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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03171975CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Regular Meeting March 17, 1975 CITY OF PALO 400 ITEM PAGE Approval of Minutes of February 24, 1975 1 0 3 4 Adjournment to Executive Session 1 0 3 4 Oral Communications 1 0 3 4 Consent Calendar: 1 0 3 5 California Avenue Parking Assessment District: Award of Construction Contract 1 0 3 5 Foothills Park Storage Building - Contract Award 1 0 3 5 1035, 1025, and 1085 East Meadow Circle Miscellaneous Division of Land 1 0 3 5 Barron Park Annexation ---Resolution of Intention tolCall Election 1 0 3 5 Joint Powers Agreement, Mountain View} Palo Alto Fire Training 1 0 3 5 Garden Terrace Annexation No. 4 - Monroe Park Area 1 0 3 7 Participation of Recreation Staff at Mayfield School 1 0 3 7 Executive Session 1 0 4 8 Appointment to PACCC 1 4 8 Request for Indication of Council's Position on Location of Proposed New Regional Postal Facility 1 0 4 8 Rate Increase by PG&E, February 25, 1975,and PUC Public Hearings 1 0 S 0 Offer to Purchase Webster Block and Squire House Properties 1 0 5 1 Oral Communications 1 0 5 6 Adjournment 1033 3/17/75 1 0 5 7 Regular Meeting March 17, 1975 The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date at 7:35 p.m. in a regular meeting with Mayor Sher presiding. Present: Beahrs, Berwald, Clay, Comstock, Henderson, Norton Pearson, Rosenbaum, Sher Absent: None A proval of Minutes of February 24, 1975 Councilman Comstock referred to page 956, second paragraph, line twelve, and noted in two places the phrase "Sub Control" should be "Flood Control." Councilman Henerson referred to page 973, seventh line from the bottom, and noted that the word "Cavanaugh" should be spelled "Kavanaugh." Councilman Clay referred to page: 964, last paragraph, sixth line, and asked that the words "about it" be stricken and "if" inserted; on line eeven, he asked that the word "if" be stricken. On line seven he asked that the words "as private citizens" be inserted after "rights." Councilman Clay referred to page 980, last paragraph, sixth line, and requested that the sentence "That would put everybody right back at the same place." be stx,icken. In line six, he also requested that the words "and hit" be stricken and the words "before settling" be inserted. MOTION: Councilman Comstock moved, seconded by Pearson, that the minutes of February 24, 1975, be approved as revised. The motion passed on a unanimous vote. t+.nurn .n; to Haecut,j.ve Session Mayor Sher a announced that Council had received a note from the City Manager asking for an executive session on labor negotiations at the outset of the meeting. He apologized for the delay and stated that Council would try to limit the session to about fifteen minutes. The meeting reconvened at 8:08 p.m. Mayor Sher announced that this is the period _ for the public to address Council on any nonagenda item. Harrison Otis, 909 North California Avenue, addressed Council regarding bus schedules. He noted that a lot of people have done a lot of hard work on the bus schedules. His family published 2,500 temporary bus schedules and hat been going out and educating people. He said that if Council likes the idea, they will continue doing it. r �r 1 0 3 4 3/17/;5 Consent Calendar Mayor Sher called for a vote on the consent calendar. Calif AXALgal.gagirjUCCiptl CQr ttfeet (C Lt:2©3:5) RESOLUTION NO, 5070 entitled "RESOLUTION OF AWARD OF CONTRACT CALIFORNIA AVENUE AREA OFFSTREET PARKING PROJECT NO. 71-53" e Foot Contract Award (C [R: 188;5) k Storage eu1l ORDINANCE OP THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO APPROVING AND ADOPTING A PLAN FOR FIRE PROTECTION STORAGE FACILITY AT FOOTHILLS PARK (ALSO KNOWN AS PALO ALTO FOOTHILLS PARK) (First Reading) 1015. 1025. and 1085 The Planning Commission, by a vote of six in favor (one absant), recommends approval of the application of J.R. Batton - subject to granting a public utility ease- ment required by the Palo Alto Division of Light and Power, and find, that no significant environmental impact will result from this action The consent calendar was approved on a unanimous vote. t tent -li�ff12 $ice. F1 �'_l _ Mayor Sher commented that Council htd received a report from staff sug- gestiag that this item be continued to March 31. MOTION: Councilman Comstock moved, seconded by Berwald, that this item be continued to the meeting of March .31. The motion peened on a unanimous vote. Councilman Beabrs asked the City Manager whether the report would include the costs i,nd who will bear them. George Sipel, City Manager responded affirmatively, owe a A J.:4) Mr. Sipel dented that staff had a recent conversation with the Mountain View staff, and they have some questions about some of the sections of the agreement. Before Council votes on the matter, he would like to resolva the problems. Mr. Sipel suggested that the item be continued. 1035 -, 17/75 ,- Vice Mayor Henderson referred to Section 6a, bottom of page 2, "Palo Alto has appropriated approximately $110,000 toward the joint training center." Then on page 4, Section 7a, "The following capital improvements identify the general scope of work to be paid by Palo Alto" followed by a list of what will be done. He said that immediately the question arises, does $110,000 cover this or will there be additional charges. Mr. Sigel responded that the $110,000 estimate was made a couple of years ago and is not based on any specific plans. The objective in the agreement was to indicate how much money was available for this activity. The objective is to build as much as possible with that amount. Staff might come back asking for a slight increase but will not ask for double the appropriation. Staff has no really good data to go on with respect to the estimate, but they think it will da the major portion of the job. Councilman Henderson said that the way it reads, it is an open door. He felt concerned that it could be $150,000 to $200,000. Mr. Sipel replied that he feels the agreement does maximize the coat to $110,000 and anything over that amount Council would have to authorize. Vice Mayor Henderson wanted to be sure the cost increase would not happen after the improvements are made. Mr. Sipel stated that would not happen, because Council will have to approve the bids before the project begins. Vice Mayor Henderson referred to Section 6(a) "Mountain View as coordinated with the City of Palo Alto will select an architect. This agreement shall become effective upon the City of Palo Alto's approval of the plans and acceptance of the bids. Palo A -,to has appropriated approximately $1/0,000 toward the joint training center and cost of expansion as set out in Section 3 above." Section 6(bl "The City of Mountain View shall obtain a firm price for purchase of land, including appraisal if necessary, and coordinate review and approval with Palo Alto." Section 6(c) "The City of Mountain View shall obtain construction bids for the expansion of the existing facility, make award when approved and supervise codification and construction of the center." Section 6(d) "The City of Palo Alto shall pay to the City of Mountain View all costs due for land appraisal, design contract, and construc- tion. Fifty percent (50%) will be paid upon bid award and fifty per- cent (50%) upon completion." He did not see where Palo Alto got in the picture to approve the bids. It appears Mountain View will handle the entire transaction and then send a bid. Mr. Sips/ quoted 6(a) "This agreement shall become effective upon the City of Palo Alto's approval of the plans and acceptance of the bids." That will take care of the major cost, and staff will be working with them on architectural services and purchase of land. Vice Mayor Henderson referred to 6(g) and noted that the facility does become the property of Mountain View. Mr. Sipel stated that was correct. It is similar to the situation with the water quality control plant where Palo Alto is the owner. MOTION: Vice Mayor Henderson moved, seconded by Comstock, tat the joint proposed powers agreement -d --fire training --between the citie�rof\ Mountain View and Palo Alto be continued indefinitely. L03.6 3/17/75 The motion to continue passed on a unanimous vote. Garden Terrace Annexation No. 4 - nroe Psrk Area o :X08:3) MOTION: Councilman Comstock introduced the following resolution and moved, seconded by Pearson, its adoption: RESOLUTION NO. 5071 entitled "RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY Of PALO ALTO REQUIRING PAYMENT OF A SPECIAL, SEWERAGE CONNECTION CHARGE, IN ADDITION TO OTHER CONNECTION CHARGES, FOR PROPERTIES BENEFITED BY A SEWER WHICH HAVE NOT PARTICIPATED IN PAYING THE COST THEREOF, AND ESTABLISHING PROCL'DURES FOR PAYMENT" Further, he moved that Council direct staff to proceed with annexation of 170, 174, and 180 Monroe Drive. The resolution, and accompanying recommendation were adopted on a unanimous vote. Partici ation of Recreation Staff yr e Director of Ccvmunicy Services, Carieen 13edwell, stated that she would like to introd4.ce this item, not from the perspective of someone who has been intimately involved, but .from the perspective of someone who has res- ponsibility for all of the community and social aervice programs in the city. With that responsibility she sees a network of cooperation that the city has developed with the school district. Every department in social Corrected and comm=unity services has relationships with the school district, and the See pg112ties are strong. The subject under discussion reporesaents an awkward moment in those ties. The city staff is presently involved in a program which has become part of a controversy regarding Mayfield School. The school board, the Council, and school and city administrators have all gotten involved. The simplest thing for the city to have done would have been to withdraw and avoid the controversy. The reason it has not done so is described in the staff report. Under discussion is a concept and a program which the Recrea- tion Department began implementing in 1973. In general, the programs is an effort by the Recreation Department to respond to the needs of young people who do not relate to established programs and activities. The nature of the program' has to do with reaching those young people and working with the in lass structured and supportive ways. In general the Outreach Program is a strong program. There are meny successes to match against this one moeeat of conflict. There is a desire to work together to solve problems. The staff has worked hard to face the difficulties at Mayfield School. There has been a two-week moratorium of involvement of city staff, and the school ditr.trict has sot up a problem -solving committee. Staff feels the original parties in this could best solve the dilemma at this particular =sent. Staff supports the Outreach Program, the success it has had, and feels it makes a substantial contribution in the lives of young eeople. She noted that the Recreation Department staff members who were involved were present tonight to answer questions and that Dr. Stevens was present representing the school district. 1637 3/17/75 Dr. Andrew Stevens, associate superintendent, Palo Alto Unified School District, told the history of Mayfield School. He said that the con- tinuation school was organized in 1964 with about twelve students and in 1975 it has over sixty students. Through the years, the school dis- trict has tried a variety of different learning approaches for youngsters. It has also provided s selective process in determining those things chat worked and those that did not. He feels the high school offers a much greater variety of services to youngsters than has been offered before. He said that he believes the City's Outreach Program is a good idea and that the school district hopes for resources that can be supportive and reinforce what it is trying to do In the school programs. He believes people working in the Outreach Program are committed to trying to help youngsters with their special problems. There is a basic philosophical difference about how to approach the education of youngsters at Mayfield School which he hopes can be resolved. Mayor Sher consented that Council members had a memo at their places tonight from Dr. Santee to the Board of Education which states that it is his opinion that problems still exist, and he believes they can be minimized by continuing the moratorium on City recreation department activities at Mayfield School. Mayor Sher asked if that position were being taken by the school administration to the hoard. Dr. Stevens responded that the school staff felt that while the moratorium was in existence, it was easier fat them to work in the educational setting at the school. The moratorium is only for the hours that school is In session, which is until noon. The city staff has been coming to the school and meeting with students after noon. The school administration feels the mora- torium should exist until the differences can be resolved. Councilman Rosenbaum asked, assuming there is a request for the moratorium to be continued, would this mean that the Recreation Department workers would not attempt to work in the school during the time it ;s in session. Mr. Sipel responded affirmatively, and said there Is a task force presently discussing the whole matter, and he hopes there can be source resolution of the total problem, and perhaps a lifting of the moratorium. If that is not the case, and the school district requests that the Recreation Department leaders be kept from the school during those hours, the city would respect that. Councilman Beahre commented that even more important than the moratorium, he wondered about the final paragraph in Dr. Santee's memo. "I support :wing employees selected by the school district to work with students in the educational setting. All others serve at the discretion of the school district." Councilman Mehra said he had no quarrel with that statement, but he wondered if this is the final policy as recommended to the board, which has exclusive jurisdiction. As he reads the statement, it is clear that no one will par- ticipate in any educational --related program on the school premises without the approval of an appropriate party iu the school district. Dr. Stevens responded !,hat it sounds absolute, and he dislikes that sort of ebeoluteness. He said the school district is looking for all of the resources that will be helpful to it. They are saying the staff should have the decision when to call in the resources sod which resources to choose and for the length of tine they -wish to use those people. Councilman Clay asked if the basic question to be decided at the school board meeting is whether to continue the schedule as set by the moratorium or whether the schedule should proceed as previously. 1 0 3 8 3/17/75 Dz. Stevens replied that there is a moratorium in existence now. There are discussicns going on, and until there is a satisfactory resolution of the difficulties that exist, the moratorium would be in effect. Mrs, hitter Peschrke--Koedt, 965 Addison Avenue, addressed Council in support of the Outreach Program. She cited personal experiences on the part of her children as an indication of the successful program at Mayfield School. Anne Witherspoon, 1255 Hamilton Avenue, stated that she is acquainted with a number of people involved in this issue and that she was aware of the situation for sometime berore it cam e to Council. She said it was clear to her that city employees had been inappropriately involved in school district affairs, She felt the Recreation Department had embarked on a whole new direction without authorization by Council. Gordon Murray, 950 University Avenue, a teacher at Lothlorien High School, asked if running the school had been easier since the moratoriums was imposed. He heard that attendance had dropped and questioned the value of the moratorium if the program meant 90 much to students that they don't show up. He felt that students must face the difficult challenge of trying to figure out for themselves what makes sense in their lives and learn the akilla to empower them to do that. He felt this was a difficult skill to teach. Robbie Engelmann, 505 East Charleston, a staff member at l.othlorien School, addressed Council in support of the Outreach Program. One thing the research on alternative schools has come up with has been adult -to -student ratio. She felt. the Recreation Department people were working effectively at a number of school and thanked Council for their support of what they are doing. Mike Fox, 221 Kipling, stated that he He agreed with the statements of Mrs. actions of the school administration, work that is being done. is a graduate of Mayfield School. Pesc.hc'ke-Koedt and criticized the He urged Council to support the Harrison Otis, 909 North California Avenue, asked how many people really know what is going on in the schools. He said he has been visiting the Palo Alto schools for the pest three weeks to find out what is going on. He said that the whole plant needs renovating. Reginald Chapman, 997 Embarcadero, a student at Mayfield School, addressed Council in support of the Outreach Program. He feels the resource people are the only people the students can talk to and relate to. Dave Candelaria, 1295 Wilson, a graduate of Mayfield School, addressed Council in support of the Outreach Program. He did not feel the school administration should deny the recreation department people the right to work with the students and help them when they need it. Sharon D, Jones, 1450 Oak Creek Drive, 1312, stated that she is a social worker at the school, She defended the school staff and said they have done many things for these students long before the city people came on the scene. She refuted the statement that attendance at Mayfield has declined since city staff are not there. Dr. Stevens stated that last Friday fifty-three out of the possible sixty etudente at Mayfield were present. He said to keep in mind that many of the students 'Nave not been attending school regularly in the regular high schools and in many cases have been sent to Mayfield because they were not attending classes. He reminded Council that it is only for a three-hour period each day that the city staff is effected by the moratorium. t 0 3 9 '3/17/75 In reply to another question that was raised bye member of the public, Dr. Stevens said the Mayfield School curriculum is determined by policy of the school board and by the State Education Code. The school district has always used a great variety of resource people at that school. Councilman Berwald stated that we are not here to discuss the disparate philosophy of education between the city and the school district. The State Constitution places the responsibility for education of students from kindergarten through grade twelve in the local school districts under the guidance of the State Department of Education. There is a different code which covers the chartering of cities which does not assign those responsibilities to cities, with the exception of San Francisco. He brought this matter up on the agenda, because he felt that it was improper for city employees to infringe upon and impede the process of education in the classroom. Palo Alto is facing probably the worst financial crunch it has ever had and the school district also. The school district and the city each have their role to play. He said he went back over the minutes he had in his files, and he could not find any substantive discussion of the type of orientation and the type of counzeling in question that is given to the students at Mayfield by the three city employees. His under- standing of the Recreation Department is that it was just what it said. Its function is after -school creative and recreative activities that are relaxing and healthy. He did not think it involved giving classes in power, sexism, Gestault, etc Towards the middle of February when he was informed that members of the Mayfield faculty were experiencing disruption of their classes, he spoke to the principal and to two teachers at the school. He found unanimity that the employees were disrupting classes. The staff report does not quite outline what happened as he understands it. Council- man Berwald „aid he intended to make a v.,ation. He thought Council should find out what happened and find out if the city is in any unwarranted way interfering with the educational process. He also understood that later in February Dr. Stevens met with some of the staff, Mrs. fsedwell, Mr. Walker, 3r. Bruns, and the three city employees. Dr. Stevens asked the city to remove the people from the school, and the city staff refused. Also, on February 18 a flyer was distributed around Mayfield School. It appeared to be a typical harangue inviting students to The Collective at 1:30 p.m. Councilman Berwald continued describing events of the day and said that the situation obviously was led by city employees, and he felt that it was an unsatisfactory activity for city employees. Fe itemized some things that bother him such as staff's involving themselves in the curriculum at Hayfield School, disrupting classes in the view of teachers, going into the classes and asking students to step outside, and the types of subjects that are taught. He feels the city has its own job to do and the school district employees have theirs. If the city has people who can use from 9:00 until whatever time at Mayfield to work with the students and challenge teachers in the conduct of the classes, he thinks the city has some surplus people. If the employees want to do this on their own time after office hours, they are free citizens, but as employees of the city, they do not have the right to involve themselves in this sort of activity. Councilman Berwald said that he did not want to cause any problems with the school district, but when Council hears from people tonight that if it pulls those people out of the school, there are going to be problems, he considers such statements to be threats. Councilman Berwald asked how did the city get from the point of his understanding of what the recreation program was and what appears today. Hs stated that while the report is very complete, he interprets it as a several page polemic about the problems of society, and he is not sure that those who wrote it are competent to a the kinds of judgments and recommen- dations contained in the report, which is somber and negetive. Councilman Berwald stated that the chief reason he put this matter on the agenda was that he thinks the students in Mayfield school are special students, and they have a need to have an atmosphere of education that is orderly, a feel - 1 0 4 0 3/17/75 ing of security, and where they are not stirred up to political action. He hoped to keep city employees out of that school permanently during school hours and confine their activities after school hours to the kinds of recrea- tional programs that fit the classic definition of what the City's recreation program is about. MOTION: Councilman Berwald moved, seconded by Beahrs, that Council request the City Manager to voluntarily suspend services of the three Recreation Department employees at Mayfield School, until a request is made by the principal for their services. Councilman Berwald stated that he would further move that Council invite the school board to join in a complete and objective inquiry into the faces of the current Mayfield -City employees situation and that a joint recommenda- tion be made about such city services to the school district and students. Also, that the City Manager provide Council with position descriptions of all recreation department employees, both full-time and casual, and costs allocatable to each position. Vice Mayor Henderson asked if the city employees originally were accepted at the school. Did they force their way on to the campus, or was their participa- tion know to the school district. Keith Bruns, Director of Recreation, replied that the recreation staff has been at Mayfield School for over a year. To ate there has not been a request from the school adnlnletration to have these people leave that facility. Vice Mayor Henderson read the following statement: "There is some misinformation I want to correct." "I have a special interest in this subject coming from three directions - my membership on the City/School Liaison Committee, my role as liaison to the Palo Alto Community Drug Abuse Board and the letter in your packet from Mr. Fred Eyerly. Starting with the last first, let me read one paragraph from Mr. Eyerly's letter." Despite your Council discussion and the announcement in the Palo Alto Times of the meeting, PAS decided against discussion of the problem. Perhaps if your liaison representative, Alan Henderson had been present they would have gone ahead as announced. Surprisingly, Joel Davidson, one of the recre- ational employees involved, chaired the meeting. "First of all, Mr. Davidson chaired the meeting because he happens to be the Vice -Chairman of the Board and the Chairman, Lincoln Mitchell, was ill and unable to attend the meeting." "As far as discussion at the PACDAB meeting an the matter of the recreation staff's participation at Mayfield School, I would ask Mr. Eyerly, Mr. Clay and others to refer to the Council minutes of February 24th. I stated at that meeting that the meeting at PACDAB was to be concerned about the drug problem at Mayfield School and thet PACDAB Chairman Lincoln Mitchell had told tees that he hoped to avoid the subject of the city recreation personnel. I stated, too, that as * ember of the City/School Liaison Committee, I was avoiding the subject in order to give the school board trustees and the school sdmini!straeorte the opportunity to address the subject without city interference. My absence from that PACCAR meeting was intentional - the only PACDAB meeting I have missed except where I had a conflict with a special Council meeting or other similar obligation." 1 0 4 1 1117/75 "I felt that since I am a member of the City/School Liaison Committee, I might tempt people just by my presence to discuss the special Mayfield problem." "The day after the PACDAB meeting, I received a number of calls from people who did attend the meeting. It was clear that both PACDAB members and members cf the Collective staff attempted to discuss the Mayfield drug situation and to avoid the personnel controversy. For some reason, which he will have to explain, Councilman Clay kept trying to introduce the per- sonnel subject." "I've been aware of the Mayfield situation from a few minutes after the police calling event. What 1 was told by some students is far different from what Mr. Berwald was told." "Regardless of personal feelings I way have on this subject, and I have them, I continue to hold my position that the Council should stay out of this matter at this time. A number of meetings and other contacts have been held between school and city staff members and a report and discussion is scheduled for tomorrow night's School Board meeting. If School Board members decide that city policy makers should become involved, I imagine they will ask the City/School Liaison Committee to meet on the subject." 'Wt the mement, the city's recreation personnel are staying off the Mayfield campus each day until noon -- at the request of the school administration. There is absolutely no reason for this Council to discuss the subject at this time unless there is a desire to create more of a problem or a political controversy." "I repeat, this is a school matter. If the School Board decides tomorrow night that we should become involved, then I am ready to do so. If we feel the School Board has made a decision not in line with some city policy or program, we can request to be heard by the School Board either directly or through the City/School Liaison Committee. Regardless of the deeieiou, the Mayfield School is under the school district's jurisdiction and I don't understand the attempt to have the City leap in by the original agendizing of this Item." Councilman Beabrs stated that he thought this was exclusively a school system problem. It seems incredible to him that the city staff could be involved in a situation as this has developed. Anytime somebody not assigned by the school district itself wants to be contentious vhen they are asked to leave, it is beyond belief. He also expressed alarm as a taxpayer to hear these students who are in need of remedial instruction are getting only three hours of formalized instruction. Ile said he is getting tired of paying welfare for young people who cannot take care of themselves. Dr. Stevens responded that many of these students are can work programs, and the State Code allows a student to attend school a minimum of four hours per week if he or she holds a regular full-time job. Most of these students do oo't hold full-time jobs, and for them the Code says 180 minutes a day. The school district originally hoped to utilize the recreation staff in the physical education program. The three hours per day do not include physical education. Councilman Sealers stated that be thought that Councilman Bexwald'a motions were all in order and are not in interference with the school district's re- sponsibility, and he would like to ace a report to Council on the status of the city's involvement. Councilman Comstock asked if Mr. Sipel or the staff would coot an. Lire. Witherapoon'.s statements chat it appeared to her that perhaps Council`sies not terribly aware of the evolution of this program. 