HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/10/2008 Town of Los Altos Hills
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
Thursday, January 10, 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 7:05 p.m. in the Council
Chambers at Town Hall.
Present: Mayor Craig A.T. Jones,Vice Mayor Jean Mordo, Councilmember Breene
Kerr (joined Council meeting at 7:45 p.m.; participated in all discussions
and votes with the exception of agenda items 2-8 and 15) 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, City Attorney Steve
Mattas; and City Clerk Karen Jost
Mayor Jones notedthat Councilmember Kerr would join the meeting in progress. He was
representing the Town at the Santa Clara County Cities Association's meeting.
Mayor Jones announced that the meeting would be adjourned in memory of Ethel Blank,
long time Los Altos Hills resident and community volunteer. Ethel had served as the
Town's Exhibit Curator in both the former and new Town Hall and was key in organizing
the art events that had been enjoyed by the community.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: . Moved. by Watshawsky, seconded by
O'Malley and passed unanimously to limit comments from the floor to.two minutes.
APPOINTMENTS AND PRESENTATIONS
1. Presentation by Leslie Lodestro, CHASE and solicitation of LAH leader for
membership on Board of CHASE
Leslie Lodestro, CHASE volunteer, thanked the City Council for the opportunity to make
a presentation on the CHASE program. CHASE is an acronym for Community Hope &
Sober Events and also the name of Los Altos teen Chase Rogers who died from an
overdose of cocaine on December 6, 2006. The program was founded on January 23,
2007, shortly after his death, with a grant from the City of Los Altos. The Town of Los
Altos Hills has also awarded a grant to CHASE.
•
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January 10,2008
In the years since its inception, CHASE has launched and supported many programs
directed at drug and alcohol awareness and formed collaborative programs with other
organizations with similar goals.
Lodestro spoke to her own son's problems with addictions and his efforts to remain
sober. She believed it was important for the community to become more aware of the
very complex problem affecting the communities' youth.
Lodestro requested Council consideration of additional funding to support their programs
and "Sober Events". Additionally, she requested consideration of appointing a
councilmember representative to their five member board or the recommendation of a
Los Altos Hills community leader to serve in that capacity.
Council thanked Lodestro for her presentation and congratulated her on the development
of alternative events for youth. It was suggested that her request for funding be forwarded
to the Town during the grant review process and supplemental background information
be provided at that time to support the request for any increase in the previous allocated
funding.
Council consensus was to continue the board appointment to the next Council meeting to
afford an opportunity to review potential resident recommendations.
2. Appointment to Standing Committee
A. Environmental Initiatives Committee— 1 vacancy
Mayor Jones, with the consensus of Council, reorganized the agenda to consider agenda
item 15 prior to the appointments.
Following the approval of the amendment to the Standing Environmental Initiatives
Committee's membership (agenda item 15); the City Council consensus was that it was
appropriate to appoint both candidates to the committee.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by O'Malley, seconded by Mordo and
passed unanimously to appoint residents Lew Jamison and Steve Schmidt to the EIC for
four year terms.
Mayor Jones encouraged the committee to continue their efforts in resolving conservation
issues. He suggested that they consider scheduling a meeting with Assemblymember Ira
Ruskin to discuss state issues regarding solar rebates and benefit programs. Additionally,
he encouraged them to think about "carrots" for residents to stimulate their home
conservation interests.
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January 10,2008
CONSENT CALENDAR
MOTIONED SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by
Warsawsky and passed unanimously to approve the items on the consent calendar;
specifically:
3. Approval of Meeting Minutes: Regular City Council Meeting November 8, 2007
Regular City Council Meeting December 13, 2007
4. Review of Disbursements: 12/1/07— 12/31/07 $536,805.48
5. Acceptance of the 2006-2007 Pavement Rehabilitation Project-Resolution No. 2-08
6. Award Contract for Preparation of Construction Drawings for Little League
Baseball Fields—Resolution No. 3-08
7. Award Contract for Preparation of Construction Drawings for the El Monte Road/Foothill
College Pathway and Bike Lane (Segment 3)-Resolution No.4-08
8. Approval of Updated Job Description for the Maintenance Worker Series
PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FLOOR
No comments from the floor.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
9. Amendment to the Zoning ordinance with regard to ESTATE HOMES. (Section 10-
1.508) The ordinance would require increased setbacks and Planning Commission
review of new residences and additions where the proposed building is greater than
10,000 square feet. CEQA Review: Exempt pursuant to Section 15308
Mayor Jones provided a brief overview of the item before Council. A Council Ad Hoc
Committee on Planning had been created and tasked with investigating if the concerns
expressed by some residents regarding "Estate Homes" had merit and what appropriate
actions were warranted. The size of estate homes had been arbitrarily defined as homes of
10,000 square feet or larger. The committee's review was followed by a Town survey and
study by the Planning Commission. The ordinance before Council was a result of the
efforts.
