HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-19-1999 City Council Minutes MINUTES
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
TIME: Saturday, June 19, 1999 - 9:00 a.m.
PLACE: The Inn At Saratoga, 20645 Fourth Street (at Big Basin Way)
TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting/City Council Retreat
CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Shaw called the meeting to order at 9:13 p.m. at the Inn at Saratoga.
ROLL CALL - All Councilmembers were present.
Staff present: City Manager Perlin, City Clerk Ramos, Director of Commtmity Development
Walgren, Director of Administrative Services Walker, Acting Public Works Director Cherbone,
Director of Recreation Pisani and Senior Adminislrative Analyst Jacobs.
REPORT OF CITY CLERK ON POSTING OF AGENDA - City Clerk 'Ramos reported that
pursuant to Govemment Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on June
12, 1999.
1. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC ON NON-AGENDIZED
ITEMS - Any member of the public will be allowed to address the City Council for up to
three (3) minutes on matters not on this agenda. The law generally prohibits the Council
from discussing or taking action on any such matters. However, the Council may instruct
staff accordingly regarding Oral Communications.
None
2. RETREAT ITEMS
A. CounciFStaffRelations
[] How are they?
[] How should they be?
[] What if anything needs to be done to make them what they should be?
B. Council/Commission Relations
How are they?
[] How should they be?
[] What if anything needs to be done to make them what they should be?
C. Bettering Community Input and Involvement
[] To what extent should the community be involved in the decision making
processes of the City?
[] How can the City better draw the community into its decision making processes,
particularly early on?
D. Building a Better Sense of Community
[] What should the City be doing to overcome the many jurisdictional boundaries
which divide the community?
[] How might the City better avoid and resolve conflicts with and between
governmental entities and community groups within Saratoga?
Page I of 4
Minutes for City Council June 19, 1999
Adjourned Regular Meeting/
City Council Retreat
E. Balancing Community Growth with Community Preservation
[] To what degree are change and growth compatible with the community' s desire
to preserve its character?
[] How could/should the City attempt to shape future change and growth to
preserve the community's character?
F. Planning Ahead
[] What are the City C0uncil's priorities over the next two years?
[] What are the City Council 's goals beyond the next two years?
[] How can staff best help the Council to achieve these priorities and goals?
All of the above items were discussed and Council and staff comments have been noted in the
attached list.
ADJOURNMENT - Mayor Shaw adjourned the meeting at 3:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
City Clerk
Page 2 of 4
Minutes for City Council June 19, 1999
Adjourned Regular Meeting/
City Council Retreat
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL RETREAT
Saturday, June 19, 1999
A. Council/StaffRelations
· Council: Tries not to haunt City Hall
Staff is responsive/reactive rother than pro-active in areas
· Interactions could have been better with Parks Development
· S~aff/Council hasn't got to know each other well
· Need protocol on when appropriate for Council to interact directly with staff rather than going
through the City Manager
· When Council asks for information, they get lots of it.
· OK for Council to ask for information, not OK to give directions to staff.
· If Council interacts with staff, let City Manager know if subject is substantive.
· Perhaps we need a social director to kick-start the "getting to know you" process.
· This kind of interaction easier now that reorganization is done and people's jobs are safe.
· Brown bag lunches good idea. Doesn't need to be structured.
· Possibly more effective to do brown bag lunches in departments.
· Perhaps rotate Council members every 5 months.
· Reiterate that by departments a good idea.
· Would be nice for Council to hear good ideas from the Community.
· Brown bag lunches - 1 or 2 Councilmembers at a time/month.
· No agenda for lunches: informal
· Staff/Council mixers desired.
· Staff likes to know ahead of time if Council has a question on the agenda.
· We are all on same "team".
· Sometimes it doesn't appear during Council meetings that we are working towards same goal.
· This may be because of Brown Act, and that Council decisions must be made in public.
· There are ways around this in a legal way, such as 1 on 1.
· Agenda item descriptions:
Sometimes staff report insufficient.
· Agenda item descriptions:
Packets pretty good information when more information needed, Council should talk to
Staff/City Manager ahead of time.
· Some feel staff report OK. Others feel sometimes too technical.
· Suggest bullet points in summary, but keep detail too.
· Possibly more analysis of alternatives.
· Need more communication in advance of Council meeting, particularly in Public Works.
· Public Works Director would like to show Council the projects.
· Give Council more lead time on complex/controversial projects.
