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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-01-2003 Retreat City Council Minutes MINUTES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL RETREAT FEBRUARY 1, 2003 Mayor Streit called the Council retreat order at 8:15 a.m. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Councilmembers Stan Bogosian, Kathleen King, Norman Kline, Vice Mayor Ann Waltonsmith, Mayor Nick Streit ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Dave Anderson, City Manager Lorie Tinfow, Assistant City Manager Richard Taylor, City Attorney Cathleen Boyer, City Clerk Tom Sullivan, Community Development Director Jesse Baloca, Administrative Services Director John Cherbone, Director of Public Works Cary Bloomquist, Administrative Analyst Danielle Surdin, Economic Development Coordinator REPORT OF CITY CLERK ON POSTING OF AGENDA FOR NOVEMBER 6, 2002 Cathleen Boyer, City Clerk, reported that pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2, the agenda for the meeting of February 1, 2003 was properly posted on January 27, 2003. 1. COMMISSION LIAISON DISCUSSION · Council liaison tend to support special interests · Process should be cleaner · Forms of communication available for use by the Chair of the Commission: o Mayor o Department heads o City Manger o Regular reports at City Council meetings o Section on Council agenda for Commission communications · Commissioners like having Councilmembers as liaisons · No written policy/liaison duties need to be clearly defined · Develop staff skills to keep chairs/commissioners on track · Send Chairs to workshop · Any problems work way through chain of command · Council liaison should keep Council informed COUNCIL DIRECTION · Richard Taylor and Cathleen Boyer research what other cities do in regards to Council liaisons to commissions and obtain policies. · Staffto prepare draft guidelines for Council review. · These gnidelines should be part ofthe City Council Polices and Procedures. 2. COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT IN HIRING PROCESS · Direct input from Council in hiring City Manger and City Attorney · Take Councilmembers and Commissioners out of process for all other positions in the City · Council involvement in hiring Directors not any positions below director level · Use other cities and City staff · Hiring should be left to the Directors and City Manger COUNCIL DIRECTION · Council will not participate in the hiring process for any positions except City Manager and City Attorney and for Directors when invited to participate by the City Manager · Commissioners will only be involved ifthe City is hiring a Commission liaison or when invited by the Director responsible for filling the position. · This decision should be reflected in Council Guidelines. 3. SARATOGA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION · Los Gatos Community Foundation completely separate from the Town · LG Community Foundation is used as an umbrella for many nonprofit groups to filter money and to establish their own 501 c status · Example of projects and fundraising efforts: o Garden Party/Silent Auction o Sale of bricks for bandstand at Oak Meadow Park o Gato Award $1,000 · Board made up doers and people with influence · Board members not necessarily have to be wealthy · Donations can be designated for certain projects · Current Structure of Saratoga Foundation o Membership foundation o Two Councilmembers on Board o Initial City funding o City relinquish ties after two years o Comply with Brown Act & Conflict ofInterest COUNCIL DIRECTION · City should strongly support a Foundation that is independent from the City of Saratoga. · City should provide staff support to help establish the Foundation. · Clearly separate fundraising from the City of Saratoga · Staff should develop a proposed outreach program for City Council review 2 to invite broad participation in creating a Saratoga Community Foundation and to establish how much staff time should be involved in that process. 4. SARATOGA SCHOOLS COMMISSION · 7 public school district, 13 private schools · 50% of Saratoga students attend school within Saratoga Union School District & Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District · Other 50% spread throughout other 5 districts · Hard to communicate with other 50% in the 5 remaining districts · Establish form of communication in order to share lessons learned and discuss safety issues · Dislike creating another commission · If schools are interested they could come forward and ask the City to participate in discussions · Create an Adhoc committee · Could become political · Get schools to work together/not against one another COUNCIL DIRECTION · Bring back report on issues and feasibility. 5. CITY COUNCIL - EFFICIENCY · Section 2.10 of the Saratoga Municipal Code poorly written o Use of speaker cards questioned o Reading of full consent calendar not necessary o Stating time of opening and closing public hearings not necessary · If something is not in the Code the Council should not be doing it · CommissionlLiaison assignments -delay assignments until proper research has been done · Why does it take two people to place an item on the agenda? · City Code Section 2.10 needs to be reviewed and clarified · Suggested committee to form council gnidelines and procedures · Adhoc committees should be done in open session/Should they be formalized? · Closed Sessions are too long COUNCIL DIRECTION · Form an ad hoc committee to write Council guidelines and procedures and revise section 2.10 of the Municipal Code · Staff to obtain sample polices/procedures and ordinances for Council procedures from other cities. · City Attorney to use judgment in preparing background memos and other