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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/22/2008 Town of Los Altos Hills City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Thursday, May 22, 2008 Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL,AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Jones called the City Council Regular Meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Town Hall. Present: Mayor Craig A.T. Jones, Vice Mayor Jean Mordo, Councilmember Breene Kerr, Councilmember Mike O'Malley and Councilmember Dean Warshawsky Absent: None Staff: City Manager Carl Cahill, City Engineer/Public Works Director Richard Chiu, Finance Director Nick Pegueros, Planning Director Debbie Pedro, Parks and Recreation Supervisor Eric Christensen, Public Safety Officer Steve Garcia City Attorney Steve Mattas, and City Clerk Karen Jost • Mayor Jones announced that the meeting would be adjourned in memory of Rosemary Meyerott, former Los Altos Hills Town Historian. Long time resident and community volunteer, Mrs. Meyerott had served as the Town's historian until 15 years ago when she suffered a depilating stroke. In spite of the disability, she continued to archive historical information about the Town until recently. Mrs. Meyerott was survived by Roland, her husband of 65 years and six children, 12 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Warshawsky, seconded by O'Malley and passed unanimously to limit comments from the floor to two minutes. APPOINTMENTS AND PRESENTATIONS 1. Administration of Oath to Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Volunteers Public Safety Officer Steve Garcia introduced the CERT volunteers. The resident volunteers had completed 20 hours of training and were the first graduating class of the Town's and Los Altos Hills County Fire District's Emergency Response and Preparedness Program. The City Clerk administered the Loyalty Oath to the volunteers and thanked them for their commitment to the community. • 1 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 The Council thanked the volunteers and acknowledged the key role they could potentially play in the event of an emergency. • 2. Recognition of Pinewood School and St. Nicholas School for their Participation in the Town's Earth Day Community Projects Mayor Jones presented Certificates of Appreciation to representatives from Pinewood School and St. Nicholas School and thanked them for their students' participation in Earth Day activities. Students from St. Nicholas had picked up trash on the Town's pathways and members of Pinewood's eight grade class had painted the backstops, benches and tables at the Town's Little League fields and the agricultural shed at Town Hall. CONSENT CALENDAR Items Removed: Agenda Item #7 (Councilmember Warshawsky); Agenda Item #8 (Councilmember O'Malley) MOTIONED SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Warshawsky, seconded by O'Malley and passed unanimously to approve the remainder of the consent calendar; specifically: 3. Adoption of Resolution Ordering and Calling a General Municipal Election to Fill Three City Council Seats; Requesting the Services of the Registrar of Voters; • Requesting Consolidation of Elections with the Regular Election to be Held on November 4, 2008; Providing for Notice of the Election; and, Establishing Policies Pertaining to Candidate Statements and Fees-Reso #26-08 4. Award of Contract for Preparation of Construction Documents for Taaffe Pathway Improvements-Reso#27-08 5. Notification of Fast Track Approval: Lands of Gadiraju; 27880 Via Ventanna Way (File #25-08-ZP-SD-GD) A Request for a Site Development Permit for a new 9,117 square foot two story residence with a 4,376 square foot basement, 404 square foot attached secondary dwelling unit, 424 square foot pool house, and 674 square foot swimming pool. (maximum height: 29) CEQA Review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15303(a) & (e) 6. Proclamation Honoring Ron Labetich as the Recipient of the 2008 Walter and Marie Singer Award Items Removed: 7. Proclamation Proclaiming May 30th 2008 "Miss Prescott Day" Councilmember Warshawsky requested information on the proclamation before Council. The City Clerk noted that the proclamation before Council had been prepared at the • request of Vice Mayor Mordo. The recipient was being recognized for her 40 years of 2 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 teaching languages in the Los Altos School District and a celebration had been scheduled on May 30'' in her honor with many resident alumni expected to attend. • Councilmember Warshawsky suggested that in the future, an invitation be extended to recipients of similar recognitions. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by Warshawsky and passed unanimously to approve the City Council Proclamation proclaiming May 30th, 2008 Miss Prescott Day. 8. Support Extended Producer Responsibility for Managing their Products at the End of Life to Reduce Local Government Responsibility for Disposal Cost Councilmember O'Malley requested clarification on the item. City Engineer Richard Chiu explained that the resolution before Council would support statewide efforts to hold producers responsible for Universal Waste products and would ensure that the producers reused or recycled their products responsibly. He noted that the resolution had been prepared at the request of the County and local agencies were being encouraged to support the effort. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRED: Moved by O'Malley, seconded by Mordo and passed unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 29-08 "Supporting Extended Producer Responsibility" PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FLOOR None PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT No Report: The Planning Commission had not convened a meeting since the last regular City Council Meeting. UNFINISHED BUSINESS TOWN GOALS (9A-9E) 9A. Significantly Enhance Resident Access to Recreational Facilities • Repair and Restore Westwind Barn to sustain long term viability Councilmember Kerr noted that Agenda Items #11 and#12 pertained to programs and the governance of Westwind Barn and he had no additional updates. • Enhance the Town Little League Fields 9A (1) Resolution of the Parks and Recreation Committee on the Purissima Fields Renovation 3 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 Mayor Jones noted that he had requested the Parks and Recreation Committee's resolution clarifying their position on the Little League Fields project be included in the • meeting packet. The resolution confirmed the Committee's support for the project as it currently existed at the Little League fields and would support, if funding should become available, the installation of a synthetic surface on Field #2. Jones offered that the estimated cost of the potential future project was $600,000. City Engineer Richard Chiu reported that the construction package for the Little League fields project was being assembled. It would allow options for different project enhancements and was scheduled to be returned to the Council for their consideration. • Access adjacent recreational assets No updates to report. 9B. Return Public Elementary School Education to Los Altos Hills Mayor Jones reported that the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees had approved "Gardner Bullis Elementary School" as the name of the newly renovated Los Altos Hills campus. The new name maintained the historical tie to the Los Altos Hills community and would reduce confusion with Bullis Charter School. 9C. Develop a Plan for Expanded Sewer Access to More Residents • Councilmember O'Malley reported that the Ad Hoc Committee had scheduled a meeting for May 27, 2008. They were currently investigating two potential sewer projects (Moody Road and Robleda) and would be returning to the City Council with their recommendations following the completion of a cost/benefit analysis for the two projects. 9D. Maintain and Build Off and On Road Pathways Already Approved on the Pathways Master Plan • Old Altos On Road Pathway • Taaffe Off Road Pathway • El Monte Road Pathway Segment 3 City Engineer Richard Chui provided a status report on the three pathway projects. He expected the bid documents for the Old Altos Triangle Pathway to be completed in early June with construction expected to begin at the end of July. Chiu noted that Council had approved the contract for preparation of the construction documents for the Taaffe Pathway on the consent calendar. The preliminary schedule for the project called for the design work to be completed by mid- August with construction beginning in September. The El Monte Road Pathway Segment 3 bid documents would be completed at the end of June, with construction proposed to begin in August. The project included landscaping and signal modifications. • 4 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 9E. Complete the Undergrounding Pilot Project • City Engineer Richard Chiu reported that the Pilot Underground Project had been completed and staff was in the process of closing out the project with the contractor. The next step was for the three utilities to underground their lines and complete the switch over from overhead to underground. The schedule for the process had not been determined. Staff estimated that it could take several months to complete the process. 10. Adopt Resolution Approving a Solid Waste Franchise Agreement with GreenWaste Recovery, Inc., to Provide Collection of Garbage, Recyclables and Compostable Materials for the Town of Los Altos Hills Finance Director Nick Pegueros introduced the item to Council. The City Council had before them the Solid Waste Franchise Agreement with GreenWaste Recovery, Inc. for the collection of Garbage, Recyclables and Compostable Materials for the Town of Los Altos Hills. Pegueros noted that the Council had reviewed the item at two separate Council meetings; February 28, 2008 and March 13, 2008. At the March 13th regular City Council meeting, the City Council had directed the Solid Waste Franchise Ad Hoc Committee to negotiate a new franchise agreement with GreenWaste Recovery. Pegueros provided a summary of the direction of the City Council and the items they had requested in the franchise agreement. They included: 1) Weekly collection of garbage, recyclable, and compostable materials; 2) Distribution of standardized garbage, recyclable