· Need "Fiddle Factor" - an alternative which allows for deferral and time to fiddle with it.
· Don't assume if we (staff) doesn't hear from Council, staff could call Council. One Council feels
this is putting too much responsibility on staff. Perhaps City Manager should call Council.
· For contentious issues, Council would like advance waming.
B. Council/Commission Relations
· Discussion re: City participation in Council elections. This includes staff, commissions, NGO's (i.e.
League of Women's Voters, Good Government Group)
· Suggest not giving .free rent to organizations for candidate forums.
· This includes Council elections, as well as positions such as Sheriff.
· Put on agenda for upcoming meeting on October 26, all commission chair meeting.
· Staff to each commission to let commission know of this topic coming up.
· Staff and City Manager to consider if an item should go to commission before going to Council.
· Question: How to improve Council/Commission relations.
· Relations not good now, possibly because of lack of interactions.
· All commission chairs meeting stilted.
· City used to have workshops with commissioners regularly.
· Perhaps Council to attend commission meeting.
· Perhaps commission to attend Council meeting regularly.
· Planning commission possibly attend Council meeting when an appeal on agenda.
· City used to do this (above), but stopped. because once the minority position of commission was
presented.
· Commissioners are political people, not necessarily technocrats.
· Perhaps annual dinner with commission.
· Socializing is nice, but need more interaction on real issues.
· Need more formal/informal forums with commission.
Page 3 of 4
Minutes for City Council June 19, 1999
Adjourned Regular Meeting/
City Council Retreat
· Some commissions fccl that their recommendations are totally ignored. Some Council feel that this
is Council's role to ultimately decide.
· Possibly don't televise joint meeting.
· Comment that audio/visual capabilities are inadequate.
· Possibly have Council delegate to each commission.
· Consider staff report to Council on agcnda summarizing meeting.
· Consider reducing outside committee/agency assignments to increase commission relations.
· Need for greater directions to commission.
· · Commission has responsibility to advocate their position if they feel strongly about it.
· City is now in a "lull" between hot topics, but will come to the forefront within next few months.
Critical to have strong interaction between all commission and Council on major issues.
· Need to improve all commission chair meetings to get more inter-commission dialogue.
C. Public Input and Participation
· City doesn't have but needs a better mechanism to solicit reactive public input.
· Pcoplc's perception now is that things are O.K.?
· Consider conducting a citywide poll/opinion survey.
· Quantify extent of Community's awareness and desires to maximize Council 's ability to make the
best decision.
· Display ads for all ordinances.
· Reconstitute a City newsletter with pre-paid reply card.
· Consider Town Hall meetings for specific issues.
· Lighted marquee sign in front of City Hall.
· How much money for 3 - 4 times a year with pre-paid reply card.'?
· Expand use of e-mail - use repeater e-mail.
· Charge youth commission with web site maintenance.
· Community bulletin boards?
· Staff should come back with costs to implement ideas.
· Summary agenda in Saratoga News.
D. Building a Better Sense of Community
· Saratoga - only event at Villa Montalvo or at Mr. Winery.
· Need to focus more on the culturally diverse segments in the community (?).
· School district segregation is the most divisive issue in the community.
· Saratogans want a safe, quiet, good nights sleep.
· Focus on neighborhoods and build up from there.
· Community garage sale.
· Community hub - include something for youth.
· Community harvest of Heritage Orchard.
· City should enable above items, not take the lead role in organizing them.
E. Community Growth vs. Preservation
· John: Preserve City-owned land. Don't sell to meet current needs.
· City must commit to purchase future vacant school sites.
· Open space acquisition - develop a master plan
· Consider acquisition of park land in a nearby city.
· Relocate Corp. Yard to Quito Rd. or elsewhere and develop playfields at Corp. Yard site.
· Consider a land exchange with Dr. Abrams?
F. Planning Ahead
· Need to develop a s~cure source of funding for hillside infrastructure repairs.
· Explore geologic hazard abatement district
· Have Cotton 's office conduct a survey
· Restrict use of money and percent to repairs only
· . ID work up front which could bc done as preventive measures.
· Extend Measure G to Professional and Administrative Office Zoning and Residential Open Space
Zoning
· Start an investigation of the annexation process for Mr. Winery
· Financing - mechanism to raise revenues (line of credit)
· Animal control services beyond SCVHS phase-out
· Priority list of projects (CIP) which money could/should be spent on.
· Web site
· Housing element update - certification by 2002.
· Tweek design review guidelines.
Page 4 of 4