11/01/1965 - Laserfiche WebLink

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OLD BUSINESS: Sewer Assessment District (Cont'd.): Inview of the School District's meeting, Counsel Assaf appealed to the Council to defer this matter in order that he and Engr. Mastin might attend and obtain a decision. The Chair ruled this could be considered under "OTH-,R BUSINESS", if time permitted. PLANNING COMMISSION REPORTS: 1. Commissioner Hawley - Underground Utilities. Commissioner Hawley reported the Planning Commission has a continuing discussion relative to the matter of underground utilities. Planning Commission thinking is that the ultimate solution to this problem, but not yet thoroughly thought out, is to have the Council consider the possibility, and only the possibility, of a long range program aimed at requiring the utility companies to amortize the.. pole lines over a period of say 40 years in order to gradually replace systems underground by forbidding any new overhead poles. This would force the utility companies to talk "costs". In this way the community as`a whole gains aesthetics by a modest increase in utility rates. It was discussed since this thinking was germane to the thoughts of other cities that the City Attorney confer with other attorneys of neighboring communities to agree upon a unified program and procedure (such as an ordinance) in order to bring about total undergrounding of utilities over a period of years. The City Attorney stated he has been 'inclose contact with the. subject, and will continue to be, but since our ordinances - present only a stop gap program there are apparentlyonly two ways to proceed - 1) form an assessment district and put one. section in a year, or 2) a rate increase, but might have to be State wide. The Public Utilities Commission has begun a two year study on undergrounding. Mr. Faisant statedheis a member of the City Attorneys' Department of the League of California Cities and the consensus of these attorneys is that any State wide rate increase would havetowait for the con- clusion of this study (approximately 18 months away) and an answer from the Commission. Mr. E A. Breyman, of 13456 Wildcrest Drive, stated astudy made by him revealed that rates were higher in Los Lltos Hills than other surrounding areas and felt that a, re-examination of these rates should be made by the Public Utilities Commission. It was the opinion of this Council that the Town should continue to lead' and press for appropriate and effective measures `-_Ward the ultimate goal of total undergrounding of utilitylines. Deputy Mayor Bowler instructed this dis- russion to be continued to "OTHER BUSINESS". -2-