HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-02-21 City Council Summary MinutesCITY COUNCIL
MINUTES
Isimgamaszmw PALO ALTO CITY COUNCI LMEETINGSARE BROADCAST LIVE VIAiQSU• FREOUENCY90.1 ON FM DIAL
Regular Meeting
February 21, 1989
ITISH
Oral Communications
Approval of Minutes
PAGE
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61-126
1. Contract with west valley Construction Company 61-126
for Capacitor Substructure Installation, Hansen
Way Substation; Change Orders to $2,500
2. Contract with Power Engineering Contractors for 61-127
Remote Terminal Electric System Foundation and
Conduit Installation, Hansen Way Substation;
Change Orders to $2,500
3. Resolution Adopting Conflict of Interest 63-127
Code for Designated Positions
4. PUBLIC HEARING: Citywide Land Use and Trans- 61-127
portation Study and Environmental Iaaapct Report,
Including Planning Commission Recommendations
5. Ordinance Amending Budget for Fiscal Year 1988- 61-131
89 to Provide an Additional Appropriation for
Information Systems Development
6. Council MembersAgavy, Patitucci and Woolley re
Oral Communicati0us at -Council Meetings
ddjournaent to Study Session to Discuss Storm
Drainage Enterprise Fund at 10:44 p.n.
final Adjournment at 11:20 p.m.
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61-136
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2/21/89
Regular Meeting
February 21, 1989
The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the
Council Chambers at 7:35 p.m.
Mayor Klein announced that immediately upon the conclusion of the
regular meeting, Council would adjourn to a study session to
discuss Storm Drainage Enterprise Fund.
PRESENT: Bechtel (arrived at 7:36 p.m.), Cobb, Klein,
Fletcher, Levy, Patitucci (arrived at 7:37 p.m.),
Renzel, Sutorius, Woolley
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
1. Ben Bailey, 171 Everett, spoke regarding Palo Alto Police
Department complaints.
2. Tom Siowik, Evergreen Park Association, Stanford Avenue, spoke
regarding R-1 and R-2 zoning.
3. Ed Power, 2254 Dartmouth Street, spoke regarding Palo Alto
Yacht Harbor and Peninsula Times Tribune not printing his
letter.
4. Tony Spitaleri, 1125 Merrimac Drive, Sunnyvale, spoke
regarding Palo Alto Fire Station Relocation Study and closing
of Fire Station No. 2.
$ P VAL OF MINUTEa
NOTION: Council Member Sutorius moved, seconded by Fletcher,
approval of the Minutes of January 23, 19E9, as submitted.
NOTION PASSIM 7-0-2, Patitucci, Woolley *abstaining."
ORMAEL&AMIQUI
MOTION: Council Member Fletcher moved, seconded by Renzel,
approve Consent Calendar Items 1 - 3.
to
Contract with Wst Valley Construction Company for Capacitor
Substru.ture Installation, Hansen Way Substation; Change
Orders to $2,500 (1101) (CMR:152:9)
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2. Contract with Power Engineering Contractors for Remote
Terminal Electric System Foundation and Conduit Installation,
Hansen Way Substation; Change Orders to $2,500 (1101)
(CMR:151:9)
3. RESOLUTION 6759 entitled "RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF PALO ALTO ADOPTING THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE FOR
DESIGNATED POSITIONS AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 2.09.010 OF THE
PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE AND REPEALING RESOLUTION NO. 6670"
(716-89-05)
MOTION PAB$ED 9-0.
PUBLICi HEARINGS
4. PUBLIC HEARING: Citywide Land Use and Transportation Study
and Environmental Impact Report, Including Planning Commission
Recommendations (1041-07) (cMR:154:9)
Mayor Klein declared the Public Hearing open.
Jerry Switalski, 813 Sam Ramon Avenue, represented the Palo Alto
Elks Lodge, which was founded in July, 1924. The Lodge recently
completed $31,000 in improvements to its current building at 4249
El Camino Real to add a handicap ramp to its front. The current
zoning was Cn and staff recommended the zoning be chanced to RM-
30 and RM-15. The surrounding props rties were hotels, and the
recommendation was to retain the current floor area ratio (FAR) of
.75:1. He urged zoning of the Elks Lodge remain CS.
Tom Settle, 531 Bay Road, Menlo Park, chaired the Drug Awareness
Committee for the Palo Alto Elks Club. He urged that zoning of the
Elks Lodge remain CS.
