Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/17/2005 Meeting Minutes � November 17, 2005 Town of Los Altos Hills City Council Regular Meeting Thursday, November 17, 2005 6:00 P.M. Town Hall Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road 1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Kerr called the regular meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. in Council Chambers at Town Hall. Present: Mayor Breene Kerr, Councilmember Craig A. T. Jones, Councilmember Jean Mordo and Councilmember Mike O'Malley Absent: Mayor Pro Tem Dean Warshawsky Staff: City Manager Maureen Cassingham, City Attorney Steve Mattas,Planning Director Carl Cahill, Administrative Services Director Sarah Ragsdale, and City Clerk Karen Jost MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by O'Malley, seconded by Mordo and passed unanimously to limit the length of time for public comments to two minutes. • Staff requested that Agenda Item 6.3 be continued to the December 1, 2005 meeting. g Council concurred. Mayor Kerr advised that he would reorder the agenda to accommodate a report from the Parks and Recreation Committee that had been continued from the last Council meeting due to the late hour(agenda item 7.1). The item would be heard prior to agenda item 2.2. Mayor Kerr proposed that Agenda Items 5.8 and 5.9 be considered under the consent calendar. Council concurred. 2. APPOINTMENTS AND PRESENTATIONS 2.1 Certificate of Appreciation-Dubose Montgomery, Pathways Committee Mayor Kerr presented a Certificate of Appreciation to DuBose Montgomery in absentia for his service on the Pathways Committee. Mr. Montgomery had completed his four year term. s 1 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 2.2 Comparison of the Permitted MFAs of Residences in Los Altos Hills and Surrounding Hillside Towns -Environmental Design and Protection Committee Robin Robinson, Environmental Design and Protection Committee Co-Chair addressed Council. Robinson acknowledged that she was before Council to make a presentation on the Committee's findings regarding the comparison of the permitted MFA of residences in Los Altos Hills and surrounding hillside towns that included Los Gatos, Saratoga, Portola Valley, Woodside and Monte Sereno. Robinson introduced her Co-Chair Pat Ley and Committee Members: Sandy Humphries, Elizabeth Goodman and Neela Shukla. Robinson proceeded with a PowerPoint presentation. Highlights included: 1) comparison of neighborhing hillside communities permitted MFA for 1, 3, and 5 acre parcels and identification of their maximum allowable development regardless of the parcel size; 2) reasons for considering limitations on"oversized"homes that included the General Plan's Land Use general principles and resident comments that supported retaining the rural nature of the Town collected during the implementation of a previous Town survey; 3) neighborhood concerns; 4) use of natural resources for building materials, energy, water and land use per capita; 5) non-native landscaping and landscaping with vineyards that required fertilizers; and, 6) additional environmental concerns of erosion, run-off, landslides, and the diversion of the natural flow of water. Robinson explained that the Committee believed there was a growing trend towards the "Look at Me" houses in Los Altos Hills. They contributed this to the generous MFA allowances for large parcels. The Environmental Design and Protection Committee was chartered to review and visit all new development in Town and had a member representative at all Site Development hearings. Robinson explained that neighbors often voiced concerns at the hearings that were attributable to the magnitude of the projects. Concerns included: increased traffic and construction noise, length of construction time and disruption to the neighborhood,the high visibility of the mega homes, space invasion, and the impact of the large project on the sense of community. Robinson reviewed with Council the Committee's recommendations that included: the adoption of a maximum house size cap; an increase of building setbacks; and a change in the MFA formula to require greater acreage for larger homes. Council thanked Robinson for her comments. They concurred that it was complex issue with a constellation of issues. There was general agreement that the impact of large homes on natural resources was debatable as compared to more homes being developed on the large parcels but that there was a consensus that large homes had a definitive impact on the rural nature of the community. Council reviewed their options for moving forward on the Committee's findings. Options included a Town survey and public hearing to garner input from residents; formation of an Ad-Hoc committee to review the issues and/or referring it to the Planning Commission for further review. It was offered that it could be included as part of the General Plan review. Mayor Kerr suggested that a possible solution to energy use by large homes would be requiring LEEDS certification of new development of a certain size. 2 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 OPENED PUBLIC COMMENT Dot Schreiner, Saddle Mountain Court, suggested that a new survey would be a useful tool during the second phase of the General Plan update. Jim Abraham, Viscaino Road, commented that there had been two "LUF" Ad-Hoc Committees in recent years and suggested that it would be beneficial for the Council to review their findings. Abraham explained that the numbers that had been offered by the Environmental Design and Protection Committee during their presentation were for flat lots. Parcels on sloped lots had a more restrictive formula. CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT Council discussion ensued. They agreed that one of the