HomeMy Public PortalAbout19741023 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting 74-22
MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT
Regular Meeting
Board of Directors
M I N U T E S
October 23 , 1974 745 Distel Drive
Los Altos, CA
I. ROLL CALL
President William Peters called the meeting to order at 7 : 44
P.M.
Members Present: Katherine Duffy, Barbara Green, William
Peters, Daniel Wendin and Nonette Hanko (arrived 7 :46 P.M. ) .
Personnel Present: Edward Jaynes, Stanley Norton, Anne Cros-
ley, Carroll Harrington and John Melton (Arrived 10 : 10 P.M. ) .
Audience of seven persons.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
W. Peters stated the consensus that the Administrative Secre-
tary review the tapes of the meeting of October 9, 1974 to
ascertain the following: (1) if there was a second to the
motion to adopt Resolution No. 74-23; (2) if there was a
response to W. Peter' s question of whether or not the Sub-
committee report (R-74-20) met the spirit of the City of
Sunnyvale' s request for District funds for the purchase of
urban open space; and (3) how representatives from the City
of Sunnyvale responded to questions regarding the City' s
alternative plans, if any, for the preservation of urban open
space.
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
W. Peters asked that the Written Communication to the Board
asking for support of Proposition #15 be considered under
New Business Requiring Action.
K. Duffy asked that the Saratoga Sphere of Influence and a
Workshop Retreat both be considered under New Business Not
Requiring Action.
W. Peters stated the consensus that the addition of the above
mentioned items to the agenda was acceptable to the Board.
Motion: D. Wendin moved adoption of the minutes of October
23, 1974 as presented. B. Green seconded the motion.
Amendment: D. Wendin moved to amend the motion to
reflect his request to L. Anderson that the Master
Plan draft include definitions on air quality, fire
risk, and historical and archeological resources
(page five, under Discussion) . N. Hanko seconded
the motion to amend. The amendment to the motion
passed unanimously. The motion passed unanimously.
Meeting 74-22 Page two
IV. SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY
A. Announcement of Hiring of Land manager of Midpeninsula
Regional Park District
E. Jaynes announced that Mr. Jon Olson, currently with the
East Bay Regional Park District as Acquisition and Management
Associate, would join the District as its Land Manager on
November 11, 1974 . Mr. Jaynes said he had worked with Mr.
Olson in the past and felt he would be an excellent addition
to the staff. Mr. Olson, he added, is experienced in trail
system planning, in the development of acquisition and manage-
ment plans for park and open space lands, and in master plan
preparation.
E. Jaynes also introduced his wife of three weeks, Sue Jaynes ,
who was attending the meeting.
V. NEW BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION
A. Sunnyvale Open Space Bond Issue
Motion: B. Green moved adoption of Resolution No. 74-24 , a
Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpen-
insula Regional Park District in Support of Sunny-
vale Open Space Bond Issue. N. Hanko seconded the
motion.
Discussion: N. Hanko said she was supportive of
the resolution as it was in accordance with the
District' s policy of working with and encouraging
private and other agencies to preserve, maintain,
and enhance open space. K. Duffy said she felt
bonds were a proper way to raise funds, and that
the Sunnyvale Open Space Bond Issue deserved the
wholehearted support of the District. The motion
passed unanimously.
N. Hanko said she thought it was appropriate for the District
to advise cities how to plan and implement their open space
policies. She commented that charter cities such as Palo
Alto, Mt. View and Sunnyvale had to amend their charters in
order to protect their park and open space lands, and that
Palo Alto was the only charter city who had done so.
W. Peters noted that the City of Sunnyvale, according to a
newspaper article, is eligible for about $2.1 million for
public services, and that public hearings on the matter had
been scheduled.
Action: W. Peters stated the consensus that the Subcommittee
adopt any such recommendations they feel are appro-
priate with respect to protection of city park and
open space lands and, subject to the approval of the
Meeting 74-22 Page three
Board, that such recommendations be forwarded to the
cities within the District following the November 5,
1974 general election.
