HomeMy Public PortalAbout19740612 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) AF Meeting 74-13
IV 6F
MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT
Regular Meeting
Board of Directors
M I N U T E S
745 Distel Drive
June 12, 1974 Los Altos
I . ROLL CALL
President Peters called the meeting to order at 7 :50 P.M.
Members Present: Daniel Condron, Katherine Duffy, Nonette
Hanko, William Peters and Daniel Wendin.
Personnel Present: Herbert Grench, Edward Jaynes, Stanley
Norton, John Melton, Anne Crosley, Carroll Harrington and
Barbara Rusmore.
Audience of three persons.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion: N. Hanko moved acceptance of the minutes of May 18 ,
1974 as presented. D. Wendin seconded the motion.
Discussion: K. Duffy asked who paid the estate tax,
the estate or the recipient. S . Norton replied the
estate would pay the tax. The motion passed unani-
mously.
Motion: K. Duffy moved acceptance of the minutes of May 22 ,
1974 as presented. N. Hanko seconded the motion.
Discussion: K. Duffy noted she had been absent
from the meeting of May 22 until after the Board
had taken action on the Resolution Endorsing the
State Beach, Park, Recreational and Historical
Facilities Bond Act of 1974 . She asked the minutes
be amended to reflect this. The motion passed un-
animously.
III. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
N. Hanko requested that her memorandum of June 7, 1974 regard-
ing intergovernmental relations be considered as New Business
Requiring Action. W. Peters suggested it be placed on the
agenda as New Business Not Requiring Action. After discussion,
Y
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II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion_: D. Wendin moved acceptance of the minutes of June 12,
1974 as presented. W. Peters seconded the motion.
Discussion: W. Peters suggested the minutes be
amended on page three, line two, to read "request
to do so" rather than "motion to do so" . D. Wendin
accepted the amendment as part of his main motion.
The motion, as revised, was passed unanimously.
Meeting 74-13
Page two
he stated the consensus of the Board that the memorandum be
placed in the latter category.
IV. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
There were no oral communications .
V. SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY AND PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Proposed North Foothills Open Space Preserve Acquisition
H. Grench introduced his report (R-74-15) into the record and
presented a number of slides of the Millard F. Blair property.
W. Peters said he was pleased with the report.
B. Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula
Regional Park District Approving Purchase Agreement, Auth-
orizing Signatures Thereto on Behalf of the District,
Authorizing officer to Execute Certificate of Acceptance
of Grant to District, and Authorizing General Manager to
Execute Any and All Other Documents In Escrow Necessary
or Appropriate to Closing of the Transaction (Blair Pro-
perty) (Resolution 74-13)
Motion: N. Hanko moved approval of Resolution No. 74-13 as
presented. D. Condron seconded the motion.
Discussion: S. Norton reminded the Board that a
475 vote is required for approval of the motion in-
asmuch as the District will be exercising its bor-
rowing power. The motion passed uanimously.
H. Grench commented that he was very pleased with the results
of Ed Jaynes' negotiations in this transaction. E. Jaynes
said he had received a great deal of input from a number of
sources which was helpful in the negotiations .
VI. OLD BUSINESS NOT REQUIRING ACTION
A. Master Plan of the Midpeninsula Regional Park District
W. Peters suggested the Master Plan of the Midpeninsula Re-
gional Park District be considered upon the arrival of Mr.
Larz Anderson of W. Spangle & Associates. The Board agreed
to this arrangement.
B. Possible Changes in Rules of Procedure
W. Peters suggested a new agenda category, "CONSENT ITEMS" ,
be included for the next several meetings. This category
would include items not likely to cause debate which could
be approved by the Board very quickly. Should any Board
Meeting 74-13
Page three
member wish to have discussion on an item listed in the
"CONSENT ITEMS" category, a motion to do so could be made
under "ADOPTION OF AGENDA" . D. Wendin commented that the
new category might cause more debate at the time of the
adoption of the agenda, thus not saving any time at all.
K. Duffy concurred. The Board agreed to experiment with
the "CONSENT ITEMS" category for several meetings before
a formal decision is made.
