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Home My WebLink About1989-06-05 City Council Summary Minutes1 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES PALOALTOCITYCOUNCIL MEETINGSARE BROADCAST LIVE VIA KZSU-FREOUENCY90.1 ON FM DIAL Special Meeting June 5, 1989 Ing Oral Communications Minutes of April 24 and May 1, 1989 Consent Calendar PAGE 61-378 61-378 61-378 1. Resolution Ordering the Summary Vacation of 61-378 Easements for Public Utilities Rendered Surplus as a Result of the Green Acres II w dergrounding Project 2. Orcinance re Beer and Wine - Removed by 61-378 Staff 3. Ordinance Relating to Membevship on the 61-378 Historic Resources Board 4. Ordinance Amending Budget to Establish and 61-379 Fund a New Capital Improvement Project/ School District Playing Field Improvements - Reimbursements to the Palo Alto Unified School District 5. Council Member Patitucci re Noise Ordinance Enforcement of Lower Decibel Levels for Leaf Blowers 61-380 6. Adjournment ent at 8:31 p.m. 61-381 61-377 6/05/89 Special Meeting June 5, 1989 The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council Chambers at 8:05 p.m. Mayor Klein announced that a special Joint Meeting was held with the Human Relations Commission at 7:00 p.m., in the Council Conference Room. PRESENT: Bechtel, Fletcher, Klein, Levy, Patitucci, Renzel, Woolley ABSENT: Cobb, Sutorius ORAL COMMUNICATION; 1. Ed Power, 2254 Dartmouth Street, spoke regarding an article in the Palo Alto W.WaY concerning the Palo Alto Harbor. 2. R. O. Deck, 3580 South Court, spoke regarding morality. MINUTES, APRIL ,a4 1989 AND M Y 1, 1989 NOTION: Council Member Levy moved, seconded by Patitucci, approval of the Minutes of April 24, 1989 and May 1, 1989, as corrected. MOTION PASSED 7-0, Cobb, Sutorius absent. es2 ENT CALENDAR NOTION: Council Member Renzel moved, seconded by Patitucci, approval of Consent. Calendar Items 1 and 3, with Item 2 (Ordinance re Beer and Wine) removed by staff. 1. iE?0WTION 6781 entitled "RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO ORDERING THE SUMMARY VACATION OF EASEMENTS FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES RENDERED SURPLUS AS A RESULT OF THE GREEN ACRES II UNDERGROUND PROJECT" (113 0) (QIR : 2 8 8 : 9 ) 3. ORDIJN E 3876 entitled "ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AMENDING SECTION 16 ., 4 9.03 0 (a) OF THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO MEMBERSHIP ON THE HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD (1st Reading 5/15/89, PASSED 9-0)" (702-02) (NPG) NOTION PASSIM 7-0, Cobb, Sutorius absent. 61-378 6/05/89 ORDINANCES 4. Ordinance Amending Budget to Establish and Fund a New Capital Improvement Project, School District Playing Field Improve- ments .. Reimbursements to the Palo Alto Unified School District (1341-01) (CMR:292:9) Council Member Woolley announced she would not participate in the item due to a conflict of interest. Council Member Levy was confused that the background portion of the report (CMR:292:9) indicated the City was to fund the two projects in an amount not to exceed $330,000, but the request was for $355,000 which included an extra $25,000 which also appeared to be a part of the projects. Mayor Klein said the agreement with the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) provided that the City would fund improvements on school playing fields still ..used by the school district as active schools. The additional $25,000 applied to those school sites the City presently leased and operated. Council Member Levy queried the total amount being paid to the PAUSD in fiscal year 1988-89. Mayor Klein said the lease payments to the PAUSD were $2.2 million and other expenditures totaled $200,000. !MOTION: Council Member Bechtel moved, seconded by Fletcher, to adopt the ordinance making funds available to implement amendment #2 to the Lease and Covenant Not To Develop with the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) and also to meet the City's obligations on leased district sites. ORDINANCE 3877 entitled "ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1988-89 TO ESTABLISH AND FUND A NEW CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, SCHOOL DISTRICT PLAYING FIELD IMPROVEMENTS - REIMBURSEMENTS TO PAUSD" LION PA89BD 6-0, Woolley "not participating," Cobb, Sutorius absent. 61.379 6/05/89 COUNCIL MATTERS 5. Council Member Frank Patitucci re Noise Ordinarce Enforcement of Lower Decibel Levels for Leaf Blowers (1401-01) (CMR:290:9) Council Member Patitucci placed the item on the agenda in order to bring public attention to the change in decibel levels allowed specifically for leaf blowers effective July 1, 1989. The staff report (CMR:290:9) indicated what actions would be taken to notify users of leaf blowers. Mrs. Lee Laflin, 1880 Channing, opposed any ordinance affecting the use of leaf blowers. Council Member Patitucci said in 1987, Council, passed an ordinance to increase the decibel level at 25 feet from 70 decibels to 82 decibels, with the expressed intention of reducing the level in two years. The proposed ordinance reduced the decibel level to 75. The reduced decibel levels did not prohibit the use of leaf blowers, but those machines in the 75 decibel range were not quite as fast as the higher powered ones. Staff would notify the appropriate associations of the change. The ordinance would only be enforced on a complaint basis. MOTION: Council Member Patitucci moved, seconded by Renzel, to direct staff to place appropriate notification of the noise levels which become effective July 1, 1989 in the Utility flyers and also in Cityscape. Council Member Renzel thanked Council Member Patitucci for bringing the item to. Council's attention. While it was true that leaf blowers were singled out, when the matter was previously before the Council, representatives of the leaf blower industry and the Gardeners Association indicated they would work toward achieving the lower decibel level within the two-year grace period. In the interest of quieting the community somewhat, the action was important. Council Member Levy said Palo Alto had many ordinances which were only enforced on a complaint basis, and the public was unaware of those ordinances. JNZIMOIMITs Council Member Levy moved that the information communicated to the public also refer to other ordinances which the City enforced on a complaint basis. 61.380 6/05/89 AMENDMENT DIED FOR LACE OF A SECOND Council Member Woolley agreed there were many ordinances on the books about which the public was unaware. She suggested CitvScape might include a regular feature dealing with ordinances which might not be common knowledge and which might only be enforced on a complaint basis. MOTION PASSED 7-0, Cobb, Sutorius absent. ADJovRxeera Mayor Klein announced that Neighbors Abroad received the 1988 Best Overall Program Award from Sister Cities International for their Sister Cities program. Adjourned at 8:31 p.m. in thought and prayer for the people of China. ATTEST: i C tty Clerk f / NOTE: Sense minutes (synopsis) are prepared in accordance with Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.04.200(b). The City Council meeting 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 :►roceduree Committee meeting tapes are retained for sic months. Members of the public may listen to the tapes during regular office hours. APPROVED: 61-381 6/05/89