HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-20 City Council Action MinutesCITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL
ACTION MINUTES
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Regular Meeting
March 20, 2017
The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council
Chambers at 6:07 P.M.
Present: DuBois, Filseth, Fine, Holman arrived at 6:11 P.M., Kniss, Kou,
Scharff, Tanaka, Wolbach
Absent:
Closed Session
1. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS.
THIS ITEM WILL NOT BE HEARD THIS EVENING AND BE WILL
RESCHEDULED.
Special Orders of the Day
At this time Council heard Agenda Item Number 3.
3. Proclamation of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Honoring Loretta
Green.
Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions
None.
Minutes Approval
4. Approval of Action Minutes for the February 13 and 27, 2017 Council
Meetings.
MOTION: Council Member Filseth moved, seconded by Council Member
Fine to approve the Action Minutes for the February 13 and 27, 2017 Council
Meetings.
MOTION PASSED: 9-0
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Consent Calendar
Council Members DuBois, Holman, and Kou registered no votes on Agenda
Item Number 13- 429 University Avenue [14PLN-00222]…
Vice Mayor Kniss advised she will not participate pertaining to Agenda Item
Number 13- 429 University Avenue [14PLN-00222]…
MOTION: Vice Mayor Kniss moved, seconded by Council Member Fine to
approve Agenda Item Numbers 5-14.
5. Appointment of 2017 Emergency Standby Council.
6. Authorize Acceptance of Relinquishment of one Parcel From the State
of California (Caltrans) and the Release and Quitclaim of Nine Parcels
to the State of California (Caltrans) for the 101 Auxiliary Project
Between the State Route 85 (SR 85) Interchange in Mountain View
and the Embarcadero Road Interchange and the Replacement of the
San Francisquito Creek Bridge.
7. Ordinance 5406 Entitled, “Ordinance of the Council of the City of
Palo Alto Amending Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Title 18 (Zoning);
Chapters 18.04 (Definitions), 18.30(F) (Automobile Dealership (AD)
Combining District Regulations), 18.52 (Parking and Loading
Requirements), and 18.54 (Parking Facility Design Standards); Adding Sections 18.40.160 (Replacement Project Required), 18.40.170
(Deferral of Director’s Action), and 18.42.140 (Housing Inventory Sites
Small Lot Consolidation); and Repealing Chapter 10.70 (Trip Reduction
and Travel Demand). The Proposed Ordinance is Exempt From the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per Section 15061(b)(3)
(FIRST READING: February 27, 2017 PASSED: 8-0 Tanaka absent).”
8. 1470 Monte Bello Road [16PLN-00180]: Approval of a Site and Design
Review to Allow the Replacement of an Existing 24-foot Long Wooden
Bridge Across an Unnamed Tributary to Steven's Creek With a new
45 to 50-foot Long Steel Bridge and to Construct a new 45 to 50-foot
Long Steel Bridge Across Steven's Creek. Environmental Assessment:
The Lead Agency, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Prepared
an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration, Which was Adopted by
the District on March 9, 2016. Open Space (OS) Zoning District.
9. Approval of a Construction Contract With Alcal Specialty Contracting,
Inc. in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $364,728 to Provide Construction
Services to Replace the Existing Roof at the Cubberley Community
Center Auditorium Wing.
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10. Approve and Authorize the City Manager to Execute Contract
Amendment Number 1 to Contract Number C15157280 in the Amount
of $30,000 With Project Consultant David J. Powers for Historical
Evaluation of Rinconada Park Additional Services; and Approve a
Budget Amendment in the Capital Improvement Fund for Rinconada
Long Range Plan (Project PE-12003) in the Amount of $45,000.
11. Approval of a Professional Services Agreement With SRT Consultants for a Total Not-to-Exceed Amount of $708,736 for Assessment of the
City's Current Water System Configuration and Recommendations to
Enhance the City's Emergency Water Supply.
12. Approval of Contract Amendment Number 2 With SP Plus in the
Amount of $368,390 for Additional Services for Parking Permits and
On-site Customer Service and to Extend the Term of the Agreement to
March 15, 2019; Approval of Contract Amendment Number 2 With
Serco, Inc. in the Amount of $751,224 for Enforcement of Evergreen
Park-Mayfield Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) District and to
Extend the Term of the Agreement to May 31, 2019; Approval of
Contract Amendment Number 2 With McGuire Pacific Constructors in
the Amount of $181,035 for Construction Services for Evergreen Park- Mayfield Residential Preferential Parking District.