and yard waste bins to all customers; • 3) Compensation to GWR service workers assigned to the Town at the rate of $30.50 per hour with annual increases based on the consumer price index; 4) Provisions for a hiring preference to LAGCo workers (current franchisee) provided that the worker had served the Town for a minimum of twelve months prior to the new franchise agreement; 5) Three Town-wide cleanup days (increase from two to three); 6) Mandatory collection clause that called for curbside rates to be charged in the event that GWR service vehicles were unable to provide curbside service as provided under the LAGCo agreement. Pegueros noted that the recommended agreement incorporated all the direction that had been provided by the City Council. Pegueros reviewed the "Key Highlights" of the agreement. The agreement would expire on June 30, 2016 and was valued at $1.65 million. This was 28% higher than the current franchise however, if the Town were to have renewed/extended the current agreement with Norcal, the contract would have increased 26% without the tangible service enhancements included in the proposed agreement. If Norcal were to provide all of the enhancements, the contract would have increased 77%. Additionally, the Town would retain the franchise fee of 10% and a roadway impact fee of 3.6%. • 5 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 The Town's consultant, Richard Gertman of Environmental Planning Consultants and representatives of GreenWaste Recovery, Inc., were in the audience and available to • answer questions. City Council Discussion: Vice Mayor Mordo noted that approximately $200,000 of the agreement's cost was reflective of the City Council's direction for an hourly pay rate of$30.50. The cost of the agreement with enhanced services would otherwise have been below LAGCo's. Mordo questioned if the cost of the agreement had been driven by any other factors. Richard Gertman acknowledged that the cost of the roadway impact fee had been an unknown factor at the time of the RFP and had been included in the agreement before Council. It accounted for approximately $58,000. Mordo questioned the term"curbside" collection as outlined in the staff report. Mayor Jones clarified that the pick-up point that was in place under the LAGCo service would be maintained at no extra cost to the customer if the larger vehicles employed by GreenWaste were unable to provide service to that collection point. Gertman concurred noting that additionally a customer who currently paid for "walk-in" service with LAGCO would continue to pay for"walk-in" service with GreenWaste. • Councilmember O'Malley acknowledged that the cost that was reflected in the agreement was due to the salary commitment required by the City Council and he was comfortable with the salary clause. He did not want to see lower rates driven by low wages. O'Malley requested clarification on the hiring preference requirement and the process that GreenWaste would employ to meet the requirement. Fred Weigel, General Manager, GreenWaste Recovery, Inc. explained that the company would request a list of drivers from LAGCo. Drivers would be offered employment; however, they could potentially choose not to accept a position with the company. Weigel noted that twelve months had been chosen as the service requirement to ensure that inexperienced drivers, unfamiliar with the Los Altos Hills routes were not assigned by LAGCo short term. Mayor Jones noted that he favored the"living wage rate" and hiring preference provisions of the agreement. However, he did suggest that due to the seniority of many of the drivers in Los Altos Hills, the hiring preference might have little impact with the drivers possibly choosing to continue with their current employer. Councilmember Warshawsky suggested that customer outreach to Los Altos Hills residents was critical and requested that the company follow through with an effective informational campaign. Weigel acknowledged that company representatives would be in attendance at the Town's annual picnic in June and understood the importance of an outreach campaign to disseminate information to residents. • Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 Councilmember Kerr questioned if the free mulch provided by LAGCo and delivered to the Barn would be available to residents under the new agreement. Weigel confirmed • that the program would continue with the GreenWaste agreement. Mayor Jones expressed his support for the agreement. He offered that the agreement before Council would provide an enhancement of services including improved recycling capabilities at a reasonable increase in price. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by Kerr and passed unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 29-08 "Approving and Authorizing Execution of a Franchise Agreement between the Town of Los Altos Hills and GreenWaste Recovery, Inc. NEW BUSINESS 11. Update on Year Round Riding Program (YRRP) and Consideration of Renewal of Agreement with Excursions Unlimited Councilmember Warshawsky recused himself from discussion of Agenda Item#11 due to a potential conflict of interest and stepped down from the dias. Parks and Recreation Supervisor Eric Christensen introduced the item to Council. He noted that the report before Council summarized the status of the YRRP to date. The Town's Parks and Recreation Department administers the program and the summer riding camps. The programs have become the cornerstones of the Town's recreation programming. The current agreement with Excursions Unlimited to provide horses for the programs expires on August 31, 2008. The request before Council was for approval to continue the subsidy of$33,900 for the YRRP and to authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Excursions Unlimited for horse leasing and horseback riding instructions. Christensen noted that the YRRP had grown in popularity since its inception and last year's camp were full with waiting lists. This year's registrations were up by 40% from last year at this time. Customer evaluations of the programs have been good or excellent. Christensen explained that cost recovery has been one of the YRRP's challenges. The program does recover the cost of leasing the horses and instructors; however, boarding costs which are a requirement of the Operating Agreement with the Friends of Westwind were not recovered by program revenues. Staff was investigating different options to reduce the Town's subsidy of the program, including a potential increase in the fees for camps and classes and an increase in registrations. Christensen noted that the fees for the program were inline with similar programs offered at neighboring facilities. City Council Discussion: Vice Mayor Mordo requested clarification on current class fees. Christensen offered that the 6 week class fee was $275 for residents and 15%higher for non-resident. 7 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 Councilmember O'Malley requested information on the contract proposal. Christensen explained that it was for one year and would continue the horse leasing and instruction • from the current provider. Mayor Jones offered that the Parks and Recreation Department's horseback riding programs were consistent with the goals of the Council to expand the riding opportunities for the community. He suggested that the tradition of horsemanship was viewed as an integral part of the Town's history. Jones noted that it was also a gender equality issue given that the majority of the participants in the Little League programs were boys and the majority of participants in the equestrian programs were girls. He supported the subsidy and contract but offered that it should only be extended for one year given the outstanding issues that needed to be resolved at the Barn. He offered that that it would require flexibility to manage the facility and the possibility of future construction at the site. Vice Mayor Mordo suggested that it was important to identify a solution to eliminate the deficit and reduce the subsidy of the program. He suggested that program fees be increased and noted that if the boarding fees for program horses were to be eliminated and only actual/real costs like feed were paid, the program would be more solvent. Mordo suggested that the Boarders could pay a bit more in their charges to absorb the cost. Councilmember O'Malley supported limiting the extension of the agreement to one year noting that Westwind Barn's management structure would be changing in the near future. • O'Malley offered that many of the costs at the Barn were variables including the use of the arena by the program and other users of the facility. Council discussion ensued. There was a concurrence that the contract be limited to 1 year, class fees be reviewed and increased where possible, registration maximized and the program be monitored to assess the impact of the governance changes on the finances MOTION MADE AND SECONDED: Moved by Kerr, seconded by O'Malley to approve the staff recommendation to approve a subsidy up to $33,900 for the YRRP and authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Excursions Unlimited for one year. Vote tabled to permit public comment on the agenda item. OPENED PUBLIC COMMENT Peter Evans, Los Altos Hills resident, commented that the riding programs reinforced many of the unique qualities of the Town. He supported the Town's sponsorship offering that it contributed to building community. The programs at the Barn have been very successful and engaged more residents to use the facility and the Town's pathway system. Evans supported renewal of the agreement and continuation of the YRRP and suggested that it would be appropriate to focus on ways to assist the program reach its full potential. • 8 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 Shari Emling, Los Altos Hills resident, offered that her daughters had learned to ride at Fremont Stables. She questioned why there had not been a discussion relative to the • public funding of a private program. Emling supported riding classes but favored soliciting bids for the program and reviewing alternative ways to offer the program. John Harpootlian, Los Altos Hills resident, offered that he had reviewed the "numbers" for the program and the Town was currently paying approximately $95 per hour in costs and charging $45 per hour for the lessons. He believed this was out of line and suggested that