Deborah Ju, 371 Whitcleia Drive, lived near the Elks Lodge. Her
neighborhood was concerned about the possibility of RM-30 housing
on the Elks' site. She referred to a petition which was submitted
to the Planning Commission, signed by over 200 residents, opposing
the proposed rezoning. Traffic impacts needed to be considered on
an already heavily impacted Wilkie Way. She also believed
Commissioner Huber made a motion, which was seconded by
Commissioner Cullen at its November 30, 1988, meeting, which
involved not only an L zone to disallow access to Wilkie Way but
specific language in the zoning prohibiting access to Wilkie Way
for any multi --family house. Commissioners discussed that an L zone
would be an insufficient protection to the neighborhood from
additional traffic on Wilkie Way due to the availability of use
permits. The motion expressly stated there should be language to
provide additional protection from such access, and she did not see
it included.
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Jean Olmstead, 240 W. Charleston, associated with the comments of
Deborah Ju. She believed there was more of a need for neighborhood
commercial zones rather than high -density residential or hotels.
She supported most of the Planning Commission recommendations but
was concerned about Area 6.
Bob Moss, 4010 Orme Street, submitted a letter from the Barron Park
Association (BPA) (which is on file in the City Clerk's Office).
BPA supported the Planning Commission recommendations.
Florence LaRiviere( 453 Tennessee Lane, referred to the friendly
relationship of her neighborhood with Traynor/Hill families. The
neighborhood was long concerned about the possible heights and
densities of the various zoning suggested over the years for the
strips along El Camino Real and El Camino Way, and now they had the
Hamlet and Reller projects looming over their fences. Council now
had the opportunity to provide significant protection to their
neighborhood.
Carlin Otto, 231 Whitclea Court, referred to the area behind the
Elks Club, which was zoned R-1. She associated with the comments
of Deborah Ju. She urged protection of her neighborhood.
Donald Peglow, 1102 Lincoln Drive, Mountain View, was associated
with the Palo Alto Elks Club, and spoke of its many charitable
deeds. He did not want tha zoning of the Elks Lodge to change.
Joan !Mahler, 461 Carolina Lane, commended the Planning Commission
and staff for their work on the Study. She believed the recom-
mended zoning for the Traynor/Hill property at 461 West Charleston
should preclude an ingress or egress from Charleston Roed.
Al Casten, 633 Chapman Drive, Corte Madera, the principal owner of
the property known as Fiesta Lanes, urged consideration of the
third alternative in the City Land Use and Transportation Study
which retained the commercial use of the property in force. He
believed the property w.es ideally suited to motel use.
Peter Taskovich, 751 Gallen Avenue, was concerned the Citywide Land
Use and Transportation Study did not go far enough to solve the
transportation problems.
Ray Reiner, 3162 Ross Road, a member of the Elks Club, urged that
the print zoning be retained.
Harry Gray, 3782 Redwood Circle, a member of the Elks Club, urged
that the present zoning be retained.
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1
John Tow, 5110 W. Cypress, Visalia, represented Quad Consultants,
who was retained by the Traynor/Hill families in conjunction with
the Citywide Study. He urged consideration of poiets raised in
their earlier letters (on file in the City Clerk's Office), and
believed the present configuration of zoning designation on the
Traynor/Hill properties was appropriate.
Frank Matsumoto, M.D., 1187 University Drive, Menlo Park, referred
to the Charter Psychiatric Facility at Stanford and the importance
of it being located on the trapezoid lot. He looked forward to
good medical practices and a benefit to patients, the City, and
the staff.
Lorrin Koran, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford Medical
Center, 710 Alvarado Road, Stanford, represented the interests of
locating the Charter Stanford Hospital in the trapezoid location
at the corner of Quarry Road and Arboretum. The proposed location
best facilitated patient care in terms of proximity to the
hospital. About 25 percent of people in p :ychiatric hospitals had
a serious medical disease which required treatment by a non -
psychiatric physician. Patients would be frequently transported
to the Medical Center. The Charter Hospital needed to be a part
of the hospital mainstream. He also referred to the letter from
Dean David Korn, dated February 15, 1989 (on file in the City
Clerk's Office).
Chop Keenan, 400 Hamilton, said the future of the Citywide
iownzoning was in the redevelopment of existing sites. Downzoning
needed to be carefully considered as it related to economic
consequences of businesses and the economic and social consequences
to the City treasury. When Palo Alto had its auto row downtown,
it had a greater sales tax contribution to the City than the
Stanford Shopping Center. Land use decisions discouraged the
relation of auto dealerships in the City and they moved to Menlo
Park. E urged caution.
Council Member Sutorius referred to a one -lot -deep CS zone along
El Camino Real and the recommendation of the Planning Commission
to add a category of general neighborhood business to a CN zone.
He queried CS at a .5 FAR versus CN with the revised definition.
Mr. Keenan believed the CH zone was restrictive in use. El Camino
Real was a state highway traveled by 47,000 to 50,000 cars per day
through the major intersections. It was not a neighborhood serving
commercial, but ` rather a strip commercial. He believed the FAR
would control the concern about traffic. He recommended leaving
latitude on what businesses located in the area.
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Henry Brodersen, 1270 Byron Street, Government Relations Chair of
the Palo Alto Elks Lodge, expressed his concerts about local
government decisions.
Wilton Johnson, 4287 Wilkie Way, lived directly across the street
from the Elks Club property and expressed concern about parking
end traffic on Wilkie Way. He urged that the Elks Club not be
rezoned.
David Midlo, 1933 Waverley Street, recently sold his business in
downtown Palo Alto because it had been level or down for the past
three years; and, with the "no growth" policy downtown, he felt
there was no chance for growth in his business. Hisbusiness had
been lo':ated downtown for 15 years and rents increased 50 percent
every five years. The rents were not the problem; he planned for
rent increases, but he did not, and could not, plan for no growth.
William Spangler, 471 Carolina Lane, generally agreed with the
Planning Commission recommendations. The El Camino Real/
Charleston/Arastradero intersection, located in Area 6, was one of
the worst in the City, but only trifling improvements were
proposed. He suggested westbound Charleston have a right turn lane
for turns onto northbound El Camino Real. He did not believe the
hotel zone overlay should apply to the Town & Country Shopping
Center. He supported rezoning the Elks Lodge site with a
grandfather clause and did not believe there should be a problem
as long as the Elks stayed, To provide adequate compatibility with
existing neighborhoods, he believed the Elki Club property strip
along Wilkie Way should be R-1 to a depth of 100 feet, and the 476
Charleston Road site should also be R-1 and not be saved as a
potential .road into the site. He urged adoption of :,the Planning
Commission proposal with minor changes.
Alexander Lappet 3457 El Camino Real, represented Continental Car
Service, and did not want any rezoning to force them to have to
leave their present location.
Director of Planning and Community Environment Ken Schreiber said
111 the public comments focused on elements of the study and the
Planning Commission recommendations. There were no comments
specifically related to the information contained in the
Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and there were no requests for
additional information. Regarding the February 16, 1989, letter
from the Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC) , he clarified
that a program EIR looked at a more general level of action, which
was why the detailed information regarding bicycle facilities was
not included. Hot commenting on some of the bicycle --related items
in no way implied the City was reducing its policy emphasis as a
key part of its transportation element. He deterred to Steve
Pickrell' the Transportation Consultant from Fehr and Pears, to
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comment on the letter from Paul Wilson (on file in the City Clerk's
Office), the only other piece of correspondence which directly
related to the EIR.
Steve Pickrell said Mr. Wilson's letter, dated February 21, 1989,
suggested the analysis of traffic impacts on the various land use
scenarios should have relied to a greater extent on measurement of
delay. The "delay" method referred to did not work well when
traffic demand voirmes were expected to exceed the capacity of an
intersection. The variables needed to drive the "delay" model
could not be accurately predicted in a 15 -year period. Staff, with
the consultant's assistance, instead chose to develop a method more
suited for long-range planning. The method's ability to provide
usable measures of the spread of congestion outside its traditional
peak hour in the future was specifically enhanced.
Mayor Klein declared the Public Hearing closed.
Mayor Klein announced the Citywide Land Use and Transportation
Study would return to Council for discussion and possible decisions
on March 5, 1989.
No Action Taken
R E$ ; _ 9;25 - 9:35 'p.m.
ORJINA ICES
5. Ordinance Amending the Budget for Fiscal Year 1988-89 to
Provide an Additional Appropriation for Infoimation Systems
Development (270-01) (CMR:148:9)
Council Member Patitucci queried why the matter could not wait for
the budget process,
City Manager Bill Zaner said the problems were that people could
not get on the computer system and get proper response time. By
waiting for the budget process, the problems would not be solved.
