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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-04-19 City Schools Liaison Committee Agenda Packet BIG CREEK ELEMENTARY Palo Alto Unified School District Todd Collins, Board Member Ken Dauber, President City of Palo Alto Karen Holman, Council Member, Chair Eric Filseth, Vice Mayor Staff Cathy Mak, PAUSD, Chief Business Officer, Staff Liaison Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager, Staff Liaison 1. Oral Communications 2. Approval of Minutes- March 15, 2018 3. Review Recent City Council/PAUSD Board Meetings 4. Ventura Coordinated Area Plan 5. City/School District Comments and Announcements 6. Future Meetings and Agendas City/School Liaison Committee Meeting Thursday, April 19, 2018 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM Palo Alto City Hall Community Meeting Room 250 Hamilton Avenue, 1st Floor City/School Liaison Committee Regular Meeting Agenda Page 1 of 12 Special Meeting March 15, 2018 Chairperson Holman called the meeting to order at 8:04 A.M. in the Community Meeting Room, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Present: City of Palo Alto Representatives Karen Holman, Council Member, Committee Chair Eric Filseth, Vice Mayor Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager, Staff Liaison Palo Alto Unified School District Representatives Todd Collins, Board Member Ken Dauber, Board Member, Board President Cathy Mak, District Chief Business Officer, Staff Liaison Absent: Oral Communications Ken Horowitz requested support for a ballot measure to tax sugary beverages. The City of Berkeley's tax had reduced consumption of sugary beverages and raised funds for programs. The Case Against Sugar contained a great deal of information about sugary beverages. Berkeley had raised almost $4 million and allocated approximately $1.5 million to Berkeley schools. Obesity and diabetes were affected by the consumption of sugary beverages. The World Health Organization recommended no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day, and one can of soda contained approximately 20 teaspoons of sugar. Board Member Collins inquired whether Mr. Horowitz had connected with Dave Shin, who is also supporting a tax on sweet beverages. Ken Horowitz replied yes. City/School Liaison Committee Special Meeting Final Minutes FINAL MINUTES Page 2 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 Minutes Approval 2. Approval of Minutes – December 14, 2017 and February 15, 2018. MOTION: Vice Mayor Filseth moved, seconded by Board Member Dauber that the City School Liaison Committee approve the December 14, 2017 minutes as presented. Chair Holman noted two City School Liaison Committee (Committee) Members were not present at the December meeting. Board Member Dauber suggested the two Committee Members could take confidence in the fact that Committee Members who had been present approved the Minutes and vote to approve them as well. MOTION PASSED: 3-0 Collins abstaining MOTION: Vice Mayor Filseth moved, seconded by Board Member Dauber that the City School Liaison Committee approve the February 15, 2018 minutes as presented. MOTION PASSED: 3-0 Collins abstaining 3. Review of Recent City Council/PAUSD Board Meetings. Board Member Dauber reported Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Board of Education (Board) had recently discussed renaming schools. A Board Committee had recommended names of six Palo Alto luminaries and two alternate names of natural features, Adobe Creek for Terman Middle School and Redwood Grove for David Starr Jordan Middle School. The Board likely had to take action on renaming schools at its next meeting. The deadline to submit applications for Superintendent had passed, and the Board was evaluating applications. The Board had discussed appointing a Citizens Advisory Committee to participate in the search for a Superintendent. Board Member Dauber indicated he had recused himself from discussion of the Stanford University General Use Permit (GUP). Board Member Collins advised that the Board had submitted a comment letter regarding the Stanford University Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The main comment was a request for Stanford University to set aside land in the area of Stanford Shopping Center for an elementary school. In the GUP, Stanford University proposed adding 550 housing units on Quarry Road. The Board estimated more than 400 elementary students would live in the new housing development and the existing Stanford West development on Sand Hill Road. Children in those two developments were to be assigned to Lucille FINAL MINUTES Page 3 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 M. Nixon Elementary School. The Board's policy was to construct neighborhood schools, and Stanford University was the only landowner in the neighborhood of the two developments. As the City investigated expansion of housing options, the potential need to build additional schools would surface. The Board felt obtaining land through a development plan was essential to pursuing its mission of providing neighborhood schools. Chair Holman asked if Board Members could provide the proposed names for schools. Board Member Dauber was not able to recall all the names, but some were Fred Yamamoto and Ellen Fletcher. Board Member Collins added Frank Greene, William Hewlett, and Anna Zschokke. Chair Holman reported the City Council had approved the North Ventura