the students could be enrolled in classes taught at Fremont Hills at a reduced cost ($50), better riding rings and year round operation. Val Metcalfe, Los Altos Hills resident, Parks and Recreation Committee Chair, reminded the Council that her Committee had recommended the use of Park Bond monies to build paddocks for the program horses. This would have resulted in a minimum 50% reduction in boarding costs. Metcalfe noted that she was unaware of any other program that did not board their horses in paddocks, noting that this was a common practice to keep costs down for riding programs. She recommended that the Council approve the staff's recommendation but investigate the possibility of constructing paddocks for the school horses in the future. Kathy Evans, Los Altos Hills resident, supported continuation of the program. She acknowledged that the program had been initiated and built from "the ground up"by Jane Kawasaki and offered that it was a wonderful program that was continuing to grow in popularity. • Linda Swan, Los Altos Hills resident, commented that she was a member of Fremont Hills Country Club and their riding programs were full and should not be considered as a viable alternative for the Parks and Recreation programs at Westwind Barn. Margaret Mok, Los Altos Hills resident, spoke in favor of the riding programs at Westwind Barn. She believed it was a valuable program that taught a unique sport and sustained a valuable tradition of the Hills. CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT Council discussion: Vice Mayor Mordo suggested that it might be appropriate for staff to revisit the programs and contract and return to Council with a proposal with that included a modest increase to the fees and some reduction in costs. He noted that the contract did not expire until August and Council could consider the proposal at that time. Mordo offered that it was important to be responsive to the residents who had expressed concern to show that efforts were being made to provide the services at a reasonable cost with little subsidy from taxpayers. Councilmember Kerr commented that the level of expenditure for the program was in range with the Town's subsidy of Little League. The program had been a positive • experience for many children. Kerr acknowledged that Parks and Recreation Department 9 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 was aware of the need to reduce the subsidy and direction of the City Council had been made very clear during the course of the discussion. • MOTION AMENDED, SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved and amended by Kerr, seconded by O'Malley and passed unanimously to approve a maximum subsidy of $30,000 for the YRRP and to authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Excursions Unlimited for horse leasing and horseback riding instruction for a term of one year. Staff was directed to investigate methods to lower the subsidy if practical, by both reducing costs and increasing revenue (fees). 12. Operating Agreement between Town of Los Altos Hills and Friends of Westwind Article 3, Notification of Intent Not to Renew Agreement Councilmember Warshawsky recused himself from discussion of the item and remained off the dais. Councilmember Kerr recused himself from discussion of the item and stepped down from the dais. City Manager Carl Cahill introduced the item to Council. Cahill explained that pursuant to the terms of the Operating Agreement, if the Council should chose not to renew the Agreement, it was time to notify the Friends. Staff was recommending that the Agreement not be renewed given that the Barn was a maturing public asset and it had • been many years since the Town had formally considered its options for maintaining and operating the Barn. Cahill acknowledged the numerous years that the Friends had successfully overseen the facility but given the capital projects on the horizon, it was time to consider a model that would give the Town more direct control over the public facility. OPENED PUBLIC COMMENT Linda Swan, Los Altos Hills resident, President, Friends of Westwind, addressed the Council. Swan summarized the many achievements of the Friends during their 30 year stewardship of the facility and noted that without their support, the Barn as it is enjoyed today, might not be in existence. Swan offered that given the current fundraising efforts for the Barns capital improvements and the increase in community use both in Parks and Recreation programs and events, the present Board had determined that this was an appropriate time to return management of the wonderful asset back to the Town. Swan added that the Board was dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition and would work closely with staff to achieve what was best for the Town, Boarders, horses and the community. CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT: Council discussion: Councilmember O'Malley explained that he had been approached by City Manager Cahill to discuss issues that would need to be addressed if the Town were to assume the • 10 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 responsibility for the management of the Barn. O'Malley spoke to his own volunteer experience