MOTION2 Council Member Cobb moved, seconded by Fletcher, to adopt
the staff recommendation approving a reduction in Capital
Improvement Project 18508 of $43,000 and amend Capital Improvement
Project 18812 by $43,000 for compter equipment to support the
Financial Data Base.
plunmaimm 3852 entitled "ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL, OF THE CITY
OF PALO ALTO AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1988-89
TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS
DEVELOPMENT"
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MOTIOM PASSED 9-0.
!ovncIL MATTERS
6. Council Members Levy, Patitucci and Woolley re Oral
Communications at Council Meetings (701)
Council Member Woolley said the article in the San Jose 1 ergury
$ewe referred to a "drastic" change in the Oral Communications
process. The actual. proposal was to limit speakers to one
appearance per month during Oral Communications at the beginning
of the meeting and to provide a second Oral Communications period
at the end of meetings for those speakers not eligible to speak at
the beginning of the meeting. Many people attended the City
Council. meetings to speak to a particular item on the agenda, and
it was not equitable for the same members of the public to always
be able to speak to Council at the beginning of the meeting while
the other members of the public had to wait their turn. The
proposal would also limit speakers to items within t} subject
matter jurisdiction of the Council, but she was willing to have
staff determine whether it was necessary to make any changes in the
ordinance.
MOTION: Council Member Woolley moved, seconded by Patitucci, to
direct the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance that limits
speakers to one appearance per month during Oral Communications at
the beginning of Council meetings, and provides a second Oral
Communications period at the end of meetings for speakers who are
not permitted to speak earlier; and the City Clerk to revise the
fixed portion of agenda notiees to reflect these changes.
Ben Bailey, 171 Everett, referred to "Council jurisdiction," and
said a City Council meeting was not just a place where a citizen
could speak to the Council but also a forum where a citizen could
speak to other citizens who cared to listen. He was concerned
about than consequences of the term "Council jurisdiction."
Ed Power, 2254 Daraouth Street, said the Oral Communications
section of the City Council meeting provided the only free form
for ideas. not popular for the Council majority or the media. Re
was also concerned that the proposal suggested comments made under
Oral Communications needed to be within "Council jurisdiction."
The purpose of Oral Communications was not just to address the
Council but also to address the electorate. The Council currently
allotted 30 minutes for Oral Communications which was rarely used.
Bob Moss, 4010 Orme Street, sympathized somewhat regarding abuses
of Oral Communications; however, the First Amendment of the
Constitution said Congress, and by extension to states and all
other governmental bodies, "shall make not law abrieging the right
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1
of the people to petition for redress or grievance." Council
previously had two Oral Communications periods, at the beginning
and end of the meeting, and those who stayed to the end usually
reserved their comments for items which arose during the Council
meeting on which they desired additional comment. He could not
recall more than one or two instances of someone getting up (luring
Oral Communications at the end of the Council meeting and making
a statement which would not have been appropriate at the beginning
of the Council meeting. Speaking at the beginning of the Council
meeting allowed for a time certain, and people could schedule their
tine and appear. Citizens tuned in the radio specifically to hear
Oral. Communications. Limiting Oral Communications to things which
fell under "Council jurisdiction" to a certain extent required the
public to be mind readers. Council's jurisdiction, or things
Council chose to d iscues, changed from time to time, year to year
and from Council to Council. Some issues Council refused to
address one year, would be passed by resolution during the next.
Limiting a citizen's right to speak based on what Council
considered to be in its jurisdiction exercised prior restraint of
public speech. The U. S. Supreme Court in the Pentagon Pape'., , case
clearly said no one could exercise prior, restraint of free speech.
Establishieg two classes of speakers was discriminatory. It was
better to err on the side of letting freedom have its chance in the
Council Chambers.
