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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-11-17 City Council Summary Minutes 11/17/08 1 Regular Meeting November 17, 2008 STUDY SESSION...................................................................................3 1. Operational Analysis of the City of Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course. ......3 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS.......................................................................4 2. Approval of a Utilities Enterprise Fund Contract with Audio Visual Innovations, Inc. in the Amount of $393,775 for Utility Control Center Upgrades – Capital Improvement Program Projects EL-06003 and .......4 3. Adoption of an Ordinance Amending Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.28.240 (Settlement of Claims and Actions) to Increase the City Attorney’s Settlement Authority from $10,000 to $35,000. .................5 4. Approval of an Amendment to Contract C06115547 with Delta Dental to Extend the Term for an Additional Three Months and Add $23,112 for a Total Not to Exceed Amount of $328,112 for Claims Administration Services for the City of Palo Alto’s Self-Funded Dental Plan............................................................................................5 5. Consider Adoption of an Ordinance to Restrict Food Vendors from Providing Prepared Food in Disposable Food Service Containers Made from Polystyrene or Non-Recyclable Plastic to Customers. ..................5 6. Approval of a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Adoption of an Ordinance Amending the Zoning Map of the City of Palo Alto to Change the Zone Designation for 420 Cambridge Avenue from Community Commercial 2 (CC(2)) to the California Avenue Pedestrian and Transit- Oriented Development (PTOD) Combining District. ............................5 7. Update on City Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives ................13 11/17/08 2 COUNCIL COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND REPORTS FROM CONFERENCES .............................................................................19 ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 11:27 p.m. .............................20 11/17/08 3 The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council Chambers at 7:01 p.m. Present: Barton, Burt, Drekmeier, Espinosa, Kishimoto, Klein, Morton, Schmid, Yeh Absent: STUDY SESSION 1. Operational Analysis of the City of Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course. The City Council held a study session on November 17th, 2008 on the operational analysis of the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course conducted by Economics Research Associates (ERA). The Golf Study provided information on the Bay Area golf market and conditions of the Golf Course facility; and the current and alternative operating models available for the Golf Course. The study found that, despite a Bay Area wide decline in golf play, the Golf Course performance has been relatively strong when compared with similar municipal facilities in the market area. After a presentation by ERA, questions, comments and discussion followed. Discussion included planning of flood control alternatives for San Francisquito Creek that may impact the Golf Course, alternatives for enhancing maintenance and golfer demographics among other golf related topics. The Golf Study will be placed on the Finance Committee agenda in the future for further discussion and recommendations to Council. Craig Allen, 315 Melville Avenue, spoke on the golf course. He mentioned concerns over maintenance staffing issues, course quality and overhead costs. He asked Council to move in such a way as to preserve the facility. Bruce Jaffe, 3780 El Centro Street, spoke and advocated for the youth golf opportunities at the golf course. Sharon Oliver, 823 Gailen Avenue, spoke on the golf course and the need for continued improvements on this course being done by course staff and not by outside contractors. Inspector for Field Services, SEIU Chapter Chair, Lynn Krug, spoke on the golf course staff and their continued enthusiasm and expert capabilities. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS 11/17/08 4 City Manager, James Keene, reported Police Chief Lynne Johnson’s community outreach plans were submitted at last week’s Human Relations Committee meeting. He stated at the December 1st Council meeting he would have more information on the outreach plans as well as the Independent Police Auditor information. The Palo Alto Fire Department provided an engine company, four personnel and a strike team leader for the Santa Barbara fires. The State had awarded the City of Palo Alto a $1.8 million grant as part of a statewide grant competition from the State Highway Safety Improvement Program. Funds were slated for Alma Street and San Antonio Road improvements. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Ron Wormley, Box 60112, Palo Alto, spoke regarding racial profiling in response to the Police Chief’s remarks. He cited areas of the City where there remained probable cause stop and search issues. Clark Akatiff, 105 Rinconadoa, spoke regarding the preservation of the Juana Briones historical home site. The property was under threat of demolition due to disrepair. Kathy Figueroa, 439 Alberta Way, Los Gatos, spoke regarding a question she asked at the recent peaceful march about police staff demographics. She did not get a full answer to her question at that time. Pastor Floyd J. Purdy, 835 Runnymede Street, East Palo Alto, spoke regarding Palo Alto Police Department. Susan Beall, 1055 Cowper Street, spoke regarding Friends of Palo Alto Parks, and the success of the Color Our Parks project. This program renovates park planting beds. She thanked the Kiwanis Club for their help. CONSENT CALENDAR MOTION: Council Member Morton moved, seconded by Council Member Kishimoto to approve Consent Calendar Item Nos. 2-4. 