HomeMy Public PortalAbout20091118 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) Midpeninsula Regional
Open Space District
Meeting 09-30
SPECIAL MEETING
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT
NOVEMBER 18,2009
MINUTES
CLOSED SESSION MEETING
I. ROLL CALL-President Nonette Hanko called the Special Meeting to order at 5:34 p.m., and
asked for the Roll Call
Members Present: Pete Siemens,Nonette Hanko, Curt Riffle, Larry Hassett, Jed Cyr, and
Cecily Harris
Members Absent: Mary Davey
Staff Present: Steve Abbors, Sue Schectman, Duncan Simmons, Mike Williams, David
Sanguinetti, Sandy Sommer
11. CLOSED SESSION
At 5:34 President Hanko announced that the Board was recessing to a closed session for the
purpose of discussing Agenda Items Numbers 1, 2 and 3.
PUBLIC SESSION MEETING
111. President Hanko called the Regular Meeting to order at 7:05 p.m., and asked for the Roll Call.
Members Present: Pete Siemens, Jed Cyr, Nonette Hanko, Curt Riffle, Larry Hassett, and
Cecily Harris
Members Absent: Mary Davey
Additional Staff Present: R. Jurgensen, A. Speidel, A. Ruiz, A. Spiegel, B. Congdon, G.
Baillie, Z. Alexander, B. Crowley
President Hanko stated that there were no items to report on for Closed Session Agenda Items 1,
2 and 3.
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IV. ORAL COMMUNICATION—There were none.
V. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
Motion: Director Riffle moved adoption of the Agenda. Director Siemens seconded the
motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
VI. NEW STAFF INTRODUCTION
A. Ruiz introduced two new Planning staff. She introduced Zachary Alexander, the new
Planning Technician, and Brian Crowley, the new GIS Intern. She gave background
information about each. The Board welcomed them to the District.
VII. ADOPTION OF CONSENT CALENDAR
Director Cyr referenced Revised Claim numbers 11511 and 11514. He thanked staff for
arranging the transportation for the students of San Miguel School to visit the Nature Center.
Motion: Director Cyr moved adoption of the Consent Calendar to approve the Revised
Claims 09-19, and Written Communications. Director Riffle seconded the
motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
VIII. BOARD BUSINESS
A. Agenda Item 4—Authorization to Execute a New Communications Site Lease
Agreement with the United States of America, acting through the Federal Aviation
Administration of the Department of Transportation—(Report R-09-94)
M. Williams presented the staff report on behalf of E. Cuzick, whom he said did the
work along as with D. Simmons. He reviewed the terms of the 25-year lee with the FAA
and showed slides of the area.
Director Hassett asked for clarification about the defensible space surrounding the
communications site. M. Williams provided further information. Director Siemens
asked if District staff did the work and M. Williams said that staff coordinates and
oversees the work. Director Hassett said he did not want to see the area denuded. S.
Abbors said that fire equipment couldn't access the site if the roads are not cleared.
President Hanko said that the whole Board shared Director Hassett's concerns and did
not want the site denuded.
Motion: Director Cyr moved approval to adopt Board Resolution No. 09-32
authorizing the Board President to execute a new Lease with the FAA. Director Riffle
seconded the motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
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B. Agenda Item 5—Extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Santa
Clara County Office of the Sheriff and the District to Provide Law Enforcement
Services on District Lands—(Report R-09-107)
G. Baillie reviewed the staff report and said that the agreement would extend to March
31, 2010 and that the funding would cover multiple fiscal years.
Director Riffle said he was in support. He asked how success is measured. G. Baillie
said that a log is kept to record response times. He said that staff wants to review the
data. He said that they also look at the patrol presence, especially in the Mt. Umunhum.
area. Director Riffle asked how the rangers feel about the relationship. G. Baillie said
that they are still studying whether it can be successful,but they do support extending
the agreement through the end of the fiscal year. Director Riffle said that he would like
to have a review before launching into the next phase.
Director Siemens asked if there was any data prior to the contract they could review. G.
Baillie said there was no data prior to the contract; however, he could ask the Sheriff's
office to look at their records.
Director Hassett said that the additional presence was important. He asked if the rangers
could confirm seeing a presence in the area. G. Baillie said that staff knows they are
physically present. S. Abbors said that at the Good Neighbor Policy meeting, neighbors
commented that they have seen the Sheriff's patrol cars.
Motion: Director Siemens moved approval to authorize the General Manager to
approve the Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Santa Clara
County Office of the Sheriff and the District for the provision of law enforcement
services on District Lands extending the term until March 31, 2010 and authorizing
additional costs for services in an amount not to exceed $50,000.00. Director Harris
seconded the motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
C. Agenda Item 6—Approve Midyear Amendments to the Fiscal Year 2009-10 Action
Plan and Budget—(Report R-09-122)
Director Riffle, as chair of the Administration and Budget Committee, introduced the
report and reviewed the committee's three recommendations. He said that all of the
guidelines were met. S. Abbors said that the object is to tie the budget and the action
plan together and to make the information as clear to the Board as possible. Director
Riffle acknowledged the amount of work the Department Managers did. President
Hanko thanked Director Riffle and the other committee members for their work and said
that the information is much more inclusive than in the past.
A. Speidel thanked staff, especially G. Baillie and E. Cuzick. She reviewed the process
and showed slides of by-department budget changes.
Director Hassett asked about the transfer of the Hawthorne property and asked if the
endowment funds were received and how the funds were being accounted for. S.