Planning Director Debbie Pedro presented the item to Council. Over the past seventeen
(17) months, the Planning Commission had reviewed the proposed Estates Homes
Ordinance. Most recently, at their November 1, 2007 meeting, the Commission
unanimously approved recommendation to the City Council to adopt the draft ordinance
before Council.
Pedro reviewed the key elements of thero osed Estate Homes Ordinance. The
p P Y
included:
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January 10,2008
1) Estate Homes defined as residential buildings 10,000 square feet and larger not
including the basement;
2) Estate Homes shall be subject to incrementally increased setbacks. For every
2,000 square foot increase over 10,000 square feet, the setback would increase
four (4) feet in the front and three (3) feet on the sides and rear.
3) Estate Homes do not qualify for the Fast Track review and must be reviewed by
the Planning Commission.
4) Landscape Screening Plans for Estate Homes must be reviewed by the Planning
Commission.
Pedro shared a chart with Council that identified the number of new residences that had
been built during the last ten years that would qualify as Estate Homes under the draft
ordinance noting that there had been. very few. -In 200.1,'the year with the most Estate
Homes,nine had been built and only one in the past two years.
Pedro offered that the results of the community survey conducted by the Town in
February, 2007 and referenced by Mayor Jones in his introduction had indicated that a
majority of the residents questioned(78%) supported increased setbacks for estate homes.
Pedro explained that,if there was a Council concurrence to move forward and introduce
the ordinance at tonight's meeting, it would return to them for adoption at their January
24, 2008 meeting. It would become effective thirty days after adoption on February 24,
2008.
Council questions:
Vice Mayor Mordo questioned how the new ordinance setback requirements would affect
additions that increased an existing home to 10,000 plus square feet. Pedro explained
that the entire addition would be required to be constructed outside the ordinance's
setback requirements.
Council consensus was that the proposed ordinance was a practical and reasonable
procedure for addressing estate homes.
OPENED PUBLIC HEARING
Sandy Humphries, Environmental Design and Protection Committee member, offered
that her committee had initiated the early discussions with the City Council regarding
estate homes. She expressed her concern that the large homes would be left vacant
during a downturn in the market. Humphries wondered if this issue had been addressed.
She supported the ordinance.
CLOSED PUBLIC HEARING
Council discussion:
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January 10,2008
Vice Mayor Mordo offered that the initial Ad Hoc Planning Committee comprised of
himself, Councilmember Warshawsky and Planning Commissioners Eric Clow and Bart
Carey had carefully reviewed the issue of estate homes and possible actions. They had
investigated issues of visibility, size and approaches that had been adopted by other
municipalities and determined that most approaches were unreasonable when adapted to
Los Altos Hills. Their final analysis had concluded that there were some negatives with
large homes, however, there were also positives including less density with large parcels
retaining a single home and not being subdivided. Mordo offered that the draft ordinance
before Council addressed the key concerns regarding larger homes and given the absence
of opposition and the results of the community survey, he believed it was a reasonable
approach.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by O'Malley and
passed unanimously to waive reading and introduce the Estate Homes Ordinance.
PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT
No Report- The Planning Commission had not convened a meeting since the last regular
Council meeting.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
TOWN GOALS (10A-l OF)
I OA. Significantly Enhance Resident Access toR ec
reational Facilities
• Repair and Restore Westwind Barn to sustain long term viability
• Enhance the Town Little League Fields
• Access adjacent recreational assets
Staff summarized the status of the two Parks and Recreationr �ro'ects that had been
authorized by the City Council at their last meeting; the Little League Fields and pathway
improvement projects.