B. Communication Regarding Proposition #15
W. Peters introduced a Written Communication to the Board
from Kathy Berson of "Yes on Proposition #15" , dated October
16, 1974 , asking for District support of Proposition #15 on
the ballot of the November 5, 1974 general election.
Motion: W. Peters moved that the Board of Directors of the
Midpeninsula Regional Park District go on record
as endorsing Proposition #15 on the ballot of the
November 5, 1974 general election. The motion
failed for lack of a second.
Discussion: K. Duffy said she did not feel this
matter was an appropriate one for Board considera-
tion, even if individual Board members personally
supported the measure. B. Green added that it
appeared that Proposition #15 did not deal directly
with open space. W. Peters said that actions taken
by other agencies, especially on questions regard-
ing transportation and housing, do affect the job
of the District, even if indirectly.
Motion: D. Wendin moved that the Board of Directors of the
Midpeninsula Regional Park District determined that
the subject matter of Proposition #15 on the ballot
of the November 5, 1974 general election was not an
appropriate item for Board consideration. N. Hanko
seconded the motion. The motion passed on the fol-
lowing vote: AYES: D. Wendin, N. Hanko, B. Green
and K. Duffy. NOES: W. Peters.
VI. NEW BUSINESS NOT REQUIRING ACTION
A. Saratoga Sphere of Influence
K. Duffy advised the Board that she and E. Jaynes had toured
certain properties located within Saratoga' s Sphere of Influ-
ence with Mr. Bob Yeaton, a developer. She said that Mr.
Yeaton had a number of ideas regarding donation possibilities
and land usage, and had asked that he be placed on the agenda
of a future Board meeting so he could communicate some of his
ideas to the Board.
Action: W. Peters stated the consensus that Mr. Bob Yeaton
be placed on the agenda of a future Board meeting,
and that staff be directed to contact Mr. Yeaton to
arrange for an appropriate meeting date.
Meeting 74-22 Page four
B. Workshop Retreat
K. Duffy reminded the Board that it had discussed at a previ-
ous meeting the possibility of having a workshop-retreat for
Board and staff members following the November 5, 1974 gen-
eral election.
W. Peters suggested topics for discussion at the workshop-
retreat, including (1) ideas and modifications for the Dis-
trict' s Basic Policy; (2) updating the District's Action Plan;
and (3) reflection on the progress and future direction of
the District, especially with respect to its economic philo-
sophy.
K. Duffy and N. Hanko suggested the Basic Policy be omitted
from this workshop-retreat; however, they agreed that the
other topics mentioned would be appropriate. K. Duffy also
suggested that land management be considered as a possible
topic.
Action: W. Peters stated the consensus that the Board and
staff would plan to conduct a workshop-retreat fol-
lowing the November 5, 1974 general election.
VII . OLD BUSINESS NOT REQUIRING ACTION
A. Master Plan of the Midpeninsula Regional Park District
L. Anderson, the District' s Master Plan consultant from Wil-
liam Spangle & Associates, advised the Board that computers
were ready to manipulate the data given it regarding the
characteristics of the landscape provinces determined to be
within the District.
D. Weden, Santa Clara County Planning Department, showed the
Board a map which had been prepared designating about 400
separate landscape provinces that had been determined from
an accumulation of 16 different evaluation factors.
D. Weden and L. Anderson both advised that trial runs of the
data were scheduled to be made prior to the next Board meet-
ing, and that some experimentation with the data is possible
and will provide flexibility.
L. Anderson referred to his report dated October 17 , 1974,
a Draft of Policies Concerning Open Space Preservation Within
the Midpeninsula Regional Park District. He asked the Board
members for their comments concerning whether or not the
categories listed in the draft report reflect the Board 's
policies. He said he thought it was important to state in
writing what the Board' s policies were with respect to cer-
tain categories of open space uses and resources.
Meeting 74-22 Page five
K. Duffy said she thought the policies should be listed in
the order of their importance, and that the "negative" poli-
cies of the Board be de-emphasized in favor of more "posi-
tive" policies.
