HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-09-16 City Council Action MinutesCITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL
ACTION MINUTES
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Special Meeting
September 16, 2013
The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council
Chambers at 5:05 P.M.
Present: Berman, Burt, Holman, Klein, Kniss arrived at 5:15 P.M., Price
arrived at 5:10 P.M., Scharff, Schmid, Shepherd
Absent:
CLOSED SESSION
1. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS
City Designated Representatives: City Manager and his designees
pursuant to Merit System Rules and (James Keene, Pamela Antil, Lalo
Perez, David Ramberg, Joe Saccio, Kathryn Shen, Sandra Blanch,
Dania Torres Wong, Val Fong, Marcie Scott, Brenna Rowe, Molly
Stump)
Employee Organization: Service Employees International Union,
(SEIU) Local 521
Authority: Government Code Section 54957.6(a)
STUDY SESSION
2. Potential List of Topics for the Study Session With Assemblyman Rich
Gordon.
Assemblyman Gordon spoke regarding the recently closed Legislative
Session. The Legislature passed an increase in the minimum wage,
increasing it to $10 an hour over a couple of years; authorized the issuance
of driver’s licenses to undocumented residents; and they took some action
which will affect the California Environmental Quality Act. Council Members
asked him for updates on specific bills such as the expansion of the authority
of the Coastal Commission. He said he hoped for a reintroduction of the bill
to support greater due process. He discussed the future of High Speed Rail,
indicating it was not a high priority in the Legislature. He said that
previously when they cut the State Budget, most of it was in health and
ACTION MINUTES
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City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 9/16/13
human services, impacting the services offered. He said that the
infrastructure for these services needed to be rebuilt. He answered
questions about job based forecasts for economies versus population based
forecasts, indicating the population forecasts are more reliable.
SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY
3. Presentation of $1.2 Million Donation Check from the Palo Alto Library
Foundation to the City of Palo Alto.
MINUTES APPROVAL
MOTION: Vice Mayor Shepherd moved, seconded by Council Member Price
to approve the minutes of August 12, 2013.
MOTION PASSED: 9-0
CONSENT CALENDAR
MOTION: Vice Mayor Shepherd moved, seconded by Council Member Price
to approve Agenda Item Numbers 4-10.
4. Budget Amendment Ordinance 5211 entitled “Budget Amendment
Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto to Appropriate the
State Homeland Security Grant Program Funds for Blue Card
Command and Control Certification.”
5. Approval of Amendment No. 1 to Contract C13149552 with Turner
Construction Company to Increase Compensation by $785,000 for a
Total Amount Not-to -Exceed $1,485,000 for Additional Construction
Management Services for the Mitchell Park Library & Community
Center Project.
6. Approval of Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. C12144101 with WMB
Architects, Inc. in the Amount of $105,974 for a Total Not-to-Exceed
Amount of $284,691 for Design of Improved Public Lobby and Meeting
Spaces and Consolidation of Utilities Customer Service Functions on
the First Floor as Part of the City Hall First Floor Renovations Capital
Improvement Program Project PE-12017.
7. Approval of Amendment No. 20 to Contract No. S0114750 With The
Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board for Rail Shuttle Bus
Administration to Extend the Term for Six Months and Add $26,684 for
a Total Not To Exceed Amount of $2,903,928.
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City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 9/16/13
8. Resolution 9373 entitled “Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo
Alto Approving the 2014 Municipal Fee Schedule Amendments.”
9. Approval of Utilities Enterprise Fund Construction Contract No.
C141541174 with DN Tanks, Inc. In a Not to Exceed Amount of
$340,000 for Repairs at Mayfield Reservoir.
10. Confirmation of Appointment of Hillary Gitelman as Director of
Planning and Community Environment.
MOTION PASSED: 8-0, Klein absent
ACTION ITEMS
11. Review of Preliminary Economic Analysis Report for a Planned
Community (PC) Rezoning to Accommodate: 1) Four-Story Office
Development at 395 Page Mill Road and; 2) Three-Story Public Safety
Building with Attached Six-Level Parking Structure Located at 3045
Park Boulevard.
NO MOTION REQUIRED
12. Colleague’s Memo From Mayor Scharff, Vice Mayor Shepherd, Council
Members Kniss and Price Regarding Palo Alto Traffic Demand
Management Plan.
MOTION: Mayor Scharff moved, seconded by Council Member Price to
direct Staff to develop a comprehensive Transportation Demand
Management (TDM) plan for the California Avenue and University Avenue
Downtown Districts, the Stanford Research Park, and East Meadow Circle,
with the goal of reducing solo car trips by at least 30% and return to the full
Council for further policy direction prior to initiating CEQA review, soliciting
contracts, or proposing new fees, Ordinances or Resolutions. The City
Manager shall retain a consultant to assist in the expeditious development of
a rigorous TDM plan.
SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Council Member Klein moved, seconded by Council
Member Burt to direct Staff to organize one or two study sessions with
outreach to various stakeholders, to have appropriate speakers including
representatives from Stanford and Contra Costa County and anyone else
identified as an expert or critic, and Staff will report to the City Council at
the same time as to the cost of any such study and its feasibility at an
appropriate time frame to come forward. Also to have the City Attorney
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Action Minutes: 9/16/13
identify and speak to any legal issues. Identify an outline for proposed ideas
of financing such a program. To identify possible other solutions to the
traffic and parking problems. Such report and study sessions to take place
no later than January 2014.
INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH CONSENT OF MAKER AND
SECONDER for Staff to consult with the Planning and Transportation
Commission during the time period.
INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH CONSENT OF MAKER AND
SECONDER to add “on transportation demand management” after “direct
Staff to organize one or two study sessions”
MOTION: Council Member Kniss moved, seconded by Council Member Price
to Table the item.
Council Members Kniss and Price withdrew their Motion to Table the item.
MOTION TO CONTINUE: Council Member Klein moved, Mayor Scharff
seconded to form a Committee of two Council Members, to be appointed by
the Mayor to draft a resolution with respect to a Transportation Demand
Management plan and bring back to Council by the first meeting in October.
MOTION TO CONTINUE PASSED: 9-0
13. Approval of City of Palo Alto's Response to the 2012-2013 Santa Clara
County Civil Grand Jury Report - "The State of Public Safety Disability
Retirement Rates In The County."
MOTION: Mayor Scharff moved, seconded by Council Member Kniss to 1)
approve the following response to the 2012-2013 Santa Clara County Civil
Grand Jury Report, “The State of Public Safety Disability Retirement Rates In
The County” and 2) the Mayor will send a letter to the Grand Jury with the
City’s Response by the deadline, September 30, 2013, to include the
corrections indicated.
MOTION PASSED: 9-0
COUNCIL MEMBER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Council Member Berman announced that he was in New York attending a
conference regarding Fiber to the Premises.
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Action Minutes: 9/16/13
Council Member Klein commented on the process for appointing an Interim
or Acting City Auditor.
Mayor Scharff said the position was appointed as an Acting City Auditor by
the previous City Auditor. The Council Appointed Officer Committee believed
they would be able to find a permanent replacement soon. The confirmation
of the Acting City Auditor appointment would be on the next Council Agenda.
Vice Mayor Shepherd said she and the Mayor had been invited to witness the
Governor sign a Memorandum of Understanding with China regarding
climate change.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 11:43 P.M.