2. Approval of a Utilities Enterprise Fund Contract with Audio Visual Innovations, Inc. in the Amount of $393,775 for Utility Control Center Upgrades – Capital Improvement Program Projects EL-06003 and EL-04012. 11/17/08 5 3. Adoption of an Ordinance Amending Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.28.240 (Settlement of Claims and Actions) to Increase the City Attorney’s Settlement Authority from $10,000 to $35,000. 4. Approval of an Amendment to Contract C06115547 with Delta Dental to Extend the Term for an Additional Three Months and Add $23,112 for a Total Not to Exceed Amount of $328,112 for Claims Administration Services for the City of Palo Alto’s Self-Funded Dental Plan. MOTION PASSED: 9-0 PUBLIC HEARINGS 5. Consider Adoption of an Ordinance to Restrict Food Vendors from Providing Prepared Food in Disposable Food Service Containers Made from Polystyrene or Non-Recyclable Plastic to Customers. MOTION: Mayor Klein moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Drekmeier to continue this item until a date uncertain. MOTION PASSED: 9-0 6. Approval of a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Adoption of an Ordinance Amending the Zoning Map of the City of Palo Alto to Change the Zone Designation for 420 Cambridge Avenue from Community Commercial 2 (CC(2)) to the California Avenue Pedestrian and Transit- Oriented Development (PTOD) Combining District. Interim Deputy City Manager, Steve Emslie, stated the item before Council was the first application of the PTOD zone district. He reaffirmed this newly initiated zoning area was part of the Zoning Code update. Interim Director of Planning/Community Environment, Curtis Williams, advised the PTOD zone was different than other zoning in that Council and the Planning & Transportation Commission (P&TC) can apply specific criteria to the uses and intents of use where appropriate on a particular site. The P&TC recommended this zoning plan to Council with one change which was included in Council’s At Places Memo. The applicant requested flexibility on the first floor in order to use Green Building techniques. Mayor Klein asked for clarification on the wording in Section 4C, where it stated “a minimum of four residential units.” He asked if this meant a finite four residential units, since minimum implied they could build more. 11/17/08 6 Mr. Williams stated that it should be worded as a precise four units. Mayor Klein asked if the actual height maximum was 40 feet. Mr. Williams stated the maximum zone was 40 feet, but equipment and parapets were allowed to exceed 40 feet. Council Member Burt asked if the applicant was specifically at four units without a minimum stated. He stressed the importance of meeting the new demographic for smaller units for the elderly, or young families without children. Mr. Williams stated the applicant requested specifically four units and has not indicated any desire to do more units. He stated there may be future cases where a minimum was specified with flexibility for more units. Council Member Morton spoke to the size of the project’s square footage in relationship to the number of residential and commercial units on the lot. He stated this was an area with existing parking permit problems. He asked how these parking concerns will be addressed. He asked about the stacked spot parking problems. Mr. Williams stated the parking for the commercial first level was exempted by the Zoning Code. On-site residential parking was provided for, but no additional commercial spots. Eleven spaces existed for the four units. The applicant may have flexibility there. He stated the lift system was established so everyone can get in and out with the condition that two spaces were provided for each unit. He stated cars parked in one unit’s spot may need to readjust in order to fit an additional car. Council Member Morton asked for clarification on how these cars move and adjust on a day when this area was maximally parked. Mr. Williams stated it was his understanding that the optional space would not be used in most cases. Council Member Morton asked if the pitted parking was an option to be used or an option to be built. He stated it should be required since parking was an existing problem. Council Member Yeh asked if public transit would be encouraged in this PTOD area. Mr. Williams stated the nature and proximity of this smaller project to transit options precluded the need for additional incentives. 