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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-15-2008 Study session City Council MinutesMINUTES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION JANUARY 15, 2008 Mayor Waltonsmith called the Study Session to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Councilmembers Jill Hunter, Kathleen King (amved at 7:05 p.m.), Aileen Kao, Vice Mayor Chuck Page, Mayor Ann Waltonsmith ABSENT: None ALSO Dave Anderson, City Manager PRESENT: Cathleen Boyer, City Clerk Crystal Morrow, Administrative Analyst Michael Taylor, Recreation Director REPORT OF CITY CLERK ON POSTING OF AGENDA FOR JANUARY 15, 2008 Cathleen Boyer, City Clerk, reported that pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2, the agenda for the meeting of January 15, 2008, was properly posted on January 8, 2007. COMMUNICATIONS FROM PUBLIC No one from the public requested to speak. Mayor Waltonsmith welcomed everyone to tonight's meeting. Mayor Waltonsmith noted that this was the 5th public meeting the City has held in regards to the North Campus. Mayor Waltonsmith explained that the noticing of tonight's meeting was sent out to 150 property owners within 500 feet of the North Campus, posted twice in the Saratoga News, and posted on the City's website. Michael Taylor, Recreation Director, explained the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the vision of the North Campus. Director Taylor stated that in November 2007 the City Council formed an adhoc that developed the survey. Director Taylor noted that the survey was designed to be a general method to allow the public to comment on their vision of the North Campus. Director Taylor explained that the survey was posted online and paper copies were available at the Recreation Center and City Hall. Director Taylor briefly highlighted the results of the survey stating that the City received 490 online surveys and 14 paper surveys. Director Taylor noted that there were 13 pages of comments that were added to various questions on website. Dave Anderson, City Manager, announced that the next step would be a facilitated discussion about potential uses for the North Campus and methods to finance suggested ideas. The following are comments received from members of the audience: Speaker 1 • A lot of seniors do not have computers, they could not respond to the survey • Parking at the current senior center is a mess • North Campus is a good place for a senior center • Build a recreation hall that would generate funds • Sanctuary should be renovated • User and rental fees Speaker 2 • Do not want high impact use in his neighborhood • Do not support child care center or a gymnasium • Create task force to do a survey/study • Gymnasium is not a good fit • Would not support steel or modular buildings • Preserve the Sanctuary for an artlmusic center • Would support a $50 parcel tax per year Speaker 3 • Do not support parcel tax • Would like to see amuseum/music center • Most people around the North Campus are elderly • City should sell the property if it can not afford to fix • Gity's responsibility to find the money Speaker 4 • Thanked Council for holding the meeting • Felt the survey was totally unscientific -should not use the data for anything because it has too many variables that have not been considered • Would like to see designated open space at the North Campus • Volunteered to be on a task force Speaker 5 • Interested in the staff -has the staff completed the survey? • How can we make this site work for city programs • If the City has the funding would like to see a first class gymnasium built • If we do not have the money keep the Sanctuary for arts/theater and have it operated by a nonprofit group • Keep the buildings in the back -shut down ones in front and just wait • Suggested a bond, parcel tax , or joint public/private venture Speaker 6 • Great opportunity to partner with YMCA on child care, recreation center, or gym • Would like to see a scientific survey that is more accurate on what the residents want Speaker 7 • If the North Campus is going to have a lot of use, the City must realize and take into account that it is in a residential community 2 • Supports low impact uses such as a museum, cultural event center, or a multi- purpose room • Suggested user fees -total cost recovery • City should slow the process down Speaker 8 • 30,0000 people in Saratoga -City can not make a decision on a survey which was only completed by 400 people • Decision should not be made based on specific groups • Would support a senior center or multi-purpose room • Keep structure as it is right now -low impact • Residents voted to keep the property -City Council has to decide where to find the funds Speaker 9 • Do not support private use • Prefer apublic/private venture with user fees/rentals • Probably would have to do a parcel tax Speaker 10 • 1/3 of population are senior citizens • Senior Center should be a priority • Suggested a parcel tax Speaker 11 • Kick off fundraising efforts using a one time parcel tax • Suggested user fees and rentals • Support multi purpose room Speaker 12 • Show case the valley history and hold art events at the North Campus • Site is a link to Cupertino, Campbell, and San Jose • Remove classrooms for parking • In the spirit that it was sold to the City by the Church -the City should still utilize the back two buildings • Would support music, performance arts, and a museum for Saratoga artists only • Suggested that overflow senior activity use the back buildings • Suggested a foundation (like Hakone) to run the North Campus Speaker 13 • Agree with previous speaker's comments • Suggested asking for donations Speaker 14 • Heard a lot of good ideas this evening • Changing demographics in the valley makes a cultural arts center more attractive, it would bring people together • Low impact use so that the traffic would be spread out through the day • Support arts and cultural ideas • Would not support gym 3 • Concerned about the survey • Anyone who uses facility should pay • Would support a parcel tax Speaker 15 • Is a member of the church who sold the property to the City of Saratoga • Would support amulti-purpose room and/or a cultural center • Suggested donations from corporations and individuals Speaker l6 • Would support amulti-purpose center • The City needs a youth center • Would support activities such as music, crafts, sewing, and sports • User Fees • Suggested applying for grants Speaker l7 • Survey is ok -gives us an idea on how people are thinking • Take out a loan and pay back with user fees • Would like to see Recreation Department move to the North Campus • Would like a dance floor installed • Would support the idea of a gym for sports and music groups Speaker 18 • Keep the North Campus for the community • Would support a senior center, multi cultural center (arts & music), or a small multi-purpose room • Would not support a gym • Parcel tax • Do a study on how much the City could charge and how much it would cost the City to renovate Speaker l9 • Would like to see the Sanctuary renovated • Would support an art center, music center, or senior center • User fees and parcel tax Speaker 20 • Reiterated the fact that it is in a quiet neighborhood • Uses can not generate a huge amount of traffic • Would support a multi purpose cultural center • User fees Speaker 21 • Teens need a place • We already have a senior center • Look at the library for model for funding • If area can not support agym -look for another type of building • Suggested a bond measure 4 Speaker 22 • Make the Sanctuary more attractive Speaker 23 • Sited the survey the City conducted in December 2005 by Fairbank, Maslin, Maulin and Associates which sited what residents are willing to pay for City Manager Anderson noted that it was now time to prioritize the suggested uses for the North Campus. City Manager Anderson stated that everyone would receive two green dots and instructed everyone to place their dots on the uses they support. Attendees placed their dots on uses and funding mechanisms Director Taylor summarized the results as follows: Top Ranking Multi purpose/cultural center -14 Renovate Sanctuary for performance arts - 12 Senior center - 5 Youth center - 4 Teen Center -1 Funding Mechanism Combo user fees/parcel tax -18 User fees/rentals -11 Public/private venture - 6 Parcel tax -1 Library model -1 Foundation -1 Fundraising - 1 Mayor Waltonsmith closed the public process and invited Council discussion Councilmember Hunter • Thanked everyone for attending the meeting • Suggested finding a local architect to look at the sanctuary and tell us how much it would cost to renovate it • In regards to the Sanctuary, she believes it would qualify for historic recognition (at least 50 years old) • Install tempered glass in the Sanctuary to make it more safe Vice Mayor Page • Asked staff to provide him with the existing structural analysis of all the buildings • Would like to digest all of this information before we move forward • Stated that every facility or park the City owns is in a neighborhood • We have neighborhoods in all commercial areas of the City of Saratoga • Find a way to address traffic concerns • Thanked the public for their input Councilmember Kao • Appreciates all the public input tonight • The residents voted to keep this property • North Campus should be a place the whole community can enjoy • Make it a place that generations will enjoy • Collect good info to make good use of this property Councilmember King • Stated that she has done a lot of fundraising and noted that it is not easy • Four years ago the Council participated in a similar visioning exercise and came up with the UUT tax, which lost by 80% • Could do a bond which takes a 2/3 vote to pass • Noted that 21% of the people who completed the survey were willing to donate money • Noted that we live in one of the richest communities in the United States • Do not see anyone coming forward to donate money to North Campus • User fees do not work -need initial capital • User fees do not pay for buildings and utilities • Stated that the Sanctuary is not safe Consensus of the City Council to direct staff to do the following: • Hire an architect to look at the Sanctuary and provide an estimate on structural renovation costs and costs of other suggested uses. • Provide Council with a report on the cost of borrowing funds • Agendize item for future City Council meeting Consensus of the City Council to appoint Mayor Waltonsmith and Councilmember Hunter on a second North Camus AdHoc Committee to solicit donations. ADJOURNMENT no further business Mayor Waltonsmith adjourned the meeting 9:25 p.m. CMC 6