major concerns with large homes was the impact on the rural character of the Town. Council considered forwarding the issue of maximum size restriction on home size and review of setbacks to the Planning Commission for their review. They suggested that the Planning Commission assess and compare development guidelines in similar hillside, rural communities. Council also considered a survey of residents to determine if there was support for setting a limit on house.size. Councilmember Mordo suggested that the Ad-Hoc Planning Committee could review the issue and make recommendations to Council on how best to proceed. Planning Director Carl Cahill noted that the City Council had several outstanding issues still under review including the new fence ordinance and discussion of highly visible lots and agreed that Councilmember Mordo's proposal would be a viable solution to reviewing the issue. He commented that large home submittals were rare and the Town received approximately one per year. Council consensus was to direct the Ad-Hoc Planning Committee to develop a timeline and procedure for review of the issue of setbacks and maximum size for residential development. 3. PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR Items Removed: 4.1 (Mordo) 4.3 (Abraham/Public) 4.4 (Mordo)4.5 (Abraham/Public) MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by O'Malley, seconded by Mordo and passed unanimously to approve the remainder of the Consent Calendar, specifically: 4.2 Review of Disbursements: 10/28/05— 11/9/05 $540,512.59 4.4 Award of Bid for Investment Advisory Services and Approval of Related Resolutions and Agreements 3 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 i 4.5 Request for Amendment of Maximum Contribution to Employee Health Coverage Premiums 5.8 Pest Control Report—Purissima Hills Water District Operations Center 5.9 Request for Continuance of Public Hearing on the Appeal of a Site Development Permit for Amateur Radio Antenna and Support Structures; Lands of Abraham, 12831 Viscaino Road. Items Removed: 4.1 Approval of Minutes: Regular City Council Meeting November 3, 2005 Councilmember Mordo suggested the following modification to the November 3, 2005 City Council meeting minutes: page 5, motion should read "Moved by Jones, seconded by Mordo and passed unanimously to approve the design phase of the proposed Year Round Riding Program Arena project (uncovered) at Westwind Barn, to be undertaken as a Town Capital Improvement". MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: moved by Mordo, seconded by O'Malley and passed unanimously to approve the Regular City Council Meeting minutes of November 3, 2005 as amended. 4.3 Adoption of Ordinance 441 Authorizing an Amendment to the Contract between the Town and the Board of Administration of the California Public Employee's Retirement System(SECOND READING) Administrative Services Director Sarah Ragsdale explained that Council had before them consideration of adoption of an ordinance to amend the contract with CalPers to include the 0' level of the 1959 Survivor Benefits for miscellaneous employees. The contract amendment would reduce the Town's exposure from the death of an employee while at work by inclusion in a larger pool with other agencies. Ragsdale noted that the pool was superfunded at 139%. She offered that this was the second reading of the ordinance. Jim Abraham, Viscaino Road, explained that he had requested separate consideration of this item to ensure that the Council had carefully reviewed the issue. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by O'Malley and passed unanimously to waive further reading and adopt Ordinance 441 Authorizing an Amendment to the Contract between the Town and the Board of Administration of the California Public Employee's Retirement System. 4.4 Award of Bid for Investment Advisory Services and Approval of Related Resolutions and Agreements Councilmember Mordo explained that he had requested separate consideration of this item to afford the opportunity to introduce Nsesa Kacadi, PFM Asset Management, to 4 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 r Council. He reviewed the process that had been undertaken to select the firm for investment advisory services that had included a review of bid packages and presentations and interviews with the finalist candidates by the Finance and Investment Committee. Councilmembers Mordo and Jones had participated in the selection process as members of the Finance and Investment Committee. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Jones, seconded by Mordo and passed unanimously to award the bid for investment services to PFM Asset Management LLC and to adopt 1) Resolution No.105-05 approving and authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with PFM Asset Management LLC for investment advisory services and to adopt 2) Resolution No. 106-05 authorizing the Town to join with other public agencies as a participant of the California Asset Management Trust and to invest in shares of the Trust and in individual portfolios. 4.5 Request for Amendment of Maximum Contribution to Employee Health Coverage Premiums Administrative Services Director Sarah Ragsdale advised Council that the item under consideration was the annual review of health insurance premiums and the establishment of a new cap that would set the maximum Town contribution towards each employee's premium for the calendar year. She reviewed the previously set caps for the years 2003- 2006, adding that the projected increase for 2005 was 15% with an actual increase of 9%. Ragsdale noted that the annual calculation of the cap was set at 110% of the average premium of health plans available to employees. Jim Abraham, resident, explained that he had requested Council review this item separately because of his concerns of escalating health benefit costs for retiring P g g employees. He believed these could potentially be very costly to the Town. Council offered that the CalPers health coverage was below the public/private aggregate, very affordable at a competitive cost and an excellent health care package. They noted that an actuarial review of employee retirement benefits was scheduled for the near future. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by O'Malley and passed unanimously to adopt Resolution-No. 107-05 "Fixing the Employer's Contribution of Health Care Premium under the Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act." 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 5.1 Town Goals 5.1.1 Implementation of Strategic Conservation Goals Mayor Kerr reported that the Environmental Initiatives Committee had not met since the last Council meeting. 5 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 5.1.2 Bringing Public Education Back to the Hills • Councilmember Jones reported that the Public Education Committee was in the process of conducting its due diligence as authorized by Council on the issue of redistricting. They would report their findings to Council at a future meeting. Council discussed the recent resignation of Doug Ahrens from the Citizens Advisory Finance Committee. It was noted that to date, a letter of resignation had not been forwarded to the Los Altos School District. Council requested consideration of an appointment to the Committee agendized for the next Council meeting. 5.2 Underground Project Status Report Item continued to 12/1/05. 5.3 Update on General Plan Review Councilmember O'Malley reported that the Committee had met last week and was reviewing the General Plan section by section. Their next scheduled meeting was in December. 5.4 Update on Improved Cell Phone Coverage Planning Director Carl Cahill reported that there were four pending applications to be reviewed by Town staff and then forwarded to the Planning Commission. The Emergency Communications Committee was scheduled to begin conducting ham radio tests on the Cingular Wireless antenna located at Town Hall. 5.5 Proposed Evaluation of Westwind Barn(continued from 11/3/05) Councilmember O'Malley recused himself from consideration of this item and stepped down from the dais. City Manager Maureen Cassingham introduced this item to Council. Council had before them a proposal from Mark Thomas & Co. to inspect and comprehensively evaluate Westwind Barn and produce a report on its general condition and associated costs for restoration and improvements for this unique historic Town asset. The proposal included evaluation of the Barn's general condition, structural integrity, foundation appearance, analysis of future stabling and public uses at a cost not to exceed$12,500. Cassingham noted that a supporting item was before Council tonight for their consideration from Councilmember Jones. Jones was proposing the creation of a Westwind Barn Restoration Advisory Committee (Ad-Hoc). Cassingham explained that when the staff report had originally been submitted to Council on November 3, 2005, staff had recommended the formation of an Ad-Hoc Committee whose membership included a member of the City Council, Parks and Recreation Committee, Friends of • Westwind Board, Supporters of Westwind Barn and Town staff to review the findings of Mark Thomas & Co. 6 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 Councilmember Mordo commented that he was supportive of the proposal's Scope of Services Task 1 and Task 2 as identified but believed that Task 3 should be performed in conjunction with the Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee. Task 3 called for the development of an evaluation report that included alternative methods for restoration of the Barn. Cassin ham offered that the proposal could be resubmitted to Mark Thomas & Co. for a g p p rebid of the project with the amendment as noted to the scope of work. She suggested that there was a potential for an increase in the cost of the services and would bring the revised proposal back to Council at a future meeting for their consideration. Council briefly discussed Councilmember Mordo's suggested modification to the proposal. Council determined that the report would be a "first draft" report on the restoration of the Barn and would not prejudice the design phase methodology. They accepted the scope of work as defined n the proposal. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Jones, seconded by Mordo and passed unanimously to approve Resolution No.108-05 authorizing Mark Thomas & Co. to provide certain professional services to inspect and comprehensively evaluate Westwind Barn. Councilmember O'Malley recused himself from consideration of this item and did not participate in the vote. 5.6 Proposed Restoration of Town Riding Ring City Manager Maureen Cassingham introduced this item to Council. Council had before • them a staff report that included a detailed proposal from the Los Altos Hills Horsemen's Association for renovation of the Town ring to permit year round use of the facility. The proposal called for the installation of a new ring surface system. Cassingham provided a summary of the review of the project that had been conducted by the Parks and Recreation Committee and their recommendations. Initially, the Committee had recommended that the project be funded by Park Bond Act funds, but following'a more recent review, the Committee was recommending that the project be financed from Town General Funds. This financing proposal for the Ring restoration would ensure that Park Bond Act funds were available for other non-horse projects and facilities. Lori Askew, LAHHA President, addressed Council. She