1 0 4 2 3/17/75 Mr. Sipel said he had before him the material that was presented to the Council last year and to the Finance and Public Works Committee, and certainly the things that were quoted tonight are in that particular statement. There are some other things that he felt might be quoted that would add more of a perspective. He referred to the Finance and Public Works Committee minutes of May 28, 1974, page two, and quoted: "Mr. Walker, the assistant city manager indicated that the Youth Center proposal has been the result of a new approach to dealing with young people, emphasizing an unstructured program. He said the Creations Workshop program in the Old Police!Fire Building had been a success. One of the most recent changes has been to hire Fred Coleman as a Recreation Supervisor, who has been very successful in communicating with young people and discovering their needs." Mr. Sip<1 said it should be pointed out that the Recreation Department has a very broad and varied program. It has a budget of roughly $600,000, eight tu1l-timie staff members, and over 200 casual employees at various times during the year. The activities range from baseball, dances, and camping trips to a whole variety of things. Activities under discussion tonight represent roughly $16,000. Adding the Coffee House Initiative program, we would have another $14--15,000 in the total. The city has been working on school campuses to help young people for many years. The change has been subtle and has happened over a su er of years. The pre- vious approach was to offer a certain "bag" to students. In the latter '60'ea and early '70's that did not appear to be the most effective way to deal with some portion of the youth. Back in the late '60's, some of the staff began to try to explore ways they could work with young people to plan rock con_erts and alternatives t:, the kinds of activities that were going on on ' niversity Avenue and other places. He did not know that there was any specific Council direction, but staff saw youth's behavior at that time as a need and tried to fill it. He does not think in looking at the total staff effort that the Outreach kind of program is any different than tryieg to work with nerighborh ed groups or any individual who has ss problem or need. He has been moat proud of the way in the last three yeas the staff ha* gone out to help people with problems and not waited for them to come into this building. In terms of specific budget authorisation, he thinks the Coffee House Initiative program end the Outreach Program were really one total portion of the Recreation Department budget that was approved last year. Outreach is an integral part of the Coffee House. If it were not for the Outrsm.eh activity, he did not know whether the Coffee House would he as successful as it has been. He did not think some of the other effoete had been very successful, became* they did not met the suds of the your pimple. In the Coffee House Initiative, we are supporting young people so they can articulate their needs and achieve thew. In terem of supervision, he thought it was important to recognize that part of what the city has triad to do in its organisation is to give more people opportunities to do things, to mane decisions and to have a bigger part in the organization. In order to do that, supervisors tried not to be authoritarian. Personally, he prefers for employees to feel that they work with bide and with each other. There isn't any doubt about who these people work for. In the Recreation Depart - pent, Keith Bruns is the director, and he is responsible for the employees hours and what they do. The department has weekly conferences as to what they are doing. Councilman Comstock stated that he wanted to tip his hat to the staff on this report. It is extremely comprehensive and full of good information. Page 4 refers to June 1974 and states that Dr. Stevens made a point of calling the Director of Recreation to request that the work done at Mayfield resume in the fall. Page 3 describes the extent of the Outreach Program. He said it seams the city does have a jurisdictional problem, and we should try to set some framework around it. The city and the school district collaborate on many things, and some of then are pretty easy. For example, 1 1043 3{17/75 1 sharing tennis courts is comfortable. Working with the school district is not something new to the city. The city has run many recreation programs on campuses. The Council is very much aware of the drop -in centers that the city has opened and sponsored and the craft shop in the old police and fire station. He felt his statement about the number of schools involved in this program should be kept in mind and that should be used to set the IIICorrected context of the specific problem. The school district is free to call the See pg 1125 shots on its turf. The school district is free to call the shots on its turf. The school district says nobody is to come to Mayfield until noon. That is their decree, and the city should accede. The situation at Mayfield is one school out of a number the city is involved in, and while it is a problem at one school, it is not necessarily a problem with the total program. Any action should bear that in mind. He said he certainly is - not familiar with the most intimate details of all of the programs. He was not aware until he went to a parents' night program at Jordan Junior High School that the city had assigned a young police officer to each school complex. That probably is a prgram which could become contro- versial to some people in the community. Council tries to understand the direction staff is taking. To him it was quite clear that. the Recreation Department was attempting to branch out and reach people they were not reach- ing. He had to commend the staff for being innovative. He would rather they would do that than watt for Council to tell them to do something innovative. There are risks in any case. Council should remember that a few years ago, the youth were at loose ends and Council as asked to do something. Council responded by authorizing drop --in centers and gave sig- nals to staff to try other things. He said he was sorry about this conflict. The school district is about to put a new superintendent on the job, and Council has a city manager, and the best thing Council can do is to give these two men a chance to work out the problem: He felt it would be bad to attempt to impose a resolution. If they can't work it out, then Council would be obliged to do something. Mr. Sipel made the point that Council should get away from the feeling that the city has dropped its recreational programs and the Outreach Program is all it is doing. The city offers a wide range of programs. If anybody is to take this matter further, he would hope it would be referred to the City -School. Liaison Committee. He hoped the proposed motions would not pass. Councilman Clay stated that he was present at the meeting of PACDAB follow- ing the Council meeting two weeks ago when staff was directed to bring back to Council a report on the Mayfield School situation, At the PACDAB meeting, he thought he made it abundantly clear why he was there, it was to get information that would enable him to make a decision when this matter was brought back to Council. It appears that rather than coming bock to him with dissatisfaction ofhis participation at that meeting, the disgruntled personas whent to some other Counciiperson. Those Councilpersons cannot affect the decisions that Councilman Clay makes, because he arrives at his decisions based on the information he gets. He said he was concerned because of the city's involvement in or contributing to a jurisdictional dispute. He did not care about the philosophy. The report Council received from staff, he thought, was an expression of philosophy, and that is not what he expected to come back. The city is not in the education or counsel- ing business, but it does have a responsibility to answer to the citians why and how it is spending money. It appeared to him that the discussion centered around whether or not the city should force its way into the schools. Normally people are coming to Council and asking Council to continue parti- cipation in and financial support of the programs they want in the city. In this case, the city is saying it is going to support a program even when it is questionable from the school district's standpoint as to whether or not they want that program. He said he had to be concerned about that without regard to the merits of the activities. He had to be concerned if Mayfield School says it does not want the program or if they don't show a good positive response_to it. He said he had strong reservations about supporting;a.opntinued 1044 3/17/75 effort of this type. -He referred to possible legal problems whereby recreational employees who report to the city manager and are removed by the police department employees, who also report to the manager. He felt it was a hairy situation at best and to sit here and aay let's continue it is absurd. He could not see continuing to support this program ..fthout having the school district coming to Council and saying they want it. He felt it was reasonable to remove the city employees during the period the matter is being