSPECTION OF SYSTEMS UPON RESALE,ONGOING INSPECTION, AND COST OF INCENTIVE PROGRAM. 6. Presentation by Youth Commission on Proposed City Council Candidate Forum City Manager Perlin reviewed the memo dated September 21 from Joan Pisani, Recreation Director, and Beverly Tucker, Recreation Supervisor. City Council Minutes 2 September 22, 1998 Alex Scordelis, Chair of the Youth Commission, talked about how the forum would be conducted with the help of the League of Women Voters (LWV). He said the Commission has no hidden agenda and they are different from other commissions. He said he thought with the help of the LWV, they could put on an appropriate forum which would probably focus on youth issues. He said the LWV does not endorse candidates but does support some issues more than others. He said they had no other sponsors lined up and have not talked about the LWV sponsoring a youth issues forum. John Mahaffey, Paul Avenue, said he was a candidate for City Council. He offered to help the Youth Commission, but said he could see the City's position. Gouncilmembers discussed the danger of this setting a precedent for other commissions. Councilmembers Shaw and Moran said they would be happy to speak with the LWV or other sponsors. Sheeva Ghassemi, member of the Youth Commission, responded to the suggestion of having a joint forum, stating that the point is to act like a real commission. She said they want adults in the audience. Alex Scordelis said they appreciated Council's input but he still wanted to meet with Council or the City Manager. He said no other commission had taken the initiative and they feel youth issues need to be addressed. SHAW/BOGOSIAN THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT ELECT TO ENCOURAGE OR ALLOW THE YOUTH COMMISSION TO SPONSOR A CANDIDATE FORUM AS THE YOUTH COMMISSION. THE CITY COUNCIL DOES ENCOURAGE THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO COMPRISE THE YOUTH COMMISSION WHO INITIATED THE IDEA TO MOVE FORWARD TO TRY TO ORGANIZE A CANDIDATE FORUM WITH ANOTHER SPONSOR AND IN SO PARTICIPATING, PARTICIPATE AS YOUTH, IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS YOUTH COMMISSIONERS BUT NOT AS THE YOUTH COMMISSION. Councilmember Moran said she was willing, as a candidate, to work with Alex to make this work. She thought other candidates would also help them identify an alternative sponsor. Recreation Supervisor Tucker, staff liaison for the Youth Commission, asked for clarification. She said they had reserved a room and arranged for KSAR to broadcast the forum. VOTE: PASSED 5-0 7. Joint Meeting with Parks and Recreation Commission - 8:30 p.m. Commission Members Present: Clabeaux, Crotty, Friedrich, Ioannou, Swan, Whitney, Chair Olsen Commission Items: A. Update on Park Development Fund Projects City Manager Pe~ip reviewed the memo from Irene Jacobs, staff liaison to the Planning Commission. It included an update on the seven Park Development Fund projects that the Commission is working on: playfield project, trail improvements, Warner Hutton House improvements, Community Center renovation, Keyin Moran Gardner Park play equipment, Heritage Orchards and Wildwood Park restrooms. 1) Playfield Development Project a) Task Force Update b) Modification to original scope of services - Beats Landscape Architect Commission Chair Olsen said they have hired a consultant and have had several task force meetings with him. They have reached consensus on priorities as follows: Blue Hills/Azule, Marshall Lane, Foothill and Congress Springs. She referred to the modified list of what they plan to do in the next 2-3 months. She described the modifications that required them to ask for an additional $2'5,000 and asked for Council approval. City Council Minutes 3 September 22, 1998 MORAN/SHAW TO AUTHORIZE STAFF TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT. _ PASSED 5-0. 2) Trail Issues a) Encroachment Issues Commissioner Swan said they have lost touch with trail issues. She said they need a revised map and need to see where connections should have been made but were not. She said there are issues regarding trails within city departments that have not been resolved, especially in the Mt. Eden subdivision. Terry Barron talked about problems she had run across on trails, including landslides, encroachments and other safety issues. She said the trail plan shows where trails were supposed to have been put in and maintained and were not. She said she was asking that prior to occupancy of the two newest homes, trails be improved to the standards as written in the Parks and Trails Master Plan. Councilmembers were informed that the trails were listed in the 1980 tentative approval of the parcel map, and the titles for lots that have a dedicated trail easement show that there is a trail easement. City Manager Perlin