thanked them for their consideration of the Association's proposal to restore the Town's Ring on Purissima Road. Askew spoke to the recent revival of interest in horsemanship and the benefit to the community to have a public arena in a different geographical location than Westwind Barn. She promoted the Town Ring as a safe riding facility for children and an excellent venue to exercise and train horses. The ring also supported numerous community equestrian events. Askew offered that the ring's surface was rapidly deteriorating and needed to be addressed to ensure proper footing for equestrian activities. Councilmember Jones expressed his support for equestrian recreation facilities but requested additional information from the Parks and Recreation Committee on non- equestrian facilities available to the community. • 7 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 i Valerie Metcalfe, Parks and Recreation Committee, clarified that the Committee had originally proposed a sports court be constructed at the arena with Park Bond Act funds because the Town Ring was being underutilized. This was approximately eighteen months ago. Since that time, the Los Altos Hills Horsemen's Association had increased its membership, revitalized the ring and held numerous events. The Committee was very supportive of the Association's request for restoration of the ring, noting that it was an existing asset that could be restored with minimum resources. The Committee had continued to investigate a sports court for the Town and was now focused on the possibility of using facilities at surrounding schools. Councilmember O'Malley explained that LAHHA had been dormant for several years but interest in the ring and Association had been galvanized when Council had engaged in discussions to use the site for a school. He offered that the Town Ring was open to the public, very accessible and easy to use. O'Malley suggested that if the Town Ring were to remain at the site, he supported the restoration proposal. He noted that the use of Park Bond Act funds for the project would require the relinquishment of the arena scheduling and maintenance currently performed by LAHHA to the Town. Councilmember Mordo supported the restoration and suggested that a bathroom/washroom facility be considered in the proposal. He recommended using Park Bond Act funds for the project. Council discussion ensued. Council considered additional improvements at the site including shade covering, water and bathrooms. Councilmember O'Malley suggested that any additional improvements be built so that they were not a future deterrent to a sports court in the vicinity. They encouraged the Parks and Recreation Committee to continue their quest for a sports court and soccer field site and recreation facilities for non-horse activities. Jolon Wagner, Robleda Court, commented that it would be very useful to have a bathroom closer to the ring. Currently,they use the Little League facilities. MOTION SECONDED AND _CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by Jones and passed unanimously to approve the request for funding for the reconstruction of the Town Ring as proposed by the Los Altos Hills Horsemen's Association and to direct staff to return to Council with a formal application to the State for the use of Park Bond Act funds for the project. Council also requested staff to provide cost estimates for the additional suggested improvements at the site. 5.7 Report on Proposed Year Round Riding Program Operating Revenues and Expenses/Park Bond Act Funding Date Requirements Councilmember O'Malley recused himself from consideration of this item and stepped down from the dais. City Manager Maureen Cassingham introduced this item to Council. Council had before • them a spreadsheet that identified current Year Round Riding Program costs with four hours/week with two horses and the proposed expanded program for ten hours/week with 8 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 i four horses and the use of the new arena. Cassingham noted that the subsidy by the Town was reduced with the proposed expanded program. The subsidy could be further reduced if the Parks and Recreation Committee added more horses, hours or increased program fees. The report also included information on Park Bond Act funds and their respective deadlines for applications. Councilmember Mordo requested clarification on the line item of horse rentals. City Manger Cassingham responded that the Town was proposing to rent the horses as outlined in the staff report from Jane Kawasaki. Cassingham explained that she had the investment in the horses and would bear the bear the associated costs. Councilmember Mordo questioned why the Town would enter into an agreement with a resident that would generate a financial loss for them. Rebecca Hickman, Parks and Recreation Committee Member, explained that Jane Kawasaki has had a passion for the program since its inception three years ago. Kawasaki and Committee members had volunteered their services and time to institute recreational programs for the children of the Town. She considered Kawasaki's commitment to the Year Round Riding Program a gift to the community. Councilmember Jones requested clarification on the scheduling of horses and classes at Westwind • Valerie Metcalfe, Fremont Road, explained that there were time commitments to other users of the ring and the Year Round Riding Program did not want to displace anyone. The lease agreement with Friends of Westwind Board specified the amount of time that was allocated to the Parks and Recreation Department's programs. She offered that the demand for additional sessionswas strong and that was one of the main reasons they were pursuing the additional arena.. Metcalfe explained the schedule for the Westwind arenas that included use by the 4-H Handicapped program,pony club,boarders and YRRP. Jane Kawasaki explained that the program had been.expanded to four horses. Councilmember Mordo offered that he was questioning why a new arena was needed for additional class hours when the majority of users/boarders at Westwind Barn were non residents. Council suggested that this was an ancillary topic and could be reviewed at a more appropriate time. OPENED PUBLIC COMMENT John Harpootlian, Anacapa Drive, commented that the Westwind Lease stipulated that the Board membership be comprised of a majority of residents. He offered that at previous Board meetings there had been three seated non-residents. Harpootlian noted that 75% of the membership of Friends of Westwind were non-residents and subsequently would support Directors who were sympathetic to their issues. 