Little League Fields:
City Manager Cahill reported that the expectation was for construction drawings for the
Little League project to be completed in May and construction to begin at the conclusion
of the baseball season.
Councilmember Kerr suggested that it would be appropriate for the plans to include
equestrian access/links via the pathways to the Arastradero and Stanford equestrian
facilities. He also wanted assurance that adequate parking spaces for horse trailers would
be called out in the plans.
Cahill noted that he would share the Councilmember's comments with the landscape
architect and schedule review of the plans during the development phase by the Ad Hoc
Parks and Recreation Facilities Committee and City Council.
Pathways Projects:
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January 10,2008
City Engineer Richard Chiu reported that the Old Altos Triangle pathway project would
be combined with the Fremont Road rehabilitation project. Conceptual design plans
should be completed by May 1, 2008. The Taaffe Road pathway project had been
designated as a "native" path and staff was currently reviewing easement boundaries and
once completed,would seek contractor's cost proposals.
Westwind Barn:
Councilmember Kerr reported that the recent modest repairs at the facility under the
guidance of staff member Steve Garcia were proceeding nicely. Kerr advised that he was
in the process of scheduling a meeting with the neighbors and representatives of the
interest groups at the Barn for January 24, 2008 to discuss the restoration project. General
reactions to the City Council's recent interests at Westwind Barn have been positive. He
reported that the Barn's boarding facilities were currently frill.
Councilmember O'Malley commented that he had recently discussed fundraising options
for the restoration project with Supporter member Valerie Metcalfe. O'Malley was
hopeful that an approach to garner larger donations with "macro" fundraising could
eliminate the need for long term on-going fund raising. He volunteered to work with
Councilmember Kerr on the issue.
l0A(1) Update on LAH/LA Parks and Recreation Collaboration
Vice Mayor Mordo provided an overview of the item. At the December 13, 2007 Council
meeting, Mordo had been authorized by the City Council to meet with Los Altos Mayor
Valerie Carpenter and Councilmember David Casas to discuss the possible cooperation
between the two cities on parks and recreation programs. They had met once and had
reached an agreement in-principle regarding the concept. Mordo noted that resident
Courtenay Corrigan had joined them for their discussions.
Council had before them a memorandum drafted by the respective City Council members
(Mordo, Carpenter and Casas) outlining the recommendations that had resulted from the
meeting. The memorandum had been presented to the Los Altos City Council at their
January 8, 2008 meeting and had been well received.
Mordo summarized the memorandum. Background points included: 1) The Town and
City have a long history together and share a downtown, library, History Museum and
many civic and cultural organizations. Town residents shop and eat downtown and many
own properties in the City. The two municipalities share a school district, many children
from both communities participate in the same recreation programs; and Los Altos Hills
seniors use the Los Altos Senior Center; and, 2) each of the municipalities have resources
that are unique and of interest to the neighboring residents. Mordo noted that the Little
League fields, Westwind Barn, the pathways system and rural environment of the Hills
were attributes unique to Los Altos Hills. Similarly, the Town did not have a Senior
Center or Redwood Grove/program which were assets of the City and of interest to Hills
residents.
Regular City Meeting Minutes
January 10,2008
The Councilmember's discussions had led to a recommendation outlining potential steps
for cooperative efforts, some of which could be long term. Mordo suggested that an
agreement for full reciprocity on the municipalities' recreation programs could be an
initial early step in the collaboration. This would mean equal access with equal fees to
the City's and Town's programs regardless of the residency of the participant. Each
municipality would retain management of their programs. In this context, Mordo offered
that he would be more receptive to the Town making a substantial contribution to the Los
Altos Rosita swimming pool project. He suggested that the Town's participation was an
important factor in the viability of the pool project if the City and sponsors were to meet
their fundraising deadlines. An additional step, if the initial collaboration/agreement for
reciprocity was realized, included cost saving measures such as production of a single
brochure.
Vice Mayor Mordo spoke to the potential JPA that could be created in the future to fund
the proposed revitalization of the Hillview Center. This would enable the Town to
partner in the Center and was the mechanism utilized to fund the expansion and operation
of the shared library.
