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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-04-11 City Council Action MinutesCITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL ACTION MINUTES Page 1 of 8 Regular Meeting April 11, 2016 The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council Chambers at 6:02 P.M. Present: Berman, Burt, DuBois, Holman, Kniss arrived at 6:45 P.M., Schmid, Wolbach Absent: Filseth, Scharff Closed Session 1. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS City Designated Representatives: City Manager and his Designees Pursuant to Merit System Rules and Regulations (James Keene, Molly Stump, Suzanne Mason, Rumi Portillo, Dania Torres Wong, Allyson Hauck) Employee Organizations: Utilities Management and Professional Association of Palo Alto (UMPAPA); Management, Professional and Confidential Employees Authority: Government Code Section 54957.6(a). MOTION: Council Member Wolbach moved, seconded by Council Member Holman to go into Closed Session. MOTION PASSED: 6-0 Filseth, Kniss, Scharff absent Council went into Closed Session at 6:09 P.M. Council returned from Closed Session at 7:03 P.M. Mayor Burt announced no reportable action. ACTION MINUTES Page 2 of 8 City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 4/11/16 Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions None. Minutes Approval 2. Approval of Action Minutes for the March 28, 2016 Council Meeting. MOTION: Council Member Berman moved, seconded by Mayor Burt to approve the Action Minutes for the March 28, 2016 Council Meeting. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 Filseth, Scharff absent Consent Calendar MOTION: Council Member Kniss moved, seconded by Council Member DuBois to approve Agenda Item Numbers 3-6. 3. Approval of a Contract With Pleasanton Engineering Contractors, Inc. in the Not-to-Exceed Amount of $275,000 for Improvements to the Household Hazardous Waste Station Located at the Regional Water Quality Control Plant. 4. Finance Committee Recommends Adoption of a Budget Amendment for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 to Adjust Budgeted Revenues and Expenditures in Accordance With the Recommendations in the FY 2016 Midyear Budget Review Report. 5. Adoption of new Memoranda of Agreement With Palo Alto Peace Officers’ Association (PAPOA), International Association of Firefighters’ Union, Local 1319 (IAFF), Service Employees’ International Union, Local 521 (SEIU) and Palo Alto Police Management Association (PAPMA) and Resolution 9581 Entitled, “Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending the City of Palo Alto Merit Rules and Regulations.” 6. Approval of a City of Palo Alto Comment Letter Regarding the Draft 2016 California High Speed Rail Authority Business Plan. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 Filseth, Scharff absent ACTION MINUTES Page 3 of 8 City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 4/11/16 Action Items 7. PUBLIC HEARING: Adoption of an Ordinance to Amend Chapter 18.76 (Permits and Approvals) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Modify the Architectural Review Findings. The Planning and Transportation Commission and the Architectural Review Board Reviewed and Recommended the Proposed Draft Ordinance. The Proposed Amendments are Exempt From Further Environmental Review per California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guideline Sections 15061(b) and 15301, 15302 and 15305. Public Hearing opened at 7:19 P.M. Public Hearing closed at 7:45 P.M. MOTION: Council Member Holman moved, seconded by Council Member Schmid to adopt an Ordinance which is a continuation of the annual planning codes update discussed in December 2015 and contains amendments to the Architectural Review approval findings contained in Chapter 18.76 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Title 18 as submitted in the Staff Report, replacing Section 1 of the Ordinance with the following: “(d) Findings Neither the director, nor the city council on appeal, shall grant architectural review approval, unless it is found that at a minimum each of the following findings is met: 1. The design is consistent with applicable elements of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Code (including context-based design criteria, as applicable) and any relevant design guides. 2. The project has a unified and coherent design, is an aesthetically holistic design of massing and materials (intended to avoid superficial and “applied” appearance of design), creates an internal sense of order and desirable environment for occupants, visitors, and the general community, and preserves, respects and integrates existing natural features and the historic character including historic resources of the area when relevant; and provides harmonious transitions in size, mass, ACTION MINUTES Page 4 of 8 City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 4/11/16 scale and character to adjacent land uses, is compatible within the context of existing development in that it establishes design linkages with surrounding existing buildings so that the visual unity of the street is maintained at a minimum by: (1) Siting, scale, massing, materials; (2) The rhythmic pattern of the street established by the general width of the buildings and the spacing between them; (3) The sizes, proportions, and orientations of windows, bays, and doorways; (4) The location and treatment of entryways where applicable; And enhances living conditions on the site (if it includes residential uses) and in adjacent residential areas. 3. The design is of high aesthetic quality, using high quality materials and appropriate construction techniques, and incorporating textures, colors, and other details that are compatible with and enhance the surrounding area. 4. The design is functional, allowing for ease and safety of pedestrian and bicycle access and providing for elements that support the building’s necessary operations (e.g. convenient vehicle access to property and utilities, appropriate arrangement and amount of open space and integrated signage, if applicable, etc.). 5. The landscape design is desirable, integrated and compatible with the building and the surrounding area, is appropriate to the site’s functions, and utilizes drought-resistant plant material capable of providing desirable habitat and that can be appropriately maintained. 