VII. NEW BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION
A. Budget for the 1974-75 Fiscal Year
H. Grench presented his report (R-74-16) regarding the Budget
for the 1974-75 Fiscal Year. He noted the Budget had been
developed in conjunction with the Controller and members of
the Budget Subcommittee, whose suggestions with respect to
major budget questions had been very helpful.
D. Wendin noted the Revenue figure of 114.3%" on page three
of the report differed from the "3 .4%" figure on page four.
H. Grench said both figures should be 4 . 3%.
H. Grench emphasized that the Budget assumes receipt of about
$835, 000 from the State Parks Bond Act (Proposition 1) in
the 1974-75 fiscal year. If the money is not received, re-
ductions in reserves and/or expenditures will have to be made,
probably in Land Acquisition. He said the District must make
specific application for the Parks Bond Act money, which must
be approved by the legislature, and then the money would come
in lump sums for each project.
H. Grench said there were no plans to spend Land Acquisition
funds in the Reserves category during the 1974-75 fiscal year.
Uncommitted Borrowing Power refers to the $3 million borrowing
power of the District.
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H. Grench pointed out that Salaries and Benefits included all
workers at present salary and benefit levels, and that the
Board had decided that funds for salary increases would be
considered at the time of the adoption of the Budget. Pro-
posed figures were based on an average annual 13 .2% increase.
H. Grench said budgeted amounts for appraisers ' fees might
seem low; however, the figures were based on five appraisals
for the year. Land acquisition costs were broken down in the
report so the Board would be aware of the various costs in-
volved in the purchase of a piece of property. He said land
management figures were estimated because the District lacked
experience in this area. Open space management costs for
other agencies have averaged $30 to $40 per acre. Trail
development costs were included in the figures.
Meeting 74-13
Page four
H. Grench commented the District had not been using all of
its budgeted legal advertising funds; however, more money
would be used when ordinances relating to use of District
lands were adopted.
H. Grench stated that the General Manager and the Assistant
General Manager used their private vehicles on business
matters a great deal, and the Administrative Secretary and
the Public Communications Assistant used their vehicles for
business purposes occasionally. The Land Manager is ex-
pected to use a private vehicle also.
W. Peters said he would like the District staff to explore
the possibility of obtaining a permit for bulk mailing. A.
Crosley said she would do so.
H. Grench summarized by stating the total operating expenses
for the District were about 12.8%, including acquisition
costs. Total administrative costs not readily assigned to
the four major programs would be 3 or 4% of the total in-
come. That figure includes the Parks Bond Act revenue, but
not the borrowing power of the District. He said in his
opinion the Budget reflects the policies and program emphasis
of the Board of Directors.
J. Melton said the opportunities and Emergencies Reserve for
the 1973-74 fiscal year was established at $250,000. That
amount has been increased to $500,000 for the 1974-75 fiscal
year. H. Grench added that this money would be available to
use in circumstances unforeseen at the time the Budget is
adopted. J. Melton advised that interest was calculated on
a quarterly basis. A reserve was necessary, he said, because
first revenues are received six months into the fiscal year.
The District has borrowing power at any time for up to two
years, and as of June, 1975, the District might be $2 million
in debt. Until the debt is paid, the District would only
have $1 million in borrowing power. Only the payment of an
old debt, he stated, could increase available unused borrowing
power. D. Wendin suggested the District consider its alter-
natives regarding finances, such as the creation of a trust
or the use of the legislative route. H. Grench stated the
staff was currently working on the legislative route. S . Nor-
ton advised the Board not to count on legislative assistance
during the present year.
H. Grench explained the third recommendation in his report
that the General Manager's power to bind the District be set
at $3,500. The enabling legislation for the District had
authorized this amount, he said, and it seemed appropriate at
this time to approve this amount to increase the General
Manager' s flexibility.