In conclusion, Mordo offered that the initial consideration on the proposal was for full
reciprocity in exchange for the Town's financial participation in the pool. Mordo
requested Council concurrence for the respective staffs and City Council representatives
to move forward on the development of the specific agreement.
City Manager Cahill suggested that it was important that commitments that exported
dollars to Los Altos be carefully accessed. He cautioned the Council that with the current
State's budget deficit, there was the possibility that, as in the past, they would borrow
funds from local governments and that the it was important to consider these issues when
drawing down from the Town's financial reserves.
OPENED PUBLIC COMMENT
Sandy Humphries, Fremont Road, questioned if the Country Club had commented on the
proposal and the potential impact of the new pool on their membership.
Mayor Jones responded that there had been no indication of concern. There had been
dialogue with Fremont Hills Country Club regarding possible LAH Parks and Recreation
programs at the facility.
Nancy Couperus, Page Mill Road, commented that she believed equal access to recreation
programs in the communities would be beneficial and there was value to the proposal.
CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT
Council discussion:
Councilmember O'Malley thanked Mordo for moving forward with the collaboration
concept. He believed there was merit to a proposal that would afford Los Altos Hills
residents more access to recreation programs. O'Malley was amenable to working on a
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January 10;2008
mutual project with the City that had the potential to improve the relationship between the
communities. He suggested that it was appropriate to vet the proposal through the
Standing Parks and Recreation Committee for their input and eventually, Los Altos Hills
residents.
Mayor Jones requested that the Standing Parks and Recreation Committee agendize the
concept for their review at their next meeting and that when appropriate, the proposed
collaboration be scheduled for a public hearing.
Councilmember Warshawsky thanked Vice Mayor Mordo for his efforts and concurred
that the proposal could bridge the "gap" between Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. He
supported the Town making an initial financial contribution to the pool and continuing
the investigation of the concept. Warshawsky expressed his concern with potential costs
and suggested that the Town evaluate how the pool project and the working relationship
with the City developed before entering into the collaboration. He suggested that an
advisory ballot measure on the issue might be appropriate.
Councilmember Kerr thanked Vice Mayor Mordo for his exploration of the concept with
the City of Los Altos. He concurred that it was a "big idea" that required careful study
and the financial implications clarified. Kerr noted that in addition to the financial
contribution to the pool, there could be ongoing operating costs that needed to be
considered. He spoke to his concerns that the riding programs at Westwind could be
impacted by the additional enrollment. Kerr did not believe that the Council would be
prepared to approve the collaboration by March which was the fundraising deadline for
• the pool. In addition to the Standing Parks and Recreation Committee's review of the
proposal, he suggested that the Finance and Investment Committee vet the proposal. Kerr
noted that he agreed that it was important to maintain a positive working relationship
with the City of Los Altos.
Vice Mayor Mordo spoke to the financial implications of the proposal. He noted that any
contributions to the City's pool project would be dispersed over several years. Mordo
suggested that without the reciprocity agreement for equal access to all recreation
programs, the financial participation in the pool would not be as much of a benefit to the.
Town. He noted that the participation towards the pool project would be a known cost
and suggested $500,000. Mordo offered that the programs at Westwind were'scaleable
and could be increased as reflected by the demand. He supported more analysis but not
to the level of paralysis. If the additional steps were brought to fruition, he believed that a
Town survey might be appropriate.
Mayor Jones suggested that the next step in analyzing the proposal was the development
of a project projection that included: current recreation programs provided by the two
entities; census of the programs; and, identification of which programs reached
subscription or were over subscribed (wait-listed). Respective city staffs could cull from
the results of the investigation which programs would have cross interests from the
communities. With this information clarified, Jones offered that the financial analysis
could be done to ascertain the ongoing operating financial impact of the concept. He
noted that the collaboration could allow potentially for the elimination of certain
programs due to duplicity and the expansion of some programs that were unique to the
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January 10,2008
communities. At the conclusion of the study, the data would be submitted to the Finance
and Investment Committee for their review and the Parks and Recreation Committee.