11/17/08 7 Council Member Yeh asked if the potential existed for there to be some transit analysis done in the future. Mr. Williams stated it was difficult to do it with this smaller project. He stated they could look at a clearinghouse through the City which provided transportation information if there were more of these smaller projects clustered. He suggested informational kiosks could be set up in the future. Council Member Yeh asked about inclusionary zoning. He questioned how many units merited a fee assessment. Mr. Williams stated the number of units was changed to three. A fee would be required at four units. Council Member Yeh asked if this raised questions for staff in terms of correlation between income levels and use of public transportation in this PTOD area. Mr. Williams stated this type of correlation was expected but the project was of such small size that this was not anticipated. He stated it was difficult to require Below Market Rate (BMR) units on such a small project site. Council Member Yeh stated this was one of the many questions that come up with this first PTOD process. Council Member Kishimoto asked if the applicant will be asked in the future about parking and whether it was designated for the residents. She asked if the fee for commercial sites was paid to the PTOD. Mr. Williams stated the applicant would be asked about parking. He stated also there was no ongoing fee assessment. The first floor sites were not subject to further fee payment. Council Member Schmid asked about the Special Use Option for Green Design components. He asked if this was granted forever as the only permitted use for the ground floor space. Mr. Williams stated retail, personal services and a wide variety of other uses were looked at. Office use was not specifically asked for but flexibility for this was indicated for the Green Design and sales type uses. He stated this was typically used for offices, and the PTOD Ordinance allowed professional offices on the first floor. 11/17/08 8 Council Member Schmid asked if additional business or professional services held the requirement that they return to Council for a Zoning change. Mr. Williams stated this was correct. Council Member Schmid asked if the sidewalk plan in that area was true to form in the planned picture of the area which lent to a lot of activity. Mr. Williams stated biking was on Cambridge Avenue and not the sidewalk. He stated the Architectural Review Board (ARB) reviewed this project. Council Member Schmid asked if this was in the Newsrack District. Mr. Emslie stated the Newsrack District has not been established for the area on California Avenue. Council Member Schmid stressed the importance of the consideration for movement along the sidewalk area. He asked if the below-grade parking structures or basement windows along the block in that area caused any water table concerns. Mr. Williams stated there were no problems with the water table or other issues in that area. He stated the water level map produced in a Study Session on basements revealed most of the area was not subject to concern. Council Member Schmid asked what the green star represented on Map A1, situated over the 2785 Park inventory site. Mr. Williams stated these were sites in the Housing Element designated as potential housing sites and included the 2785 Park Place property. Council Member Schmid stated what they were looking at in the PTOD was an entire area of housing. Mr. Williams clarified the PTOD created the potential for housing in much of the area, as stand-alones or mixed use. Council Member Schmid asked if the new housing inventory reflected this difference. Mr. Williams stated this difference was included in the inventory Planning & Transportation Commissioner, Arthur Keller, added that this particular development proposed LEED Gold and had a high number of Build It Green points. 11/17/08 9 Mayor Klein gave instructions on time allotted for comments for both the applicant and the public. Public Hearing Opened at 9:28 p.m. Stuart Welte, 599 College Avenue, Clarum Corporation, the applicant, gave a brief summary of what was planned as an earth-friendly, highly-sustainable, low-water-usage, near-zero energy homes. He stated Clarum was a home- based business in Palo Alto with a high focus on Green Design with Governor’s awards in sustainability. He offered the community a LEED Gold design which fit the design scale of the existing neighborhood with natural light and ventilation, retail and commercial proximity, and a high pedestrian orientation. He stated there was unanimous approval by the Planning & Transportation Commission and preliminary approval from the ARB. He valued staff’s input and recommendations. He stated the proposal fit the PTOD boundaries. Herb Borock, P.O. Box 632, spoke regarding the practice of having plan copies available to the public which was not done in this case. He spoke to several conflicting issues in the written plans regarding this project and zoning. Council Member Kishimoto asked if the 11 parking spaces included stacked spaces. She asked for a brief description of the workings of the stacked parking as well as height delineations. Mr. Welte stated the 11 spaces included the stacked parking. He stated the stacker was of German manufacturing and design. A car can drive in and park, or a car can drive in, park, and then raise up a level to allow for an open space beneath it. The spots accommodate up to a mini-van sized vehicle. He discussed the size of the commercial spaces and maneuvering spaces. In response to public comment, he stated the necessary paperwork and discussion has been done in thorough detail. He stated all the conversations and documentation were on file. He stated the height specifications were clear in the drawings and described in written documentation. Mr. Williams clarified this was a Zoning Ordinance change and not a site change approval process. He gave information on the BMR fee process. He stated there was no BMR environmental impact in housing on this small site project. He stressed the height issues had been complied with. He stated the P&TC was aware of all new language which came through Council. 