HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-09-29 City Council (7)City of Palo Alto
C ty Manager’s Report
TO:
FROM:
AGENDA DATE:
SUBJECT:
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGERCITY MANAGER
September 29, 1997 CME:408:97
SELECTION OF COUNCIL PRIORITIES FOR FISCAL YEARS
1998-2000
REOUEST
In study session, the Council will review and discuss suggestions for what should be selected
as the Council’s priorities for fiscal years 1998-99 and 1999-2000. The priorities selected
by Council consensus will be formally approved at the October 27 Council meeting.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Council Members have individually indicated their preferences for priorities through their
submitt~ of suggestions and the assignment of points to items on the total list of suggested
priorities. The study session provides the opportunity to review the ranking of priorities and
determine which have the support of the entire Council. Typically, the Council has selected
two or three issues to be its priorities for each fiscal year. The Council discussion will also
provide direction which will enable staff to compose more precise descriptions of the
priorities and their goals.
The process of setting priorities enables the Council to identify the issues Which it believes
required an intensified effort during the coming fiscal years. The implementation of the
priorities will be incorporated in the budget soon to be developed for FY 1998-99 and FY
1999-2000.
As the first step in the process, Council members individually submitted their suggestions.
Attachment 1 is the :list of suggested issues. The Council-appointed boards and
commissions were encouraged to submit suggestions, and those were also included in the
attached list. One exception is the Human Relations Commission (HRC), which submitted
its suggested priority following the compilation of Attachment 1 and its transmittal to
CMR:408:97 Page 1 of 3
Council. On September 12, 1997, the HRC sent a memo to Council requesting consideration
of a suggested priority related to implementation of the Homeless Task Force Report (see
Attachment 2).
Council Members were then given score sheets on which they individually assigned points
to establish their own priorities. The score sheets ,have been tabulated, and the composite
appears as Attachment 3. (Note: Council Member Andersen supports the suggested priority
of the HRC; however, both he and Council Member McCown have chosen not to submit
suggestions or score sheets due to the fact they will not be serving on the Council during FY
1998-2000.)
Attachment 4 is a list of the issues as Council has now ranked them. Attachment 4 also
indicates the range of points assigned to various issues and the number of Council Members
who selected each item.
Two issues received the highest number of points and were assigned points by all seven of
the Council members who submitted scores; these are the Infrastructure Plan and Traffic
Management and Safety. The three issues receiving the next highest scores are Completion
and Implementation of Comprehensive Plan; Residential Design Standards/Historic
Preservation; and Downtown/Neighborhood/Community Environment; however 0nly one
of these, Residential Design Standards/Historic Preservation was selected by a majority of
the seven Council members.
During the course of the study session, Council Members are requested to 1) develop
consensus onthe Council’s priorities for the next two fiscal years; 2) indicate if the issue will
be a priority for the first year, the second year, or both; and 3) provide direction concerning
the scope and goals associated with the priority. .
Until the priorities are selected, it is not possible to identify the actual fiscal impact. If
Council determines~that resources should be directed at new program areas, this can affect
decisions about the level of funding available for existing programs.
Setting of Council priorities is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA).
CMR:408:97 Page 2 of 3
1. List of Suggested Issues for Priority Setting
2. SePtember 12, 1997 memo from HRC to Council
3. Composite Score Sheet
4. Results of Initial Scoring
PREPARED BY: Janet Freeland, Senior Financial Analyst
EMIL HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
CMR:408:97 Page 3 of 3
Attachment 1
LIST OF SUGGESTED ISSUES FOR PRIORITY SETTING
Infrastructure Plan
(Fazzino, Huber, Kniss, Rosenbaum, Schneider, ITheeler, Public Art Commission)
It is clear that our 100-year old city needs to be ul~dated more rapidly than is currently
happening. (Kniss)
We are still not through the overall review process; we need to finish the study and plan and
provide for funding. (Huber)
Infrastructure Strategic Plan: Having identified the infrastructure building and maintenanee
needs and desires in 1998-2000, we need to formulate a strategy to priodtize andfund them.
