HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-07-01 City Council (6)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONO!LA, BLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Planning and
Community Environment
AGENDA DATE: July 1, 1996 CMR:326:96
SUBJECT:Agreement Regarding Representation on the Santa Clara Valley
Transportation Authority Board of Directors
REQUEST
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) has requested member agencies
to enter into new agreements that define the composition of City representation on the
SCVTA Board. The attached agreement is for the six north County cities and was developed
in 1995 by SCVTA Board and Policy Advisory Committee representatives from the six
cities.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends approval of the attached agreement through adoption of the attached
Resolution.
BACKGROUND
The SCVTA is the new name for the agency resulting from the merger of the County Transit
District and the County Congestion Management Agency (CMA). The new agency has
incorporated the structure of the CMA Board.
One of the most important facets in the 1990 formation of the County’s CMA had to do with
board size and the composition of board representation. At that time it was decided that the
County Board of Supervisors should comprise two slots on a twelve-member board, in order
to represent the unincorporated residents of the County as well as the County Transit District.
It was further decided that the remaining representation among cities should primarily be
done on the basis of population. A major issue at the time was determining the appropriate
representation for the City of San Jose. Even though San Jose comprises more than 50
percent of the County’s population, it was decided that San Jose would be limited to five
CMR:326:96 Page 1 of 4
seats on the board. This was necessary in order to avoid a situation where San Jose
representatives could determine the outcome of every decision. Greater representation from
San Jose would have also resulted in public "noticing" and quorum problems, related to a
majority of San Jose’s City Council serving on the CMA Board. That left five seats on the
twelve-member board to be divided among the fourteen other cities and towns in the County.
It was decided that the fourteen other cities should be divided into groupings in which the
cities were likely to have reasonably common transportation interests. The North Zone is
comprised of Santa Clara, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Palo
Alto. The West Valley Zone consists of Saratoga, Monte Sereno; Campbell, Los Gatos and
Cupertino. The East/South County Zone consists ofMilpitas, Gilroy and Morgan Hill. On
the basis of population distribution, it was determined that the North Zone should receive
three of the board seats, with the two other zones each receiving one seat. Each of the
groupings was then allowed to determine the distribution of its board seats among the
member cities.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Adoption of the SCVTA Board representation schedule would continue current practice and
not be a change in City policy.
DISCUSSION
The current rotation schedule for North Zone membership on the board has been in effect
since 1990, when the Congestion Management Agency (CMA) was formed. The rotation
schedule was established for a ten-year period, from 1990 to 1999. Upon the 1995 merger
of the Santa Clara County Transit District with the CMA, the existing CMA Board of
Directors form of representation Was adopted for the new merged agency. The purpose of
this current request for approval of the rotation was to provide for an additional ten-year
period, from 2000 to 2009.
Since 1990, representatives of Mountain View and Sunnyvale have periodically voiced
concerns that their cities are under-represented on the board. In 1994, Mountain View
developed a proposed rotation schedule modification. That proposal led to discussions
among North Zone Board and Policy Advisory Committee members (i.e., City Council
members from each jurisdiction -- Palo Alto was represented by Council Member McCown).
The result of these discussions was the conclusion that the current rotation schedule (part of
the attached Agreement) should be extended for ten years from 1999.
The cities of Los Altos, Mountain View and Santa Clara and the Town of Los Altos Hills
have approved the attached Agreement. The City of Sunnyvale has rejected the Agreement,
based on their conclusion that Sunnyvale should have a continuous board seat rather than the
eight out of ten year schedule in the Agreement.
CMR:326:96 Page 2 of 4
ALTERNATIVES
If Palo Alto approves the Agreement, the City of Sunnyvale will be under the combined
pressure of the five other North Zone cities to concur with the board representation rotation
schedule.
The alternative for Palo Alto is to reject the Agreement, which would quite likely open up
new discussions among the six North Zone cities. In that event, the City of Mountain View
has indicated strong interest in trying to obtain greater representation for Mountain View on
the SCVTA Board. It is unlikely, given the need for each jurisdiction to have some period
of board membership, that Palo Alto would gain more board representation under any revised
allocation formula.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item does not have any fiscal impact.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Approval of the attached Agreement is not a project under the California Environmental
Quality Act and no environmental finding is necessary.
STEPS FOLLOWING APPROVAL
The City Council’s actions will be transmitted to the Transportation Authority and other
North Zone cities, and the formal Agreement will be routed by the SCVTA for signature.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution
Agreement
PREPARED BY: Kenneth R. Schreiber
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:
KENNETH R. SCHREIBER
Director of Planning and
Community Environment
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
City
CMR:326:96 Page 3 of 4
cO:SCVTA (Michael Evanhoe)
City of Los Altos (Dianne Gershuny, City Manager)
City of Mountain View (Kevin C. Duggan, City Manager)
City of Santa Clara (Jennifer Sparacino, City Manager)
City of Sunnyvale (Tom Lewcock, City Manager)
Town of Los Altos Hills (Jeff Peterson, City Manager)
CMR:326:96 Page 4 of 4
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT FOR THE
SELECTION OF GOVERNING BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE SANTA
CLARA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY GROUP 2
CITIES
WHEREAS, Public Utilities Code Section 100060, as amended,
establishes the composition of the Santa Clara County Transit
District (also known as the Santa Clara Valley Transportation
Authority, or Authority) Board of Directors, and requires that five
Board members be City Council members from cities other than San
Jose, selected as provided by joint powers agreement among those
cities; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 7418, the City Council
approved and entered into a Joint Powers Agreement dated
December I, 1994, by and among the 15 cities in Santa Clara County,
which implements Section 100060 by establishing three city
groupings from which five Board members will be selected. The
cities of Los Altos, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara,
Sunnyvale and the Town of Los Altos Hills were designated the North
County City Group and are designated as Group 2 cities in Section
2-13 of the Authority Administrative Code; and
WHEREAS, the Joint Powers Agreement specifies that the
Group 2 cities shall appoint three Directors and one Alternate; and
WHEREAS, the Group 2 cities intend to set forth by
agreement the method by which the three Board members and one
Alternate shall be selected from among the eligible council members
representing the six cities constituting Group 2; and
WHEREAS, there has been presented to the Council an
agreement,entitled "Agreement for the Selection of Governing Board
Members for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Group
2," (the "Group 2 Joint Powers Agreement"), to implement the group
2 selection process.