Jones offered that the proposed format he had outlined was the first/initial step in moving
forward and included authorization of the Council representatives to continue their
discussions with Los Altos. Jones suggested at the conclusion of the initial step, Council
would consider the data and determine if and when a public hearing was appropriate and
the means to notify the residents
Jones sought Council's opinion of the procedural process he had recommended.
p p
Councilmember Warshawsky suggested that in addition to what had been suggested by
Mayor Jones he would like information on the costs associated with the Town providing
Y � P g
their own programs (duplicating programs) similar to those offered by the City.
Mayor Jones volunteered as Mayor to participate as the second Council representative on
the committee working with the City of Los Altos. He would attend as his schedule
permitted.
City Manager Cahill requested that if it was feasible to broach the subject of revisiting the
sewer agreement between the two entities during the discussions with the City of Los
Altos Council representatives, it might be helpful in the ongoing discussions between the
respective staffs. He offered that the Town was currently being charged in the agreement
for certain items that were not necessarily beneficial to the City. Cahill suggested that if
the City staff had an understanding that their Council was receptive to reopening the
• issue, it might be helpful.
Council was supportive of the procedural process outlined by Jones.
Mayor Jones offered his comments on the proposal. He concurred that it was a creative
idea that multiplied the recreation opportunities for residents of both communities
without spending a lot of money. The proposed merger of the two parks and recreation
programs provided equal access and yet allowed each entity to maintain control over their
programs. Jones did not want to see the potential opportunity lost without the appropriate
attention and thorough due diligence. He suggested that tying the agreement to the
Town's participation in the pool might be the impetus-needed to have a successful
conclusion of the idea.
Councilmember Kerr commented that the proposal in no way reflected a desire to limit
the Town's recreation programs or have an impact on current staff.
I OB. Return Public Elementary School Education to Los Altos Hills
Mayor Jones noted that there were two public education issues that he wished to address.
First, before Council was a copy of a draft letter to PAUSD Board President Donald Tom
that would be sent out under his signature on behalf of the City Council. The letter
addressed Council's concern that the Fremont Hills campus had not been included in the
• June 2008 bond issue and requested that the District, prior to their approval of the June
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January 10,2008
2008 bond issue, identify their plans for the campus other than continuing to lease the
property to a private school. Jones noted that the letter was consistent with Council's
• previous discussion on the subject at a prior meeting and direction from the City Council.
Jones thanked Duncan MacMillan and the Standing Public Education Committee for
bringing the issue forward to the City Council.
Council consensus was to authorize the letter as proposed.
The second issue pertained to the enrollment possibilities at the Bullis-Purissima campus
for Los Altos Hills residents. Plans call for the school's enrollment to be open to all
residents on a regular and consistent manner including those residents in the Palo Altos
Unified School District area. Details to implement the program were still being resolved
by LASD and the Town wanted to express their support for residents being given a
preference above intra-district transfers. Mayor Jones advised that he would be sending
email correspondence to Superintendent Justus articulating the Town's continued support
for the general principle that there be a regular ability for residents to attend Bullis-
Purissima and that it not be overcrowded by preferences for other District students that
were equal or greater than Los Altos Hills residents residing in the PAUSD boundary of
Town.
Councilmember Warshawsky thanked resident Duncan MacMillan for his efforts and
vigilance on behalf of public education for Town residents. He offered that future
generations of residents would benefit from his commitment.
• Councilmember Warshawsky brought forward an additional public education topic that
was relevant to the Bullis-Purissima campus. He suggested that it would be beneficial for
the Council to hear directly from LASD what their proposal was for the development of
the fields. Mayor Jones responded that there were preliminary drawings for the fields that
could be requested from the district. Their proposal called for a single level soccer
playing field that was being characterized as appropriate for players less than fourteen
years of age. Some park-like features have been included in the design.
Councilmember Kerr stated that he wished to see the environmental documents for their
proposal including the potential impact on the neighborhood and suggested that it was
important for the Town to monitor the project.
Mayor Jones offered that if the District had chosen to implement the design that the Town
had been invited to develop, he could have supported the Town's financial participation
in the project. At this time, the District's Board had rejected the Town's plans and he
now considered the project a district project and rejected the Town's financial support.
