10/20/1969 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: I. Councilman Davey noted the Committee for Green Foothills will meet at 8:00 P. M., on Thursday, October 23, at the Oak Creek Club in Palo Alto to far discuss "Crises in the Foothills". SCHEDULED ITEM NO. 1• DISCUSSION OF TOWN -WIDE DRAINAGE COMMITTEE REPORT. Staff report was presented noting the Town -wide Citizens Drainage Committee's recommendations included the following: An ordinance be adopted assessing new subdivisions $800.00 per building site, new construction .030 per square foot of paved and roofed area, and budgeting a minimum annual sum of $20,000.00 for a Drainage Improvement Fund. Council discussion ensued concerning drainage facility requirements and the financing of same, with Floor participation by: A. M. Laws, 11210 Hooper Lane; Mel Hawley, 13441 Robleda Road; Herman Brown, 26076 Snell Lane; Mrs. Edith Williams, 25611 Burke Circle; David Janssen, 27440 Sherlock Road; E. A. Breyman, 13456 Wildcrest Drive; Carl Koller, 13060 La Paloma Road; Jim Gable, 11011 Magdalena Road; G. Ferrari, 25800 Altamont Road; and, A. Lambert, Los Altos. At Councilman Fowle's request, and with Council consent, his following state- ment is incorporated in the Minutes: "I first wish to compliment Councilman Helgesson and his committee for a very fine analysis of our present drainage situation, and a reasonable and practical series of recommendations as to what improvements are essential. "I find myself in disagreement with the report on one basic point, however, and that is the recommended proportions between general fund and new lot con- tributions to the cost of the project. Admittedly, any new tax has some degret of inequity, but I feel any administrative body is honor -bound to keep this inequity within reason. "The concept of charging newly developed homesites a fee to help pay for nes drainage facilities, which will eventually be required, is logical and has precedent. "However, we must not lose sight of the fact that new developments are not the sole cause for necessitating and enlarging existing drainage capacity. They merely make the need more immediate. Existing homesites plus new homesites are what cause the need for enlargement. Therefore, new and old homesites should be charged for the project in accordance to benefit. "One cannot accept the argument that later developments, just because of the acuteness of the need, are any more the cause of drainage troubles than early developments. "The committee report recognizes this, at least in part. They recommend a per lot charge of $800 plus an overage for covered ground, and in addition a general property tax of around 80 to give $20,000 per year revenue. It is the proportion between these two sources of funds that I find inequitable beyond reasonableness. "The $800 fee plus the 30 per square foot for covered ground would come to almost $950 per new homesite. The 80 tax comes to $11.50 for each homesite, old and new alike. This means that a late -comer to Los Altos Hills will pay an additional amount equal to about 80 years of drainage taxes, and will pay the eq drainage tax besides. -2-