HomeMy WebLinkAbout09171951City Hall, Palo Alto, California,
September 17, 1951.
The Council of the-City'of Palo Alto met3r special
session on this date at 2:00 P.M., pursuant to the following
call:
"As Vice Mayor of the City of Palo Alto, I
hereby; call a special meeting of the Council of the
City of Palo Alto to be held at the hour of 2:00 P.M.,
on Monday, September 17, 1951, in the council chamber
at the City Hall,.for the purpose of holding a hearing
on the report and assessment list for weed abatement
and for the consideration and "^,onformation of said
report and assessment: list; for the purpose of
accepting bids_ on screenings, plant mix surfacing
and asphalt; and -for the transaction of any other
business which may arise."
Vice Mayor Gaspar presided and roll call was as
follows:
Present: Bishop, Blois, Mrs. Bower, Cashel, Cathcart,
Gaspar, Marshall, Miller, Montrouil, Simpson,
Wickett.
Absent: Bowden, Drysdale, Hill, Mitchell.
Weed Abatement
This was the time set for a hearing on the report and
assessment list for weed abatement which was filed with the
City Clerk on September 4, 1951.
The City Manager reported on the method used this
year for weed abatement, which was a combination of spraying_
and discing,', and on the coat of the work. He advised that
a number of protests on the assessments had been received, most
of which had been handled by the Engineering Department.
:He read two letters which he thought required Council action.
One letter was from Mr: J. H. Grainger, owner of
the property at the corner of El Camino Real and Leland Avenue
in Block 2, Evergreen Park, who protested the charge of $30.50
(Lien Numbers 6424 and 6425), claim ng that the work had not '
been done. I. T. Johnson, Assistant City Engineer, submitted
the records of the Engineering Department which showed that tt..e
spraying on this property was done thefirst of January, and
that after further inspection and investigation, the bill had 1:leen
reduced from $30.50 to $24.90.
The other letter read by the City Manager was from
P. A. Nielsen in regard to the cleaning of his lots on Colorado
Avenue. He protested the charge of $53.,40 on Lien numbers
10321-24, 10326 A,B and C, 10327 and 10328, stating that in
previous years he had had the land disced at the rate of $10.00
for each discing; that this year.the City disced the land
without notifying him and destroyed his survey markers and the
crop of hay on the land.
Opportunity was given to eople in the audience to
speak. Miss Louise Heidenrich, 3045 Cowper Street, asked for
information regarding lot cleaning on her property and was
requested to discuss the matter with Mr. Johnson.
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Mr. Paul H. Grose, owner of property at El Camino Real
and Page Mill Road, addressed the Council, stating that he had
purchased the property last October and was not aware of the
provisions of the ordinance and had intended to take care of,
the weeds himself. He stated that he was willing to pay fo
the work which had been done by the City on the lots facing
Page Mill Road, amounting to $26.70, but protested the charge of
$32.00 on the lot fronting on El Camino Real.
Mr. P. A. Nielsen also spoke in support of his written
protest. There being no others to speak on the matter, the
hearing was closed.
Reference was made to the provisions of the present
ordinance which requires publication of a legal notice in
advance of the lot cleaning work but does not provide for
notification to be made to every property owner concerned.
On motion of Mrs. Bower and Bishop, it was directed
that in the future a notice be given to those property owners,
who have notified.: the Engineering Department in writing that
they wish to take care of their own property, that if the work
is not done within a certain time the City will do the work.
On motion of Mrs. Bower and Bishop, the Mayor was
instructed to write to Mr. Grainger informing him; that his
letter has been considered; -that the records show that the work
Ywas.done and-thatthe charge has been reduced to $24.90;
and in the future, -if he intends for his tenant to take care of
the lot cleaning -work he should file a statement in writing
'to this effect:.._with the .ngineering Department and'he will then
receive a notice if the work is not;done when the City inspects
the property.
Mr. Nielsen's protest was reviewed and it was
,tointed out that he would have had to pay Mr. Silva $30.00 for
.ft:he discing, as his land was disced three times. On motion
-of Mrs. Bower and Montrouil, the assessment on Mr. Nielsen's
property was reduced from $53.40 to $30.00, by the following vote
on roll' call:
Ayes: Bishop, Blois, Bower, Cashel, Gaspar, Miller,
Montrouil, Sampson.
Noes: Cathcart, Marshall, Wickett.
The protest of Mr. Gross was reviewed. It was
pointed out that the rear lots were disced and the front lot
was sprayed, and that Mr. Gross recognizes that the work was
done; further, that the charge on the front lot had been adjusted
from $40.50 to $32.00. On motion of Miller and Mrs. Bower,
the protest of Mr. Gross was overruled.
Mr.- Johnson: reported that Miss Heidenrich had paid
the assessment on part of her property, and that the question
she brought up at this meeting concerned an order of the fire,
,marshal that the weed -nuisance on other property owned by her
'.be abated. On motion of Mrs. Bower and Miller,.the protest of
Miss Heidenrich was :overruled, in view of the fact that the
-matter had been explained to her by Mr. Johnson.
Resolution No. 2160 confirming the report on weed
abatement and the -assessment list as amended was read, and on
motion of Montrouil and Blois, was adopted by unanimous vote
on -roll call.
The City Manager advised that the proposed weed
abatement program being planned for next year contemplates
discing only and will not be as costly as the spraying method.
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Materials for Street Maintenance.Frogram
A report was received from the City Manager on bids
received on August 29, 1951, for emulsified asphalt, plant mix
surfacing and screatngs to be used in the street maintenance..
program, with the recommendations that the bid of C. E. Reed'
Company of San Jose for asphalt, delivered, be accepted, and
that the plant prices of Blomquist Oil Service, Inc. on asphalt
be__accepted when the City hauls it, in view of the shorter haul
from Redwood City; that the bid of L. C. Smith Company for
plant mix surfacing be accepted; and that the bid of, Skyline
Quarries for screenings be accepted. The total amounts involved
are 8,063.50 for asphalt, $154863.00 for plant mix surfacing,
and $7,790.00 for screenings.
On motion of Cathcart and Cashel, and by unanimous vote
on roll call, the bids were accepted in accordance with the
recommendations of the City Manager.
Meeting of Peninsula Division
A notice was receivedcof the next meeting of the
Peninsula Division of thelJeague of California Cities to be held
on Thursday, September 20, 1951, at 7:00 P.M., at the Coral Reef
in Millbrae.
San Mateo County Fair and Fiesta
A letter was received from the San Mateo County Fair
Association requesting adoption of a proclamation setting aside
the week of September 21st to September 29th as "Fiesta Week",
°and inviting councilmembers to be guests of the San Mateo.
County Fair and Floral Fiesta on September 27th, which has been
cbsignated as Palo Alto Day. No action was taken.
San -Francisco Junior Museum
It was. announced that the Mayor's office had received
an'4nvitation from Mayor Robinson of San Francisco for the
dedication of the San Francisco Junior Museum on September 23,
1951, at 1:30 P.M., which is to be named in honor of Miss
Josephine Randall of Palo Alto, retired recreation director of
San Francisco.
Councilman Marshall was appointed to attend the
dedication as representative of the City Council.
On motion, the Council adjourned.
APPROVED: