HomeMy Public PortalAbout19740327 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) Noe, Meeting 74-6
MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT
Regular Meeting
Board of Directors
M I N U T E S
March 27, 1974 745 Distel Drive
Los Altos
I. ROLL CALL
President Peters called the meeting to order at 7 :40 p.m.
Members present: Daniel Condron, Katherine Duffy, Nonette Hanko,
William Peters, and Daniel Wendin
Personnel present: Herbert Grench, Carroll Harrington, Edward
Jaynes, John Melton, and Stanley Norton
Audience of 5 persons
II . APPROVAL OF MINUTES - March 13 , 1974
Motion: K. Duffy moved acceptance of the minutes of the March 13,
1974, meeting as presented. N. Hanko seconded. The motion
passed unanimously.
III . ADOPTION OF AGENDA
A. W. Peters stated that H. Grench's memorandum (M-74-45) dated
March 26, 1974 , and entitled Option Fee Fund could be placed
under New Business Requiring Action. The Board concurred.
B. H. Grench asked that an item concerning the Saratoga Union
School District land be placed under Old Business Not Requiring
Action. The Board concurred.
C. W. Peters asked that a report on the Rengstorff House be placed
under Old Business Not Requiring Action and that a report on the
Stevens Creek Park Chain be placed under New Business Not Re-
quiring Action. The Board concurred.
IV. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Mr. Peter Wallace, 27975 Via Ventana, Los Altos Hills, described
three parcels of land which are owned by the Palo Alto Unified School
District and are presently for sale. He asked that the MRPD be aware
of this available land. N. Hanko stated that this item would be on
the agenda of the next Trails Task Force meeting which will be held
Wednesday, April 3, 1974 . K. Duffy asked that the Board be kept up
to date about this matter.
Mr. Walter Babbitts, Via Ventana, Los Altos Hills , added that the
62 acres parcel for sale would be especially appropriate kept as
open space.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES ' 'arch 27, 1974
Motion: D. Wendin mu ed acceptance of the minu-, - of the March 27,
1974, meeting as presented. D. Condron seconded.
Amendment: D. Wendin moved to amend the minutes by making the
following changes:
Page 2, V. , B. , paragraph 2, line 3, add: thereby
establishing policy at the Board level. "
Page 2, Objective 1, Land Acquisition Program, line 5,
add: "Development of a master plan should also be included
in this program. "
Page 3, Objective 3 , Open Space Resources Program, paragraph
1, line 2 , after the words "a land manager" add: "to
determine whether and when a land manager should be hired. "
Page 3, objective 3, Open Space Resources Program, paragraph
1, line 6 :, Delete sentence beginning "D. Wendin asked. . . .
Page 3, Objective 4 , Public Communications Program: The
Board discussed whether or not a new halftime position for
the Public Communications Program had been authorized. After
discussion it was agreed that the minutes were accurate as
written.
Page 3, third line from the bottom: "Objective 5" should be
be corrected to read "Objective 4 . "
Page 4 , VI. , B. , : Change the agenda item title to read
"Saratoga Union School District--Potential Gift of Surplus
Land. "
K. Duffy seconded. The amendment passed unanimously.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. March 27, 1974
N. Hanko asked that the following additions be made:
Page 5, B. Procedures for Grant Applications:
Before the first motion add: "Application for 1974 State
Bond' Money"
Before the second motion add: "Application for 1974 State
Bond Money and Land and Water Conservation Funds"
Before the fifth motion add: "Application for Land and
Water Conservation Funds"
Motion: D. Wendin moved acceptance of the minutes of the
March 27, 1974, meeting as amended and with the additions
from N. Hanko. N. Hanko seconded. The motion passed.
Ayes: Condron, Duffy, Hanko, Wendin. Absent: Peters.
Meeting 74-6 . . . page 2
V. OLD BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION
A. D. Wendin reported that it was not necessary for the Board to
take action regarding the Los Altos Park Proposals because the
City Council of Los Altos has moved to purchase the Redwood
Grove and McKenzie Oaks parcels. He will bring this matter
to the Board again in the future if necessary.
B. Action Plan for Implementation of the Basic Policy of the
Midpeninsula Regional Park District
H. Grench referred to his report (R-74-6) dated March 11, 1974 ,
regarding the Action Plan and to his memorandum (M-74-39) dated
March 20, 1974, regarding Action Plan Options. He noted that the
Board had directed him to prepare a plan for full implementation
of the goals of the District with no strong constraints as to
personnel and other resources required. He said that the Action
Plan was formulated in such a way that it would be implemented
near the beginning of the 1974-75 fiscal year because three
months would be required to get fully into the complete Action
Plan if adopted.
W. Peters commented that it was the task of the Board to make
critical hard decisions about the various items in the Action
Plan report.
H. Grench then summarized the four major programs corresponding
to the main objectives of the District, namely, the Land Acquisi-
tion, Governmental and Private Liaison, Open Space Resources, and
Public Communications programs. He described the subprograms,
tasks, expected results, and required resources under each of
the four programs.