considered by the school district and during the period of the moratorium. Councilwoman Pearson said that the school district did ask for this program. Also, she would like everyone here to understand that we are not talking about children who are unteachable, weird, or dumb. Their problem is that they are much too smart. Her daughter, went to Mayfield and is now in her second year of college aed is not on welfare. She said "I know the personnel at Mayfield, Mr. Barlow and Mrs. Crenshaw and I have fond feelings for both of thee. They were very helpful to me and my daughter. But I must say that there were the Preds, the Joels and the Denise's out there helping us also. It seems unproductive that once a task force has been set up which includes the students, parents, school administration and teachers that members of this task Corrected force are allowed to make a choice of whether or not they attend. The See pg. 114,%tal commitment of all to be to work out a solution that is equitable. I say to Mr. Barlow and those who chose not to participate that they do themselves a disservice. Your ideas are needed and wanted. I urge you to got bow to false pride and to participate in the task force deliberations. Next, I find it incredible that certain candidates for the council election are attempting to make the problems of the students at Mayfield a city election issue. I know thi.a is being done be. ause i was informed that Mr. Eyerly used it as an issue at a recent neighborhood coffee. Further- more, tonight we see an attempt being made to indicate that no policy has been made on the Outreach Program. if some of you had been around for the past few years you wuld be aware that we have been reiterating this policy over and over. It is true that a segment of the youth population is asking for different types of recreation activities. These three excellent people have been doing exactly what they were hired to do and doing it exceedingly well. We have NOT reduced the traditional programs. Would you prefer the street riots and strung -out children of 1958-69.70? The problem is that staff has named this program for us "Outreach Program". Really, Anne, let's talk about the real issues - growth and land use and keep away from school areas." Councilwoman Pearson said she had been asked by Mrs. Rebecca Morgan, a school board trustee, to persuade Council not to take any positions. She urged defeat of Councilman Berwald's motions. Councilman Rosenbaum noted that there are two issues. Ona is jurisdictional. The city staff is not going to Mayfield School unless the school district wants them. The second issue has to do with whether Council wants to continue the type of program that is being offered. That is an appropriate subject for discussion at budget time. At this time he had to interpret the motion as a put down to people who are working very hard, and he did not think it was appropriate. He said he could not support the motion at this time. Meyor Sher stated that the motion more or less reflects Dr. Stevens' suggestion about the desire of the school district at this point and also the Actions being followed by Mr. Sipel in wanting to hear what the school board is going to do with the subject. The motion is not exactly in accord- ance with those positions. At the last meeting where this report w»e requested, the original motion was that the Council be given a report and in the mean- time consider the wishes of the school principal and the teachers with regard to the preeencer . of city employees on campus, at a time when their 1.045 3/17/75 presence on campus may be disruptive to classes. Mayor Sher said he moved to amend the motion to substitute the words "school district administration" for "principals and teachers" because he thought the decieion should come from the administration. Councilman Berwald sup- ported the amendment, and it passed on a unanimous vote. Then the motion as amended passed on a unanimous vote. In the present motion, if "principal" were deleted and "school administration" substituted, he thought the motion would reaffirm what Council had already voted. The City Manager has suggested that is the way he intends to proceed. 1 AM_ENDMEN i : "principal" Mayor Sher the merits the motion Mayor Sher moved, seconded by Beaters, to delete the word and substitute "school district administration." suggested that every Council member had had a long say on of this topic, and he hoped remarks would now be limited to and the amendments that were on the floor. Mr. Sipel asked if the motion meant that cit-y employees would not be at Mayfield School at any time during the day or just during the time school is going on. Councilman Berwald said that his motion was that city employees not visit the school at all, because the administration has suggested the moratorium on the employees' being at the school during school hours. The response of teachers, including the acting principal, was that they find the city employees' presence disrupting to the education process, even if they come in after school. Councilman Bervald felt the best thing to do was to respect the wishes of the teachers in this regard. The amendment passed on the following vote: AYES: Beahrs, Clay, Comstock, Henderson, Pearson, Rosenbaum, Sher NOES: Berwald, Norton AMENDMENT: Mayor Sher moved, seconded by Comstock, that the words "During regular school hours" be inserted after "employees." The amendment passed on the following vote: AYES: Comstock, Henderson, Pearson, Rosenbaum, Sher NOES Beahrs, Berwald, Clay, Norton Councilman Beahrs asked the City Attorney if Council had any ability to force these people on the school if they oppose this particular result. City Ettorney Booth replied that the city cannot force the employees on to the school. Councilman Berwald stated that he would support thief motion on the theory that half a loaf is better than none, but he did not think it was a satis- factory motion. The motion as amended passed on the following vote: AYES: Berwald, Henderson, Norton, Pearson, Rosenbaum, Sher NOES: Beaters, Clay, Comstock 1066 /!i 3/17/75 MOTION: Councilman Berwald moved, seconded by Beahrs that the Council invite the school board to join in a complete and objective inquiry into the facts of the current Mayfield -City employees' situation and that a joint recommendation be made to guide future city services to the school district and the students. REFERRAL MOTION: Councilman Comstock moved, seconded by Rosenbaum, thst the motion on the floor be referred to the City -School Liaison Committee. Councilman Berwald said that if the intent is that the City -School Liaison Committee sill attempt to gain the participation of the school board, then he would vote for it. Councilman Comstock replied that the intent is to refer the proposed motion to the committee. The results would come back to Council from Council liaison. Perhaps discussions of the City -School committee would bring forth a variety of statements from the superintendent, and city manager as to how they would deal with it. Councilman Berwaid commented that Council had heard a lot of allegations and statements cn both sides, and he thought the only way to get to the bottom of it is to have an objective inquiry at the policy level. Councilman Comstock said he could not predict what the City -School committee would do. He hoped that the text of the motion would be related to the members of the committee who will discuss it, and a number of possibilities might eventuae. He felt it would be a four-way discussion. The matter will have to come back to Council eventually, Councilwo:non Peareou commented that the City -School Liaison spends a lot of its time going over the services the city and the school district are involved with together. She did not want to get involved in a discussion of all services. Mayor Sher said the referral l o on meant Recreation Department services. Corrected See pg. ; ' Cmuncilwoman Pearson said she would try to the matter on the agenda if the ii25'school district trustee. agree. The referral motion passed on the following vote: AYES: Berwald, Clay, Comstock, Henderson Pearson, Rosenbaum, Sher NOES: Beahrs, Norton MOTION: Councilman Berwald moved, seconded by Sher, that the City Manager provide Council, attention of the Finance and Public Works Committee, with position descriptions and assignments of all recreation department employees, both full-time and casual, and costs allocatable to each position. Councilman Beehrs asked City Manager Sipel if these job descriptions already exist. Mr. Sipel replied that the job descriptions do exist. The problem will be in trying to describe the casual program, particularly in the summer months when the Recreation Department has 225 to 25C people in basically traditional recreation programs. The motion suggested that staff attach dollars to the positions. He thought this information would be more valuable in the context of the proposed budget. 