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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20080409 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) r Meeting 08-10 SPECIAL AND REGULAR MEETING BOARD OF DIRECTORS April 9, 2008 I MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING I. ROLL CALL President P. Siemens called the Special Meeting to order at 6:34 p.m. Members Present: Pete Siemens, Jed Cyr, Curt Riffle, Mary Davey, Nonette Hanko and Larry Hassett Members Absent: Ken Nitz Staff Present: C. Britton, S. Schectman, D. Simmons, G. Sam, M. Freeman, A. Christenson, R. Jurgensen, D. Sanguinetti, G. Baillie, M. Williams, T. Hugg, A. Ruiz IL STUDY SESSION 1. Review Architectural Alternatives for Administration Office Remodel Protect with TannerHecht, Inc. (Report R-08-57) M. Freeman introduced the purpose of the study session. He said that one of the key projects in the Action Plan was the remodel of the Skyline Field office and the Administrative office. He said there is a two-phased approach to these projects, the first phase being a very conceptual phase, working with a team of consultants to form goals and objectives. Based on the goals and objectives, the consultants will help formulate three broad conceptual alternatives. The second phase will begin after an alternative is chosen. He said that staff was looking for the Board's input to select the most appropriate alternative for refinement. The Administrative office has many issues to address so it is the sole subject for discussion at this study session. A later meeting will be used to discuss the Skyline Field office. T. Hugg introduced members from TannerHecht Architects. She said an Office Remodel Committee was formed with representatives of each department. She said the process included a staff questionnaire, site visits, and building Meeting 08-10 assessments by the architects. TannerHecht Architects took the information and they generated a list of goals, trends and findings. She said some of the over- arching goals that emerged from the project were accommodating the staff growth for the next ten years, providing an alternative work area, and looking at the District's carbon footprint. TannerHecht prepared three alternative options. T. Hugg said the goal tonight is to review these options and to receive initial input from the Board. She introduced David Hecht and Chris Singer from TannerHecht. David Hecht said he has taken the lead on the Administrative office programming and Chris Singer has been working on the Skyline Field office. Mr. Hecht gave the four programming goals established to address the infrastructure deficiencies. They looked at staff growth over the next 10 years, providing a more productive work environment related to looking at the existing work stations, and reducing overall energy consumption and carbon footprint. He showed a floor plan of the existing building. Mr. Hecht showed some slides of images of the building. He said they established three primary findings to go along with the goals. The first finding is that there are various infrastructure issues within the building that need attention sooner rather than later. He said the most important is addressing the existing air conditioning system. He said the recommendation is to replace the entire system, including the machinery on the roof and the distribution in the building to make it a more efficient system. The existing roof top machinery is about 18 years old and its useful life span is nearing its end. He said the second issue is repairing and replacing the built up roofing, which leaks quite a bit on the south side of the building. Another issue is providing a fire sprinkler monitoring system. The forth issue is to replace the carpeting in the entire building, not just in the northern end. Mr. Hecht handed out cost estimates and detailed diagram options to the Board. He said the building can comfortably handle up to 61 people, or the I 0-year projections. He said they might need to update the restrooms to bring them to 2008 building codes. P. Siemens expressed concern over the timing of the workshop. He was concerned that there were 20 items to cover and that there was not a lot of time for questions. He said he thought they should focus on policy issues that the Board needed to decide on. He said he wanted to have time to talk about Item 7. Mr. Hecht reviewed images of other areas they were focused on repairing, replacing or modifying. He reviewed slides of the third option and said it was the most ambitious scheme that includes increasing the square footage of the building. He spoke of putting in modular work stations that were ergonomic and provided Page 2 Meeting 08-10 quieter work spaces; reconfiguring the perimeter offices so they were more equal in size; and replacing some windows to be more energy efficient. T. Hugg said a lot of work went into generating the three options, based on the priorities and committee discussions. She handed out the conception cost analysis. She said the condition of the infrastructure of the building was found to be deficient and not well designed, including the air conditioning unit, the carpet, and other infrastructure items. The base-line option scope of work includes the infrastructure items at a total of about $1 million worth of work. The base-line option is $1.6 million, Option 2 is at$2.6 million and Option 3 is $3 million. She said that