Action: W. Peters appointed a Subcommittee consisting of
K. Duffy, D. Wendin and unopposed candidate from
Ward 4, E. Shelley, and stated the consensus that
the Subcommittee study the draft policy proposals
in the proposed Master Plan and make appropriate
recommendations to the Board. The Board agreed
that the matter would be agendized for the second
meeting in November, 1974 , and that all other
Board members should submit their recommendations
to the Subcommittee by Wednesday, October 30.
Discussion: D. Wendin suggested a statement on
Air Quality be included. E. Jaynes advised that
the General Manager had indicated it might not be
appropriate to include a statement regarding
urban open space in the Master Plan inasmuch as
the District's primary activities are outside the
Urban Service Areas.
B. Proposed Santa Clara County Charter Revisions
E. Jaynes introduced a memorandum (M-74-151) dated October
16, 1974 from General Manager H. Grench regarding proposed
Santa Clara County charter revisions. He said it appeared
that most of the revisions were being proposed in order to
streamline the language in the charter, and that nothing in
the revisions seemed to be of a controversial nature from
the District' s point of view.
W. Peters and N. Hanko commented that the proposal for an
intergovernmental planning council did not seem to be specific
enough at this point for the Board to make a determination
of whether or not to support the proposal. D. Wendin sug-
gested that the first sentence of paragraph 2 on page 20 of
the proposed revisions could be supported by the District.
Action: W. Peters stated the consensus of the Board that
staff be directed to send a letter to the Charter
Review Committee of Santa Clara County indicating
that the District would be interested in partici-
pating in any discussions of the formation of an
intergovernmental planning council, and stating
that the District supports the spirit of the first
sentence of paragraph 2, page 20, of the proposed
revisions, reading as follows: "The Committee felt
that there is a very real need for interjurisdictional
cooperation and coordinated planning, that it is a
Meeting 74-22 Page six
strong issue in the community, and that the county
should take a leadership role in organizing the
forum for this cooperation by providing for such a
body in the Charter. "
B. Green referred the Board to page 9 of the Charter Review
Committee' s report, under paragraph (b) , which states the
following regarding a proposed change: "Widens the ability
of the county to provide services by agreement to special
districts as well as cities. " S. Norton advised that this
referred to the ability of the County to contract for the
use of services by other agencies or cities.
Mrs. Mildred Justeson, 420 Seale Avenue, Palo Alto, advised
that there is a group of officials from the County of Santa
Clara and the City of San Jose who are known to meet about
twice a month on an unofficial basis and who do not invite
representatives from any other cities or agencies within the
County to those meetings.
VIII . OLD BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION
A. Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula
Regional Park District Affirming Acceptance of Gift of
Real Property and Correcting Property Description in
Connection Therewith
E. Jaynes referred the Board to his memorandum (M-74-153) of
October 17, 1974 , which advises that an Amended Resolution
Accepting Gift of Real Property must be adopted by the Board
due to the omission of a small sliver of land from the property
description of the 136-acre parcel accepted by the Board as
a gift at its October 9, 1974 meeting.
Motion: N. Hanko moved adoption of Resolution No. 74-25 , a
Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpen-
insula Regional Park District Affirming Acceptance
of Gift of Real Property and Correcting Property
Description in Connection Therewith. B. Green seconded
the motion.
Discussion: W. Peters advised that a suggestion had
been made by the General Manager that a second title
search or actual survey of the land might be re-
quested of the Board with respect to future proper-
ties if there is some question of the sufficiency
of the legal description. The motion passed unani-
mously.
IX. CLAIMS
Motion: B. Green moved acceptance of the revised claims (C-
74-20) dated October 23, 1974 . K. Duffy seconded
the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Meeting 74-22 Page seven
X. EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board recessed to Executive Session at 9: 43 P.M. to dis-
cuss land negotiations.
XI. ADJOURNMENT
The Board reconvened to adjourn at 11: 17 P.M.
Anne Cathcart Crosley
Administrative Secretary