13. 429 University Avenue [14PLN-00222]: Adoption of a Mitigated
Negative Declaration, a Mitigation Monitoring Plan, and a Record of
Land Use Action Approving a Mixed Use Project With 28,547 Square
Foot of Floor Area and two Subterranean Levels of Parking on an
11,000 Square Foot Site. Environmental Assessment: Mitigated
Negative Declaration was Circulated From November 17, 2014 to
December 12, 2014. Zoning District: CD-C (GF)(P).
14. Ordinance 5407 Entitled, “Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo
Alto Amending Chapter 18 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code Making
Permanent Interim Urgency Ordinance 5330 (Limiting the Conversion
of Ground Floor Retail and Retail Like Uses), With Some Modifications;
Extending the Ground Floor Combining District to Certain Properties
Located Downtown; Modifying the Definition of Retail; Adding
Regulations to Improve Pedestrian Oriented Design Standards in the
Downtown; and Related Changes. The Proposed Ordinance is Exempt
From the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per Section
15308. The Planning and Transportation Commission Recommended
Approval of the Proposed Ordinance (FIRST READING: February 13,
2017 PASSED: 6-3 Fine, Kniss, Tanaka no).”
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MOTION FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBERS 5-12, 14 PASSED: 9-0
MOTION FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 13 PASSED: 5-3-1 DuBois,
Holman, Kou no, Kniss abstain
Special Orders of the Day
At this time Council heard Agenda Item Number 2.
2. Proclamation of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Honoring Roy Clay.
Action Items
15. TEFRA HEARING: Resolution 9672 Entitled, “Resolution of the Council
of the City of Palo Alto Regarding Conduit Financing for the Channing
House Project Located at 850 Webster Street, Palo Alto, and Approving
the Issuance of Revenue Bonds by the California Municipal Finance
Authority for the Purpose of Financing and Refinancing the Acquisition,
Construction, Equipping and Furnishing of Improvements to Channing
House.”
MOTION: Council Member Filseth moved, seconded by Council Member
Wolbach to adopt a Resolution approving the issuance of the bonds by the
California Municipal Finance Authority (CMFA) for the benefit of Channing
House (Borrower).
MOTION PASSED: 8-0 Kniss not participating
16. PUBLIC HEARING: Comprehensive Plan Update: Public Hearing on the
Supplement to the Draft Environmental Impact Report and Revised
Fiscal Study; Council Discussion and Direction to Staff Regarding a
Preferred Planning Scenario; and Council Discussion and Direction to
Staff Regarding the Organization of the Comprehensive Plan.
Public Hearing opened at 7:29 P.M.
Public Hearing closed at 8:31 P.M.
MOTION: Council Member Wolbach moved, seconded by Council Member
DuBois to direct Staff to:
A. Proceed with Option 4-B to include programs in the Implementation
Plan and also in the main body of the Comprehensive Plan; and
B. Complete the process of consolidating redundant Programs and
eliminating infeasible Policies/Programs; and
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C. Incorporate suggestions from Comprehensive Plan Update Citizens
Advisory Committee (CAC) and public and use their own judgement to
identify relative priority and timeline for implementing Programs (e.g.
maintain current practice, short-term, medium-term, long-term; or
current, 1-year, 5-year, 13-year) and estimate level of effort/cost
associated with each Program (e.g. low, medium, high); and
D. Return to Council to review the above prior to adoption.
MOTION PASSED: 9-0
MOTION: Mayor Scharff moved, seconded by Council Member Filseth to
accept the description of a preferred scenario for the Comprehensive Plan
Update Final Environmental Impact Report described in the Staff Report with
the following elements and adjustments:
A. Estimated housing growth would be between Scenario 5 (3,545
dwelling units) and Scenario 4 (4,420 dwelling units); and
B. Estimated non-residential square footage would be similar to
Scenario 2 (3 million square feet, of which 1.3 million square feet has
already been approved at the Stanford University Medical Center); and
C. Estimated employment growth would be between Scenario 2 (9,850
jobs) and 11,500 jobs; and
D. Transportation investments would be those listed in the Staff Report,
subject to additional review and refinement when the Transportation
Element returns to Council on May 1; and
E. Additional Zoning Code amendments and policies advancing
sustainability measures would be those listed in the Staff Report,
subject to additional review and refinement when the Land Use
Element returns to Council on May 1.
AMENDMENT: Council Member Wolbach moved, seconded by Council
Member Fine to replace Part A of the Motion with, “estimated housing growth
would be between Scenario 4 (4,420 dwelling units) and Scenario 6 (6,000
dwelling units).”