Meeting 74-13
Page five
Motion: D. Wendin moved that the Board of Directors of the
Midpeninsula Regional Park District adopt the Annual
Budget for the 1974-1975 Fiscal Year; that it adopt
a tax rate of 10� per $100 assessed valuation and
that any difference between estimated and actual
revenues be reflected in a change in the Land Acqui-
sition expenditures and reserves; and that, consistent
with Section 5549 of the District' s enabling legis-
lation, the General Manager be empowered to bind the
District in amounts not exceeding $3,500. D. Condron
seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
vI. OLD BUSINESS NOT REQUIRING ACTION (cont. )
A. Master Plan of the Midpeninsula Regional Park District
Larz Anderson and William Spangle of W. Spangle & Associates
were in attendance, along with Don Weden of the Santa Clara
County Planning Department, for presentation of the methodology
for the Master Plan of the District. Mr. Anderson advised
the Board he was interested in knowing their priorities con-
cerning what lands within the District should be preserved,
and asked the Board to return to him by Friday a questionnaire
prepared for this purpose.
Mr. Anderson explained the land in the District would be
divided into "landscape provinces" , each of which would have
a particular open space value. His firm would concentrate
on lands outside the Urban Service Area, he said, noting
that the District' s Board members had indicated a preference
for low-intensity uses of District lands. Recent studies
have shown a great need for scenic backdrop areas for the
large percentage of people touring by car. Landscape provinces
will be evaluated individually and in relation to each other.
The question of economics would have to be decided by the
Board when it determined what parcels or provinces of land
it was interested in.
N. Hanko suggested the Master Plan outline include a "Natural
Wilderness" category, as item 111 (6) , which would describe
areas protected visually from urbanization. She cited the
Perham Ranch as an example. Mr. Anderson said his firm had
considered the category; however, it was decided there was
insufficient data to evaluate land for this open space value.
N. Hanko suggested the Trails Task Force could give the firm
input in this regard, and Mr. Anderson promised to give further
consideration to the category. He added that results of the
scoring would be computed onto tabular lists, which could be
translated into map form.
W. Peters suggested the Highway Department might have pertinent
information, and N. Hanko proposed that information on the
Meeting 74-13
Page six
possible use of some lands for high intensity recreation
could be passed on to the County for its consideration. S .
Norton said he thought the asterisks in the firm's report
denoting items that would not be studied seemed somewhat
arbitrary, and added that he doubted an objective study
was feasible. S. Norton and H. Grench commented that the
landscape provinces did not correspond to parcel ownership,
and W. Peters noted the absence of economic variables such
as willingness to sell. Mr. Anderson suggested economic
considerations might be sensitive issues that would be
difficult to measure.
W. Peters referred Mr. Anderson to a report in the County
Conservation Element which pinpoints areas containing unique
habitats. Mr. Anderson said special high scores would be
given to land areas containing such unique habitats. He
emphasized that he hoped the Master Plan would give the
Board a great deal of flexibility in determining which
parcels of land to purchase, and that his outline was sub-
ject to additions and suggestions from the Board members.
VII . NEW BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION (cont. )
B. Proposed Santa Clara County Intergovernmental Planning
Commission
H. Grench referred to his memorandum (M-74-77) regarding an
Intergovernmental Planning Commission under consideration by
the Santa Clara County Charter Review Committee. He reported
that the Committee had taken no action at its recent meet-
ing, but there was a possibility the proposed Commission
might replace the PPC. It was too early to determine if
the MRPD might be included on the Commission. Thus far,
it appeared the powers of the proposed Commission would be
of an advisory or coordinating nature.
Action: W. Peters stated the consensus that H. Grench be
instructed to write a letter to the Santa Clara
County Charter Review Committee expressing support
for the concept of an Intergovernmental Planning
Commission, and asking for further information on
the powers and functions of such a Commission.
C. Requests from Trails Task Force
(a) Information from MRPD Counsel Regarding Trail Agree-
ment Tax Reduction and Insurance for Property Owners
N. Hanko said the Trails Task Force was interested in
obtaining information on insurance and tax reductions
Meeting 74-13
Page seven
for property owners who provide trail access. The
information would be helpful to members approaching
property owners for permission to use their lands,
so that advantages to such arrangements could be
pointed out. S. Norton offered to prepare an analysis
of existing law on the subject, and said he would try
to have it ready by June 25.
(b) Establishment of Date for Stevens Creek Link Tour
N. Hanko advised that there would be a tour for Board
members on July 1, 2 or 3 showing a proposed section
of the Stevens Creek Park Chain. W. Peters suggested
only two Board members attend the tour and report their
findings to the full Board at a later meeting.
