Posted on May 18, 2017 at 1:16 PM by grodericks grodericks
Council Meeting Date: May 17, 2017
Video Link:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TownOfAtherton/featured
Details of each item can be found via the links to Staff Reports within the narrative.
The City Council met for the May Regular Council meeting on Wednesday, May 17, beginning at 7 pm.
Following the Pledge of Allegiance, the Council moved to Presentations where Police Chief Steve McCulley was sworn in as the new Atherton Police Chief. Police Chief McCulley then in turn swore in Level I Reserve Officer Martin Mijangos. Following Presentations, the Council moved to Public Comments with comments surrounding the activity of the High Speed Rail Project.
Following Public Comment, the Council moved to the City Manager's Report. The City Manager's Report is prepared monthly as part of the City Council's Regular Agenda. In addition to current reports from the City Manager, it includes departmental updates on the various happenings around Town such as reports from Administration, Community Services, Planning, Police
, and Public Works.
After the City Manager's Report, the Council moved to the Consent Agenda consisting of Items 8 through 14. Items on the Consent Agenda are considered routine in nature and are generally considered in one motion and adopted by a single
vote of the Council. Included in this month's Consent Agenda were minutes, bills, Treasurer's Report, 2nd Reading and Adoption of the Special Structure Permit Ordinance Revisions, authorization for a Professional Services Agreement with Richard Watson & Associates for the Las Lomitas Water Capture Facility Project, Award of a Professional Services Agreement with Mark Thomas & Company for Design of Class II Bicycle Lanes on Middlefield, and authorization to issue a Request for Qualifications for On-Call Construction Management. After brief comments on the Class II Bicycle Lanes item related to the potential inclusion of bicycle boxes in the traveled way at intersections, the Council approved the items on the Consent Agenda.
Next up was the
Regular Agenda. The first item on the Regular Agenda was Item #15 - Civic Center Project Update/Amendment to Professional Services Agreement with WRNS. This item discussed an amendment to the Scope of Work for a sub consultant to WRNS related to potholing services for the project (SFPUC Water Line). The Council discussed issues related to cost share for SFPUC, sonar capability instead of potholing, and liability. Following discussion, the Council authorized the Amendment. The Council then discussed issues related to the overall Project cost and the Cost Model Manager. The Council asked that staff reduce contingencies, where possible, when project changes are approved that fine-tune a contingency allocation.
Next was Item #16 - Review, Discuss and Provide Direction regarding the Transportation Committee Request for the Town to join East Palo Alto v. Menlo Park. The Council heard a brief staff report from the City Attorney and opted not to join the lawsuit. However, discussion revolved around mitigation of regional traffic and transportation impacts and merged into Item #17.
Item #17 - Review, Discuss and Provide Direction Regarding a Recommendation by the Transportation Committee for a Regional Transportation Summit to discuss and analyze regional growth and traffic issues and develop a strategy to address those issues. Here the Council continued the conversation around regional traffic and transportation impacts. The Council discussed the Town's past and current attempts to work with adjacent jurisdictions to address local traffic impacts of their projects. The Council discussed possible legal avenues of addressing the issues at stake. The Council discussed possible stakeholders that might be involved in a regional conversation - to include the Menlo Park Fire District, Redwood City, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Caltrain, Caltrans, and Samtrans. The Council discuss local projects that might be of regional interest, such as the creation of a bicycle path along the Marsh Road Channel.
Following discussion, the Council directed staff to work on an initial regional meeting with Redwood City, Menlo Park and the Town. The initial meeting should, at a minimum, include the City Manager, Transportation Committee Chair, and the Mayor.
The last item on the Agenda was Item No. 18, Review, Discussion and Direction Regarding Business License Tax Options and Other Alternative Revenue Opportunities. This item was continued to the July 19 Regular Meeting.
Following Council Reports and Final Comments, having cleared the entire Agenda, at approximately 8:43 pm, that, as they say - was a wrap!
The Council will hold its next Study Session on June 7, 2017 at the regular meeting time of 4 pm. This meeting includes Budget Meeting #4 - a review of the entire proposed budget for FY 2017/18. Other items on this Study Session include the possible interview of commission/committee applicants, a review and discussion of the Town's 5-Year CIP and Parcel Tax Allocation for FY 17/18, and Oral Reports by members of the Council regarding Regional Groups or JPAs.