11/17/08 10 Council Member Morton asked the City Attorney the specifics of parking pits in order to accept the Negative Mitigated Declaration. He stated the middle spot was useless with all the maneuvering and was ineffective. He asked if he could make a stipulation on the pits, whether the applicant or architect agreed or disagreed. City Attorney Gary Baum clarified the question that he wanted to require the pit to be dug. Council Member Morton stated he wanted a requirement for the pit at this pre-building stage, removing the need for later modifications. Mr. Baum stated this was a legitimate condition but not applied to the Negative Mitigating Declaration. He stated it was grounds for denial if the parking was not adequate. Council Member Morton asked if it was correct process to move forward with that condition. Mr. Baum stated this was the case, but the applicant would be allowed to comment. Mr. Morton asked the applicant if he would consent to making the pit a requirement and not an option. Mayor Klein asked the applicant to respond. He stated the issue was spoken to by Council Member Morton himself. This was not an act of Council. Mr. Weltes stated from a practical standpoint the expense of the pits would jeopardize the LEED Gold level. Council Member Morton asked how the pits affected the LEED Gold. Mr. Welte stated the economics of the extra pits affected the amount left over for other needs. Council Member Morton stated with foundations digging equipment in the area, he could not see how this would undermine the LEED Gold. Mayor Klein stressed the need to close the Public Hearing and consider the issue. Council Member Morton asked for a further explanation on the effects of the pit construction on the LEED Gold standards. 11/17/08 11 Mr. Welte stated every dollar counted towards project completion. Mayor Klein restated the original question from Council, which was would he agree to inclusion of the pit in the plan for approval. Mr. Welte stated the pits would be provided if continuing the projected hinged on this. Council Member Morton asked about the BMR considerations on this small four-unit project. He asked if this should be looked further in future projects. Mr. Williams stated the City was ahead of the game since they now required a fee for four units, which was not the case in the past. Council Member Morton stated with additional four-unit buildings on this space there was concern for this in the future. Public Hearing closed at 9:56 p.m. MOTION: Council Member Burt moved, seconded by Council Member Espinosa to approve staff recommendation and the Planning and Transportation Commission recommendation to 1) Adopt the proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act; and 2) Adopt the proposed Ordinance to change the zoning classification of 420 Cambridge Avenue from Community Commercial (CC(2)) to the California Avenue Pedestrian and Transit Oriented Development (PTOD) Combining District. Council Member Burt stated this was an outstanding achievement with the first PTOD application and its proposed LEED Gold standards. He stated Clarum was one of the premier Green Building companies in California. He stated the structure modeled the Green Building efforts that Palo Alto strived for. He stated Council checked and double checked the applicant’s plans. This applicant was ahead of the game on Green Building. He spoke to the reduction of automobile use with pedestrian use in development area. He stated this project achieved its objectives. He re-emphasized the ground floor retail parking as already being by right with entitlements within the Parking Assessment District. The additional residential units required the additional parking on site, which has been accommodated. Mayor Klein asked if he included the change he had suggested earlier in Section 4C regarding the wording “a minimum of.” 11/17/08 12 Council Member Burt stated he had not included this. Due to the parking there, however, it would be appropriate to make this addition. INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to delete in the Ordinance, Section 4c. the first three words “A minimum of”. Council Member Espinosa praised the architects and developers as being true leaders in the region. He stated this was an exciting time for Palo Alto with this PTOD. He stated the project ushered in a new vision for California Avenue in a smart, green way. He was in full support of the plan. Vice Mayor Drekmeier agreed this was an attractive project with LEED Gold. He supported the Motion. He stated the BMR issue was worth further exploration due to the higher density of housing allowed in the PTOD areas. He spoke to the issue of additional smaller units for smaller families or senior citizens. This would be a way to gain more housing in Palo Alto without community impacts. He stated a developer could go for five or six units that were smaller but there was a disincentive because they would have to provide a BMR unit with higher costs. He stated the project could have been even better if one of the units was a BMR unit. However, he stated this development was good way to start off the PTOD. Council Member Kishimoto stated staff had been both accommodating and creative in their planning. She supported the Motion. She asked if the LEED Gold was a condition to the development. Mr. Williams stated this was not a condition in that the code required a LEED Silver standard. Council Member Kishimoto stated encouragement of public transportation for residents and commercial users was legitimate. She stressed the importance of tweaking the PTODs at a later date in order to insure that transportation outreach measures were included. AMENDMENT: Council Member