After discussion about the Action Plan report and the Action Plan
options, W. Peters summarized the consensus as follows:
1) Objective 1: THE DISTRICT WILL PURCHASE OR OTHERWISE ACQUIRE
INTEREST IN THE MAXIMUM FEASIBLE AMOUNT OF STRATEGIC OPEN
SPACE LAND WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
Land Acquisition Program
Objective 1 is to have the highest priority for the next two
years and at the present time there will not be more than one
fulltime staff position allocated to this program. K. Duffy
added that she would like to see a program for seeking gifts
of land.
2) Objective 2: THE DISTRICT WILL WORK WITH AND ENCOURAGE PRIVATE
AND OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES TO PRESERVE, MAINTAIN, AND ENHANCE
OPEN SPACE.
Governmental and Private Liaison Program
There is to be no fulltime staff position for the Governmental
and Private Liaison.
MeeLxng 74-6 page 3
D. Wendin had previously commented that he felt that the Land
Acquisition Program and the General Administrative Program
should have the highest priorities and that the General
Manager should report what needs to be done in the next two
years to accomplish these objectives. He added that Objective
2 could be put on the back burner for the next six months .
N. Hanko said that the Board and others could assume more
responsibility for this program.
W. Peters suggested that H. Grench coordinate and maintain
the responsibility for this program due to the lack of a
fulltime or part-time person. The Board suggested that H.
Grench outline what he can do in this area so that the Board
can formulate policy and/or initiate voluntary programs to
implement this objective. N. Hanko offered to work with H.
Grench in the preparation of this report to the Board. The
Board could then determine which jobs would be the responsibility
of the General Manager and which would be the responsibility
of the Board members. D. Wendin and W. Peters suggested that
it would be advantageous to work with such groups as the League
of Women Voters and the American Association of University
Women in carrying out this program. N. Hanko added that the
Trails Task Force members could also help.
3) Objective 3 : THE DISTRICT WILL FOLLOW A LAND MANAGEMENT
POLICY THAT PROVIDES PROPER CARE OF OPEN SPACE LAND, ALLOWING
PUBLIC ACCESS APPROPRIATE TO THE NATURE OF THE LAND AND CON-
SISTENT WITH ECOLOGICAL VALUES.
Open Space Resources Program
A land management workshop at the earliest possible date is
necessary before hiring a land manager. N. Hanko has offered
to arrange this workshop.
The District will not open land to the public in the next six
months, liability coverage will be necessary to protect the
District in case someone trespasses the land, and patrol
services could be used on an interim basis if necessary. In
addition, a land manager will not be hired at the present
time. D. Wendin asked H. Grench to prepare a job description
for this position. N. Hanko requested that Objective 3 be
deferred until after the land management workshop is held.
The Board concurred.
4) Objective 4 : THE DISTRICT WILL EDUCATE AND MAKE CLEARLY
VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC THE PURPOSES AND ACTIONS OF THE DISTRICT,
AND WILL ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND INVOLVE-
MENT IN DISTRICT ACTIVITIES.
The Board authorized a new halftime position for public
communications. H. Grench will report to the Board about
restructuring the administrative/secretarial/clerical positions .
The items listed under Objective 5 for the Public Communica-
tions Program were acceptable; however, K. Duffy asked that
the items be listed to show the one-time tasks, e.g. , preparing
Meeting 74-6 . . . page 4
the brochures, and on-going tasks, e.g. , preparation of
informational releases on specific activities on a regular
basis . N. Hanko asked that low priority be placed on develop-
ing and implementing a system of communications with radio
and television.
5) Objective 5: THE STAFF WILL ADMINISTER THE AFFAIRS OF THE
DISTRICT IN BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC SO AS TO MAXIMIZE ACCOMPLISH-
MENT OF THE GOALS OF THE DISTRICT WITHIN EXISTING FINANCIAL
CONSTRAINTS. General Administrative Program
This program is acceptable as stated in the Action Plan.
The Board recessed from 10:00 - 10:20 p.m.
K. Duffy referred to H. Grench' s Action Plan report (R-74-6) .
In that report he had commented about reviewing and evaluating
the Action Plan. K. Duffy asked that this be done as a regular
procedure. H. Grench responded that there would be an evaluation
at the end of the calendar year. An annual report would also
be prepared. K. Duffy would like to see a list of District
accomplishments. W. Peters stated the consensus that H. Grench
will report on the Action Plan as an agenda item as soon as
possible.
VI . OLD BUSINESS NOT REQUIRING ACTION
A. Rengstorff House
W. Peters reported on the status of the Rengstorff House. The
City Council of Mountain View has agreed to lease the property
on which the house is located for $1 .00 per year which will
allow time for the staff to study the status
and possible utilizations of the house. The citzens ' committee
has proposed that the house be used as the headquarters for the
Shoreline Park. He mentioned the need for multiple-agency
planning, and he will report further to the Board about this.
B. Saratoga Union School District Surplus Land
H. Grench reported that he and E. Jaynes met with the Saratoga
Union School District Board of Education on March 26 , 1974 .