assumptions and allowances had to be made to determine these numbers and so these are very conceptual numbers. T. Hugg said that the Management Team had reviewed the options earlier in the week and had decided that Option 2 encompassed quite a few of the goals as well as addressed some of their hopes for green technology. The solar array is in Option 2. Option 2 addresses the infrastructure items as well as some of the areas that will help refresh the appearance. N. Hanko said that new chairs for the Board are only under Option I and she did not see new Board room chairs beyond this option. C. Britton said that the chairs are in the current budget. N. Hanko asked why the chairs were included in Option I if they are already in the works. T. Hugg said that this was a comprehensive look at the remodel and so staff was dove-tailing with existing projects. N. Hanko asked for clarification about the items listed in Option 1. T. Hugg said that only the chairs are existing items, and all of the other items were unique to Option 1. N. Hanko said that time was running out and that the Board should be allowed enough time to look at this project and that there was not enough time today. L. Hassett said he was concerned about the HVAC costs. He asked what was wrong with the distribution system that new rooftop units could not utilize. He also commented that having solar arrays on the roof may also affect the temperature inside.the building. M. Freeman said that this alternative provides a comprehensive look at the HVAC system up to and including a comprehensive replacement, but it would not preclude using the components that work. C. Britton added some background information about the HVAC system when the District purchased the building. P. Siemens said he did not see anything about the window wall behind the Boardroom table. He asked if there was a plan to install double-pane windows. M. Davey said she saw the windows being discussed in Option 3. Mr. Hecht said that the HVAC zoning is deficient right now and the types of controls for the heating and cooling of the office. He said that replacing the Page 3 Meeting 08-10 rooftop unit was a recommendation because within five years the unit will be at the end of its useful life span. He said the solar system was not completely assessed. He said that the windows are addressed in Option 3. C. Britton said that the window issue has not been one of his recommendations. He said that if the windows open, it defeats the effectiveness of the HVAC system. He said he did not see the economic value of replacing the windows. L. Hassett asked more questions about the type of unit and the roofing area. The current insulation is on the underside of the roof; however they could gain more insulation by putting it on top,but this particular line item was looking at the roof leaks and to replace the roof that is up there now. He said the next phase would be to find a better solution for the entire building. L. Hassett said he had additional questions and that he thought they would need to schedule another meeting to discuss this further. P. Siemens asked more questions about the windows. He said that looking at the air conditioning system without looking at the windows is not looking at the complete picture. C. Britton said that almost all of their walls are windows, so all of them would need to be replaced. He said another question was about the weight of double-paned windows. He asked if the building had enough value to do all of this work. He said that maybe another solution would be to buy another building. P. Siemens said he would like to review what options for windows might be available. C. Riffle agreed that they would need to schedule another study session. C. Britton asked the Board what their pleasure was in continuing this discussion. L. Hassett said he would like to recommend having an Ad Hoc Committee to look at the nuts and bolts of this project and then bring their recommendations to the full Board. J. Cyr said he recommended L. Hassett, P. Siemens and K. Nitz. L. Hassett said that C. Riffle has extensive experience. C. Britton said he suggests the whole Board look at this as it is a difficult assignment for a committee. C. Britton suggested that they schedule the workshop for a week from now. He said that they would like to move forward on this because of the lack of room for' new employees to have work spaces. The Board members reviewed their calendars. Motion: A motion was made to adjourn and continue the study session to Tuesday, April 15, 2008. There was a second motion. The motion passed 5 to 0. REGULAR MEETING 111. P. Siemens called the Regular Meeting to order at 7:26 p.m., and asked for the Roll Call. Page 4 Meeting 08-10 Members Present: Pete Siemens, Jed Cyr, Mary Davey, Curt Riffle, and Larry Hassett Members Absent: Nonette Hanko and Ken Nitz IV. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Cathy Crane, La Honda/Pescadero Unified School District Board Trustee, told the Board that the School Board passed a resolution for the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve. She handed out copies of the resolution and read it to the Board. She said that the School Board supported including bicycle use at La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve. She said that they also requested an outdoor building to support outdoor education to the students. V. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Motion: C. Riffle moved that the Board adopt the Agenda. J. Cyr seconded the motion. The motion passed 5 to 0. VI. ADOPTION OF CONSENT CALENDAR G. Sam stated that there was a typographical error on Agenda Item No. 9, in the title the dollar amount should be $3,000.00. P. Siemens said he would be pulling Agenda Item No. 6 from the Consent Calendar. Corrections were made to the February 27, 2008 Minutes on pages 7 and 8. Motion: J. Cyr moved that the Board adopt the Consent Calendar, including Written Communications; Approval of the February 27,2008 Minutes as corrected, and the March 11, 2008 Minutes; Agenda Item 2 Authorize the General Manager to Enter Into a Contract for Printing Services with IrnageX for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 for an Amount Not to Exceed $104,000, with the Option to Extend the Contract to Fiscal Years 2009- 2010 and 2010-2011 Subject to Further Board Approval; Agenda Item 3 Authorize the General Manager to Enter into a Contract for Graphic Design Services with Design Concepts for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 for an Amount Not to Exceed $43,100, with the Qption to Extend the Contract to Fiscal Years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 Subject to Further Board Approval; Agenda Item 4 Authorize the General Manager to Enter into a Contract for Mailing Services with DMSI for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 for an Amount Not to Exceed $32,000, with the Option to Extend the Contract to Fiscal Years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 Subject to Further Board Approval; Agenda Item 5 Adopt Resolution No. 08-xx Supporting Measure"0"on the June 3, 2008 Ballot to Increase the Sales Tax by One- Eighth of a Cent(1/8%)to Support the Parks and Recreation-Related Page 5 Meeting 08-10 Activities of San Mateo County, and the Cities and Special Districts Located within the County, Agenda Item 7 Authorize the General Manager to Execute a Purchase Contract with the State Department of General Services and Contract Dealership for Four(4) Vehicles at a Total Cost Not to Exceed$160,000, Agenda Item 8 Proposed Cost Sharing Agreement with the Santa Clara FireSafe Council, Inc. for Development o the Lexington Hills Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Determine that the Recommended Actions are Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA), As Set Out in the Report; Authorize the General Manager to Enter Into a Cost Sharing Agreement with the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, Inc. for the District to Contribute - $5,000 Toward Development of the Lexington Hills Community Wildfire Protection Plan-, Agenda Item 9 Authorize Additional Expenses for the Executive Search Firm of Peckham and McKenney in an Amount of $3,000 for the Recently Completed General Manager Recruitment-, and Revised Claims 08-07. L. Hassett seconded the motion. Discussion: Rick Parfett, representing the Santa Clara County Fire Safe Council, said he appreciated the approval of Agenda Item 8. He thanked the Board and C. Britton and presented C. Britton with a photograph taken from Mt. Umunhum to Loma Prieta. C. Britton thanked Mr. Parfett. Vote: The motion passed 5 to 0 on the Written Communications, the February 27, 2008 as corrected and March 11, 2008 Board Minutes, and Agenda Items 2, 3, 4, S, 7, 8, and 9. The Revised Claims 08-07 passed 4 to 0 on Revised Claim numbers 8835-R and 8836-R with one recusal from M. Davey, who owns stock in AT&T that exceeds the permissible level for voting on these claims. VII. BOARD BUSINESS A. Agenda Item No. 1 —Tentative Approval of an Amendment to the Use and Management Plan for El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve to Construct a 65-car, 4-equestrian Trail Paved Parking Lot off Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard), Construct 1.5 Miles of New Trail, Including a New Segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail; Close 0.5 mile of the Steam Donkey Trail and Replace with a 0.3 Mile Realignment; Direct Staff to Work with Caltrans to Identify and Establish Roadside Shoulders Along Higbwgy 35 that will be Signed as"No Parking"Zones and Close the Gate CM04 Entrance to Pubic Use - (Report R-08- 56) C. Britton said that copies of e-mail messages about this agenda item could be found in the Board's FYI's packet. Page 6 Meeting 08-10 A. Ruiz presented the staff report and said that staff was seeking tentative approval of the Use and Management Plan Amendment for a new parking lot located at El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve. She gave a PowerPoint slide presentation, starting with a map of the preserve and the location of the gates. She said the project included installing a parking lot between gates CM03 and CM04, and the installation of a 1.5-mile path. Staff was proposing to close gate CM04 for public use, but to keep it available as a service road for staff and emergency vehicles. Staff would also initiate a"no parking" signage area along the highway and work with Caltrans. A. Ruiz reviewed the points for why a parking lot at this preserve was being proposed. She said that this preserve is the third most popular among all users, and number one among mountain bikers. She said that with its popularity, there is no designated parking lot for visitors. The public currently park either at Skeggs Point, a Caltrans' rest stop, or along