9 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 Councilmember O'Malley, speaking as a resident, stated that the non-resident users of Westwind were paying for boarding of their horses and use of the arena and that reducing availability of arena time could potentially impact the boarding income for the Barn. Jane Kawasaki reviewed the scheduling and arena configurations with Council. She explained that the smaller, enclosed arena was needed for the beginning lessons. If the YRRP was moved to the lower arena it would impact the pony club. The solution was the construction of the additional arena Nancy Couperus, Page Mill Road, clarified that the 4-H Handicapped Riding Program used the upper arena for two hours a week. CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT Councilmember Mordo stated that he could'vote affirmatively for the expenditure of funds with a guarantee of ten hours of instruction per week and verification that the program was successful. He stated that he would like Council to task the Friends of Westwind and Parks and Recreation Department to renegotiate the terms for the use of the arena. Council discussion ensued regarding the Council authorization for the payment of identified .program costs including the rental of the stalls for the program horses. Councilmember Mordo stated that he would not support any expenditure. • Rebecca Hickman, Parks and Recreation program, questioned Councilmember Mordo's motivation when the Council had embraced the YRRP program. City Manager Cassingham suggested that the stall rental fees for the program horses could be paid under her signature authority. Nancy Couperus, Page Mill Road, suggested that the lower arena could be used for the YRRP with the use of cones. Council consensus was to have the City Manager pay for the stall rental for the program horses under her signature authority and to revisit the remaining program expenditures at a future meeting. 6. NEW BUSINESS 6.1 Proposed Town-Wide Single Stream Recycling Program City Manager Maureen Cassingham introduced this item to Council and provided a brief overview of the proposal for Town-wide single stream recycling. A pilot program had been initiated in September, 2005. Attached to the Council's staff report was a letter from Los Altos Garbage Company's General Manager John Zirelli with the results of the pilot program for the Town. Given the success of the pilot, the Town was being asked to approve the use of this collection method for the remainder of the contract which expired on September 30, 2008. Cassingham noted that single stream recycling would require 10 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 one less vehicle which would positively impact the environment and expectations where that the program would increase recycling volumes and reduce customer inconvenience in separating recyclables. The sole impact from the change in collection would be an estimated loss in the Town's annual revenue of$12,426 due to higher processing costs. However, increased tonnage under this collection method would assist the Town in meeting and exceeding its AB939 State mandates for recycling compliance. John Zirelli, LAGCo General Manager, addressed Council. He explained that the current recycling pick-up schedule for residents would not change. Zirelli reviewed the revised operation plan and the use of smaller compaction trucks for single stream recycling. He noted that there would not be an increase in garbage rates for residents but the program would generate a smaller reimbursement to the Town. Zirelli explained that LAGCo was currently investigating the use of alternative fuel vehicles and he would return to Council at a future meeting with his findings. OPENED PUBLIC COMMENT Jay Shideler, Environmental Initiatives Committee, complemented LAGCo on their proposal. He reviewed with Council his findings from the review of several case studies that had been conducted on the subject of single stream recycling. The studies supported the increase in recycling tonnage. The only concern with the process was cross contamination from glass breakage. User education was a critical element in the success of the program. CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT • Zirelli noted that LAGCo was planning an education campaign that included instructional mailings with residents' bills. Council briefly discussed the proposal. They supported the program noting that it would be more environmentally friendly and more convenient for residents. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by O'Malley, seconded by Mordo and passed unanimously to approve the Town-Wide Single Stream Recycling Program as proposed by the Los Altos Garbage Company. 