They made a presentation about the MRPD at this meeting. The
Board of Education voted 5-0 to instruct the staff of the
School District to work with H. Grench to prepare a proposal
and agreement for consideration by the MRPD Board and the
SUSD Board. The Board concurred that this matter should proceed
as recommended.
VII . NEW BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION
A. Budget for Fourth Quarter of 1973-74 Fiscal Year
H. Grench referred to his report (R-74-8) dated March 21, 1974,
regarding the budget for fourth quarter of 1973-74 fiscal year.
Meeting -6 . . . page 5
He explained that the Opportunities and Emergencies budget of
$250, 000 cash was intended to be supplemented by $650,000 of the
borrowing power of the District if necessary. Most of the rest
of the borrowing power would be available to the Land Acquisition
fund. J. Melton said that it was his responsibility to oversee
and advise on this item in the budget. W. Peters would like to
see the Action Plan reflected in the bduget. D. Wendin replied
that the Budget Subcommittee plans to do so in the next fiscal year.
Motion: D. Wendin moved acceptance of the budget for the fourth
quarter of the 1973-74 fiscal year as shown with the added
provision that of the borrowing power of the District,
$650,000 be designated a reserve to be used in conjunction
with reserve for Opportunities and Emergencies. D. Condron
seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
B. Procedures for Grant Applications
H. Grench referred to his report (R-74-9) dated March 25 , 1974 ,
regarding procedures for grant applications. He pointed out that
the two most viable possibilities in the 1974-75 fiscal year for a
significant grant to the District for its land acquisition pro-
gram are the federal Land and Water Conservation Funds and funds
from the 1974 State Bond Act for Park, Recreational, and His-
torical Facilities. After discussion, the following motions
were made:
Motion: N. Hanko moved that the staff be directed to prepare a
recommended list of non-specific priority projects for
consideration by the Board on April 24 , and that a
public hearing on the list be set for the same date.
W. Peters seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Motion: N. Hanko moved that the Santa Clara County UD/OS plan
be adopted as the District' s interim master plan to be
considered by the Board on April 10, and that a public
hearing be held. W. Peters seconded. The motion
passed unanimously.
Motion: N_ Hanko moved that the staff be directed to recomnjerAO.,
EIR and EIS guidelines and to prepare an appropriate
ordinance for adoption by the Board on April 10 . W.
Peters seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Motion: N. Hanko moved that the staff be directed to recommend
Relocation Guidelines and to prepare an appropriate
resolution for adoption by the Board by April 10 . W.
Peters seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Motion: N. Hanko moved that the staff be directed to report on
Affirmative Action Program requirements on April 10 .
W. Peters seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
W. Peters complimented the staff on the excellent presentation
on the information for procedures for grant applications.
Meeting 74-6 . . . page 6
C. Land Acquisition Procedures
Motion: D. Wendin moved continuance of this item to the meeting
of April 10. N. Hanko seconded. The motion passed
unanimously.
D. Option Fee Fund
H. Grench referred to his memorandum (M-74-45) dated March 26 ,
1974, regarding the establishment of an option fee fund and
authorization for the General Manager to expend monies from it.
Motion: W. Peters moved acceptance of H. Grench's recommendation
described in this memorandum and that this fund would
be established as of March 1, 1974 . N. Hanko seconded.
The motion passed unanimously.
VIII. NEW BUSINESS NOT REQUIRING ACTION
W. Peters reported on the Stevens Creek Park Chain. He mentioned
the possibility of multiple agency planning in this area. He asked
that this item be placed on the April 10, 1974 , agenda. The Board
concurred.
IX. RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES
Resolution Adopting the Basic Policy of the Midpeninsula Regional
Park District (Resolution 74-4)
Motion: W. Peters moved acceptance of Resolution 74-4 , Resolution
Adopting the Basic Policy of the Midpeninsula Regional Park
District. D. Condron seconded.
Discussion: K. Duffy asked that the following addition be
made on page 4, 2nd line from the bottom, after "the public
in" : "the operation of the District and in. " The Board
concurred. W. Peters asked that copies of the Basic Policy
be sent to all of the agencies which interface with the
MRPD. The Board concurred. It was agreed thtt the Directors
would develop lists of persons in their particular areas to
whom the Basic Policy would be sent.
The motion passed unanimously.
X. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
H. Grench referred to a letter received March 22, 1974 , from Erik
Layman, 1274 Pitman, Palo Alto. He added that he has already replied
to Mr. Layman' s similar letter in the Palo Alto Times .
XI . CLAIMS
Motion: D. Wendin moved acceptance of the revised claims (C-74-6)
(see attached) as submitted. K. Duffy seconded.
Amendment: N. Hanko moved that Item No. 424 on the revised claims
list ($49 .00 to the City of Palo Alto for City Council and
Meeting -6 . . . page 7
Planning Commission agendas and minutes) be removed. W.
Peters seconded. The amendment passed unanimously.
The original motion as amended passed unanimously.
XII. EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board recessed to Executive Session to discuss land negotiations
at 11:15 p.m.
XIII . ADJOURNMENT
The Board reconvened to adjourn at 12 :45 a.m.
Carroll Harrington
Secretary