Morton moved, seconded by Council Member Schmid to require the construction of the two pits. Vice Mayor Drekmeier asked for an additional explanation of the pits. Mr. Williams stated his understanding was the pits were potential lower spaces to be used for higher size vehicle parking. He stated the potential to do this involved parking spots with the pits added below them. 11/17/08 13 Vice Mayor Drekmeier stated the benefit was the creation of space for taller vehicles, not just vehicles in general. Mr. Williams stated this was his understanding. He stated it was shown on the cross-section as an actual whole other space, but the intent was for the lower spaces to accommodate tall vehicles. Council Member Barton gave examples of the lift parking systems versus the use of a pit system. Council Member Morton cited the importance of this pit system versus backing out on the street to remove cars from the structure. Council Member Barton stated the pit system was vertical tandem parking similar to residential two-car garages throughout the city. He stated the applicant provided information which revealed adequate space for vehicle parking and readjustments within the garage space. Council Member Yeh asked if the double spots were slated to be shared by one unit within the building. Mr. Williams verified these double parking spots would be specific to one unit within the structure. Council Member Schmid stated the ground plan indicated the maneuvering was done inside the structure. While awkward, he stated this was not a problematic issue. AMENDMENT FAILED: 1-8 Morton yes Council Member Yeh indicated support for the Motion. He encouraged future consideration of public transit use and outreach. He stressed the importance of pedestrian traffic as well. MOTION PASSED: 8-1 Morton no Council took a five minute break at 10:14 p.m. REPORTS OF OFFICIALS 7. Update on City Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives Senior Financial Analyst, Nancy Nagel, gave an updated report on the City’s Sustainability and Environmental Initiative. She gave a brief overview and highlights. This included a discussion of staffing, meetings, activities and 11/17/08 14 planning, assignments and deadlines, budgets, leadership and sustainability goals. She went over proposed green projects and contracts. City Attorney, Gary Baum, stated a part of the staff report was inaccurate on the paper bag fees. He stated no other California City has proposed such a fee. He stated they were in the process of doing a Nexus study which will be brought to Council for future consideration. Vice Mayor Drekmeier asked for a second clarification on the staff report, page 7, for Green Building and Construction and Council Actions on Green Building. He stated this was worded “all non-residential construction greater than 500 square feet.” He asked if that was meant to be 5000 square feet. Interim Director of Planning/Community Environment, Curtis Williams, stated the correct figure should be 5000 square feet. Council Member Kishimoto asked what would be done with regard to budget issues in achieving sustainability goals. Manager of Energy Risk, Karl Van Orsdol, stated a series of guidelines were developed and they trained representatives on zero-cost behavioral changes. He stated they looked at commuting issues that will not affect funding. He stated each department has a carbon budget to meet at 5% less than the 2005 budget. He stated there had been no specific funding requests as yet. Council Member Kishimoto spoke to some questions she had received in emails which were utility-related. She asked why there were no takers for the Plug-Ins program. Senior Resource Planner, Shiva Swaminathan, stated the program had been in place for 18 months. Roche was the only customer interested initially. He stated they had since changed their plans and no others have stepped forward. Council Member Kishimoto asked if there were barriers or was it an issue where staff did not have adequate time for outreach. Mr. Swaminathan stated outreach was done to major customers with not much interest in return. He stated they had talked to the VA Hospital but the planning was still far out in the future. Council Member Kishimoto asked about the Smart Grid concept as the next generation on the grid system. She wanted to see Palo Alto take an aggressive stand on this. 11/17/08 15 Mr. Swaminathan stated there was a plan in place. He stated these were major capital expenditures where intense preplanning was merited. He stated the City’s combined utility costs to read the meters were lower than other utilities in the area. He stated a pilot program was launched with development of protocols for the future. Council Member Kishimoto asked if this went beyond meter-reading and eventually towards the control of command response. Mr. Swaminathan stated this was correct. He stated the Meter Links Program allowed customer access to data in real time. He stated they have moved on some of those programs. He stated the Smart Grid concept had many facets with evolving technologies. Council Member Kishimoto hoped for progress on the Smart Grid front. Council Member Espinosa stressed the need for metrics and reports back to Council which tracked the community’s involvement and success in proposed programs. He asked what was being done to prepare for the transition to the single Sustainability Coordinator position. He asked if there was a work plan for the team when this person steps in. City Manager, James Keene, stated the Sustainability Coordinator was an essential point person. He stated stakeholders throughout the organization were necessary. He stated they have pushed the schedule to March 1, 2008 but it may go beyond that since they want a good transition with all key players identified. He stated he would give a better informed response on the transition in January. Council Member Espinosa asked about the lessons learned or any particular challenges the single Sustainability Coordinator will face. He asked if there had been any surprises along the way. Ms. Nagel stated the main focus was expectation management. She stated they strived not to be a victim of their own success. She stated the problem for the transition would be how to manage all the plans, prune authority, focus resources and spread out the workforce. She stated that team development was a big part in workload management and integration of the program. Council Member Morton suggested looking at fugitive emissions despite the fact that this would cost money. He stated gas escape was one of the City’s biggest greenhouse gas contributions. He asked why this would not be chosen as a long-term project with rate payers to absorb the cost. He asked 11/17/08 16 why the two biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions were not looked at in the City. Mr. Van Orsdol stated the estimate in the Environmental Protection Plan used an old inventory methodology. He stated a revamped plan was now in place. Utilities Department went through and reconfigured the fugitive emission estimates based on updated protocols. He stated the number was a significant reduction. Council Member Morton countered that this yet remained one of the bigger number concerns for the area. Mr. Van Orsdol stated this was not as big when compared to commuting or energy use in electricity or gas. He stated this was the largest of the unknowns and a rough estimate. He stated an upgrade to the gas distribution system was a reduction measure which came at great expense. Council Member Morton asked if this could be done over time with costs absorbed internally. Mr. Swaminathan stated with a gas distribution upgrade, safety was a primary concern. He stated there were pressure thresholds that must be maintained. Newer systems were being developed but not available at this time to capture the fugitive gas. He stressed this was a long-term development plan. Council Member Morton asked if there was credit given for gas capture. He cited an example where a car manufacturing plant captured methane from a landfill. He asked if the City was given credit for such measures as well as penalties for noncompliance. Mr. Swaminathan stated this was done to the extent that they capture and flare at the landfill which reduced methane considerably. He stated this was done to the extent possible in gas recapture in the gas distribution system as well. Council Member Morton stated this was also used in the water processing system. Council Member Barton spoke to the extent one person can make a difference with their sustainability efforts. He stressed further education and outreach was necessary in helping the public understand the costs, benefits and results. He spoke to the table on page 8 and the big number goals. He asked how to transfer that to a set of items the public could embrace. He 11/17/08 17 suggested offering a list of five goals to achieve sustainability on a very local level. Recycling Coordinator, Wendy Hediger, stated there was a neighborhood and homes segment done with flyers and simple actions on how their efforts affected the whole. She stressed the importance of remembering everyone’s differences, and that what one person does was not effective for another. She stated the numbers were given to people to help them understand the meaning behind their actions. She stressed the importance of this smaller list of ideas and how it resulted in bigger list of actions which were less overwhelming to the public. Mayor Klein spoke of Tom Friedman’s address at a recent National League of Cities event that addressed precisely the same point. He stressed the importance of the upcoming Green Revolution versus what was now more like a Green Party. Council Member Yeh stated this month’s Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC) meeting included a Study Session which talked about the electrical efficiency potential from the Calaveras Reserve. Council had asked the UAC to review numerous local level projects all the way up to higher potential projects. He asked about the Buy Your Own Bag (BYOB) campaign and what could be expected in terms of community impact. Ms. Hediger stated she would get back to Council on actual impacts of BYOB. Environmental Specialist, Julie Weiss, added there was an audit forthcoming with regard to BYOB. Council Member Yeh asked about the Compost Feasibility Study and whether the Comprehensive Plan for this would be available to Council well in advance of the December 15, 2008 Council meeting. Director of Public Works, Glenn Roberts, stated best efforts would be enlisted to make that possible. Vice Mayor Drekmeier asked if December 15, 2008 was the correct date for this meeting. Mr. Roberts stated it was now December 15, 2008 due to the fact that more time was available on that date. Council Member Schmid stressed measurable transparent targets and goals were important to reach community households for continued action. 