HomeMy Public PortalAbout19810923 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) Meetinq 81-23
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MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT
375 DISTEL CIRCLE,SUITE D-1,LOS ALTOS,CALIFORNIA 94022
(415) 965-4717
Regular Meeting
Board of Directors
MIMUTES
September 23, 1981
I. ROLL CALL
In the absence of the President of the Board, Vice President D. Wendin called the
meeting to order at 7:35 P.M.
Members Present: Katherine Duffy, Daniel Wendin, Barbara Green, Edward Shelley, Nonette
Hanko, and Harry Turner. Richard Bishop arrived at 8:05 P.M.
Staff Present: Herbert Grench, Craig Britton, Charlotte MacDonald, Jean Fiddes, Eric
Mart, James Boland, John Escobar, Robert McKibbin, and Emma Johnson
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. July 22, 1981
Motion: N. Hanko moved the approval of the minutes of the meeting of July 22, 1981 .
D. Wendin seconded the motion. The motion passed, with E. Shelley abstaining
because of his absence from the July 22, 1981 meeting.
B. August 26, 1981
Motion: H. Turner moved the approval of the minutes of the meeting of August 26, 1981 .
E. Shelley seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
E. Johnson stated the Board had received the following written communications:
notification from San Mateo County that estimated 1981-1982 property tax revenue totals
$1 ,222,606,
letter from the Parks Protection League, 145 College Avenue, Los Gatos, thanking the
Board for having the public hearing in Los Gatos and advising their intent to present
additional input at the September 28 meeting,
letter from Thomas Harrington, 105 Fremont Avenue, Los Altos, expressing his appre-
ciation for the Board's cooperation and responsiveness on the Monte Bello Parking Lot
location,
letter of proposal to act as municipal financing consultants from First Interstate
Bank, 707 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles,
letters from Harry Haeussler, 1094 Highland Circle, Los Altos recommending a loop
trail from the parking lot on Monte Bello; recommending parking facilities for the
public at the Mora Drive entrance to Rancho San Antonio Preserve; recommending the
Board meeting agendas include items staff is working on, planning, purchases and con-
demnation action being considered, and 'land use; suggestions concerning horse trailer
parking, trail corridor and pole barn on the McNiel Property; and suggestions for a
new trail at Rancho San Antonio connecting Rouge Valley Trail and the Mora Drive/
Ranger Office trail .
Herbert A.Grench,General Manager
Board of Directors:Katherine Duffy,Barbara Green,Nonette G.Hanko,Richard S Bishop,Edward G Shelley,Harry A.Turner,Daniel G Wendin
Meetina 81-23 Page two
D. Wendin asked for H. Grench's recommendations for responding to H. Haeussler's
letters. H. Grench suggested each one be considered when the sites in question are
reviewed by the Board. D. Wendin stated the Board's concensus that the letters would
be referred to staff to be considered with the appropriate use and management plan or
to the appropriate Board committees.
IV. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
Motion: E. Shelley moved for the adoption of the agenda as written. B. Green seconded
the motion. The agenda was adopted unanimously.
V. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Bob Mark, 725 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, reported a portion of the Gill Mustang Ranch
had been acquired, doubling the size of Henry Coe State Park.
VI. OLD BUSINESS WITH ACTION REQUESTED
A. Final Adoption of Summary Status Report on Use and Management of Planning Area IV -
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
H. Grench reviewed memorandum M-81-95, dated September 23, 1981 , noting the Board had
tentatively adopted the staff recommendations for Rancho San Antonio Open Space Pre-
serve at its meeting of August 26, 1981 , leaving the matter of signing along Foothill
Expressway and Foothill Boulevard to be further researched by staff, and recommended
an amendment to the use and management plan for Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
to include addressing the issue.
Motion: K. Duffy moved the Board adopt the Use and Management Recommendations for
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve, including the amendment to the Plan
directing staff to investigate feasibility and site use impacts of installa-
tion of signs along Foothill Boulevard and Foothill Expressway. H. Turner
seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
B. Public Notification Procedures Relating to Public Participation in Planning Process
H. Grench reviewed M-81-94 of September 15, 1981 , noting that the District's Action
Plan includes making presentations concerning District sites, acquisitions, priorities,
and how the District operates in planning and controlling its sites. The Action Plan
also calls for staff to return to the Board with recommendations on emphasized and non-
emphasized sites before the end of the year, and will be the subject of public meetings
at that time.