Schectman said the trust assets had not been distributed yet and that staff was talking
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with the Trustees. M. Williams added that when the funds are distributed, they will be
given a separate budget code and the funds would be used specifically for that property.
Director Hassett said he had a concern and question about spending on staff facilities
and that there were large-ticket items coming up and how the District was budgeting for
upcoming expenses. S. Abbors said that staff is looking at all expenditures over time
and that he understood Director Hassett's concerns. Director Hassett said that he has
thought about this issue and asked if the Board could look at these large expenses as
acquisition-type funding. Director Riffle said that was an excellent suggestion and said
that the Committee could work on this challenge. President Hanko said that this is a big
concern and the next Committee members should address it. S. Abbors said that he
would be meeting with M. Foster in January and said that borrowing can be used for
these sorts of capital improvement projects.
Director Siemens asked about the Planning limited term position for the site remediation
project at Mt. Umunhum and asked if the staff would be added between now and April.
A. Ruiz said they would be hiring a full time employee for a 2-year term focusing on the
remediation project. Director Siemens asked if it was problematic to hire staff if
funding is not received, and A. Ruiz said it would be, however, there are a couple of
remediation projects that also need attention. Director Riffle said he liked the idea of a
2-year position. Director Siemens said that there needed to be a specific cut off date.
Motion: Director Riffle moved that the Board accept the District Controller's
Midyear Financial Report; approve Resolution No. 09-30 implementing amendments to
the FY2009-10 Action Plan and to the FY2009-10 Budget in accordance with the
Administration and Budget Committee Recommendation; and approve the
Administration and Budget Committee's recommendations for department's Action Plan
and Budget adjustments as described in the report. Director Siemens seconded the
motion.
Discussion: Director Siemens said that the report was very understandable. S. Abbors
thanked the Board and said that this was the first time the midyear Action Plan and
Budget were"married". He also complimented staff on adapting to this change.
Vote: The motion passed 6 to 0.
D. Agenda Item 7—Approval of a New Position of District Clerk in the Administration
Office and Amend Fiscal Year 2009-10 Position Classification and Compensation Plan
—(Report R-09-121
S. Abbors reviewed the staff report. He said that he looked at the organization's
positions to see what was working and what was not. He reviewed the job duties for the
Administration and Human Resources Manager position and said that the District Clerk
part of this Manager's job description made it unusually difficult to successfully recruit
for this position. He said the District Clerk is a specialized job and held its own critical
functions. He said that funds for this position were approved in the mid-year budget
adjustment.
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Director Riffle asked about the Assistant General Manager position. S. Abbors said that
he wanted to hold off on looking to fill the Assistant General Manager position when he
started and said he would not bring that position to the Board until the next fiscal year.
Motion: Director Riffle moved approval of the new position of District Clerk in
the Administration Department and to Amend the Fiscal Year 2009-10 Position
Classification and Compensation Plan accordingly. Director Hassett seconded the
motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
IX. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS
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COMMITTEE REPORTS
Administration and Budget Committee—Director Riffle, Chair, said that the Committee
prepared the staff report for Agenda Item 6.
Cooley Landing Ad Hoc Committee—Director Harris, Chair, said that they met at the site and
looked at features and reviewed concepts that East Palo Alto is working on.
Use and Management Committee—Director Hassett, Chair, said they met on November 17 at
Monte Bello ridge. They looked at relocating the White Oaks trail. He said that staff did a
wonderful job. He said remediating the old road systems would open up the area.
STAFF REPORTS
D. Sanguinetti reviewed an incident that occurred on November 17 on the PG&E Trail at
Rancho San Antonio Count Park. He said the
re ere was a good response from the Sheriffs
department.
R. Jurgensen said that on November 23 there will be a staffed table to provide information
about the Sudden Oak Death treatments at Los Trancos. There will be signs and information
available for the public. He said that the"elbow"tree will be sprayed. He said that photos for
the photo contest are being received. He pointed out in the media clippings that seven press
releases had been translated into seven different languages. Director Riffle asked if staff had
received any feedback about the La Honda project, and R. Jurgensen said that he had not seen or
heard any feedback.
B. Congdon reminded the Board about the upcoming holiday lunch being held at the Portola
Valley Town Center on December 9 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30pm.
A. Ruiz said that the Fletscher clean up was completed and a memo was included in the late
FYIs. She acknowledged that G. Lausten did a wonderful job on this project. S. Abbors added
that the Fletscher demolition was completed under budget and on time. A. Ruiz said that a
volunteer is working on putting together a CEQA checklist to facilitate environmental review of
District projects.
S. Abbors pointed out several informational items included in the late FYIs, including the
monthly field activity report, the Administration Office remodel project and the Skyline project
update. He noted that the Administration Office project is nearing completion.
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DIRECTOR REPORTS
Directors Harris, Siemens, Riffle, Cyr, Hassett and President Hanko reported that they turned in
their compensation sheets to the Clerk.
Director Siemens said he attended the Use and Management Committee meeting at Monte Bello
and said he appreciated staff's work.
Director Cyr said he attended the Cooley Landing Ad Hoc Committee meeting and spoke with a
member of the public who attended the meeting.
President Hanko said she has been impressed and amazed at the organization of all of the
committee meetings.
X. ADJOURNMENT
President Hanko adjourned the Special Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula
Regional Open Space District at 8:25 p.m.
Lisa Zadek, Recording Secretary