11/17/08 18 Vice Mayor Drekmeier asked about the Cost Benefit Analysis for the CO2 reductions. He asked if this would return to Council in the future. Mr. Van Orsdol stated this was prepared in July 2008. The document was available as a tool and was included in the developed guidelines. Vice Mayor Drekmeier asked if there was an update on the Resource Recovery Center. Mr. Roberts stated this was looked at in the Study for Land Use Potential for the Los Altos Treatment Plant site and alternative locations for permanent location of the recycling center. He stated they hoped to have those two uses co-situated. He stated it was under study with further recommendations to Council. Vice Mayor Drekmeier asked if the City was doing enough on water preservation. He stated Palo Alto water usage was very high per capita. He asked if there was a wasted water hotline or other measures considered. Mr. Swaminathan stated they have statistician plans on energy efficiency and measures in months upcoming. He stated this topic could also be covered at that meeting. Vice Mayor Drekmeier asked if there was a plan for Earth Day 2009. Ms. Weiss stated there was discussion to pull together a team for next year. Ms. Hediger stated they were searching for a point person for the 2009 events. Ms. Weiss stated there was funding to get an additional person to manage and coordinate the event. Vice Mayor Drekmeier stated the Youth Council’s theme for the year was the environment and they have planned a fair-type event possibly around Earth Day 2009. He stated there may be ways of supporting the Youth Council along with the Earth Day activities. Ms. Weiss talked about the Green Light Film Festival, from a prior year Earth Day event. This was now an annual event. Vice Mayor Drekmeier spoke on Fiber to the Premises and the reduction of commuting. He asked if at some point this could be included in the sustainability reporting. He cited the most important thing that can be done 11/17/08 19 in the community was the consideration of over-population on limited resources. Council Member Burt spoke to Mayor Klein’s use of the Thomas Friedman metaphor and the needed revolutionary stage on environmental issues in the City. He stated Palo Alto was ready to move on to the revolution. He stated an important aspect of water conservation was the upcoming Zoning Ordinance and its updated element on landscaping. He stated this created many opportunities for water conservation and sustainability. He spoke to the importance of a closer look at the cost benefits and analysis of heavy power strip promotion. He stated much of what the community does was reflected in their utility bills. He stressed the importance of the utility bills being more user friendly in conveying the cost effectiveness for individual households. He suggested internet-based carbon calculators that could be offered as links to the utility bill information. He stressed the importance of some research on the impact of fiber telecommunication and other home usage aspects which impact transportation trips. Mayor Klein stated the City was making progress. He stressed the City’s role as an ambassador. He asked if there was a way to integrate the sustainability issues into their annual budgeting process. Mr. Keene stated this can be factored in. The actual way this would be done required further thought. He stated there were many ways available to report the progress of these measures and the return on investment. No action required by Council. COUNCIL COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND REPORTS FROM CONFERENCES Council Member Espinosa reported on his attendance at the National League of Cities Congress of Cities and Exposition Conference in Orlando, Florida. Mayor Klein also reported on his attendance at the Exposition in Orlando, Florida. He would like the new sustainability staff person to participate in STAR, which was a partnership to address and develop uniform standards for measurement and vocabulary on the subject of sustainability. Council Member Kishimoto reported on her attendance at the Santa Clara Cities Association meeting. She was reappointed to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board. She also reported on the county-wide effort for a plastic bag ordinance. Vice Mayor Drekmeier spoke regarding his attendance at the Stanford Community Resources Group meeting last week. Stanford produced a 11/17/08 20 sustainable development study and it looks at ways that Stanford can grow but try to be sustainable. Council Member Yeh reported on attending the Human Relations Commission meeting where the Police Chief gave her quarterly update on vehicle stops. He also inquired about the two week plan that the City Manager had discussed in reference to the Police Department. City Manager, James Keene, stated that he would be coming back to Council at the December 1, 2008 meeting. Council Member Morton stated that the Santa Clara County Airport Land Use Commission would be voting on the Palo Alto Airport Land Use Plan on Wednesday, November 19, 2008. Mayor Klein spoke about the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Turkey Trot to be held on Thanksgiving morning. He invited all Council Members and staff to attend. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 11:27 p.m. ATTEST: APPROVED: City Clerk Mayor NOTE: Sense minutes (synopsis) are prepared in accordance with Palo Alto Municipal Code Sections 2.04.180(a) and (b). The City Council and Standing Committee meeting tapes are made solely for the purpose of facilitating the preparation of the minutes of the meetings. City Council and Standing Committee meeting tapes are recycled 90 days from the date of the meeting. The tapes are available for members of the public to listen to during regular office hours.