N. Hanko suggested using advertisements to create public awareness of the various
hearings.
J. Killermann, 24155 Summerhill Avenue, Los Altos, President of the League of Women
Voters, delivered a League statement urging early public input and awareness of
land use planning issues , working with local interest groups and neighborhood organiza-
tions, periodic review of plans with each use and management issue appearing on at
least two agendas before action is taken, and good publicity on the availability of
agendas.
C. MacDonald explained that the District is carrying out the Action Plan policy through
presentations to public bodies.
Motion: K. Duffy moved to direct the issue of land use and planning process as a
method of increasing public participation in the planning process to the Site
Use Committee, and to direct the Committee also consider the question re-
garding notification of demolition of buildings at that time. R. Bishop
seconded the motion.
Meeting 81-23 Page three
Discussion: T. Kavanaugh, 1726 Spring Street, Mountain View, requested the
Committee study the issue of when land use planning begins, whether before or
after acquisition. D. Wendin suggested he attend the Committee meetings or
direct a written communication to the Committee about his concerns.
The motion passed unanimously.
Motion: K. Duffy moved the Board concur with staff recommendation that additional
public hearings for the purpose of long range acquisition and site use
planning of the entire District planning area are not needed since the matter
is being adequately addressed through the Action Plan, and moved that staff
formulate a one-time experiment in placing advertising in a newspaper to
alert the public to a District informational meeting, returning to the Board
with recommendations for the experiment. H. Turner seconded the motion. The
motion passed unanimously.
Board President R. Bishop arrived at 8:05 and chaired the remainder of the Board meeting.
VII. NEW BUSINESS WITH ACTION REQUESTED
A. Adoption and Implementation of Lead Ranger Program
H. Grench highlighted his report R-81-41 of September 17, 1981 , reminding the Board
that the concept of a Lead Ranger program has been considered for over four years.
He asked E. Mart to review the attached report (R-81-40, dated September 15, 1981 ).
E. Mart called the Board' s attention to the error in the top line of page three of his
report, correcting it to read "Fiscal Year 1981-1982". He explained that the Senior
Ranger Program is a logical step in the development of the District's field operations
organization and pointed out the advantages of having a supervisor on duty with each
shift. He emphasized that this is an extension of what is now being done.
H. Grench noted that the title of Lead Ranger does not imply that the position is
filled on the basis of seniority as "Senior Ranger" might, but is filled on the basis
of the most qualified person. He added that Personnel Consultant, G. Foss, agreed
with the position title of Lead Ranger.
Motion: K. Duffy moved the Board approve staff recommendations on job specifications
for Ranger and Lead Ranger, authorize three Lead Ranger positions, reduce the
number of regular Ranger positions to five, and authorize General Manager to
appoint three members of the District's Ranger staff to Lead Ranger on or
after October 1 , 1981 . E. Shelley seconded the motion. The motion passed
unanimously.
B. Conversion of Coordinator of Volunteer Programs Position to Regular Half-Time
Staff Position
H. Grench, referring to Report R-81-39, dated September 17, 1981 , noted the District
has a strong volunteer program and that it is well established. He recommended that
Coordinator of Volunteers be made a staff position rather than a contractual one
to give the District more accountability for the program. The program would continue
at the same level , but the Coordinator would be more involved with other kinds of
volunteer activities such as site and trail clean-ups, thereby stretching the District's
land management budget. In answer to a Board question, he said the salary range was
arrived at by indicators from outside positions, but more emphasis was placed on the
salary being in the appropriate relationship to the internal salary structure.
Motion: B. Green moved the Board approve the recommended job specification for the
Coordinator of Volunteer Programs, approve filling of the regular, half-time
staff position, and approve a salary range of Step No. 165-195 for the posi-
tion. N. Hanko seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Meeting 31-23 Page four
H. Grench stated that, due to an oversight in his recommendations, the Board had not
adopted a salary -range for Lead Ranger when it was being discussed.
Motion: E. Shelley moved the Board adopt a salary range for Lead Ranger of Step No.