6. The project incorporates design principles that achieve sustainability and green building requirements in areas related to energy efficiency, water conservation, building materials, landscaping, and site planning.” INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion, “Direct Staff and the Architectural Review Board to review the updated language prior to the next ACTION MINUTES Page 5 of 8 City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 4/11/16 reading of this Ordinance and offer approval, feedback or changes.” (New Part B) INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to remove from the first paragraph of the Motion, “at a minimum” after “unless it is found.” INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the first paragraph of the Motion, “applicable” after “each of the following.” INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion Subsection 1, “coordinated area plans” after “as applicable.” INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to replace in the Motion Subsection 5, “is desirable, integrated and compatible with the building and the surrounding area” with “compliments and enhances the building design and its surroundings.” INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion Subsection 5, “to the extent practical, indigenous” after “functions, and utilizes.” INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to remove from the Motion Subsection 2, “is an aesthetically holistic design of massing and materials (intended to avoid superficial and “applied” appearance of design)” and add to subsection 3, “is an aesthetically holistic design of massing and materials (intended to avoid superficial and “applied” appearance of design)” after “high aesthetic quality.” INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion Subsection 2, “that contribute positively to the site” after “natural features.” MOTION RESTATED: Council Member Holman moved, seconded by Council Member Schmid to: ACTION MINUTES Page 6 of 8 City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 4/11/16 A. Adopt an Ordinance which is a continuation of the annual planning codes update discussed in December 2015 and contains amendments to the Architectural Review approval findings contained in Chapter 18.76 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Title 18 as submitted in the Staff Report, replacing Section 1 of the Ordinance with the following: “(d) Findings Neither the director, nor the city council on appeal, shall grant architectural review approval, unless it is found that each of the following applicable findings is met: 1. The design is consistent with applicable elements of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Code (including context-based design criteria, as applicable), coordinated area plans and any relevant design guides. 2. The project has a unified and coherent design, creates an internal sense of order and desirable environment for occupants, visitors, and the general community, and preserves, respects and integrates:  existing natural features that contribute positively to the site and  the historic character including historic resources of the area when relevant; and provides harmonious transitions in size, mass, scale and character to adjacent land uses , is compatible within the context of existing development in that it establishes design linkages with surrounding existing buildings so that the visual unity of the street is maintained at a minimum by: (1) Siting, scale, massing, materials; (2) The rhythmic pattern of the street established by the general width of the buildings and the spacing between them; (3) The sizes, proportions, and orientations of windows, ACTION MINUTES Page 7 of 8 City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 4/11/16 bays, and doorways; (4) The location and treatment of entryways where applicable; And enhances living conditions on the site (if it includes residential uses) and in adjacent residential areas. 3. The design is of high aesthetic quality, is an aesthetically holistic design of massing and materials (intended to avoid superficial and “applied” appearance of design) using high quality materials and appropriate construction techniques, and incorporating textures, colors, and other details that are compatible with and enhance the surrounding area. 4. The design is functional, allowing for ease and safety of pedestrian and bicycle access and providing for elements that support the building’s necessary operations (e.g. convenient vehicle access to property and utilities, appropriate arrangement and amount of open space and integrated signage, if applicable, etc.). 5. The landscape design compliments and enhances the building design and its surroundings, is appropriate to the site’s functions, and utilizes, to the extent practical, indigenous drought-resistant plant material capable of providing desirable habitat and that can be appropriately maintained. 6. The project incorporates design principles that achieve sustainability and green building requirements in areas related to energy efficiency, water conservation, building materials, landscaping, and site planning.” B. Direct Staff and the Architectural Review Board to review the updated language prior to the next reading of this Ordinance and offer approval, feedback or changes. MOTION AS AMENDED PASSED: 7-0 Filseth, Scharff absent 8. Direction to Staff Regarding Downtown Palo Alto Parking Wayfinding and Parking Guidance Systems Design. ACTION MINUTES Page 8 of 8 City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 4/11/16 MOTION: Council Member Kniss moved, seconded by Council Member Holman to direct Staff to solicit bids for construction for the Downtown Parking Wayfinding design in the green color scheme. SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Council Member Wolbach moved, seconded by Council Member Schmid to direct Staff to solicit bids for construction for the Downtown Parking Wayfinding design in the blue color scheme. SUBSTITUTE MOTION PASSED: 5-2 Holman, Kniss no, Filseth, Scharff absent MOTION: Council Member Kniss moved, seconded by Council Member Berman to direct Staff to prepare plans and estimates for construction and installation of Automated Parking Guidance System (APGS) with preference for single-space monitoring in the Downtown Palo Alto parking garages and solicit bids when funding becomes available. MOTION PASSED: 6-1 DuBois no, Filseth, Scharff absent Inter-Governmental Legislative Affairs None. Council Member Questions, Comments and Announcements Council Member Kniss shared the contributions of Paula Kirkeby to the Palo Alto art community, including running what is now named Smith Anderson Editions. Ms. Kirkeby served on the Public Art Commission and supported the Palo Alto Art Center. Council Member Holman noted that community support and recognition for the work of Paula Kirkeby included the renewal of a Conditional Use Permit by the Planning and Transportation Commission for a period twice as long as requested by Ms. Kirkeby. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned in memory of Paula Kirkeby at 10:38 P.M.