Jones noted that it would most likely be included in a bond measure in 2009 and the
district would have the appropriate funds to support the improvements. He concurred that
it was important to monitor the project and have a clear understanding of the project. He
suggested that staff request a copy of the plans and keep the Council and neighbors
apprised.
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January 10,2008
Councilmember Kerr commented that the Town was looking forward to the re-opening of
the Bullis-Purissima campus scheduled for the 2008-2009 school year and believed that it
was important for the Town to be included in the planning and scheduling of the
celebration surrounding this very important event. He suggested that it would be
appropriate to invite the last graduating class from Bullis to participate in the activities.
OPENED PUBLIC COMMENT
Duncan MacMillan, resident, advised Council that the process for inter-district transfers
to attend Bullis for students residing in PAUSD had officially started. The period for
requesting the IDTs began on January 8 and closed February 8, 2008. He requested
Council support for getting the critical information out to residents that the forms were
available.
CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT
Council considered options for increasing residents' awareness of the timeline for the
priority IDTs. Staff was directed to place the item on the Town's website and if there was
timeliness to a paid ad, Council supported the expenditure.
l OC. Develop a Plan for Expanded Sewer Access to More Residents
Councilmember O'Malley reported that the Ad Hoc Infrastructure Committee was
making excellent progress and would bring the fmdings from the survey to the City
Council at the second meeting in February. Additionally, they would make their
recommendations at that time.
I OD. Maintain and Build Off and On Road Pathways Already Approved on the
Pathways Master Plan
• Publish a pathways walking map
• Progress through the priorities for building and better maintaining the
existing and approved pathways.
Council had before them a copy of the draft pathways walking map.
Planning Director Pedro sought Council authorization to move forward with the printing
of the map and requested direction on the distribution options.
Ginger Summit, Pathways Committee Chair, approached the podium and was available to
answer Council questions. She noted that the map was a fluid document and would be
printed in small batches. This would permit the addition of new paths as appropriate.
Council direction was to revisit several paths identified on the map for accuracy and then
to move forward with the printing and distribution.
Council requested Ginger Summit, Pathways Chair, provide a cover letter to accompany
the map.
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January 10,2008
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Kerr, seconded by O'Malley and
passed unanimously to approve an expenditure of$7,000 for the printing and town-wide
mailing of the new pathways walking map.
1 OE. Complete the Redrafting and Approval of the Town General Plan
Councilmember O'Malley reported that the Ad Hoc General Plan Committee was
currently reviewing the draft Land Use Element and General Plan Pathways Map. He
expected the documents to be forwarded to the City Council for their consideration in
March or April, 2008.
10F. Complete the Undergrounding Pilot Project
City Engineer/Public Works Director Richard Chiu advised Council that the contract for
the Undergrounding project had been awarded and the contract documents were currently
being executed. A preconstruction meeting would be scheduled at the end of January or
early February.
NEW BUSINESS
11. Consider Approval of Committee Requested Expenses
Mayor Jones introduced the item. Before Council was a request for certain Committee
expenses that included reimbursements to the Emergency Communications Committee
(ECC) in the amount of$154.56 for wine served at their holiday parry and a request from
the Open Space Committee for a-$250.00 donation to the Oak Mortality Taskforce. Jones
offered that the items had been forwarded to Council for their consideration by staff in the
absence of a policy or annual budget pertaining to the committee expenses.
Councilmember O'Malley explained that he had concerns with using public funds for
reimbursement of alcohol expenses for a committee parry. He was uncomfortable with the
reimbursement without a policy in place. He noted that all volunteers were invited to an
annual event hosted by the Town with wonderful food and beverages.
Mayor Jones commented that he believed it was important for the Town to develop a
policy that addressed the issue of reimbursements for food and refreshments. This would
be beneficial to staff as they reviewed the requests and would provide guidelines to the
committees.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by Kerr and
passed by the following voice vote to approve the reimbursement requests as outlined in
the staff report.
AYES: Mayor Jones, Vice Mayor Mordo, Councilmember Kerr, and
Councilmember Warshawsky
NOES: Councilmember O'Malley
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
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January 10,2008
Council directed staff to prepare a draft policy on committee expenditures and
refreshments and return the item for their consideration at the next regularly scheduled
• meeting.