the roadside. The proposed new lot would provide a bathroom facility, which is also currently not present. The proposed new lot would also provide parking space for four equestrian vehicles and trailers, as well as handicap parking. Trail improvements are part of the project. A. Ruiz showed photographs of the current parking areas and conditions near the preserve. She said that Skeggs Point is full on the weekends and non-preserve visitors find it difficult to park there on the weekends. Skeggs Point is approximately 500 feet from CMO I, causing the public to walk along the shoulder of Skyline Blvd. to access the preserve. On high use days, people find any available places to park their cars. A. Ruiz said that a formal District parking lot is a safer alternative. She said that staff has studied the vehicle corridor area and identified 145 parking spaces, including pullouts on shoulder areas. Staff will work with Caltrans to install "No Parking" signs along the roadside. A. Ruiz reviewed the criteria for installing a parking lot. She said that Skyline Blvd./Highway 35 is a State Scenic Highway. She said that staff was limited to where a parking lot could be installed in order to cause a minimal disturbance. Staff re-evaluated the best recommended location in response to public questions. A. Ruiz showed a graphic indicating sites W, X, Y, and Z and gave the reasons why these sites were eliminated from consideration. For example, site W would require 38 trees to be removed; grading the available level land is limited, and this site would only be able to provide 35 parking spots. Also the location of site W is too far north and it would not alleviate the public use at gate CM01. Site Z would also not alleviate the public use of gate CM01. Site Z would require 28 trees to be removed and only 25 car spaces would fit. Page 7 Meeting 08-10 The site recommended by staff will only require that nine (9) trees be removed. It is a large and level site, and there are vegetation screens between the proposed lot and the highway. A. Ruiz introduced T. Hugg who presented the site design of this project. T. Hugg said that the proposed parking lot would be configured to hold 65 cars and four equestrian spaces and she showed a slide picture of the lot design. T. Hugg said that the drive into the lot would be approximately 300 feet. There would be a trail leading to the Gordon Mill Trail and observation deck. She showed a slide representing a conceptual view. T. Hugg said that staff recommended that the lot be paved. She said that the Operations staff did an analysis of gravel parking lots and said that over time the gravel lots develop pot holes, trenches and swales resulting in ongoing, yearly maintenance. She said that gravel lots cannot be striped and the water run-off is not efficient. Asphalt is a low maintenance material, it has a long life, it drains well, it is easily striped and it is quiet compared to a gravel lot. She added that the color of the asphalt fades over time and that a choice of colored gravel is now available. T. Hugg reviewed the driveway studies at CM03 and CM04. She showed a line of site study graphic and explained the details on the graphic. She said that there were deficient site lines. L. Hassett asked for clarification about if the curvature of the road was important for determining the site lines and T. Hugg said that was correct. T. Hugg said the recommended driveway has no site line deficiencies and has the best site lines. A. Ruiz stated the recommendations for the Board to approve and she showed a slide listing the General Manager's recommendations. M. Freeman said that staff would initiate a project review (CEQA), which will provide an additional opportunity for public and agency comments about this project. He said that staff would submit permit applications with Caltrans, San Mateo County, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board. He added that staff would seek grant funding to help pay for this project. He said their aim was for construction to occur during the dry months of 2009. He introduced their consultants, Bill Freeman and Gary Black. L. Hassett asked that since the goal of this project is to provide a mass migration from the Skeggs Point lot, he asked what staff thought would encourage the public to park in the District lot instead of the Skeggs Point lot. A. Ruiz said that part of this project would require educating the public. They would put information in the District and other newsletters, set up information booths at CM01 and CM02, work with identified groups and use roadside signage. Page 8 Meeting 08-10 L. Hassett asked if some of the informal spaces would be left. A. Ruiz replied that they have identified 145 spaces and they would look at this further. L. Hassett asked if this would be the District's first paved lot (other than the lot at Rancho San Antonio). A. Ruiz said it would. L. Hassett said he supported paving to alleviate dust and he said he was pleased that the drainage issues were addressed. C. Riffle said that this was a good staff report and thanked A. Ruiz and T. Hugg for their work. He referred to the alternate locations and asked if there was an accident history at Skeggs point. A. Ruiz said there was not a specific accident history at Skeggs point, but that the CHP did have accident reports along Highway 35. C. Riffle asked what speed is assumed when determining a line of site. Gary Black