1 0 4 7 3/17/75 Vice Mayor Henderson said he would have to support the motion, because Council does request this type of information. He said he was a little disturbed at the implications contained in the discussions tonight. He has been well aware of the outreach efforts in the recreation 3epa.tm.ent for quite sometime, and he is totally supportive of them. He wished others could have taken time to drop by the Coffee House last evening. He said he is not aware of all of the activities in the Outreach Program nor in any other city programs. When he read the staff report, he contacted one of the people involved and said that he rated it as one of the moat thoughtful and caring statements he had ever read. The referral motion passed on the following vote: AYES: 3eahrs, 3erwald, Clay, Henderson, Norton Pearson, Rosenbaum, Sher NOES: Co stock Executive Session Council recessed in executive session from 10:27 to 10:45 p.m. to discuss foothills litigation and personnel appointments. Mayor Sher announced that during executive session Council confirmed Kathal Ann Wilson as a member of Palo Alto Child Care Center. lag.af fQr ;+glga ih e u■ '.aw Lion on Location of Proposed New Re ional Postal ac. qty MOTION: Councilwoman Pearson moved, seconded by Hendt rson, that Item #9 be moved up on the agenda and considered at this time. The motion passed cm a unanimous vote. Mayor Sher stated that Item 49relates to the proposed new postal facility. He gave a history of this matter stating, ttat in 1969 the question of location of a new postal facility at West Bayshore and Lo ua Verde was proposed and that the Council took the position that that was not a suitable site for a regional postal facility. In January of 1970, the City Manager stated that as the result of recent contact with tee regional director for the San Francisco Regional Office and members of his staff, the post office was no longer giving consideration to the utilization of the property on the West Sayshore Frontage Road at Loma Verde as a site for the new post office. Mayor shear commented that apparently things have changed since that time, because subsequently the post office did acquire that site, and it is now proposed to put a regional pos:.al office facility there. A number of residents in the area have been organizing opposition. The city staff has been working to try to get the postal service to have its plans reviewed according to the city's normal planning process, including a review by the Planning Commission. East Palo Alto residents have made it known that they would like to have the facility continue to be located east of Bayshore. Mayor Sher said that he put this item on the agenda, knowing the subject would be discussed at the joint meeting between East Palo Alto Municipal Council end the City Council last Thursday night, thinking that discussion would clarify the direction the Palo Alto Council wishes to take. The consensus developed that a joint 1 0 4 g 3/17/75 resolution should be prepared by Palo Alto and East Palo Alto asking the postal service to review the feasibility of locating their regional facility either at the present site east of Bayshore on an expanded parcel of laud or at another site to East Palo Alto in the industrial park. Also, the Boards of Supervisors of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties should be asked to join in the proposal. Mayor Sher noted that Council had been furnished a number of documents, one of which was a letter which a post office official wrote to Congress- man Henderson chairman of the committee on poet office and civil service of the House of Representatives, indicating that the city had no objections to the site. He said his motion would make clear what Palo Alto's position is on the suitability of that site. MOTION: Mayor Sher moved, seconded by Pearson, that Council direct staff to prepare in consultation with East Palo Alto staff a joint resolution asking the postal service to review the feasibility of locating their regional facility either at the present site east of Bayshore on an expanded parcel of laud or on another site in East Palo Alto in the Industrial Park and to also ask the Boards of Supervisors of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties to join in the proposals. Councilman Comstock said he assumed that at the tim such a resolution is prepared, copies would be directed to Palo Alto's congressional and senate representatives and perhaps Palo Alto could get neighboring communities to support it. Councilman Berwald said that after the City Clerk's office copied material from the files at his request, they found another letter of April 24, 1969, which contains some information that_ may be helpful. He asked that it be copied and given to staff. Councilwoman Pearson said she thought it would be appropriate to ask the post office department to immediately put the Palo Alto property on the market for sale. Vice Mayor Henderson said he had strong motivations for the proposed actions. He has had conversations with Henry Anthony, and East Palo Alto desires to have this facility located in their community. It will produce jobs. It can be an attraction for carts'n types of business that have mailing. He attended the community meeting at Palo Verde School for a few minutes, and there was no doubt about the opposition to the facility in Palo Alto. He said he would support adding the words about the male of the property. The motion passed on a unanimous vote. MOTION: Mayor Sher moved, seconded by Pearson, that the City Council reaffirm its previous position that the Loma Verde -West Bayshore site is not an appropriate site for a new postal facility and that the city request the postal service to sell the property on the open varket. Celia Corchado, 926 Colonial Lane, stated that the West Bayshore Residents' Association opposed the mew post office facility at the Loma Verde -West Bayshore site. Jack Otto, 3157 Louis Road, stated that at the Palo Verde neighborhood meeting, people were outraged at the proposal to place this installation there. 1 0 4 9 3/17/75 Gilbert Eakins, 3493 Greer Road, said there is quite a bit of concern that if this matter is allowed to linger, that if the funds are approved, construction would start quickly because of the depression in the construc- tion industry. He felt immediate input to the Postmaster General is required on this. Secondly, the only pressure that would do any good in this type of situation is strong pressure directly to Washington. Mayor Sher assured Mr. Eakins th.3t if the motion passed, he would communicate quickly with the Postal Service and Palo Alto's congressman on this matter. Robert Debs, 3145 Flowers Lane, reaffirmed Mr. Eakins' statement that Council's help is needed in reaffirming Palo Alto's opposition to this site. They have had verbal assurances of support from Mr. McCloskey. Once the city has officially proclaimed its policy, it becomes a matter of Washington responding to local concerns. Councilman Beahrs commented that he read Mr. Debt' letter of March 10, 1975, to Congressman Henderson, and he agreed it is somewhat surprising that the postal authorities have gone on with their plans despite opposition of sane years back. He said he was supportive of the opposition, but it is a matter of concern to him that no one knows what the postal department's criteria were in settling on this site. The city does not knew what the poatnl departments position is; yet we say we don't like it. He would like to know the postal department's position in order to counter it with valid arguments. Mr, Debs said that he is concerned because he has been told by staff that the government does not require a building permit.. Once the contract is signed, he feels the courts will not interfere with a business deal where someone can get hurt. Congressman McCloskey has said that the postal service must get their request in at the end of January for the next fiscal year. It then goes to the investment board and gets in the budget. Mr. McCloskey has been asked to ask the postal service for their definition of what they want. No matter what the post office wants, it is the function of that site that is abhorrent to the residents. Councilman Beahrs repeated that he thought someone should come up with solid specific arguments. Councilman Clay counted that at the joint meeting between Palo Alto and Beet Palo Alto, it was asked what objections the post office may have had to the use of the site in the industrial park and what positive attributes are there to the Palo Alto site. John Thiemsnn, 3458 Greer Road, stated that in 1969 he was active in opposition to the placement of the post office on the frontage road. He asked Council to reaffirm the position taken et that time. AMENDMENT: Mayor Sher amended the motion to add that the Mayor he authorized to advise the Postal Service officials, Chairman, House Post Office and Civil . Service Committee, Congressman McCloskey and Edwards, and Sentators Tunney and Cranston and other congressmen who might be helpful in this matter. The amendment passed on a unanimous vote. The motion as amended passed on a unanimous vote. Rate Increase by PG&E. February 25 1975 and PUC Public Hearin s Councilwoman Pearson stated that she had been informed that the City of Palo Alto is already, protesting this latest PG&E rate increase. She feels 1 0 5 0 3/17/75 Corrected See pg. 1125 Corrected See pg1125 Corrected See pg1125 that the Public Utilities Commission is not exercising control over nuge monopolies. When commissioners are not present at hearings, the hearing examiner makes a report, gives it to the Commission which then meets privately, makes a decision and then announces it. The hearing examiner's report and any other reports are never.made public. This is analgous to the City Council appointing Mr. Knox, Planning Director, and one of the Councilmembees to listen to a zone change or variance hearing. The Planning Director then makes a report to the Council in private and' the council deliberates privately, makes a decision and then announces the decision and the director's report is kept secret. She considered this outrageous. What possible control can the public, through the exercise over the huge monopolies such as PG& ,, the Trucking industry, Southern California, Edison, the PT&T. She couldn't go anywhere else for my utilities or telephone or hauling. The PC E, for instance, is swamping the PUC with requests for one increase after another. The PUC cannot possibly turn down