6.2 Consideration of Councilmember Appointment to the Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by Jones and passed unanimously to appoint Mayor Breene Kerr as the Town's representative to the Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors. 6.3 Proposed Agreement between the County of Santa Clara and Town Granting Homeland Security Funding for Emergency Management and CERT Item continued to the December 1, 2005 City Council Meeting • 11 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 i 6.4 Proposed Change in Agenda Procedure Relating to Public Comments Under Presentations from the Floor City Manager Maureen Cassingham introduced this item to Council. The proposed change to the language on the agenda face sheet under "Presentations from the Floor" would limit comments to those items not on the agenda. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by O'Malley and passed unanimously to revise the Council agenda wording under "Presentations from the Floor" to read "Persons wishing to address the Council on any subject not on the agenda may do so now". 7. REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES, SUB-COMMITTEES,AND COUNCILMEMBERS ON OUTSIDE AGENCIES 7.1 Summer Camp and Recreation Programs Report—Parks and Recreation Committee (continued from 11/3/05) Valerie Metcalfe, Parks and Recreation Committee Chair addressed Council. She provided a brief overview of the Parks and Recreation Department's programs that included youth programs such as the summer Ohlone camps, Mad Science Robot camp, sports camps and adult programs including the Mind-Body Fitness course and Bird Watching sessions. Metcalfe noted that there have been approximately 400 participants in the various programs. The Parks and Recreation Department had sponsored the Town's • Relay for Life Team and was looking forward to annual participation in this very worthy event. The Year Round Riding Program had taken a brief hiatus but was currently being offered with all classes full and a wait list of interested subscribers. An adult session had recently been added and was very successful. The Parks and Recreation Committee had held a "Happy Hounds Egg Hunt" to benefit the Humane Society in the Spring and the fourth annual Town Pathways Run/Fun Run- Walk held in May had been well attended. Committee Member Rebecca Hickman announced the Committee winter schedule that included the Annual Holiday Barn Lighting at Westwind Barn and the Winter Wishing Tree at Town Hall. The Community was invited to all upcoming events. She reported that the Committee was investigating new programs for 2006 that included a La Crosse clinic, digital photography class, continuation of the Mind-Body Fitness course and YRRP for youth and adults. The Committee was considering horse rentals and trail riding with an instructor following the successful completion of the YRRP course and an evaluation. Hickman reported that the Committee's regular meetings were on the third Monday of the month at 9:30 a.m. at Town Hall. The Committee welcomed input and program suggestions from the community and comments and recommendations could be forwarded to the Committee via email to the City Clerk. Hickman thanked the City Council for their support and City Manager Maureen Cassingham and the City Clerk for • 12 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 their interim support following the departure of the Parks and Recreation Department's Supervisor Jimmy Forbis. Councilmember O'Malley commended the Parks and Recreation Committee for their efforts in developing a viable recreation program for the Town. COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS Councilmember Mordo reported that he had attended the Community Relations Committee and their plans for the 50th Anniversary gala were well under way. Councilmember O'Malley reported that he had attended the Lower Peninsula Flood Control District meeting and the funding of the Adobe Creek project was nearing its target. 8. STAFF REPORTS 8.1 City Manager 8.2 City Attorney 8.3 City Clerk 8.3.1 Report on Council Correspondence 9. COUNCIL-INITIATED ITEMS Item 9.1 and Item 9.2 were considered concurrently for purposes of discussion. Councilmember O'Malley recused himself from consideration of both items and stepped down from the dais. 9.1 Consideration of a Westwind Barn Restoration Advisory Committee (WBRAC) - Councilmember Jones 9.2 Consideration of an Ad-Hoc Committee to Make Recommendations to the City Council on Steps to Strengthen the Mandate and Membership of the Parks and Recreation Committee to Include Oversight Responsibilities over Town Recreational Facilities—Councilmember Jones Councilmember Jones proceeded with a PowerPoint presentation titled "Westwind Barn and Other Recreational Facilities". He explained that the proposal addressed his recommendation for governance and oversight over the Town's Parks and Recreation facilities including Westwind Barn. The recommendation was two faceted and included a proposal for moving forward on a master plan for the restoration of Westwind Barn that meet the needs of the residents and a plan to ensure that the Town was exercising its fiduciary duties to oversee the Town-owned properties and their use. Jones acknowledged that the main issues were the use of the facilities, ability to maximize the value of the existing facilities and addressing the need for new recreation facilities. 