replied that the speed is based on Caltrans' guidelines. C. Riffle said that the car speeds are not necessarily the speed limit. Mr. Black said that they used the information from Caltrans and further explained the concept of"design speed" which is based on the radius of the curvature. C. Riffle asked about the equestrian parking and asked if their rigs can pull in without swinging out into the road. T. Hugg said that the driveway is designed with"flare"to prevent what he described. C. Riffle asked if asphalt was cheaper than gravel and what the time payoff was. T. Hugg said she did not have the dollar amount but would provide the information to the Board later. She said that asphalt had a 20 to 30 year life. C. Riffle asked if the access road leading to the lot would be paved and T. Hugg said it would be paved. C. Riffle asked if the access road would be two lanes and T. Hugg said it was designed with two lanes. C. Riffle asked if grant funding would be jeopardized if they used asphalt. M. Freeman said grant funding would not be in jeopardy. M. Davey thanked staff for their exhaustive work. She thanked staff for taking the Board members to the sites under consideration. She said the best idea is to have the lot as recommended and that the most compelling reason is safety. J. Cyr asked if there is a trail system across CM04 at Wunderlich Park. M. Freeman said there is a trail system. A. Ruiz said they proposed closing CM04 to the public and that it would just be used as access to a service road. They would post signs indicating no parking at CM04. J. Cyr said he hoped it would change the parking pattern and improve the current situation making it safer. P. Siemens asked how long it would take staff to prepare the CEQA report. M. Freeman said that staff won't know until after tonight's meeting,but it could take Page 9 Meeting 08-10 up to 30 to 45 days. M. Freeman said that he thought they might be back before the Board in early summer. P. Siemens asked if the CEQA report would be posted on the District's website. M. Freeman said it would be posted and also mailed to the stakeholders of the project. P. Siemens asked if Caltrans would allow signage along the highway indicating "no parking." M. Freeman said the signage would require an encroachment permit with Caltrans. He added that staff has worked with Caltrans in the past and that this should not be an issue. Public Comment Bern Smith, Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, said he supported this plan. He said it was rational parking and will promote multi-use. He said he would check on the asphalt versus unpaved staging area with regards to grants and let staff know what he finds out. He said he was happy that there would be parking for equestrians. He said that the Ridge Trail ends across from CM04 and that he would work with District staff to make the connection. Maureen O'Connor said she supports public access to public land. She said that she lived near the area,between CM03 and CM04. She said it is not safe to put in an access road at an "S"curve. She asked each director to drive the area in both directions. She said she spoke with Caltrans and CHP about the proposed access road. She said that discouraging parking on the sides of the road is important. Eric Weiner said he lived in the area. He said he used Wunderlich Park and El Corte de Madera. He said he disagreed with M. Davey that safety is in the plan. He said that motorcycles speed along the road. He said that safety is very important. Closing CM04 forces the public to walk along Skyline Blvd and is more dangerous. He said the plans are highly flawed and not safe. Mark Sanders said he lived in the area for over 20 years and that he was a member •f the Bear Gulch Road Association. He said he sent a letter regarding safety. He said the Bear Gulch Road Association comprised 100 residences. He said that site distance is an important criterion, but not the most important. He said the proposed lot compromises two other roads and on the weekends motorcycles go 90 mph. He said that he owns five acres at CM04 and across from Wunderlich Park. He said turning there is dangerous. He asked why the other sites are not suitable. He said the other sites are much better and that cutting down trees compared to public safety is trivial. He said that this effort is narrowly defined and puts hundreds of homeowners in jeopardy. Paul Nam congratulated C. Britton on his retirement. He said he supported the lot and that he was satisfied by what he heard presented. He added that the residents should also be listened to by the District. Page 10 Meeting 08-10 John Abernethy, from San Jose, said he rides at Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve and at St. Joseph's Hill Open Space Preserve. He said that there is no perfect solution, but that this was a good plan. He said he thought it would be a great asset to the preserve. Mike Murray said he was a Volunteer Trail Patrol member and a mountain biker. He said he sent an e-mail about this project. He said that if they eliminate 40 spaces along Highway 35, the net gain is only 25 spaces and asked that they wait to eliminate the road-side parking. He suggested the District install garbage cans. He also suggested that the Ranger's emergency telephone number be added to District maps. Chuck Fry said he was a member of the Volunteer Trail Patrol. He said he was in strong favor of the draft proposal