written materials for closed session items · Consolidation of Joint Meetings · Speaker timer lights 3 6. LAFCO SERVICES REVIEW · RFP due on 2/19/03 · Review of Fire Protection Services in Santa Clara County · Special interest in Saratoga Fire Protection District (SFPD) · Final report completed by the end of2003 · Also looking at sphere of influence · Does the City have an opportunity to provide input before the consultant starts? o Request copies ofRFP o Review RFP o Inform LAFCO Board members who the City recommends o Lobby the people who are doing the interviews · What ifSFPD dissolves? o County Fire would have to be expanded and remove SFPD completely o SFPD takes over the entire City and remove County Fire completely · No matter what the outcome ofLAFCO's review the City could/should have an advisory vote of the people COUNCIL DIRECTION · Staff to report to Council on responses to RFP due 2/19/03 · Staff to monitor service area review process 7. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE/BUDGET IMPACT · $6.9 million Fund Balance at the start of the year · $1 million in net operations · $3.5 million purchase of North Campus · After mid-year adjustments $4.2 million Fund Balance · Recent Governor's proposed cuts o Vehicle License Fees (VLF) o Gas tax o Booking fees · Methods for resolving budget impacts: o Expenditure Reductions $149,000 · Human resource Tech freeze position · Consolidation of City Managers Office/Combine Analyst and Economic Development Coordinator's Position · Additional cuts such as training, recruitments, contact services, equipment, energy conservation o Utilizing the Undesignated Fund balance $129,000 o Other Sources $312,000 or · $312,000 from CIP or · $312,000 Economic Uncertainty Reserve or 4 . $126,000 reduced Pavement Management Program (PMP) or . $312,000 additional reduction (unspecified) · $710,000 set aside last year for animal shelter, which may not be built · Possible personnel cuts next year · Further reduction in management in the City's Managers office. COUNCIL DIRECTION · Reduce scope of work for 4th Street bridge & de-fund Warner Hutton House from CIP - to free up $325,000 · Consolidate position in City Manger's office · Bring back on 2/19 City Council meeting · Implement hiring freeze 8. RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WITH STATE AND COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS · Rebecca Cohn wants to get involved with the City\keep her informed of City events, meetings, problems, issues · SBC/Chamber of Commerce Town hall meeting · Breakfast meeting with Liz Kniss COUNCIL DIRECTION · Keep elected officials informed of upcoming City events · Schedule regular breakfast meetings with Supervisor Kniss and with other elected officials · Support the Town Hall meeting proposed by SBC and the Chamber of Commerce 9. GENERAL PLAN UPDATES-TIMETABLE/RESOURCES · Change in some requirements · Community Development Department working on update (General Fund charged) · Housing Element Implementation o To date the City has accommodated the mandated regional fair share with the exception of 45 new Second Dwelling Units and the 42 units to be gained for Mixed Use Projects o Proposed Second Unit Ordinance is on the February 5th City Council agenda (Once adopted advertise program) o Staff has drafted the Mixed Use Ordinance and bring it to Planning Commission and Council after the Gateway Design Guidelines are complete · In house (technical data collection) update ex noise/safety · Conservation, Open Space, Park and Trail Master Plan - Updated by Fall 2003 · Open Space - Staff and Planning Commission subcommittee · Trails part of Parks Element · Measure A to be incorporated into Land use Element 5 COUNCIL DIRECTION · Staff to proceed with General Plan updates in the manner proposed in the staff report. · Article in Saratogan regarding City's new 2nd Unit Amnesty Program 10. CITY CODE UPDATES - TIMETABLE/RESOURCES · Ordinances that needed to be addressed are brought forward first · Look at height limitations, fencing requirements at construction sites (front yard landscaping - consensus/not interested) · Remove Building Site Approval out of the Subdivision Ordinance · Subdivision Ordinance - amend noticing requirements · Use GIS system to include maps in legal ad in newspaper for Planning Commission hearings · Code continually updated · 3 year cycle/4 chapters per year · An Article by article review is recommended over a comprehensive review · City Attorney work with departments · Develop Council polices and procedures - rescind all existing policies COUNCIL DIRECTION · Staff to proceed with zoning ordinance updates in the manner proposed in the staff report. 11. CITY ANNEXATION POLICY · City's General Plan Land Use Policies concerning annexations o Lands shall not be annexed to Saratoga unless they are contignous to the existing City limits and it is determined by the City that public services can be provided without unrecoverable cost to the City and dilution of services to existing residents o Annexation proposals shall be carefully studied to determine their economic and urban service impacts on the City · All Santa Clara County discretionary applications require a review of annexation ifthe property is either directly adjacent to City of Saratoga boundaries or within 300 feet from the boundary along a public road. · The City generally does not recommend annexing small single-family residential projects into the City · Questionable area ofthe City o Mt. Eden Road o Prospect Road · According to LAFCO if a City annexes a property it should also annex the roadway accessing the property. · Advantage of annexing a property into the City o City can control the design and the proposed proj ect o City receives a portion