(lJrheeler)
Infrastructure: Beautification of our neighborhood environments (Public Art Commission)
(Note: The priority adopted for FY 1996-98 stated: Continue the development of the long-range
integrated plan (begun in FY 1995-96) for the restoration and maintenance of the City’s public
infrastructure including buildings, parks and open space, streets, sidewalks and other public paths and
bikeways. The infrastructure implementation plan should accommodate attention to aesthetics as well as
function, and set forth a program for long-term financing. The emphasis in FY 1996-97 will be on
completion of the public buildings component of the plan and development of the overall framework for
a comprehensive infrastructure management system (IMS). The feasibility of expanding the IMS to
include the integration of pre-existing programs for streets and sidewalks will be evaluated. In FY 1997-
98, the emphasis will be on development of the remaining plan components for parks and open space,
and public paths, bikeways and parking lots.) ~
Traffic Management arid Safe _t3,
(Fazzino, Huber, Schneider)
Continue to make traffic safety and management a priority. (Fazzino, Schneider)
(Note: The priority as adopted by the Council for FY 1996-98 stated: Address issues of parking,
congestion, speed and traffic safety through the City by means such.as enhanced enforcement, driver
education, and physical changes to the street environment such as traffic calming devices. Evaluate
transportation alternatives, for commuter and non-commuter alike, including the provision of a Palo Alto
shuttle bus system, as a way to lessen traffic volumes. Continue to work cooperatively with the School
District in dealing with school eomrhute safety.)
Implement intra-city shuttle system. (Fazzino)
We need to continue this priority after completion of Comprehensive Plan to demonstrate that
we can in fact reduce some of the impact. (Huber)
o .Completion and Implementation of Comprehensive Plan
(Kniss, Wheeler, Eakins, Architectural Review Board)
The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee was appointed in 1992; we are heading rapidly
toward 1998. We must make headway this fall/winter. (Kniss)
Ensure that ordinances, including a revised zoning ordinance, and procedures are adopted to
translate the policies and programs in the new Comprehensive Plan into reality. (Wheeler)
It is time to concentrate on finishing the Draft Comprehensive Plan and adopting it. New
zoning ordinances are needed along with a noise ordinance among others. Transportation
planning needs to be implemented. (Eakins)
Need to deal with the zoning changes that will be necessary following adoption of the new
Comprehensive Plan. Address conflicts that will occur during transition time between the
adoption of the Plan and adoption of new zoning ordinance changes. (Architectural Review
Board)
(-Note: The priori.ty as adopted by the Council for FY 1996-97 stated: Continue the aggressive effort to
assure completion of the Comprehensive Plan process by early Fall 1997, encouraging broad
participation so that the document is visionary and has strong community ~upport. Critical steps include
review and adoption of the final environmental impact report followed by adoption of the updated
Comprehensive Plan. Determine the manner in which the Plan’s goals, policies and programs will be
implemented, establish priorities, review financing alternatives and prepare a schedule for
implementation. In accord with that schedule, begin to undertake the ordinance changes essential for
implementation of the Plan.
o Residential Desi_ma Standards/Historic Preservation,
(Eakins, Rosenbaum, Schneider)
Compatibility of new residential construction. (Rosenbaum)
Residential Design Standards: The entire city needs design standards for residential
construction and significant remodeling. Only the pre-1940 areas are being protected now.
"Compatibility" will not work for the newer parts of the City where construction and designs
are too variable and have had too many changes. We identified community building features
during the Comprehensive Plan process. This knowledge should be applied to design standards
for non-historic neighborhoods. (Eakins)
Strengthen neighborhood identity through residential design guidelines. (Schneider)
Downtown. Neighborhood/Communi .ty Environment
(Schneider, Public Art Commission, Architectural Review Board)
Complete the Downtown Master Plan by year 2000. (Public Art Commission)
Improve aesthetics in our neighborhoods and city environment.(Public Art Commission)
Revise the Sign Ordinance. (Architectural Review Board)
Strengthen neighborhood organizations and identity. (Schneider)
.Transition of the Electric Utili .ty to a Deregulated, Environment
(Utilities Advisory Commission, Schneider)
In light of the utility deregulation that will formally commence in CY 1998, the UAC feels that
the successful transition of the utility should be one of the priorities of the Council during the
upcoming year. Emphasis needs to be placed on insuring the continued economic viability of
the utility in the face of competition as well as on preserving the reliability that might be
impacted as a result of the unbundling of the traditional generation and distribution
infrastructure. Special emphasis should be placed in the area of governance of the utility in the
face of the sweeping changes that are about to take place in the utility industry. Governance
and strategic planning, similar to that of private industry, will be needed to insure the long-term
viability of our utility in a deregulated environment. (Utilities Advisory Commission)
Issues related to Homelessness. Services for the Needy
(Fazzino, Eakins)
Provide services to the needy. (Fazzino)
Housing Solutions for the Homeless: we need to find some more places for the unhoused.
(Eakins)
o
Impacts of Large Developments Outside City.
(Schneider)
Address the impact on Palo Alto of large developments outside city’s jurisdiction, i.e.,
Stanford, East Palo Alto. (Schneider)
Families. Youth and Communi _ty
(Kniss, Public Art Commission)
Continue the priority of Families, Youth & Community; the Family Resource Center is still to
be "opened." (Kniss) ..... ~, ~=--~= =~=~ ~ .-:--__ .........
Develop public art programs that support families, youth and community. (Public Art
Commission)
(Note: The priority adopted for FY 1996-97 stated: In cooperation with the School District and
the private sector, continue with the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive
approach for providing: 1) additional youth activities; 2) programs and projects to provide
intervention for "at-risk" youth and their families; and 3) improvement to the family
environment by strengthening and coordinating existing services to parents and families in need
of community support. Follow through on the recommendations of the Positive Alternatives for
Youth committee. Particular attention will be directed at consolidating services to avoid
duplication of effort and cost, and at accomplishing these tasks through the involvement of the
youth, families, and neighborhoods for whom services are sought. Major emphasis will be
placed on the establishment of the Family Resource Center.)
10.Altemative Financing for Major Capital Improvements
(Schneider)
Investigate alternative financing for major capital improvements. (Schneider)
HUNAN RELATIONS CONNISSION
Attachment
MEMORANDUM
TO:Honorable Joseph Huber and
Members of the Palo Alto City Council
FROM:Human Relations Commission
DATE:September 12, 1997
Council Priorities for FY 1998-2000 .
The Huma~ Relations Commission respectfully requests that the following be
considered as a Council Priority for the Fiscal Year 1998-2000:
Initiate a regional, public-private effort to implement the following outstanding
¯ dements from the Homdessness Task Force Report:
¯creating more bed-space
¯devdoping an indoor drop-in center ..
¯providing other related services.
Office of Human Services
Cubberley Communky Center
4000 Middlefidd Road, T2
Palo Alto, California 94303
650.329.2375
ATTACIIMENT 3
Attachment 4
o
o
10.
RESULTS OF INITIAL S
~oints Assigned
Infrastructure Plan
Traffic Management & Safety
Completion and Implementation of
Comprehensive Plan
Residential Design Standards/
Historic Preservation
Downtown/Neighborhood/Community
Environment
Transition of Electric Utility to Deregulated
Environment
Issues Related to Homelessness, Services for
the Needy
Impacts of Large Developments Outside City
Family,, Youth & Community
Alternative Financing for Major Capital
Improvements
2,220
1,630
880
850
650
280
200
30
30
No.,,,of Council
Selecting Issue
7
7
4
3
2
2