with the Barn. He suggested that it would be appropriate to form an Ad Hoc • Committee similar to the committee that had been formed to review the garbage franchise and volunteered to serve as the Council representative. O'Malley suggested that staff, Rebecca Hickman, Val Metcalfe, and Susan Lam review the operating options and costs associated with managing the facility and return to City Council with the information and a proposed transition plan. City Manager Cahill supported the creation of the Ad Hoc Committee and explained he believed it was a good vehicle for the transition noting that it hard worked well with assessing the garbage collection franchise. Vice Mayor Mordo thanked Councilmember O'Malley for his offer to serve on the committee and was supportive of the process. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by O'Malley and passed unanimously to direct staff to notify the Friends of Westwind of Council's intent not to renew the Operating Agreement and to agendize for discussion at the June 11, 2008 Special City Council meeting the creation of an Ad Hoc Committee to assist the Town in planning an orderly transition from the management of the Barn by Friends of Westwind to management by the Town under a structure to be determined. Councilmember O'Malley will serve as the City Council liaison to the Ad Hoc Committee. (Kerr and Warshawsky did not participate in discussion of the item or the vote) • COUNCIL RECESS: 8:50 P.M. COUNCIL RECONVENED TO PUBIC SESSION: 9:00 P.M. 13. Consideration of Proposed Amendment to the Municipal Code to Include Green Building Regulations Planning Director Debbie Pedro introduced the item to Council. She proceeded with a PowerPoint presentation that provided an overview of the proposed green building regulations. Green Building is an integrated, whole-system approach to design and construction that significantly reduced or eliminates the negative impacts of buildings on the environment and occupants. Green Building principles included: sustainable site planning; water efficiency; energy efficiency and renewable energy; conservation of materials and resources; and, indoor air quality. Pedro noted that financial, environmental and health and comfort benefits could be realized by building green. Currently, there are two primary green building programs: the GreenPoint Rated system designed specifically for residential construction in California and the LEED rating program for commercial and industrial projects. In November 2007, the Santa Clara County Cities Association (SCCCA) recommended that local governments adopt consistent green building policies using LEED and GreenPoint Rated programs as the official standards. Similarly, in January 2008, the Northern California Home Builders Association supported mandatory green building ordinances for all cities and counties in 11 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 the Bay Area and endorsed the GreenPoint Rated program as the regional standard for residential green building. Pedro reviewed the green building programs in neighboring cities and counties. Programs in Woodside and Atherton were under development. Hillsborough and San Jose adopted voluntary programs and the cities of Los Altos and San Mateo had adopted mandatory programs. The cities of Los Gatos and Palo Alto were in the process of conducting public hearings on their proposed voluntary programs. Pedro explained that staff was recommending a proposed ordinance that would require all new residences to achieve a minimum of fifty (50) points in the GreenPoint Rated program and for all new Town-owned facilities and buildings over 1,000 square feet in size meet or exceed LEED certification. Pedro suggested that achieving 50 points on the GreenPoint checklist could easily be met with commonly used building practices. There was a maximum of 266 points achievable in the program. The proposed ordinance would affect approximately 25 applications per year. Energy efficient appliances, solar installations, water efficient landscaping and the use of engineered lumber all had point values in achieving the 50 point requirement. Pedro had submitted the proposed ordinance to the Environmental Initiatives Committee for their review. The Committee had recommended that the City Council adopt the proposed ordinance and consider incentives for projects that exceeded the minimum 50 point requirement. In closing, Pedro noted that staff was seeking feedback and direction from the Council on the proposed Green Building Ordinance and whether they supported a voluntary or mandatory program and the inclusion of incentives. PUBLIC COMMENT Raj Reddy, Environmental Initiatives Committee member, commended Planning Director Debbie Pedro on her efforts on the Green Building proposal. The committee had invited several builders to review the proposal. The builders were in agreement that the requirement could be easily met. Most builders of luxury homes incorporate the higher end energy efficient materials in their homes already. Reddy commented that given the size of the average residential home built in Los Altos Hills, it was appropriate for the Council to adopt a mandatory program that would maximize the effort to reduce the