INCORPORATED INTO THE AMENDMENT WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to replace in the Amendment, “Scenario 4 (4,420
dwelling units)” with “Scenario 5 (3,545 dwelling units).”
AMENDMENT AS AMENDED RESTATED: Council Member Wolbach
moved, seconded by Council Member Fine to replace Part A of the Motion
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with, “estimated housing growth would be between Scenario 5 (3,545
dwelling units) and Scenario 6 (6,000 dwelling units).”
AMENDMENT AS AMENDED FAILED: 4-5 Fine, Kniss, Tanaka, Wolbach
yes
AMENDMENT: Council Member Holman moved, seconded by Council
Member Wolbach to replace Part C of the Motion with, “estimated
employment growth would be between Scenarios 5 and 6 (8,868 jobs) and Scenario 2 (9,850 jobs).”
SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT: Council Member DuBois moved, seconded by
Council Member Holman add to Part C of the Motion, “to reintroduce some
form of cap on development Downtown.”
SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT WITHDRAWN BY THE MAKER
AMENDMENT FAILED: 3-6 Holman, Kou, Wolbach yes
AMENDMENT: Council Member Fine moved, seconded by Council Member
Tanaka to replace Part C of the Motion with, “estimated employment growth
would be between Scenario 2 (9,850 jobs) and Scenario 4 (15,870 jobs).”
AMENDMENT FAILED: 2-7 Fine, Tanaka yes
AMENDMENT: Council Member Kou moved, seconded by Council Member
XX to replace in Part A of the Motion, “Scenario 5 (3,545 dwelling units)” with “Scenario 2 (2,720 dwelling units).”
AMENDMENT FAILED DUE TO THE LACK OF A SECOND
MOTION AS AMENDED RESTATED: Mayor Scharff moved, seconded by
Council Member Filseth to accept the description of a preferred scenario for
the Comprehensive Plan Update Final Environmental Impact Report
described in the Staff Report with the following elements and adjustments:
A. Estimated housing growth would be between Scenario 5 (3,545
dwelling units) and Scenario 4 (4,420 dwelling units); and
B. Estimated non-residential square footage would be similar to
Scenario 2 (3 million square feet, of which 1.3 million square feet has
already been approved at the Stanford University Medical Center); and
C. Estimated employment growth would be between Scenario 2 (9,850
jobs) and 11,500 jobs; and
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D. Transportation investments would be those listed in the Staff Report,
subject to additional review and refinement when the Transportation
Element returns to Council on May 1; and
E. Additional Zoning Code amendments and policies advancing
sustainability measures would be those listed in the Staff Report,
subject to additional review and refinement when the Land Use
Element returns to Council on May 1.
MOTION AS AMENDED PASSED: 8-1 Wolbach no
Inter-Governmental Legislative Affairs
Mayor Scharff reported that there are a number of bills in the State
legislature that impact housing and potentially impact local control. He
requested Council schedule an agenda item to discuss these bills.
James Keene, City Manager advised that he will work with the Mayor to
schedule such an agenda item.
Mayor Scharff supposed that the Association of Bay Area Governments
(ABAG) may take a stance of some of these bills.
Council Member Questions, Comments and Announcements
Council Member DuBois shared his appreciation of Robert De Geus, Peter
Jensen, and James Reifschneider for their attendance at the Barron Park Annual Meeting and their presentations regarding Community Services and
Police services.
Vice Mayor Kniss reported her attendance at the National League of Cities
Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C. She and several Council
colleagues met with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). She shared
that the Conference is a great opportunity to interact with officials from
around the country. She reported a general sense of negativity towards
California. She shared her appreciation at having the opportunity to attend
the Conference and that there was significant discussion about changes that
may be made by the current administration.
Council Member Wolbach announced that he also attended the Conference
and encouraged other Council Members to participate in the future. He felt
that meeting with the FAA was helpful regarding airplane noise. He shared
his hopes that Caltrain electrification funding becomes available, that relief
from airplane noise becomes a reality, and that funding for the upstream
portions of the San Francisquito Creek project becomes available. He
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reported his appointment to the Legislative Action Committee of the
California League of Cities, Peninsula Division. This is a new Committee.
Mayor Scharff shared that he attended the Conference and felt it was
worthwhile. He felt speaking with Republican Senators that share the City’s
concerns about potential transportation funding cuts was helpful. He is
hopeful that the federal government will support Caltrain electrification.
Vice Mayor Kniss reported that the New York Times recently ran an editorial in support of electrification.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 P.M.