and he suggested other trail connections, including a connection to the Blue Blossom Trail. He said he had a concern that the speed along the highway may increase if the road side parking is eliminated. Josh Moore, Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, thanked C. Britton for his work at the District. He said he was in favor of the plan and that the parking lot will be a tremendous asset to the area. He said that parking at Skeggs Point is dangerous. He said he had a concern about the alignment of the Ridge Trail between Wunderlich Park and El Corte de Madera. He said that a paved lot would be nice and it would be quiet. Jennifer Leeds said she lived in the area and that she is a donor to POST. She said that safety is an issue, especially at Bear Gulch Road. She said that people drive over the speed limit and she predicted a major accident within the next six months. She said she had a concern about moving the entrance at Wunderlich Park. She said that equestrian space alignments are too tight. Mike Bushue, ETRAC member, thanked the Board for the four equestrian parking spots. He said he supported the in-line parking orientation. Robert Greene, Daly City and member of Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, said he was pleased with the plan. He said he has been waiting for years to see a parking lot in the area. He said he was concerned about a gap in the Bay Area Ridge Trail and he suggested working with Caltrans to provide a pedestrian crossing. Jim Eulian said he hikes at Wunderlich Park. He said he had a concern using CM02 as a link to the Bay Area Ridge Trail. He said the District needs to consider a connection between Wunderlich and El Corte de Madera. The public comment period ended. Page I 1 Meeting 08-10 L. Hassett asked if a pedestrian crossing could be installed on the state highway. M. Freeman said that staff has worked with Caltrans to install a"Trail Crossing Ahead" signage. L. Hassett asked if a crosswalk would be installed. A. Ruiz said a crossing sign would be considered. L. Hassett said they should keep the crossing to Wunderlich until there is an alternative and that they should not close the access. L. Hassett said that to do nothing would be a disaster. He said he drives the road every day and has witnessed U-turns and illegal left-hand turns into Skeggs Point. He said he understands the concerns about speed and accidents on the road. He said that he acknowledged the concern about Mountain Meadow/Bear Gulch Road and said that the proposed lot will take danger away from that area. He said a similar situation occurred when the Skyline Ridge parking lot was proposed and that now it is a non-issue. L. Hassett asked how wide the parking spaces were and A. Ruiz said they were designed to be 9-feet wide, or full size. C. Riffle thanked everyone for their comments. He complimented staff on the viable alternative and said he was in favor of better access. He said that the traffic speed is the real issue and is concerned about how to get the speed down. He said that they should be looking at a connection with Wunderlich Park or alternatives. He said that from a common sense perspective he needs to rely on staff regarding the safety issue. He said he agreed that asphalt is the best way to go. M. Davey said that staff did a terrific job. She said she liked seeing there would in be a SOD cleaning site in the lot. J. Cyr said that the project had incorporated a lot of comments from the Use and Management Committee meetings. He asked if the trail construction would occur before the parking lot was installed or afterwards. He referred to the Blue Blossom Trail and said he thought the trail would connect. M. Freeman said that there was not a direct connection_ use atte pattern is extremely J. Cyr said he echoed the comments that changing p y difficult, especially for trail use. He said that staff had done an incredible job that was well analyzed. Motion: M. Davey moved that the Board tentatively approve an Amendment to the Use and Management Plan for El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve to construct a 65-car, 4- equestrian trail paved parking lot off Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard); Construct 1.5 miles of new trail, including a new segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail; Close 0.5 mile of the Steam Donkey Trail and replace with a 0.3 mile realignment; Direct staff Page 12 Meeting 08-10 to work with Caltrans to identify and establish roadside shoulders along Highway 35 that will be signed as "No Parking"zones and close the Gate CM04 entrance to pubic use. J. Cyr seconded the motion. Discussion: P. Siemens referring to the question about installing garbage cans stated that the District has a policy for the public to "pack it in— pack it out"and does not provide garbage cans. He said he thought the parking space size was adequate. He suggested that they delete the last recommendation about closing gate CM04 to public use. M. Freeman suggested that rather than striking that line of the motion, to instead direct staff to do further investigation. Amended Motion: M. Davey moved to approve the General Manager's recommendations as amended. J. Cyr seconded the motion. Vote: The amended motion passed 5 to 0. B. Agenda Item No. 6—Adopt the Resolution Opposing Proposition 98—Referred. to by Proponents as the So-Called"California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act"—and