NOW THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does
RESOLVE as follows:
SECTION i. The Council hereby approves and authorizes the
Mayor to execute the Group 2 Joint Powers Agreement, which will be
effective as of April i, 1996, for and on behalf of the City of
Palo Alto.
960603 lae 0031336
1
SECTION 2. The Council finds that this is not a project
for the purpose of the California Environmental Quality Act.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:APPROVED:
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Senior Asst. City Attorney
City Manager
Director of Planning and
Community Environment
960603 lae 0031336
2
JUN-19-96 14ED FgX NO. 40832;5723
AGREEMENT FOR THE SELECTION OF "
GOVERNING BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE
SANTA CLARA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
GROUP 2
P, 03
This agreement, et’feotlve April 1, 1996, is entereA into by and among the Cities of
Los Altos, Mountain View, Pale Alto, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and the Town of Los
Altos Hills, with reference to the following facts:
A. Public Utilities Code Section 100060, as amended, establishes the
¯ composition of the Santa Clara County Transit District (also l~own as the Santa Clara
Valley Transportation Authority, or Authority) Board of Directors, and requires that five
Board members be City Council members from cities other than San lose, selected as
provided by joint powers agreement among those cities.
B. A Joint Powers Agreement dated December 1, 1994 and entered into by the 15
cities in Santa Clara Cotmty, implements Section 100060 by establishing three city
groupings from which five Board members will be seleete& The parties to this
agreement were designated the North County City Group and are designated as Group 2
cities in Section 2-13 of the Authority Administrative Code.
C. The Johtt Powers Agreement specifies that the Group 2 cities shall appoLat
three Directors and one Alternate.
D. The parties to tkis agreemertt intend to set forth in this agreement the method
by which the three Board members and orte Alternate shall be selected from among the
eligible council members representing the six cities constituting Group 2.
NOW, THEP..EFORE~ the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. The Authority’s Board members (3) and Alternate (1) representing Group 2
shall be appointed by the respective city council of each city within the Group designated
to make an appointment in accordance with Attaclmlertt A, Schedale for Representation,,
1990-2009, Group 2, attached hereto and incorporated herein, except as otherwise
provided in this agreement.
4063215723 P, 3
JUN-19-96 WED 15:45
nomiaat~a to sere ~s Vic~ Clmi~er~ a revtew ~n~iUee ~n.~hg of Group 2’s
Boa~ meat~, Mtem~e, mid.Pokey Ad~so~ Co,ace mem~’s shall bo ~nv~ed
~o.diseuss whe~er to ex~d fl,~ Bo~ member’s term. ~ Board member’~ te~ sh~ll
be ex~ended for on~ ~d~tion~ tw~y~ lerm ~on rite ~imo~ vote ofa~ o~Group
2% Polic, y Adv~o~ Commi~ mcmbe~. If tim tem~ ~ ex~d~ ~e Sched~e for
~pi~a~tation ~all "free~’~ l~r a two-y~ temL a~, at fl~e ~nelusion of the o~sio~
fl~e ord~ ofrcpt~eamtion set lb~ in ~e Sch~ule tbr Rep~sema~o~ slx~l[ rezume
~e0s ~cm is m~imous ~re, mettt ~ong ~c s~ Policy Adviso~ Co~t~i~o~ members
repre~entin5 ~e Oroup tb do olhea~e.
3. Whea feasible, the city council era t:ity next scheduled to nuxke an
appolmmo~t to file Board or itx desi~.aee shah notify tile other ¢itic,~ withht ~Jl’o~p 2 of
whioh council member or members llav~ eKprosztxi an h,terest in bcitag appointed to the
Board in advance of the date scheduled for oily council action.
4. q’l~e G~uup 2 Board mcmber~, Alternate., mad Policy Advisory Committee
members shMi meet at least scmi-amtualiy to di.~m~ss Transportation Authority policy
i~sues, ¢oordiaate as neees~m,y, and provide a fontra tbt raising and addressing
trunsportatinn issues of eomm,~ inter~t.
~hown below.
CITY OF I,OS ALTOS TOWN OF I£~S ALTOS HILI.q
13~r:
Dat~
CITY OF MOI INU.’AIN VIEW CITY OF PALO ALTO
t",tTY OF SANTA, CLAP,A C.ITY OF SUNN¥ VALE
By.i ly.
)ate Date
WED 3:43 PM 4083215723
- JUN-19-86 WED 15:40 FAX NO, 4083215723 P, 04