12. Receive Report on Document Imaging Project for Town Records
Finance Director Nick Pegueros introduced the item to Council. Council had before them
a report on document imaging project for Town records. Pegueros explained that the
scope of the project had been divided into three distinct phases. Phase 1 addressed the
issue of scanning and storage of City Council agenda packets and meeting minutes and
posting the packet to the web. Phase 2 called for the purchase and implementation of a
document imaging system that would serve as the Town's information hub and would
integrated the documents already imaged and stored as Phase 1. Additionally, historical
documents and files would be imaged. Phase 3 would implement electronic workflow
processes for City Council agenda management.
Vendor proposals were included in the staff report. Pegueros requested authorization
from the Council to renegotiate the agreement for Phase 1 noting that there was an error
in the cost analysis.
Council discussion ensued. They supported moving forward with the project. Staff was
directed to renegotiate Phase 1 costs but to focus on the implementation of Phase 2 and
Phase 3.
• REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES, SUB-COMMITTEES,AND COUNCILMEMBERS
ON OUTSIDE AGENCIES
13. Councilmember Appointments to Standing Committees and Outside Agencies
Council consensus was to continue the item. It will be scheduled for Council
consideration at the time of the City Council's reorganization, tentatively scheduled for
the second week in June, 2008.
14. Councilmember Appointment to Ad Hoc Committee to Finalize Draft Request for
Proposal (RFP) for Management of Equestrian Facilities.
Councilmember Warshawsky recused himself from discussion of the agenda item and
stepped down from the dais.
Council had before them a request to create an Ad-Hoc Committee to finalize a draft RFP
for management of equestrian facilities. Mayor Jones explained that upon review of the
item there was an interest to broaden the scope of the task for the Ad Hoc Committee. In
addition to reviewing options for management of the Barn, the committee would assess
the current Operating Agreement with Friends and evaluate possible modifications to the
Agreement. At the conclusion of the review, it would then be determined if an RFP was
appropriate. Staff was requesting a two City Council member Ad Hoc committee.
•
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January 10,2008
Vice Mayor Mordo clarified that the draft RFP had already been prepared by staff. The
expectation of the Committee's meeting requirement was minimal to review management
• options at the Barn and the current agreement with Friends. Mordo reiterated that the
Committee would determine if the RFP were to be issued at the conclusion of the,review
process.
City Manager Cahill noted that the draft RFP had been prepared at a time when there had
been some discussion that the Friends of Westwind's interest in managing the Barn was
waning. However, at this time there has been indication that the Friends wish to
discontinue their operation of the facility. He noted that the stalls were currently all
rented. Cahill added that the periodic circulation of RFPs was common practice for
reviewing the Town's major contracts.
Councilmember Kerr and Vice Mayor Mordo volunteered to serve on the Ad Hoc
Committee.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by Kerr and
passed unanimously to create an Ad Hoc Committee on Westwind Barn operations. Vice
Mayor Mordo and Councilmember Kerr would serve on the committee and report their
recommendations on any modifications to the current Operating Agreement and their
assessment of the need to circulate an RFP back to the City Council
Discussions of the Barn's management would be tasked to the Ad Hoc Committee and
there was no longer a need for review by the Standing Westwind Barn Committee.
• STAFF REPORTS
City Manager Carl Cahill introduced City Engineer/Public Works Director Richard Chiu
to the City Council. Cahill noted that this was his first week with the Town. Chiu was
from the City of Woodside,where he had served in the capacity of Senior Civil Engineer.
City Attorney-no report
City Clerk-no report
COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS
15. Consideration of Amendment to the Standing Committee Resolution to Increase the
Membership of the Environmental Initiatives Committee—
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Mordo, seconded by Warshawsky
and passed unanimously to amend Resolution No. 77-07 and increase the voting
membership of the Standing Environmental Initiatives Committee to ten members.
Resolution No. 1-08
14 Regular City Meeting Minutes
January 10,2008
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:45 in memory of Ethel
Blank, Los Altos Hills resident and community volunteer
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Jost
City Clerk
The minutes of the January 10, 2008 regular City Council meeting were approved as
presented at the January 24, 2008 regular City Council meeting.
I'
15 Regular City Meeting Minutes
January,10,2008