Herb Boroce, 2731 Byron Street, said the purposes of the proposal
were allegedly to provide opportunities for broader community
participation, but he saw no evidence to indicate there would be
any change in the amount of community participation based on the
proposal. The second motivation for the proposal was increasing
time constraints at Council meetings; however, he saw no evidence
that the proposal would change it. If people spoke at the end of
the meeting rather than the beginning, the meeting would take just
as long. On the other hand, if the proponents expected people not
to speak because they were forced to speak at the end of the
meeting, it appeared the purpose of the proposal was to prevent
people from speaking. Regarding "Council jurisdiction," the Brown
Act, at Section 54954.3(a) of the Government Code required the
Council to provide a period of tine so people could speak to
subject matters within the jurisdiction of the Council. The
question was where to draw the line in terms of Council
jurisdiction. He refereed to the issue of the Nuclear Free Zone
proposal, and said if there was any item that could be acted on by
staff or by another governmental body, Council could always include
it in its jurisdiction by taking an opinion on the particular
subject. He believed everything was within the jurisdiction of the
Council. In terms of limiting people to speaking once a month at
7:30 p.m., the Brown Act at Geverna ent Ccde Section 54954.3(b)
required the regulations to be reasonable. Both of the reasonable
regulations cited in the Government Cods, e.g., limiting the total
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amount of time allocated to public testimony, and limiting the
total amount of time for each individual speaker, were already
adopted. No other specific reasonable regulations were listed in
the Brown Act; and, therefore, each proposal angst be judged on a
case by case basis. He did not believe the proposed ordinance was
necessary nor were the proposed restrictions reasonable.
Peter Taskovich, 751 Gallen Avenue, was disappointed in the
rationale for the proposed ordinance. The proposed ordinance was
a "gag" order, and Palo Alto residents were too intelligent to be
fooled.
Tony Spitalcri, President of the Palo Alto Firefighters Union,
associated himself with the previous speakers. He urged that
Council not place more restrictions on citizens who desired to
speak. Every matter should be important to someone who sat as an
elected official.
Vice Mayor Bechtel was also concerned about who decided whether an
item was within "Councie jurisdiction." While Council did not like
to hear about the same issue it was not able to handle or deal with
week after week, it did not mean people should be restricted from
talking. She would not support the motion.
Council Member Levy said the present ordinance dictated that Oral
Communications be 1inited to item within the subject matter
jurisdiction of the Council. Council was very broad in allowing
members of the public to speak to any item not on the agenda under
Oral Communications. In terms of limiting Oral Communications to
one appearance per month at the beginning of the meeting but to an
unlimited number at the end of the meeting reflected an allocation
of time. While everyone was entitled to write a letter to the
editor of the neesoaper, it did not mean the letter appeared on the
front page. Ce encil needed to allocate its time as well as the
people's time. He did not believe there was an inherent right to
ors of the public who wished to speak to items not on the
advertised agenda to have "prise tie." The question in his mind
was "whose time was prime time," and he believed it should
primarily be the public's, i.e, the greater majority of the public
responding to agendised items. If members of the public wished to
speak under Oral Communications, it could be done at the beginning
of the meeting. It was only in those instances of repetition where
those members of the public would be asked to speak at the end of
the meeting. The allocation of time needed to be balanced between
what was agendised end what individual members of the public wanted
to say. He supported the action.
Council Member Renzel ansoeiate d herself with the comments of Vice
Mayor Bechtel. She had attended Palo Alto City Council meetings
for over 20 years. When she first started attending, Oral
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Communications was at the end of the meeting. As a member of the
public, she waited through meetings which often ended past midnight
in order to speak. She was also among many members of the public
who hailed the new procedure which allowed Oral Communications at
the beginning of the meeting. Like her colleagues, she found it
somewhat distressing that some members of the public repeated the
same Oral Communications week after week. She did not feel it
served the citizens well, and in some respects she shared Council
Member Levy's point of view that members of the public in
attendance for agenda items were delayed in hearing their item.
Nevertheless, she preferred to withstand the repetitions than to
impinge on those members of the public who wished to speak at a
convenient hour. People who overused Oral Communications needed
to weigh the impact of their participation. In terms of subject
natter jurisdiction, Council nenerally listened to a wide range of
subject matters many of which were not within its ability to act
on, but any effort on the part of the Council to screen what was
said under Oral Communications would have to be very selective.
She opposed the motion.
Council Member Sutorius was concerned that by selecting subject
matter and by imposing the alternating appearances, Council would
be taking more time than it should and identifying one more subject
for repetitive, critical appearances While a few subjected the
public to annoyances, he would defend their right and not support
the motion.