Supporting Proposition 99—the"Homeowners Protection Act"- (Report R-08-54) P. Siemens said he pulled this item because he wanted the words "rent control" deleted from the language as it is a red-flag issue. C. Britton said that it is a hidden glitch in the proposition, but that he sees Proposition 98 as bad all around and should not be supported. M. Davey said that as an environmental agency the District should care about these issues. C. Riffle said that Proposition 98 is very bad and that they should include the language as it is and not delete anything. Motion: M. Davey moved that the Board adopt, as written and without change, Resolution No. 08-23 opposing Proposition 98—referred to by proponents as the so-called "California Property owners and Farmland Protection Act," and supporting Proposition 99—the "Homeowners Protection Act." C. Riffle seconded the motion. Discussion: L. Hassett said that he agreed that the"Whereas"with the words "rent control"be stricken from the Resolution and asked M. Davey if she would amend her motion. Page 13 Meeting 08-10 M. Davey said that she would not amend her motion. C. Britton said that this is not an environmental issue, but it is an eminent domain issue. Vote: The motion passed 5 to 0. VIII. INFORMATIONAL /COMPENSABLE MEETING REPORTS M. Davey said it was a great retirement party for C. Britton. She said that staff did a magnificent jab. She also complimented staff on their work at tonight's meeting. She announced that there would be a celebration for Lennie Roberts on September 28, 2008 by the Committee for Green Foothills. She said that Ms. Roberts is being honored for being a 30-year advocate and supporter of open space. I i J. Cyr announced the Bay Area Open Space Council registration for the May 21 all-day event. He said that radio station KRTY was honoring C. Britton on his retirement. He asked about ethics training. He said that the Board Evaluation Committee needs to schedule a meeting with M. Foster for his evaluation. He said that Ralph Heim is speaking at the Special Legislature District meeting. C. Britton said that R. Jurgenson is on the Legislative Committee. J. Cyr referred to the FYI's and commended D. Sanguinetti and M. Freeman on the trail modification document. He said he turned in his compensable meeting report to the District Clerk. C. Riffle handed in his compensable meeting report to the District Clerk. He said he attended the Sem ervirens event on March 27. He complimented the staff on the art atte p p party for C. Britton. He said he rode on horseback at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. He said he attended the wildlife conservation event. He said he would attend the Los Altos ethics training. i L. Hassett handed in his compensable meeting report to the District Clerk. He echoed the compliments about C. Britton's party. He said it has been great working with C. Britton and learning from him.. He said he appreciated C. Britton's leadership. C. Britton thanked L. Hassett for his kind words. He said they were all great Board members and he j said that the District was in good shape. P. Siemens turned in his compensable meeting report to the District Clerk. He thanked C. Bri tton and echoed L. Hass ett s thoughts. J. Cyr said that he has known C. Britton a long time and that it has been a pleasure workingwith him the past 12 ears. p Y C. Britton po inted out a Written Communication letter from Courtney Craig in the C p Y g Board's FYI s and said that the problem was fixed. He said that due to donations towards I Page 14 i Meeting 08-10 the party,no District money was spent and they ended up with a surplus of approximately $600.00. He asked if the Board would agree to put the money toward the Daniel's Nature Center's fund. He said he went to Washington, DC with R. Jurgenson the previous week. He said they would meet with LFPAC about the trip, and that they had great meetings, including one with Congressman Mike Honda and with Senator Barbara Boxer's office. He thanked everyone for the party and said that Malcolm Smith did a terrific job. S. Schectman said that she and D. Sanguinetti were going to be meeting with the Santa Clara County Sherriffs Office. She handed out the reply brief on the Coast litigation case. M. Freeman gave a report on a trail closure at Fremont Older, mentioned in the FYI's. He said it is basically a maintenance project. G. Sam said that they have entered into a contract with a new auditor and that the annual audit would occur next month. D. Sanguinetti said he e-mailed the Board about the trail at Hamms Gulch. He said a member of the public contacted him and that C. Beckman had taken the person on a hike of the trail to show the work. D. Sanguinetti gave background information about the project and added that they had followed Tim Best's guidelines. He credited M. Manning for her assistance. J. Cyr commented that it was a Rood letter. M. Williams presented a gift to C. Britton in honor of his retirement. The gift was from the District's Management Team. Steve Abbors said that he and his wife have relocated within the District.. He said he hiked at El Sereno Open Space Preserve. He went to the Foothills Field office and was impressed. He said he had lunch with C. Britton. IX. ADJOURNMENT The Special and Regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District adjourned at 10:45 pm. Lisa Zadek Recording Secretary Page 15