of property tax from the annexed properties 6 COUNCIL DIRECTION · Staff to analyze costs and benefits of annexation in different areas of the City and present recommended annexation policy to City Council. · General Plan Policy · Develop Map of properties that would not be a service drain on City · Be aggressive 12. UP RAILROAD TRAIL · City of Saratoga only city actively pursing trail · Town of Los Gatos included trail in their Trails Master Plan · July 2002 - Valley Transportation Authority (VT A) authorized Tier 1 Bicycle Expenditure Program Funding for the proposed Union Pacific Railroad Trail segment identified as reach 3 in October 2001 by Alta Transportation Consulting · Fall- VTA board approved Saratoga's Tier 1 project · VTA's budget is presently "In Flux" for all ofthe proposed projects on the Tier 1 funding list · Each projects implementation timeline will dictate where on the funding queue the project will land (those projects scheduled for completion at earlier dated will get priority funding) · If implementation is put offto long, Saratoga could loose this funding · Cupertino has stated that this project is not an active project and will remain inactive indefinitely · City of Saratoga has an advantage in trail development due to the possible utilization of the PG&E easement for placement of the trail, thereby bypassing the need to interact with the railroad · Parks and Recreation Commission (pRC) is waiting for Council direction on how to proceed · Several residents want the trail to proceed/several oppose trail · Anonymous donor of $400,000 to the City for the development ofthe trail COUNCIL DIRECTION · Staff to prepare proposal for retaining a neutral facilitator to manage an impartial public information and outreach program including meetings among all groups having expressed interest or concern with the proposed trail. 13. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES · Council directed focus on relationship building with the merchant community, facilitation downtown revitalization, building consensus for the gateway improvement project and coordinating special events · Economic development efforts are now focused on new business attraction · Three types of economic development o Attraction o Promotion o Retention · Saratoga business attraction constraints are limited development opportunity (almost built out 1 % commercially zoned) 7 · Limited funds - no specific incentive packages · Saratoga Business Attraction accomplishments o Development of a n available lease space brochure o Facilitated City "Meet & Greets" o Networked quarterly with local commercial brokers. Local property owners and landlords o Targeted Business Attraction · Saratoga Business Promotion limited funds to accomplish varu=ious programs · Saratoga Business Promotion accomplishments o Provide Co-op ad opportunities o Special events · Saratoga Business Retention can be fairly inexpensive when focus is on relationship building and disseminating information · Saratoga Business Retention accomplishments o Business outreach program o Commercial beautification project o Business resource directory COUNCIL DIRECTION · Finish updating the City's website · Work to improve the Village-seek control of sidewalks from Caltrans and develop beautification plan · Economic development work should concentrate on business promotion and retention · Downtown/Historic handout (possible paid advertising around border) · Need more family style restaurants 14. RESOLUTION OF NEIGHBOR VERSUS NEIGHBOR ISSUES · Breck/Cutler to date $49,400 in legal fees · 25 times Sheriff responded to site · 325 hours of Code Compliance - 1/3 of entire case load · Director Sullivan to date has received 350 emails and has spent about 1000 hours · Brad Lind, Building Official- 250 hours Barrie Coated/ Arborist services - $2,600 from City funds COUNCIL DIRECTION · Staff will develop Code Enforcement Mission Statement · Council policies and procedures will include policy that Council is not to intervene in Code Enforcement process · Staff should identify potential neighbor to neighbor disputes that threaten to consume misappropriated city resources and bring to Council's attention 8 15. NORTH CAMPUS · Background o July 2002 - City purchased the Grace United Methodist Church located on Prospect Road with the intention of relocating Senior Center programs to this new location o Augnst 2002 - after it was decided not to relocate the Seniors, staff was directed to complete minor improvements to the Administration Building to allow for public use of the facility o September 2002 - Completed ADA and building code compliant improvements in the Administration Building and begun renting space to groups o Sheriffs Department moved in on of the offices o Expenses appropriated for building and grounds improvements and maintenance to date is $95,781 · Next Phase of improvements would cost approximately $68,100 not including the restrooms and ADA improvements · Rentals to date have totaled $5,900 · Preschool approached the City to lease the classrooms for ten years. Does the City want to parcel out the property? · Sell it? Keep it? · Warren Hyde estimates for ADA improvements to the bathrooms would be $80,000 · Keep property maintained · Do not want to keep property too long without function/plan COUNCIL DIRECTION · Do not sell property at this time · Invest in the property to the extent needed to allow basic uses of existing buildings · Continually reevaluate property and it's potential uses in light of City needs · Possibly consider year to year leases · Review at end of one year ADJOURNMENT There being no further business Mayor Streit adjourned the meeting at 5:00 p.m. and thanked everyone for attending the retreat. Resp'êctfu Cit . -- 9