165-195. H. Turner seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
C. Conversion of Accounting Specialist Position to Regular Full-Time Staff Position
H. Grench reviewed report R-81-31 of August 24, 1981 . He recommended, with the con-
currence of the Controller, that the position be made full-time. No salary range
change was being recommended.
J. Fiddes added that there were very minor changes in the job specification from the
previous description.
Motion: B. Green moved the Board adopt staff recommendation, making the Accounting
Specialist position a regular, full-time staff position, and approving the
recommended job specification. K. Duffy seconded the motion. The motion
carried unanimously.
VIII. OLD_ BUSINESS WITH NO ACTION REQUESTED
A. OEen Space Management Work Priorities
H. Grench noted the 'list of projects and activities for Land Management was included
in report 81-96, dated September 18, 1981 . President R. Bishop stated his belief that
the Board could accept the report.
D. Wendin requested clarification on item 9 (oral reports for use and management plan
reviews) and item 1 (use and management plans in regular format) .
H. Grench explained that many of the decisions that come up in the use and management
reports relate to site emphasis policies, and he felt it was more important to resolve
the site emphasis questions, bring final policy recommendations to the Board before the
end of the year, and return to the Board with a plan for emphasized versus non-
emphasized sites. Because of the staffing situation,, he said it would be locical to
reduce the number of thoroughly written reports for use and management plans, and
present oral reports instead. He added that items for recommended action would be
in writing. He suggested that the status of sites and problems be presented to the
Board in oral form, saving time and allowing staff tolwork on site emphasis.
N. Hanko suggested that, since little time will be spent on some of the plans remaining
this year, they could be considered summary plans, with regular plans scheduled for
next year. H. Grench noted that the Board will be looking at the whole planning process
as it relates to site emphasis, and by next year the planning process may be changed;
public meetings held in connection with planning may be related to the degree of
emphasis of the site. The timetable for review of sites would be related eventually
to the degree of emphasis.
M. Blukis, 993 Crooked Creek Drive, Los Altos, asked if sign-up sheets would be
available for people interested in being notified when the Site Use Committee meets
and was assured that they would be available.
R. Bishop noted that the remaining functions of the disbanded Site Emphasis Committee
would be assumed by the Site Use Committee.
H. Grench said it was his understanding that all the reports could be summary type
reports between now and the end of the year. There was no objection expressed.
Meeting 81-23 Page five
R. Bishop noted that memorandum M-81-96, dated September 18, 1981 , was informational
and required no Board action.
Motion: K. Duffy moved the Board formally disband the Public Notification Committee
with the Board 's thanks for the efforts of the Committee. B. Green seconded
the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
IX. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS
H. Grench reported the District had applied for an Urban Forestry Grant for a second
phase burn at Monte Bello, but the grant was not awarded. The District will have to
decide whether to proceed with the project on its own.
H. Grench asked members of the Board if they would be available for a special meeting
on October 6. Since several members were unable to meet on that date, he asked them
to consider alternate datesfor a special meeting.
E. Mart reported on a small fire at Picchetti caused by a car' s muffler.
H. Grench reported that minutes and agendas of the Mid-Peninsula Trails Council are
available to Board members and may be obtained from him. K. Duffy, N. Hanko, and
R. Bishop expressed interest in receiving minutes and agendas. He said the Council
will be having a joint meeting with East Bay Trails Council on October 24, and asked
if any Board members would be interested in attending.
R. Bishop reported the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Finance Committee met on
the Hassler project. No final action was taken and the meeting was continued. The
item will be on their agenda in about three weeks, and R. Bishop will try to attend.
C. Britton said the District has an extension on the related arant until July 1 , 1982.
N. Hanko reported the dedication of 438 acres of the former Arastra property by the
Palo Alto City Counci . She asked for Board agreement for her to commend on behalf
of the Board the Council 's action and the interest they expressed in dedicating the
remainder of the open land in the foothills, and to suggest the District work with
them on development of trails. R. Bishop stated the Board's concurrence that the
letter would be appropriate.
X. CLAIMS
Motion: D. Wendin moved the Board approve Revised Claims 81-19, dated September 23,
1981 . K. Duffy seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
XI. CLOSED SESSION
The Board recessed the public portion of the meeting at 9:15 to meet in closed session.
XII. ADJOURNMENT
The Board reconvened to public session at 10:03 P.M. and adjourned at 10:04 P.M.
Emma Johnson
Secretary