increases because it is so busy reacting to the be rage. An increase is predictable. MOTION: Councilwoman Pearson :roved, seconded by Comstock, that the Mayor be requested to send a letter to the Governor and to Palo Alto's State Legislators requesting that immediate action be taken to force the PUC to hold its deliberations in public and that any reports from the commissioners and the hearing examiner be made public. The roiion passed on the following vote: AYES: Beahra, Clay, Comstock, Henderson, Norton, Pearson, Rosenbaum, Sher NOES: None ABSTAIN: Berwald Frank Manfredi, 219 Addison, stated that Councilwoman Pearson is a dreamer; members of the PUC are in PG&E's pocket because Republicans appointed them. lie said the utilities should be nationalized. Offer to Purchase Webster Block anmmesemmmemem d Souire lla>�s� rn��-r�� Councilman Berwald commented that his interest and purpose in putting this on the agenda began in August 1970 when he wrote Council advising them that the property in the Webster house block would be sold to the highest bidder on September 11. The amount of the judgment was $656,000. The city purchased the property for $450,000. When Council received the offer from the City Manager, he had mixed feelings about it and still has, but at the time he wrote the letter in 1970, he thi'ught it was a good investment for the city. Re referred to the contents of his letter and said that he still feels somewhat the eame way today. At the time in 1970 that the city was discussing purchasing the property, City Attorney Peter Stone and Councilman Berwald went to the HUD office and talked to two people and tried to figure out whether or not HUD had funding for mixed -income development. They were told HUD was disillusioned with the single mode of housing, and they thought -.i t would be fine to have a mix of market priced, moderate, and low-income property. Due to a number of factors, the property was not developed, and it lies fallow. It the mean- time, the funds from HUD dried up. Mr. Berwald said he realizes all -of the work that has -gone into planes for the property and thinks that at a time when there is a financial crisis in the city it is prudent and meritorious that a public agency not turn its back on an offer; that Council be open to new ideas regarding housing and working with the persons from the private secter who would like to develop the Webster site, He would like Council tonight to reinforce or mend the decisions of the City Manager. lie summarised the points in his memo to Council and noted t he had cautioned Mr. Harrington that Council does not negotiate in ublic sessions, but they do listen. 1 0 5 1 3/17/75 Mr. Sipel stated that generally speaking, it has been his policy to bring all bona fide offers to purchase or sell property to the city to Council for some kind of discussion. With respect to this offer, the problem he had was two very specific Council directions, one regarding Squire House and one in respect to the Webster property. Council's direction on Squire House was to have staff take steps necessary to bring the house up to code, and $113,000 was appropriated for that purpose, and staff are now out to bid on that portion of the project. Then instructions were to put the house up for sale with a facade easement. With respect to Webster property, after Council rezoned the property and adopted a master plan the direction was to ask the staff to refer the proposed program to the Housing Corporation to investigate and make recommendations to Council concerning available programs and funding that might be applicable, including federal housing and community development. That assignment is in process and will come back to Council, probably in the middle of Aprii. Mr. Sipel said his first reaction was that the offer ought to go to the Housing Corporation, butrecognizing there might be some other things Council might want to consider he had communicated the offer made by Harrington & Kulakoff to Council. Vice Mayor Henderson said he was curious about the proposed referral, because this does not fall, within the assignment of the Housing Corporation. This would be a change of Council policy and would indicate a decision to back away from Council policy and actually sell the Webster property for Har- rington and kulakoff's project. Mr. Sipel replied that what he foresaw was that members of the Housing Corporation would get together :with the proposed buyers and come up with a project that might fit the guidelines or that Council may make some changes in the guidelines. He said he looks at the Housing Corporation as Council's consultant on the Webster project. Vice Mayor Henderson said he did not see anything an the offer about the facade easement on the Squire House, Mr. Sipel replied that there was nothing in the offer, and he had not had any communication from either Mr. Harrington or Mr. Kulakoff about it. He assumed that if Council decided to proceed any further on the Webster property, they would then begin to talk about the Squire House. Councilman Berwald asked if legally the city would have to go to bid on the Webster House and on the Squire House. Mr. Sipel replied that his feeling is that the city should at least take proposals and give as mammy people as want to an opportunity to make a proposal. He did not know that there needed to be a forme 1 bidding process. Councilman Berwald wondered if the Planning Commission would want to work hand in hard with the Housing Corporation on something like this and decide whether proposals are malleable enough to fit. Mr. Sipe]. said he would not see the Planning Commission being involved immediately. Councilman Berwald asked Mt. Sipel what he thought would be a reasonable tine pending an answer. 3r. Sipel replied somewhere between thirty and sixty days. Councilman Berwald asked if the offeror is willing to keep the Squire House facade easement, and the price is in the ball park, would staff proceed with the acceptance of bids at this point? 1 0 5 2 3/17/75 Mr. Sipel replied that staff is out to bid already. They expect to receive the bids for the renovation in mid -April. Councilman Berwald noted that money may be offer is accepted. • saved if Harrington & Kulakoff's Councilman Rosenbaum asked Mr. Sipel if he had had any discussions about the separability of this offer to buy. City Manager Sipel said he had had no discussions, but he would guess they are not separable. Councilwoman Pearson asked the value of the Squire House land if it were to be subdivided. Mr. Sipel guessed about $120,000. Councilwoman Pearson asked what the Squire House might sell for. Mr. Sipel said he had a rough estimate from a local realtor of $75,000 and about $125,000 with repairs and including the lot. Mayor Sher stated that it would be appropriate at this time to ask Mr. Harrington .and Mr. Kulakoff to address Council if they wished. Mr. Ales; Kulakoff, Harringtoa S Kulakoff, mentioned some of the projects which his firm has completed in Pass Alto, including restoration of houses at 510 'riaverley and 520 Cowper, He said they are proud to be working in the direction of coal needs of the city. There is a great demand for housing for people who earn about $12,000 a year. To satisfy this need, his company has developed a concept that is multiple zoned and can be used for detached type of housing. He gave Council members pictures of such a development in Mountain View. He said the homes rent in the price bracket of rental apartments. On their proposed Webster site project, they would build seventy houses in the $39,950 range. He said they will (1) buy and preserve Squire Hose; (2) give capital to the city; (3) use the Webster Rouser site to get the median -priced housing that Palo Alto needs; (4) get the city out of the real estate business. Councilman Beabre said the proposal was interesting, particularly since the city had run up considerable costs on these properties. He asked if the offer were at all related to the concepts that city staff have developed for that property. Mr. Harrington said he had seen the city's plans briefly this evening. Barrington & Kulakoff did not wish to follow that particular design. They would went to chins the site plan. They feel there are overrriding reasons why the Council should consider the change. He cited reasons such as open green area, space between houses, etc. Councilman &ahrs stated that the Council had invested $134,000 in this concept, and had had three years of agonising negotiation with the neigh- borhood. Mr. Harrington said he thought their firm was offering a superior land use product. 