Concept Area Plan. At Council direction, Staff wanted to invite a Board Member to participate in an advisory capacity. Board Member Dauber requested an explanation of a Concept Area Plan and the process for developing one. Chair Holman explained that the South of Forest Area (SOFA) plan was the model for the North Ventura Concept Area Plan. The Council would select interested parties to participate in a working group and an advisory group. The working group, supported by Staff, would consider the potential uses for the site and narrow those down to the possible uses. The site was currently zoned for housing. There had been some discussion of naturalizing the creek at the site, which would include parkland. Retail and office were likely to be considered for the site. The property owner had committed funds to the planning effort. Expertise from the advisory group and the community planned on informing the working group's discussions. Board Member Collins remarked that the Ventura area was interesting to the Board because its composition was somewhat diverse and because it was not served well by schools. The Board had the right to buy the Ventura School property from the City at 75 percent of fair market value. However, the site was surrounded by major thoroughfares, and the Board would probably be reluctant to reconstitute it as a school site. If a large amount of housing was developed in Ventura, then the Board needed to consider a neighborhood school for children in Ventura housing developments. Chair Holman requested more information about the difficulties of opening a school on that site. FINAL MINUTES Page 4 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 Board Member Collins reported the property was smaller than typical school sites, hemmed in on all sides, and had no room for expansion or reconfiguration of the site. The former school building had been closed for decades and would need extensive remodeling. Vice Mayor Filseth advised that the Council reviewed an omnibus Housing Work Plan and directed Staff to begin work on the programs in the Work Plan. The programs were designed to spur housing in order to achieve the Comprehensive Plan target of 3,500-4,400 new housing units by 2030. In addition, the Council directed the Finance Committee to develop a proposal for transparency in labor negotiations. The proposed program established a policy for written proposals and counterproposals with bargaining groups to be published within 48 hours of transmittal. The published document was to include the nature of the proposal and a fiscal analysis of the proposal including any impact on pension and health liabilities. At the appropriate time, there was to be “meet and confer” discussions with the bargaining groups. Board Member Collins inquired about the potential outcome of such a policy. Vice Mayor Filseth explained that the proposal called for a Council policy. The purpose was to add transparency to labor negotiations and to allow public input. Board Member Dauber noted the Board had held similar discussions. The Council's action likely was to spur the Board to consider a similar policy. The Board directed its staff to draft a resolution to institute a term limit of two 4- year terms and to explore a bond measure for the November ballot. Chair Holman asked if Board Member Dauber would like to share additional details regarding the bond measure. Board Member Dauber indicated a process to assess facility needs and to produce a master plan for a bond measure was almost complete. He thought the bond measure would support a range of activities to follow and update the previous bond. Board Member Collins added that many secondary school but few elementary school projects had been completed through the previous bond. Elementary school projects were to be one focus of discussion regarding the bond. Chair Holman asked if the previous bond was intended to construct buildings rather than playing fields. FINAL MINUTES Page 5 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 Board Member Collins clarified that the last bond along with private funding was utilized for both buildings and sports facilities. The Board had committed to constructing a Magical Bridge style playground at Addison Elementary School. If this was successful, then it was likely to be a highly recommended option for other elementary schools and would likely be funded by the next bond. Chair Holman felt the playground would be successful based on the popularity of the Magical Bridge playground at Mitchell Park. The City also had a policy for parks to be adaptive. Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager reported the City was exploring a bond measure as well. Polling was expected to occur in the spring. Board Member Dauber did not believe the Board's polling questions included the possibility of two bond measures on the 2018 ballot. Board Member Collins noted the City and the Board were using the same consultant for polling; therefore, the consultant was aware of the possibility of both bond measures. The School Board's Property Committee had discussed the possibility of a City bond measure. Chair Holman inquired about a date when polling would be presented to the Council. Mr. de Geus indicated that polling would be discussed at the Finance Committee on March 20th and then presented to the Council. Polling with broad questions was to be conducted in April and with more specific questions in May. Chair Holman remarked that there was little time to present the matter to the Council before polling was conducted in early April. Mr. de Geus reiterated that the Council would review polling and provide guidance prior to the poll being conducted. Chair Holman corrected a statement she made in the January meeting. Cubberley was not a part of the Infrastructure Plan. Board Member Collins requested the status of the Cubberley Master Plan effort. Mr. de Geus reported the Request for Proposals (RFP) had been released, and the City had received two credible proposals. City Staff had interviewed both vendors, chosen a preferred vendor, and scheduled both vendors to FINAL MINUTES Page 6 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 meet with the City Manager and Acting Interim Superintendent. It was possible that a contract with a vendor could be presented for approval as early as April. Chair Holman noted a needs assessment would be performed. 4. 2018 Summer Programs (City). Karen Kienzle, Senior Community Services Program Manager reported that the City offered 274 summer camps in 2017 with more than 5,000 kids and teens enrolled. March 16 was the final day for randomized summer camp registration, also known as "the draw." On March 26, resident registration was to open, and April 2 was the beginning of nonresident registration. Camps began the week of June 4. 2018 summer camps included Camp Palo Alto, Foothills Camp, Teen Week Out, soccer, swim, tennis, and flag football. Many camps included Counselors in Training (CIT). All camp Staff was required to participate in an in-service training. In 2017, Children's Theatre offered 62 camps for 585 participants. Children's Theatre offered 25 performing arts education camps to serve 450 campers in 2018. Palo Alto Art Center camps were taught by professional artists and art teachers. In 2017, Palo Alto Art Center offered 56 camps for 767 participants and 65 CIT and Lead Counselors in Training (LCIT). The number of camps were going to increase in 2018 to 88 camps for more than 1,000 kids and teens. The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo offered 44 one-week camps and 4 two- week camps in 2017 to 712 participants and 49 interns. In 2018, 43 one- and two-week camps were to be held at Cubberley Community Center as the Junior Museum and Zoo prepared for renovation. Chair Holman inquired about recruitment of camp counselors. Ms. Kienzle advised that the Art Center had an email list of parents who were interested in providing CIT and LCIT opportunities for teens. Kristen O’Kane, Assistant Director of Community Services added that many of the camp counselors were former campers. Chair Holman requested a status update of the golf course as it related to golf camps. Ms. O’Kane advised that the golf course had been completed. Staff was negotiating a contract with the golf course manager. Hopefully the course would be open by mid-May. Details of golf camp were still being planned. Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager provided calendars with Community Services Department (CSD) information for everyone. FINAL MINUTES Page 7 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 Chair Holman felt the relationship between Community Services Department (CSD) programs and the Healthy City Healthy Community initiative was not adequately promoted. Community Services Department programs were valued throughout the community. She asked Board Members if CSD programs were integrated into Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). Board Member Dauber suggested parents were taking advantage of the programs based on the number of participants on wait lists. Board Members would share the presentation with their Colleagues. Ms. Kienzle suggested the fee reduction program and the CIT and LCIT programs could be shared with PAUSD. Board Member Collins felt coordination with PAUSD staff would be highly effective. Chair Holman added that sharing information with residents of the Ventura neighborhood would be appropriate as the neighborhood was diverse. 5. Planned Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements to Churchill Avenue – City Chief Transportation Official. Joshua Mello, Chief Transportation Official reported design of the project began in 2014, and the Council adopted the concept plan in January 2015. The project site was Churchill Avenue between the railroad crossing and El Camino Real. The project continued the shared-use path from the Palo Alto High School driveway along the north side of Churchill Avenue to a new crosswalk at El Camino Real and connected it to the Stanford Perimeter Trail. The end result was an off-street, separated Class I bikeway connection from Downtown and the train station to the Stanford Perimeter Trail. The new crosswalk improved safety and bicycle movement. In addition, the project included traffic calming components and pedestrian safety improvements such as a rapid-flashing beacon, a raised crosswalk, and a right turn-lane onto Churchill Avenue from El Camino Real. The project would require Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) to grant the City an easement. He said the bikeway would potentially damage some trees, but Staff would take all measures to preserve the trees. Some vegetation was planned to be removed. Staff had committed to a two-for-one replacement of any trees that were damaged or removed and to providing $80,000 in landscape and gateway treatment allowance to PAUSD. The community was demanding the project begin, but landscape details had not been finalized. The goal was to finalize the project in the beginning of 2019. The two critical components were the easement and Caltrans approval of an encroachment permit. FINAL MINUTES Page 8 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 Board Member Collins advised that the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education (Board) had received no information about the project. He was hesitant to commit the land to an easement because growth of the school population was unknown, the schools had not subjected it to a planning process, and generally he preferred to retain land. Mr. Mello clarified that Staff was proposing a revocable easement. Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager remarked that the project's main goal was to resolve safety concerns. He thought that with a revocable easement, the use of the land could be reevaluated in the future. Board Member Collins questioned whether the City would remove the bike lane if the School District chose to revoke the easement. Mr. Mello indicated that was a possibility. The more likely possibility was to incorporate the path into the property through a master planning effort. Board Member Collins was less concerned about the path and more concerned about the lane. The concern was accommodating future growth, which was unknown. Board Member Dauber inquired about the process for City Staff and PAUSD staff working together. Mr. Mello reported that staff had walked the site approximately six times in approximately 2 1/2 years and viewed temporary physical representations of the easement. The former Superintendent and the City Manager had discussed the project. Board Member Dauber reported he would request an agenda item for the PAUSD Board to discuss the project and raise concerns. Chair Holman inquired about the reasons for the project not being presented to the Board in the concept stage and ways to prevent that from recurring. Mr. Mello advised that the Council approved the concept in January 2015. He began working for the City in September 2015; therefore, he could not answer Chair Holman's question. He planned on presenting the information to the Board prior to presenting it to the City Council. Chair Holman asked if environmental documents were provided along with the concept plan. FINAL MINUTES Page 9 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 Mr. Mello believed the project would qualify for a categorical exemption; however, no environmental documents were prepared with the adoption of the concept. Chair Holman inquired whether two of the trees affected by the project were protected oaks. Mr. Mello was not sure. Chair Holman felt that was possibly a concern of the Board's Landscape Committee. She requested the concerns voiced by the Landscape Committee. Mr. Mello indicated the oaks affected by the project were located approximately 10 feet from the rear of the sidewalk and closely spaced together. Staff wanted to consult with an arborist regarding methods to bridge the trees' root balls and driplines. Alternatively, a thought was pushing the path and the sidewalk closer to the roadway added 5 feet to the distance from the oak trees. The draft easement language would commit the City to working with an arborist to preserve the trees, to a two-for-one replacement of any trees impacted, and to an additional $80,000 in landscaping and gateway allowance in exchange for the easement. Board Member Dauber inquired about PAUSD staff involved in meetings with City Staff. Cathy Mak, Chief Business Officer replied that initially the Maintenance Department met with City Staff. Bob Golton and she had been involved in some meetings as well. Staff informed the previous Board about the City's plan to connect the bike lane. Board Member Dauber clarified that the project was not an item on the Board's agenda but an item on the Superintendent's weekly message. Ms. Mak advised that staff was aware of the negotiations. Board Member Collins inquired whether Dr. McGee had been engaged in the discussions. Ms. Mak stated Dr. McGee attended at least one meeting, maybe more. Board Member Collins asked if Dr. McGee had been leading the effort. Ms. Mak answered no. FINAL MINUTES Page 10 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 Mr. Mello reported that Staff did not anticipate requesting any additional easements for transportation projects in the near future or long term. With respect to a project on Embarcadero Road, on the north side of Palo Alto High School, Staff developed a design that did not require any acquisition of property on that side of the school. Board Member Collins questioned the impact of the crossing at Churchill on the path and land acquisition on that corner of the project. He was sure the Board would want to consider that. Mr. Mello stated Staff was thinking about how the project would integrate long term with whatever solution the Council selected for the grade separation projects. However, grade separation projects were likely to be constructed decades in the future. Over the next year or so the City and Caltrain wanted to complete designs for improvements that were adjacent to the rail corridor and within the corridor. Improvements would continue the separated bike path across the rail corridor on the north side and then provide a new bicycle-only traffic signal that would