Town's carbon footprint. He believed this would provide leadership and set an example for surrounding communities. Reddy proposed that that major remodels be included in the program, with new residences having mandatory requirement and voluntary participation suggested for remodels. John Harpootlian, Environmental Initiatives Committee member, commented that he had had similar reservations regarding how difficult it would be to meet the requirements. He noted that the committee had an opportunity to receive input from builders and they were universally supportive of the proposal and in agreement that the 50 point requirement could easily be met. Harpootlian suggested that a mandatory program would force the 12 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 applicant to think about efficiencies and the cost-recovery at the 50 point level was relatively short. • CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT Councilmember Kerr supported the proposal. He offered that the program was a way to induce residents to look at energy alternatives and reminded the Council that they had previously supported an ordinance that had required new residences to exceed the Title 24 Energy Code. Kerr favored a mandatory program for new residences with a 50 point requirement and incentives. He noted that he would be willing to revisit remodels in the future if staff was not prepared to include them at this time. Vice Mayor Mordo supported the proposed ordinance and concurred with the comments of Kerr. Councilmember Warshawsky questioned if the Planning Commission had a position on the proposal. Pedro clarified that it was an amendment to the building code and did not require their review. He thanked Pedro for her work on the proposal but suggested that it was important to get input from the Planning Commission. Warshawsky requested additional information on the impact of the proposal and wanted assurance that the residents would be properly noticed for the hearings. He believed it was important to adapt a good framework for the proposed ordinance to be successful. Councilmember O'Malley supported the proposed Green Building Ordinance. • Mayor Jones acknowledged that a Town-wide notice would be sent notifying the residents of the City Council public hearing on the proposed Green Building Ordinance. He suggested that the Council simultaneously consider the application of the program to major remodels during their review. Planning Director Debbie Pedro clarified that if the Planning Commission were to review the proposed ordinance the review would focus on its compatibility/consistency with the General Plan. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Kerr, seconded by Mordo and passed unanimously to direct staff to prepare a draft Green Building Ordinance prescribing mandatory compliance with a minimum of 50 points on the GreenPoint rating for new residential construction and major remodels and incentives for "over achievement". REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES SUB-COMMITTEES, AND COUNCILMEMBERS ON OUTSIDE AGENCIES Vice Mayor Mordo reported on the first meeting of the Historical Committee. The Committee had elected MaryAnn Malcolm as Chair, Bob Stutz-Vice Chairman and Les Earnest, as Secretary. As their first assignment, the Committee was investigating an appropriate name for the road in the Morrision subdivision 13 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008 STAFF REPORTS • City Manager-No report City Attorney-No report City Clerk-No report COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS 14. Consideration of Mayoral Rotation Policy—Vice Mayor Mordo Vice Mayor Mordo introduced the item. He offered that given the unusual timing of the Town's reorganization and to eliminate any potential problems with the process, he had prepared a suggested Mayoral Rotation Policy for Council discussion. Councilmember O'Malley suggested that historically, the Mayor once elected, made his recommendation for the position of Mayor Pro Tem. Following a brief discussion, Council concurrence was to allow each Council to determine for themselves the rotation and appointments of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. 15. Consideration of Funding for Second Annual "Chase on the Plaza" Event — Councilmember Breene Kerr Councilmember Kerr proposed that the Council approve funding in the amount of$500. for the "Chase on the Plaza" event. The free concert hosted by CHASE was being • offered as a safe and sober event for teens in Los Altos Hills, Los Altos and Mountain View. Kerr noted that the donation would be appropriate and consistent with the Town's other donations that were proportional to the Town's population. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Kerr, seconded by Warshawsky and passed unanimously to sponsor the "Chase on the Plaza" event with funding of$500. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by consensus of the City Council at 9:50 p.m. in memory of Rosemary Meyerott. Respectfully submitted, Karen Jost City Clerk The minutes of the May 22, 2008 regular City Council meeting were approved as presented at the June 11, 2008 special City Council meeting. 14 Regular City Meeting Minutes May 22,2008