Mayer Klein believed there was a problem with a group of people who
abused the Oral Communications period. As he read the law, Oral
Communications was not intended to be a forum for addressing the
entire community. Few cities in California broadcasted their City
Council meetings, and the intent of Oral Communications as passed
by the State legislature was for citizens to have a means to
communicate to their elected officials. The Oral Communications
period did not apply in the State legislature. A member of the
public could not go to the State legislature and speak for five
minutes nor speak before the United States Congress, yet democracy
and free speech survived. While he could not support Oral
Communications being at the end of the meeting, he could support
a shorter time period, i.e., three minutes per speaker.
Council Member Cobb shared marl of the comments of his colleagues.
He agreed with Messrs. Noss, Spitaleri, and Taskovich. He opposed
the motion.
Cot nci l Member Fletcher opposed the first part of the motion but
sympathized with the second part. She heard from many citizens,
and one suggested that instead of members of the public speak]
one time per month at the beginning of the meeting, they be allowed
to speak three times per quarter.
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AMENDMENT: Council. Member Fletcher moved, seconded by Woolley, to
amend the notion to reflect that persons may speak three times per
calendar quarter at the beginning of the City Council meeting.
Council Member Renzel was concerned about getting into complex
bookkeeping which served no purpose.
Vice Mayor Bechtel agreed.
Council Member Woolley was advised by the City Clerk that the
procedure would not be too difficult. She referred to a situation
where someone appeared on two successive meetings regarding the
condition of El Palo Alto. It was appropriate to have a little
more flexibility on such current issues.
AST FAILED 4-5, Fletcher, Levy, Patitucci, Woolley "aye."
Mayor Klein ruled out of order the first part of the motion
regarding speaking to items within Council's jurisdiction since
similar information was already included in the Palo Alto Municipal
Code.
MOTION FAILED 4-5, Fletcher, Levy, Patitucci, Woolsey "aye."
MOTION: Council Member Patitucci moved, seconded by Klein, to
limit each speaker under Oral Communications to three minutes.
Council Member Menzel supported the motion as long Lie the public
was so advised.
Council Member Cobb supported the status quo.
MOTION mem) 7-2, Cobb, Sutorius "no."
ADJOVRNMENT: Adjournment to Study Session to Discuss Storm
Drainage Enterprise Fund - Council Conference Room -10:44 p.m.
STUDY SESSION RE STORM DRAINAGE ENTERPRISE FUND
Assistant Director of Public Works George Bagdon said the purpose
of the Study Session was to discuss a Storm Drainage Enterprise
F101 which would make more funds available for drainage, which had
historically been underfunded. It vas estimated about $1,000,000
was needed. Abcut $400,000 per year was expended for capital
improvements until 1967 and $200,000 to $250,000 per year was
expended for maintenance.
Council asked whether the Enterprise Fund would solve such problems
as the Monier Street catch basin which drained directly int, a
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parking garage, and whether drainage improvements would affect
preservation of the San Francisquito Creek. Staff said problems
such as the Homer Street catch basin would be solved over time.
Most drainage in Palo Alto was routed away from San Francisquito
Creek, and any improved systems in the area would likely connect
to existing systems further downstream at Highway 101.
While revenue requirements were not yet defined, rates probably
would not exceed $2 per month per household. Businesses would be
charged based on the type of use the property received. No
decisions had been made about areas like Barron Park which did not
have storm drains and whether it would have higher rates when they
were built. Most municipalities charged the same amounts, and each
neighborhood eventually received an approximate equal share of
revenues. Some municipalities found that dividing up rates
geographically was very cumbersome.
In response to questions about why one acre of commercial property
would be charged more than one acre of residential property, staff
responded that commercial properties tended to have a higher
proportion of impervious surface, and, therefore, greater amounts
of runoff. Most municipalities had a bill appeal process to
correct bills when the assumption might not be true, and some
municipalities did field checks before billing.
Council Members noted that while the tine to vote on such a measure
was when it was raining, in January, 1990, several Council Members
could be new at the time, and an extra study session might be
required to bring them up to speed.
`' l,Elinta a Ad j ourned at 11:20 p.m.
ATTES
Clerk
APPROVED:
ayor
NOTE: Sense minutes (synopsis) are prepared in accordance with
Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.04.200(b). The City Council
resting tapes are retained in the City Clerk, s Office for two years
from the date of the meeting, and the Finance and Public Works
Committee and. Policy and Procedures Committee meeting tapes are
retained for mix months. Members of the public may listen to the
tapes during regular office hours.
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