Action: D. Wendin recommended that N. Hanko and W.
Peters be appointed to attend the Stevens
Creek Link Tour on Tuesday, July 2 , 1974,
with D. Wendin as an alternative. The Board
agreed to the recommendation.
VIII . NEW BUSINESS NOT REQUIRING ACTION
A. Additional Citizens ' Task Forces
W. Peters suggested this item be agendized for a future meet-
ing. He said he was interested in the formation of a baylands
task force which could serve as an advocate for the baylands
before other agencies, inform the District of plans being
made for baylands parcels, and educate the general public
about the baylands region. H. Grench advised that infor-
mation gathering on the baylands has already begun, and a
student real estate analyst hired for the summer would con-
tinue with some of this work. E. Jaynes suggested the Dis-
trict could work with other agencies to determine planning
currently under consideration for the baylands.
B. Future Board-Staff Retreats
W. Peters stated he would like the Board to consider a Board-
staff retreat to discuss where the District is now, where
it is heading and possible strategies. He asked that this
matter be agendized for a November Board meeting after the
election.
C. Memorandum of N. Hanko re Intergovernmental Relations
There was discussion regarding N. Hanko' s memorandum dated
June 7, 1974 . D. Condron reported his meeting with H. Grench,
D. Wendin and Mr. Hefferlin of Sunnyvale had gone well, and
Mr. Hefferlin had relayed Sunnyvale officials ' concern that
Meeting 74-13
Page eight
the District would consider only foothills and baylands
for purchase rather than open space within the Urban Service
Areas. D. Condron said Mr. Hefferlin expressed Sunnyvale's
view that it provided the District with a large percentage
of the money used to support land acquisition, and that
open space in Sunnyvale was rapidly diminishing. K. Duffy
commented the establishment of urban parks and open space
was a city problem, whereas the District was concerned with
open space areas of regional significance. W. Peters sug-
gested the District consider a loan to Sunnyvale to buy
land, with the proviso that the money be repaid when and
if their bond issue passes. The Board agreed to keep in
touch with Sunnyvale officials, and to consider its alter-
natives regarding a loan policy.
IX. CONSENT ITEMS
A. Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula
Regional Park District Approving the Application for Land
and Water Conservation Funds for the Permanente Creek
Park Project (Resolution No. 74-14)
H. Grench referred the Board to his memorandum (M-74-75) dated
June 4, 1974, recommending adoption of Resolution No. 74-14 .
Motion: D. Wendin moved that the Board of Directors of the
Midpeninsula Regional Park District adopt Resolution
No. 74-14 Approving the Application for Land and
Water Conservation Funds for the Permanente Creek
Park Project. D. Condron seconded the motion. The
motion passed unanimously.
X. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
The Board agreed that a reply to Marsha Sato' s letter of May
23, 1974 should be sent by H. Grench.
XI . CLAIMS
H. Grench pointed out that Petty Cash would be raised to the
amount of $75. 00 upon approval of the revised claims (C-74-11)
dated June 12, 1974 .
Action: W. Peters stated the consensus that the revised claims
(C-74-11) be accepted as presented.
XII . EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board recessed to executive session at 1: 06 A.M. , June
13, 1974, to discuss land negotiations and personnel matters .
Meeting 74-13
Page nine
The Board left executive session at 1: 10 A.M. to consider
D. Condron's letter of resignation to the Board.
Motion: W. Peters moved that the Board of Directors of the
Midpeninsula Regional Park District regretfully
accept the resignation of Daniel Condron as a
Director. D. Wendin seconded the motion.
Discussion: D. Condron said he intended the re-
signation to become effective immediately follow-
ing this meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
The Board agreed the last date for submission °of resumes and
applications for appointment to the vacant position would be
noon, Wednesday, June 26, 1974 , and that the vacancy would
be advertised.
The Board resumed executive session at 1: 20 A.M.
XIII . ADJOURNMENT
The Board reconvened to adjourn at 1:40 A.M.
Anne Cathcart Crosley
Administrative Secretary