allow bicyclists to continue on a two-way bikeway on the north side of Churchill or cross diagonally and move into the bike lane. Staff planned a community meeting with the Old Palo Alto North residents in order to determine if they would be willing to accommodate a two-way bikeway. Other improvements were a signal in advance of the crossing and moving the stop bar back. If the community agreed, then the City would have a two-way bikeway connection from the Bryant Street bike boulevard to the Stanford Perimeter Trail and a connection directly to the train station via the shared-use path. Alison Cormack hoped the City had learned something about outreach from the Ross Road project. The documents provided in the meeting should be sent to the residents of Churchill Avenue as a letter, not an invitation to a meeting. Board Member Dauber advised that he would speak with the interim Superintendent about the project and request an item on the Board's agenda to provide the City with feedback. Board Member Collins reminded City Staff that the Board was hypervigilant about retaining land. The Board needed a long lead time to obtain input from site leaders and the community. Board Member Dauber recalled that the City School Liaison Committee (Committee) had held a discussion of options around grade separation projects at Churchill. One of the options took a fair amount of land from Palo Alto High School playing fields, but Council Members had indicated that was an extremely unlikely option. FINAL MINUTES Page 11 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 Mr. de Geus looked forward to a resolution so the project could proceed. Chair Holman requested Staff inform the neighbors regarding the project. She was troubled that Staff did not know if the effected trees were protected trees. She did not understand why there had not been an environmental assessment. Replacing protected trees was not a good mitigation. Mr. Mello reported that Staff was implementing a new phase in project development called Socialization, which would be outreach to the community prior to construction. Several years often elapsed between presentation of concept plans and construction; consequently, residents forgot about the project or new residents moved into the neighborhood. With the Embarcadero project, Staff planned on posting project boards all over the project site and conduct outreach again. Staff met with old Palo Alto North residents two days prior to the meeting and would mail notices to residents along Churchill Avenue. With respect to the trees, Staff had reduced the path to the minimum width of eight feet for a Class I bikeway and eliminated the strip between the sidewalk and the path. The only way not to impact the trees was be to remove the planting strip and move the sidewalk and path against the curb or go further into school property. Due of design standards and the constraints of the site, there was only so much Staff could do to move away from the trees. Chair Holman requested Mr. de Geus follow up on a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND). Mr. de Geus agreed to do so. 6. Discussion of Agenda Topics for April and May. Chair Holman noted potential agenda items mentioned in the prior meeting. Board Member Collins wished to understand how the City School Liaison Committee (Committee) worked and what it attempted to do. The Committee was not as effective as it could be and needed to be. The Committee was allowed to contribute in a substantive way toward joint efforts between the City and the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Board of Education (Board). Board Member Dauber concurred. Board Member Collins planned on being the Chair of the Committee in 2019. Chair Holman requested Staff begin agendizing topics including Board Member Collins' suggestions and provide the amended vision and goals for Ventura to Board Members Dauber and Collins. FINAL MINUTES Page 12 of 12 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Meeting Minutes: 3/15/2018 Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager reported the Agenda for April held no specific items. Safe Routes to School would be presented to the Committee in May. Board Member Dauber suggested an updated status of Cubberley at the April meeting. Chair Holman asked if the Board had discussed teacher housing. Board Member Collins advised that the Board had not discussed an agendized item for teacher housing and had not obtained any meaningful analysis. There were some informal discussions among staff with some Board Members involved in those discussions. Chair Holman requested Board Members provide a schedule of dates when the Board would address some of the issues. She thought Joe Simitian's proposal for teacher housing should be included in the list of topics. Board Member Dauber reported the Board had discussed Mr. Simitian's proposal and decided to express interest in the project. Vice Mayor Filseth remarked that the City's Comprehensive Plan called for the production of 3,500-4,400 new housing units by 2030 and asked how many of those units the Board wished to provide. Chair Holman suggested the Board include teacher housing in its discussion of a bond measure. Board Member Collins agreed that was worthy of consideration. Teacher housing could be a good selling point for General Obligation Bonds rather than Certificates of Participation. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 9:39 A.M.