13 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 i Jones offered that his primary agenda for Westwind Barn was to ensure that the Open Space area was kept pristine and that the Year Round Riding Program was positioned at Westwind. Secondly, he wanted to ensure that all the facilities were governed consistent with the fact that they were Town-owned properties and that residents had access befitting their location. Jones reviewed his proposal for moving forward with the restoration of Westwind Barn. His recommendation included the creation of a Westwind Barn Restoration Advisory (Ad-Hoc) Committee (WWBRAC) whose membership included: one City Councilmember, one Planning Commissioner, one Parks and Recreation Committee member, one Friends of Westwind and one Supporter of Westwind Community Barn. The membership would be supported by Town staff. The mission of the Committee was to create a proposed masterplan for the restoration of Westwind Barn including the physical improvements, budget, and timeline for the project. Jones recommended that the Committee report back to the City Council by March 31, 2006. Jones recommendation for governance of Westwind Barn and other Los Altos Hills recreational facilities was the formation of an Ad-Hoc Committee of the City Council that included two members of Council and one member of the Parks and Recreation Committee. Councilmember Jones volunteered to chair the Committee and Steve Johnson from the Parks and Recreation Committee had agreed to serve as their representative.. The mission of the Committee was to investigate the need and desirability of modifying the duties and membership of the Parks and Recreation Committee to include providing greater oversight over town-owned recreational facilities. Jones recommended that the Committee report back to the Council with their recommendations for action by January 31, 2006. Councilmember Jones acknowledged that it would be the City Council's prerogative to determine what actions would be taken following the completion of the Ad Hoc Committee on Parks and Recreation Oversight task but he was hopeful that the following principles would be established: transparency-clear lines of reporting; accountability-high and clear expectations; accessibility-maximized resident use of facilities; and visibility by the City Council-consideration of regular review. Jones concluded his presentation by offering that the establishment of the two committees was consistent with accountability, accessibility and fiduciary duties that were consistent with the expenditure of Town funds that included operating funds for Town programs (YRRP) and improvement and restoration funds for the Town Barn. Council had before them a memo from the Parks and Recreation Committee regarding Councilmember Jones' proposal. Valerie Metcalfe, Parks and Recreation Committee Chair, explained that the Committee had voted unanimously at their last meeting to support and recommend implementation of Councilmember Jones' proposal to create the two Ad-Hoc Committees. They requested an additional Parks and Recreation Committee representative be added to the membership of the Ad-Hoc Parks and Recreation Oversight Committee. She explained that this would provide a wider diversity of knowledge of sports and recreation programs. 14 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 Councilmember Jones agreed to the membership modifications and suggested that the Committee would benefit from the additional input. • Agenda Item.9.1 Councilmember Mordo expressed his support for the proposed Ad-Hoc Committee as identified in Councilmember Jones proposal. He noted that it was very important to have the right composition for the Committee to succeed. OPENED PUBLIC COMMENT Elaine Nelson, Supporters of Westwind Community Barn, thanked the Council for their continuing efforts to define a master plan for the Barn. She offered that the Supporters would be willing participants in the Ad-Hoc Committee but requested that the meetings not conflict with their current scheduled Derby Day event planning meetings. John Harpootlian, Anacapa Drive, suggested that a representative of the Community Relations Committee be included in the membership. CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT Brief Council discussion ensued. They agreed to modify their meeting and deadline schedule to accommodate the Supporters. Council endorsed Mayor Kerr as the Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee and he agreed to serve. • MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by Jones and passed unanimously to create a Westwind Barn Restoration Advisory Committee ()WBRAC) as proposed by Councilmember Jones. Mayor Kerr-would Chair the advisory body. Councilmember O'Malley recused himself from consideration of this item and did not participate in the vote. Agenda Item 9.2 OPENED PUBLIC COMMENT Jitze Couperus, Page Mill Road, suggested that the Heritage House be included in the inventory of Town-owned property to be considered by the Ad-Hoc Committee on Parks and Recreation Oversight. He believed the Heritage House's original intent as a history museum had been changed and he would like to see the "asset"reconverted to its original intent. CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT Council discussed the Council membership of the Ad Hoc Committee. Councilmember Mordo declined membership. Mayor Kerr offered to serve on the Committee with Councilmember Jones. 15 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Jones, seconded by Mordo and passed unanimously to create an Ad-Hoc Committee to make recommendations to the • City Council on steps to strengthen the mandate and membership of the Parks and Recreation Committee to include oversight responsibilities over Town recreational facilities. Membership was modified to include two Parks and Recreation Committee members. Councilmember Jones would Chair the Ad-Hoc Committee with Mayor Kerr serving as the second Council representative. Councilmember O'Malley recused himself from consideration of this item and did not participate in the vote. COUNCIL RECESSED AT 9:10 P.M. COUNCIL RECONVENED AT 9:20 P.M. 9.3 Consideration of Parking Ordinance Enforcement and Signage along Moody Road Coupled with the Improvement of Off-Street Parking on Town-Owned Property at Moody Road and Rhus Ridge-Mayor Kerr