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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSeptember 19 OSC FInalMinute13-0919.doc 1 Los Altos Hills Open Space Committee Los Altos Hills Council Chambers FINAL Minutes of September 19, 2013 Members Present: Roger Spreen, George Clifford, Nancy Couperus, Karen Lemes, Alice Sakamoto, Jean Struthers, Wendie Ward, Sue Welch Members Absent: Sharen Schoendorf Associate Members Present: Kit Gordon City Council Liaison: Not present Guests: David Thomson, San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory Bill Balson, Los Altos Hills resident Kjell Karlssen, Traffic Safety Committee LAH Town Staff: Richard Chiu, Director of Public Works 1. Call to Order and Approval of Minutes The meeting was called to order at 8:50 am. Minutes of the September meeting were approved as written. The agenda was approved with changes in item order. 2. Presentations from the Floor ---None 3. Old Business A. Plastic Bag Ordinance. OSC Council liaison Gary Waldeck talked to City Manager Carl Cahill about conveying the LAH plastic bag ordinance to developers when they apply for a business license in the Town. B. CEQA Update. Nancy Couperus reported that the final bill did not significantly diminish CEQA requirements as had been proposed by developers, industry, and other opponents at the start of the legislative session. However, SB743, a bill to exempt the new King’s arena in Sacramento from full review, did pass. Details are available at PCL website. C. Open Space Management 1. Open Space Stewardship. Sue Welch reported that the RFP was reviewed by several outside groups and then modified based on their recommendations. The major change was to scale back the assessment component and allocate most of the budget to removal of invasive weeds. Karen Lemes moved that the revised RFP be sent back to Richard Chiu in the Public Works Department for further review. Wendi Ward seconded. The vote was unanimously in favor. 2. O’Keefe Preserve plans. Work on restoration of Purissima Creek using SCVWD grant fund will start in the fall 3. Possible additional SCVWD Grants. Kit Gordon reported a new SCVWD grant cycle with submission deadline in late November. She sent info to Town planning staff and all Town committees. The OSC discussed pros and cons of submitting an additional grant application. Kit will attend the grant workshop on October 7, 2013. D. Review of Fence Permit Applications. OSC requested months ago to review fence applications during the 10-day period when courtesy notices are sent to affected neighbors. Town staff has asked that the OSC charter be formally changed to include this additional activity before they will provide this information to the OSC. OSC interest is purely informational; the goal is to monitor fencing projects to help understand types and styles of fencing being used and potential effects on wildlife and OSC FInalMinute13-0919.doc 2 conservation easements. OSC Chair George Clifford will take this proposal to Council for formal approval of the change in the charter. 4. New Business A. OSC Meeting Time. Beginning in October, OSC meetings will begin at 9AM instead of 8:50 AM. B. O’Keefe Open Space Preserve Pathways. OSC remains interested in improving access to O’Keefe OSP by creating and upgrading pathways. Sue Welch will ask the Pathway Committee to propose potential routes. C. Seed Collection at Byrne Preserve. David Thomson, Senior Ecologist at the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO), contacted the Town two weeks ago requesting to collect seed of Hayfield tarweed (a species of Hemizonia) from Byrne Preserve to use in several restoration sites, including Cooley Landing. Byrne Preserve has one of the best remaining stands of this native annual wildflower. The OSC discussed the pros and cons of allowing seed collection, including the desire to support restoration efforts and the potential impact of seed removal on the existing tarweed population in Byrne. The OSC granted SFBBO permission to collect no more than10% of the seed. OSC will create a collection permit that Carl Cahill, the LAH City Manager, will send to SFBBO. Mr. Thomson will meet with Jena Struthers and Sue Welch at Byrne Preserve on Sept 20, 2103 to review potential collection locations. D. Tree Cutting in Byrne Preserve. A resident sent an email this month expressing concerns about management of trees in Byrne Preserve (e.g., several apparently healthy trees were cut down, including a large Bay, several trees were damaged by a chain saw and/or bull dozer blade; widening of the paths is damaging tree roots). OSC reviewed photos and discussed actions and potential remedies. Director of Public Works, Richard Chiu, requested that OSC develop a formal tree policy to help guide tree management in Town OSPs. Karen Lemes, Wendi Ward, and Sue Welch volunteered to form a subcommittee to do this. E. Agri-Fos Spraying in Byrne Preserve. Director of Public Works, Richard Chiu, asked whether OSC wanted oak trees in Byrne Preserve to be treated this fall with Agri-Fos to help reduce risk of Sudden Oak Death. The OSC recommended that the Town again hire the arborist, Deborah Ellis, to assess the oaks and determine which should be treated. F. Pathway “Shortcut” in Byrne Preserve. A resident has complained about a pathway shortcut near the bridge over Adobe Creek that allows trail users to go directly down the bank onto the bridge instead of using the shallower switchback nearby. The shortcut apparently has been there for year, is used by walkers, horses, and bikes and may be causing increased erosion. It was suggested that the PWC be consulted for recommendations/ideas. G. Ticks and Lyme Disease. LAH resident, Bill Balson, requested to show a PowerPoint presentation entitled, “Assessing the risks and benefits of deer populations in LAH” (Attachment A). He suggested the Town do a formal assessment of the risks and benefits to the Town and look at ways to develop mitigation strategies. H. Development Plan Reviews. None I. Creek signs in LAH. Kit Gordon reported that Brian Schmidt (Board member SCVWD) has proposed placing creek name signs at every residential street crossing in the county to educate residents about their local watershed. Acterra has placed creek-crossing signs in Palo Alto. Kit will review possible designs for creek signs to be placed at major creek crossings in LAH. OSC FInalMinute13-0919.doc 3 J. Property at 27755 Central Drive. Kit Gordon reported that the owners of this property might be interested in creating an open space easement or conservation easement on this property, which is adjacent to Byrne Preserve. The OSC will discuss at the next meeting. K. Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Breakfast. Yoriko Kashimoto, Ward 2 Director of MROSD, invited OSC members to a breakfast meeting to be held Oct 3, 2013 at 8AM at MROSD headquarters in Los Altos. MROSD will review their long-term goals and plans for the future. L. Bluebird house in O’Keefe. Deferred to next meeting. M. Public Records Act and Conservation Easements. Deferred to next meeting 5. Open Discussion A. Lehigh Cement Litigation. LAH City Council voted on September10 to have the Town of LAH join the City of Los Altos in filing an amicus brief supporting a court appeal that fights expansion of the Lehigh Southwest Cement Company quarry. B. Coyotes near Westwind Barn. A resident complained about coyotes near the barn that appeared to be following her. A den with several kits is in the area and the animals are particularly active at this time of year. Signs and information booklets were placed at the barn and preserve entrances in response to the complaint. 6. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 AM. Next Meeting: October 17, 2013 9:00 AM at Town Hall Council Chambers Respectfully submitted by Sue Welch (10/16/13) Approved 10/17/13