HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 7938
City of Palo Alto (ID # 7938)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Consent Calendar Meeting Date: 5/1/2017
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Council Priority: City Finances
Summary Title: Approval of Decommisioning Storm Drain Oversight
Committee & Establishing Storm Water Mgmt Committee
Title: Adoption of a Resolution Decommissioning the Storm Drain Oversight
Committee on May 31, 2017 and Establishing a New Storm Water
Management Oversight Committee
From: City Manager
Lead Department: Public Works
Recommendation
Staff recommends that Council adopt a resolution:
1) Decommissioning the Storm Drain Oversight Committee on May 31, 2017;
and
2) Establishing a new committee entitled the Storm Water Management
Oversight Committee.
Background
In 2005, a majority of Palo Alto property owners approved a ballot measure
authorizing an increase in the Storm Drainage Fee. At that time Council
established by resolution a Storm Drain Oversight Committee to oversee the
proposed budget and year-end expenditures to assess consistency with the
approved Storm Drainage fee increase ballot measure. With the sunset of the
Storm Drainage fee on June 1, 2017, so too ends the term of the Storm Drain
Oversight Committee.
In preparation for a 2017 ballot-by-mail measure for a proposed new Storm
Water Management Fee to replace the existing Storm Drain fee, the City Manager
established a Blue Ribbon Storm Drain Committee. In 2016 the Blue Ribbon
City of Palo Alto Page 2
committee made a series of recommendations, which Council adopted, regarding
components and structure of the proposed Storm Water Management Fee. The
Blue Ribbon committee also recommended that, in the event the proposed Storm
Water Management Fee was approved in the mail ballot election, Council
commission a Storm Water Management Oversight Committee to oversee storm
water funding expenditures and review the budget. The Blue Ribbon Storm Drain
Committee’s final report, published in June 2016, marked the completion of that
Committee’s work.
Discussion
Staff recommends decommissioning the Storm Drain Oversight Committee on
May 31, 2017. Palo Alto property owners have voted to approve a new Storm
Water Management fee. Staff recommends establishing a new Storm Water
Management Oversight Committee to oversee the proposed budget and year-end
expenditures of the Storm Water Management Fund.
Resource Impact
No resource impacts are expected with the decommissioning of the Storm Drain
Oversight Committee or the formation of a new Storm Water Management
Oversight Committee.
Policy Implications
Establishing the Storm Water Management Oversight Committee is a
continuation of an existing Council policy to have such a committee; and furthers
the City’s community engagement goal.
Environmental Review
Council approval of changes to the oversight committees does not meet the
definition of a project for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under
Public Resources Code Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5)
(administrative actions of governments that will not result in direct or indirect
physical changes in the environment).
Attachments:
Attachment A: Resolution Decommissioning SDOC & Establishing SWMOC
Attachment B: RESO 8573
RESOLUTION NO. ____
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO DECOMMISSIONING THE STORM
DRAIN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON MAY 31, 2017; AND ESTABLISHING A NEW STORM
WATER MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
R E C I T A L S
A. On November 14, 2005, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 8573,
establishing the Storm Drain Oversight Committee to review the proposed operating and
capital budget of the Storm Drainage Fund and the year-end financial report documenting the
expenditures of the Storm Drainage Fund in the previous fiscal year; and
B. On August 29, 2016, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 9624, calling a Mail
Ballot Election in connection with the City’s proposed Storm Water Management Fee; and
C. On October 24, 2016, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 9635, proposing a
Storm Water Management Fee to replace the Storm Drainage Fee, calling a Public Hearing for
October 24, 2016 with respect to such Fee and adopting Procedures relating to the conduct of a
Protest Hearing and Mail Ballot Election.
The Council of the City of Palo Alto RESOLVES as follows:
SECTION 1. The existing Storm Drain Oversight Committee is decommissioned
effective May 31, 2017.
SECTION 2. Committee Established. The City of Palo Alto Storm Water Management
Oversight Committee is hereby created to review proposed storm water management capital
improvements and operating programs to be funded from the Storm Water Management Fees
and to monitor expenditures of the fund.
SECTION 3. Committee Membership and Appointment. The Committee shall consist
of seven members who are selected and appointed by the City Council for a term of four years.
Committee members shall serve without compensation. Each Committee member shall be a
resident of Palo Alto, an employee of a business located in Palo Alto or an owner of real
property within the City. No member shall be a council member, officer or employee of the
City.