Mayor Kerr introduced this item to Council. He explained that the discussion was for informational purposes. He had prepared several photo slides of the areas of concern that he wished to bring to Council's attention. Kerr noted that the Town was in the process of developing a path from Foothill College to Hidden Villa and he wanted it to be a safe and enjoyable route. His photos included illustrations of a newly installed path with a railing barricade, parked cars on existing paths, bicyclists on Moody Road, narrow road access to the entrance to San Antonio Open Space, illegally parked cars at the Town- owned property at Rhus Ridge and Moody and a Midpeninsula Regional Open Space parking lot at the San Antonio Park trail head at Rhus Ridge. Kerr had been in discussions with Mary Davey, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Board Member, about a collaborative effort between the Town and District for a parking solution to the highly used area. OPENED PUBLIC COMMENT Sylvia Jensen, Moody Road, commented that there was adequate parking at the Mid-Pen lot and she opposed any additional parking area being developed by the Town for users of the trailhead into the Open Space. Jitze Couperus, Page Mill Road, suggested that the Town's General Plan called for "neighborhood open space". He believed that "destination open space" was the main factor in creating the parking problems. Resident, Rhus Ridge, explained that his home was next to the Town-owned property that was being discussed as a potential parking lot. He expressed his frustration with illegal parking and supported"no parking signs"however, opposed a parking lot. Resident, commented that his property was located across from the Mid-Pen parking lot. He explained that his street was private and the Sheriff would not enforce Town's parking laws on the private street. The illegal parking was a perpetual problem and created numerous safety concerns. 16 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 Peter Neh, Bassett Lane, spoke to the problem of non-residents using the paths and trailheads in Town. He suggested that a parking lot would only add to the problem and increase traffic in the area. Eric Clow, Central Drive, offered that the issue of non-residents using the trails was valid but the question was how to address the parking issues. Nancy Couperus, Page Mill Road, explained that the Open Space Initiative's purpose was to preserve Open Space not to promote parking. She suggested that the Open Space Committee would probably oppose the conversion of the town-owned property at Moody and Rhus Ridge's to an off-road parking area. Roger Spreen, Rhus Ridge Road, expressed his concern that not all of the stakeholders in the area were being included in the discussion. He was concerned that the Mid-Pen's efforts to garner free parking for the users of the park would have a very negative impact on the neighborhood. Spreen added that the residents of Rhus Ridge were opposed to the proposed off-street parking on the Town's property at Moody and Rhus Ridge. Wendy Wilson, Rhus Ridge, said she was surprised when she had been advised that this topic was on the agenda for discussion. She would be impacted by a parking area and believed her neighborhood should have been noticed. Wilson supported "no-parking signs" and enforcement including towing illegally parked vehicles. CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT Council discussion ensued. They concurred that the problem of illegal parking in the area of Moody Road needed to be addressed. Mayor Kerr offered that it was important as the Town made pathway improvements in the area, to ensure that it was a safe route and that the Council vigorously enforce the no-parking ordinances. Council discussed the Mid- Pen, Town and fire access easements on Rhus Ridge Road. It was noted that this was a private street and the residents were responsible for signage and enforcement. Kerr offered that when the path was completed it would conceivably be possible for people to park at Foothill College. Council supported the use of signage and enforcement to limit the illegal parking on Moody Road. Councilmember Jones favored permanent barriers. Council directed staff to post"no parking" signs along the newly improved path at Lands of Scrampi and advise the Sheriff to enforce the parking restrictions. 10. PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FLOOR Frank Lloyd, Brendel Drive, stated that he opposed big houses. He suggested that the Town consider conducting their survey via email. City Manager Cassingham noted that the Town did have email addresses for residents, however, residents had been assured of their confidentiality and that they would only be used to advise them of an emergency. 17 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005 11. PUBLIC HEARINGS None Passed by.consensus of the Council to adjourn to the Closed Session at 10:04 p.m. 12. CLOSED SESSION CLOSED SESSION: CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-EXISTING LITIGATION:- Government Code Section 54956.9(a): Campbell and Ligeti v. Town of Los Altos Hills (continued from 11/3/05) CLOSED SESSION: CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATORS (continued from 11/3/05) Property: APN 182-52-009 Agency Negotiators: Craig Jones and Steve Mattas Negotiating Parties: None Under Negotiation: Price and Terms of Payment Council reconvened to Open Session at 10:19 p.m. No action was taken 13. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by consensus of the Council at 10:19 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Karen Jost City Clerk The City Council meeting minutes were approved as presented at the December 1, 2005 regular City Council meeting. 18 City Council Meeting Minutes November 17,2005