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Home My WebLink About01-24-2004 City Council RetreatMINUTES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL RETREAT JANUARY 24, 2004 Mayor Waltonsmith called the Council retreat order at 9:00 a.m. RnT,T, CAT,T, PRESENT: Mayor Ann Waltonsmith, Vice Mayor Kathleen King, Councilmembers Stan Bogosian, Norman Kline, Nick Streit ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Dave Anderson, City Manager Jesse Baloca, Administrative Services Director Cathleen Boyer, City Clerk John Cherbone, Director of Public Works John Livingstone, Associate Planner Christy Oosterhous, Associate Planner Joan Pisani, Recreation Director Tom Sullivan, Community Development Director Danielle Surdin, Administrative Analyst Richard Taylor, City Attorney Lorie Tinfow, Assistant City Manager REPORT OF CITY CLERK ON POSTING OF AGENDA FOR JANUARY 24, 2004 Cathleen Boyer, City Clerk, reported that pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2, the agenda for the meeting of January 24, 2004 was properly posted on January 20, 2004. 1. BUDGET • Vision AdHoc Committee created to educate community on budget problems • Revised current fiscal crisis-operational and fund balance projections • Compared Saratoga's dependency on the VLF revenue with other cities • Open discussion on alternative solutions based on magnitude of duration of fiscal crisis COUNCIL DIRECTION • Review options for raising revenue • Develop Expenditure reduction plans based on worse case scenario • Educate the community, focus on communication • Discuss consequence of loosing VLF with outside agencies (ie: Friends, SASCC) • Do not sell North Campus but maybe on the table a year from now 2. LAFCO SERVICE REVIEW • LAFCO hearing on Fire Service Review -February 1 1, 2004 • Final report due out in 2nd quarter 2004 COUNCIL DIRECTION • Work toward long term Boundary Drop - 2006-2016 • City Council resolution in support of long term Boundary Drop • Council does not desire to be lead agency in annexation or consolidation effort 3. ADHOC-COMMISSIONS-COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION MODEL • In the past needed Council liaisons to connect to the Commissions • Today many opportunities for Commissioners to communicate with Council o Staff liaison o Direct conversation with Council o Yearly meeting with between City Council and each Commission o Utilize "Commission Communications" on City Council agenda • Not enough staff to work with all these groups COUNCIL DIRECTION • As of July 1, 2004 the following should be accomplished in regards to City Commissions: 1) Establish Commission Policies 2) Eliminate City Council liaisons 3) Hold yearly Commission "Goal Setting Retreat"; Commission work plans to be approved by the City Council 4) Action only minutes 5) Email action minutes to City Council • Continue training staff liaisons • Continue consolidated annual Commission budget • New Proj ects require Council approval • Integrate Commission into Budget at CIP 4. SWENSON PROJECT • Sixty -unit residential condominium development and flood plan improvement • Target purchasers for the condominium units are to be municipal employees and teachers • Applicant proposes to sponsor a grant program to qualified applicants to assist in purchasing 30 of the units • If a unit is re-sold to atarget-group buyer the grant is rolled over to the new buyer 2 • Current General Plan density designation for site is Medium Density Residential with a maximum density of 4.35 dwellings per acre. The zoning for the property is R-1,10,000 o Project proposes 36 unites per acre • General Plan amendment and zone change is required • City staff currently in the process of reviewing the responses to the Request for Proposals to prepare an EIR • All costs associated with the EIR are passed through to the developer • Due to Measure G passed in March 1996 -the proposed changes to the density of this site must go to the voters • Saratoga Union School Districts -parent support because of proposed increase of affordable housing for teachers • If proj ect is approved City would have a new land use designation -could pose future problems COUNCIL DIRECTION • School Ad Hoc Committee: o Work with schools to educate the parents and school officials on the Swenson Project o Find other options for affordable housing for teachers • City Council to communicate concerns to constituents 5. LAND USE ELEMENT • General Plan is a guiding policy document that lays out the future of the city's development in general terms through a series of policy statements • State Law -General Plan must include 7 elements: o Land use o Circulation o Housing o Conservation o Open-space o Noise o Safety • Saratoga's Land Use Element was last revised in 1983 • Current Land Use Element difficult for staff and Planning Commission to use COUNCIL DIRECTION • Move forward with "In House" update of Land Use Element o Form a publicly appointed group to assist in process • Aggressive annexation • Increase Urban Service Boundary • Incorporate polices regarding Hillside Preservation • In regards to Hillside Preservation -Vice Mayor King volunteered to talk to Board of Supervisors 3 6. VILLAGE VISION-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT • Village Ad-Hoc Committee formed to improve the vitality of the Village Commercial District by focusing on historical significances, invigorating commercial district and to create a high quality of life for Saragoans • Discussion on forming a Redevelopment Agency -does not require a city-wide election • City would have to hire consultant to determine feasibility and develop formal plan, community educationloutreach • 20% of the total funds gathered must be spent on affordable housing in Saratoga, but does not have to be only concentrated in a Saratoga commercial area. (i.e., it can include a residential area in Saratoga) HISTORIC PRESERVATION • Creation of a Historic District -local business community should take the lead in order to avoid City process • Historic District status would enable property owners to receive Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits • Would not interfere with proposed RDA • Existing Preservation incentive -Mills Act COUNCIL DIRECTION • Move forward with formation of a RDA o Free up to $200k in CIP to hire consultant • Village Ad-Hoc renamed to Redevelopment Agency Ad-Hoc • School Ad-Hoc Committee to talk to school officials about proposed RDA • If merchants would like to move forward with "Historic District" designation they should hire a consultant. 7. CREEK POLLUTION/SEWER ISSUES • Several ongoing programs targeting monitoring of creeks and identification of sources of bacterial contamination: o Creek testing o Septic tank abatement program o Chemical marker system • City has met all testing obligations required by the terms of the Settlement Agreement • No other city in the county test for fecal coliform levels in their creeks • Takes up approximately 25% of City Engineers time • Regularly meet with Mr. Don Whetstone and SC Water District • Discussion of Saratoga Spring holding tank and possible illegal septic tanks above 4th Street 4 COUNCIL DIRECTION ~ Continue proactive creek testing ADJOURNMENT There being no further business Mayor Waltonsmith adjourned the meeting at 3:15 p.m. and thanked everyone for attending the retreat. Respectfully submitted, Cathleen Boyer, CMC City Clerk