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SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: December 21, 2011 AGENDA ITEM:
DEPARTMENT: City Manager’s Office CITY MANAGER: Dave Anderson
PREPARED BY: Crystal Morrow DIRECTOR: Dave Anderson
City Clerk
SUBJECT: Amendment to Weed Abatement Agreement
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Approve the amendment to the agreement between the County of Santa Clara and the City of
Saratoga for abatement of weeds and authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement amendment.
BACKGROUND:
The Santa Clara County Department provides weed abatement services to a number of cities in
the County, including Saratoga. Through the program, the County Department of Agriculture
identifies properties in Saratoga with hazardous vegetation that represent a fire and/or health
hazard. The hazardous vegetation on these properties is abated by either the County or the
property owner.
The current agreement for weed abatement between the County of Santa Clara and the City of
Saratoga was adopted in November 1981. Since then, the agreement has been amended several
times to modify the charge for the County’s program costs to administer the Hazardous
Vegetation Management Program. These charges pay for the full cost of the Hazardous
Vegetation Management Program and are paid for by the owners of properties where hazardous
vegetation has been identified.
If approved, the agreement amendment (Attachment A) would change fees charged to property
owners from a percentage-based fee determined by the County contractors’ weed abatement costs
to a fixed-rate fee. All other elements of the agreement and program will remain the same.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There are no fiscal impacts to the City of Saratoga as a result of the Weed Abatement Program.
The Santa Clara County Department of Agriculture expenses are recovered through the Weed
Abatement Program administrative fees charged to property owners.
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CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
N/A
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
N/A
FOLLOW UP ACTION(S):
Implement Council direction.
ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT:
Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, this item was properly posted as a City Council agenda
item and was included in the packet made available on the City’s web site in advance of the
meeting. A copy of the agenda packet is also made available at the Saratoga Branch Library each
Monday in advance of the Council meeting.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Proposed Amendment to the Agreement Between the County of Santa Clara
and City of Saratoga for Abatement of Weeds