'They had tried to take into account a $b5O,000 offer to get back to the city the funds expended for both sites. Councilman Rosenbrum stated that he could see some real problems with the Webster Street site. Thirty to sixty days for a definite answer did not seem to be long enough. He asked why Harrington & Kulakoff wished to tie the two sites together. dl A 5 3 3/17/75 Mr. Harrington replied that the Squire House is of no economic benefit to Harrington & Kulakoff, but they believe it should be preserved. They felt they were taking an albatross away from the city. They felt citizens would see the value and wisdom of getting the $650,000 back into the city treasury. Councilman Rosenbaum asked it it were true that they threw in the Squire House as a sweetener, and Mr. Harrington responded affirmatively. Councilman Norton asked if Harrington & Kulekoff were familiar with the plans under way for structural renovation of the Squire House. Had they looked into it tar enough to have an opinion on how it would affect their entire outlook on this package if the city went ahead and did about $100,000 worth of work. He said he was suggesting it was a little bit late in the game to atop that process. Suppose the work were completed and Council wanted to talk about it further. Mr. Harrington gold they would prefer that the work not proceed. Their firm would eventually do the work. They restored the pecker house and did not spend a great deal of money. However, that house was not as large as the Squire House. He thought the city would not be wisely advised in spending that amount, because the ti ;a1 selling price is only $125,000 if the house is improved, and if so; body did a lot of work themselves it would accomplish more. He said he ruld have the city hold the bids for awhile under study. The main thing is to try to accomplish the goals and get the money the city has spent back into the city treasury quickly. Mr. Sipel asked if the Harrington & Kulakoff proposal contemplated eliminating all of the houses on the Webster block. :fir. Harrington replied that is negotiable. Mr. Kulakoff interjected that Harrington & Kulakoff would probably not retain any of the existing buildings but would build a whole new complex. Paul Kerr, 360 Forest, said his purpose this evening was to speak only concerning the Squire House. He noted that the Webster black was purchased by the city. On the other hand, the Squire House was virtually given to the city by several thousand contributors, and it was given with the idea that the house would become a public facility. and that concept has a great deal of merit. The staff has made a careful study of different uses to which the house coulaii be put. Council has already voted to wake emendatory repairs, which after that is completed, if you figure on the $90,000 that was given to the city plus interest, would just about balance what the city is spend- ing; so it does not seem the city is out anything. He said he was not in- clined to think there was anything wrong with people making presentations, particularly when they come with a well-grounded background of experience. Rather than Council just jumping at a situation, Mr. Kerr suggested anything that has taken this long to develop and has the backing of several thousand contributors should receive more careful study, particularly from the stand- point of some form of public utilization. Fern Hunt, 522 Caampua Drive, Stanford, concurred with lit. Kerr. She felt that the city and the Squire House committee that raised this money owe the donors a consideration. What is the Council going to say to the donors if they sell Squire House and don't repay their money. She thought ft would be a misappropriation of funds. The committee raised the money with the purpose of serving senior citizens. She said she was not in any way opposed to these new proposals. They would probably do something with the house and make it presentable for University Avenue, but let's get going on it. l 0 5 4 3/17/710 Frank Manfredi, 219 Addison, pointed out that the money for the Squire House was put up by public subscription, and here are some men who will take it off the city's hands if Council will give them an abortion on the Webster property. He felt the Webster property should be utilized for housing for low-income people. Councilman Berwald told Dr. Kerr and Mrs. Hunt that he agreed that donators should get their house back or some money back. He felt if the city could defer the maintenance and perhaps somehow keep trust with those who donated the money, that would be fine. He said he was not willing co make a decision to sell Squire House. He would like for Council not to make a commitment on the Harrington & Kulakoff offer, but express interest in it. He would like the Council to ask the City Manager to give favorable consideration to Harrington b Kulakoff's offer and in consultation with interested parties, the Housing Corporation, Planning Dept., and the Squire House Committee report on the feasibility of the offer and give recommendations within sixty days of this evening. MOTION: Councilman Berwald moved, seconded by ?lea rs, that without commitment Council ask the City Manager to give favorable consideration to Harrington & Kulakoff's offer or any amended offers end in consultation with the Housing Corporation the staff, and Squire House Coeeeittee report on the feasibility of it and give the Council the City Manager's recommendation within sixty days. Councilman Berwald commented that he would hope that the City Manager would not be held to acceptance or rejection of the offer but would give Council his recommendation on what they might do with the Squire House. Councilman Comstock said that he had some problems with the motion. The City Manager is sitting there with specific policy from Council on the Webster Property and Squire House. He has gotten bids on the renovation and at the same time Council has Come to a conclusion as to what the current policy posture is about the nature of the scope of development on the Webster block. Neither one of these directives to the City Manager contemplate the kind of offer that has been brught forward here. He thought to give this direc- tion without modifying the other direction is a contradiction. To put the City Manager and the developer through a sixty-day process to go through all of these things is going to generate a lot of time and effort. He thought the best thing for Council to do was to tell Mr. Pa;rington and Mr. Kulakoff there are exlsing policy decisions and they should familiarize themselves with them. Councilmen Norton acid he was unclear on what would happen if this motion passed in terms of the bidding procedure now under way. Would the City Manager see the motion as being inconsistent. Could staff come back at the time bids cometo Council with their response to Mr. 3erwald's motion. Could the time period be shortened to thirty days. Mr. Sigel replied thit he thought there was some leeway on the bids so that staff could hold off on them until the early part of May. He did not think staff could accomplish the assignment in thirty days, but perhaps they could get back to Council in lees than sixty. They will have to let the Squire Rouse bid by some time in the middle of May. Councilman Norton asked how much staff time Mr: Sipe! saw in Councilman Berwald's assignment. Mr. Sipel replied tnathe anticipated twenty to twenty-five hours, maybe longer. 1055 3/17/75 Councilman Norton said he felt things were too far along on both projects to back off and change direction, much as he thought there were many things appealing about the Harrington--Kulakoff proposal. He did not think '"ouncil could change direction on the Squire House and he does favor completing the preventive maintenance work. Although he has mixed feeling on the Webster policy and on the time it has taken, he did participate in the idea of acquiring the property, and he feels the city is too far along to reverse directions now. He could not support the motion. Councilwoman Pearson said in respect to Webster site, she had a concern about the Housing Corporation. She understood they were already interview- ing people and this proposal puts them in an awkward position. A lot of tiem, effort, and men,ey have been put into the project. Regarding the Squire House, Council said they would do something, and she felt they should do it. She said she had seen the Harrington & Kulakoff project in Mountain View and those houses turn her off and she would not like to see them on the Webster Street project. She thought the Housing Cor- poration would feel Council had pulled the rug from under them. She could not support the motion. Councilman Clay noted that Council had heard from the League of Women Voters, Midpeninsula Citizens for Fair Housing, and the Squire House group. Re accepts some of the reasoning that Mr. Harrington and Mr. Kulakoff give. He would not like to see the city heavily involved in the real estate business, but when he looks at the offer and where the city is now, he agrees that we are too far down the road for him to believe that it would be practical to do anything different from vhat has been started. There are conditions on the contract such as the ability of the buyers to obtain a loan, building permit, and others. If the city discovered it did not have a deal, it would be too late. Councilman Beahrs commented that he supported the motion, because he was slowly losing his faith in the ultimate possibility of realizing the concept on the Webster project, The city already has $140,000 invested in that property that is beyond recovery, and in three more years, it will have more than a quarter of a million that will not he recovered. This is subsidizing housing to an unacceptable degree. If it is clearly not possible to procure financing of housing for that project with fed- eral assistance, the city cannot forever continue to put money down the drain. He hoped to hear some cement on what the teal prospects are of subsidizing housing on the state and federal level. He agreed the city was pretty far down the line on the Squire House, but if there are no prospects of procuring €undeng of the Webster Street dream, let's forget it. The motion failed on the following vote: AYES; Beahrs, Berwald NOES: Clay, Comstock, Gienderson, Norton, Pearson Boaenbaum, Sher Ora o unicet Jo 1. John °r'redrich, 157 Bryant Street, addressed Council regarding Item i17, the third ration. Re questioned the procedure that vas followed. He felt the motion covered ground that is in the Municipal Code covering budgetary allocations. He felt Council should already have this information. 1 0 5 $ 3/17/75 Mr. Sipel pointed out that the kind of information that was requested is not the kind that i c normally provided Council in that much detail, but when it is requested, staff provides it.