SECTION 4. Committee Duties. The Committee shall discharge its oversight duties by:
(a) Meeting at least once a year to review the proposed operating and capital
budgets of the Storm Water Management Fund for the next fiscal year. The
Committee shall prepare a report documenting its findings with respect to the
proposed budget and submit the report to the Finance Committee of the City
Council prior to June 30th each year.
(b) Meeting at least once a year to review the year-end financial report documenting
the expenditures of the Storm Water Management Fund in the previous fiscal
year. The Committee shall prepare a report documenting its findings with respect
to the expenditures and submit the report to the City Council prior to May 31st
each year.
SECTION 5. Meeting Procedures. The Committee shall conduct open public meetings,
duly noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act. The Committee may establish rules
and procedures governing the conduct of its meetings.
SECTION 6. The City Clerk is directed to place advertisements announcing Committee
vacancies in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, two times within a two week period.
SECTION 7. The Council finds that this is not a project under the California
Environmental Quality Act and, therefore, no environmental impact assessment is necessary.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES;
NOES;
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST: APPROVED:
___________________________________ ____________________________________
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ____________________________________
City Manager
___________________________________ ____________________________________
Senior Asst. City Attorney Director of Public Works
___________________________________
Director of Administrative Services
RESOLUTION NO. 8573
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO
ALTO ESTABLISHING A STORM DRAIN
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, on December 6, 2004, the City Council adopted
Resolution No. 8483, establishing the amount of a proposed storm
drainage fee increase to be presented to the property owners
within the City for approval, describing the storm drain capital
improvements and program enhancements on which the proposed fee
increase, if passed, would be spent, and setting forth a
schedule of actions to submit the proposed fee increase for
property owner approval; and
WHEREAS, on April 26, 2005, the property owners approved
the proposed storm drainage fee increase, on May 9, 2005 the
Council adopted Resolution No. 8523 amending the Storm Drainage
utility rate schedule to implement the increased fee and on June
l, 2005, the increased fee became effective; and
WHEREAS, Resolution No. 8483 also expressed the City
Council's intent, in the event the storm drainage fee increase
passed, to appoint an oversight committee to monitor and review
the proposed storm drain capital improvements and to insure that
the funds raised from the increased fee are spent in accordance
with the list of storm drain capital improvements and program
enhancements set forth in Resolution No. 8483 (attached for
reference as Attachment 1 to this Resolution).
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto
does RESOLVE as follows:
SECTION 1. Committee Established. The City of Palo Alto
Storm Drain Oversight Committee is hereby created to review
proposed storm drain capital improvements and program
enhancements to be funded from the increased storm drainage fees
for consistency with the list set forth in Attachment 1 to this
Resolution and to monitor expenditures of the funds raised from
the increased storm drainage fees to ensure they are spent in
accordance with the list set forth in Attachment 1 to this
Resolution.
SECTION 2. Committee Membership and Appointment. The
committee shall consist of five members who are selected and
appointed by the City Council for a term of four years.
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Committee members shall serve without compensation. Each
Committee member shall be a resident of Palo Alto, an employee
of a business located in Palo Alto or an owner of real property
within the City. No member shall be a council member, officer
or employee of the City.
SECTION 3. Committee Duties. The committee shall
discharge its oversight duties by:
(a) Meeting at least once a year to review the proposed
operating and capital budget of the Storm Drainage
Fund for the next fiscal year to assess the
consistency of the proposed storm drain capital
improvements and program enhancements with the capital
improvements and program enhancements described in
Attachment 1. The Committee shall prepare a report
documenting its findings with respect to the proposed
budget and submit the report to the Finance Committee
of the City Council prior to April 30th each year.
(b) Meeting at least once a year to review the year-end
financial report documenting the expenditures of the
Storm Drainage Fund in the previous fiscal year to
assess the consistency of the expenditures of the
funds from the increased storm drainage fee with the
capital improvements and program enhancements
described in Attachment 1. The Committee shall
prepare a report documenting its findings with respect
to the expenditures and submit the report to the City
Council prior to February 28th each year.
SECTION 4. Meeting Procedures. The Committee shall
conduct open public meetings, duly noticed in accordance with
the Ralph M. Brown Act. The Committee may establish rules and
procedures governing the conduct of its meetings.
SECTION 5. The City Clerk is directed to place ' advertisements announcing Committee vacancies in a newspaper of
general circulation in the City, four times within a two week
period.
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SECTION 6. The Council finds that this is not a
project under the California Environmental Quality Act and,
therefore, no environmental impact assessment is necessary.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED: November 14, 2005
AYES: BEECHAM I BURCH I CORDELL I FREEMAN I KISHIMOTO,
KLEINBERG, MORTON, MOSSAR, OJAKIAN
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Director of Public Works
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