described why the segment of a trail easement had been abandoned and outlined the sequence of events. Ms. Barron said that she found no documentation of a public hearing or public notification concerning the abandonment. City Manager Pe~in responded that this was not done by staff, but went through Planning Commission and City Council as part of a process of redefining property lines in that area to try to remedy problems that existed in the area. In regard to the property that is in the final stages of construction, he said staff is aware that it needs to be improved and it is their intention to make sure the property owner will improve the trail in accordance with the master plan. He said the City does not maintain trails and has not since it was eliminated from the budget. Commission members explained that their phrpose in putting this item on the agenda was to bring it to Council' s attention that this was an issue and that the Commission should have input in the applications review process. City Manager Periin explained how an application for design review is routed and said they do not go to the Parks & Recreation Commission, but to Parks and Recreation staff Councilmembers directed that the matter be looked into and that property owners be made to comply. They suggested that existing. procedures be reviewed to make sure effective procedures are put in place. City Manager Perlin commented that unless the City polices trails, there will be encroachment. Trails that are used regularly require little maintenance and if there are encroachments, users would let the City know about them. Ms. Barton said she would be surveying some of the encroachments as part of the trail grant program. City Councilmembers suggested that the trail policy needed to be restated. City Manager Perlin described how the Parker Ranch trail system works well and how hard it is to make it work in other areas. He said the way it works best is when there are advocates for the trails who work with staff b) Trail Grant Program Commission Chair Olsen said they are looking to put aside some money and the brochures will be disseminated to the community. Grants will be given as an incentive to maintain trails. 3) Remaining Projects on Park Development Priority List A summary was provided. B. Commissioner Crotty's Term on the Commission SHAW/MORAN T6 EXTEND COMMISSIONER CROTTY'S TERM THROUGH DECEMBER 3 1. PASSED 5-0 City Council Minutes 4 September 22, 1998 Kathy Hawn said she wanted to begin discussions about how we can help Saratoga support our teens more than we have been able to do in the past. She said the City is developing a reputation as being a teen unfriendly town. High school kids don't have a place to go, She said she would like to start a dialog wi'~h commission and council on how to utilize the park development fund. She was informed of the limitations on the use of the fund. Discussion followed regarding options including reopening the Saratoga High School gym and Warnet Hutton House modifications. Commissioner Ioannou suggested putting the matter on their agenda and inviting members of the public, including high schools and the YMCS, to bring suggestions about starting a program. City Council Items: C. Funding and Status of Warner HuRon House Improvements City Manager Perlin presented an update and status, noting that they could probably go out for bid~ within the next few weeks. Discussion followed regarding priorities of the Parks and Recreation Commission. City Manager Perlin said there was a difference of opinion about whether improvements of the house were part of some original universe of projects that was under consideration for park development funding priorities, or whether just the design planning work was the "project" and when that was done, the Friends of the Warner HuRon House would be charged with obtaining funding. Council consensus was the latter. 8. Resolution amending Letter of Understanding between City and Saratoga Management Organization City Manager Perlin presented the staff report. MORAN/SHAW TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 85-9.115 AMENDING THE LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING BEWEEN CITY AND SARATOGA MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION. PASSED 5-0. 9. Self-Evaluation of Previous Meeting - September 16 Councilmember Bogosian commented that the meeting went smoothly. 10. Agency Assignment Reports - None. 11. Citizens Recognition - None. 12. Other Councilmember Bogosian said he would like a report on the quarry creek building by the end of September. Mayor Wolfe said the Friends of the Saratoga Library were having a membership drive and announced Friends of the Library Week would be in October. 1;5. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Roberta Wolfe Minutes Clerk