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HomeMy Public PortalAbout19930127 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) Space,Open a MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT Meeting 93-03 REGULAR MEETING BOARD OF DIRECTORS January 27, 1993 MINUTES I. ROLL CALL President Betsy Crowder called the meeting to order at 7:32 P.M. Members Present: Pete Siemens, Nonette Hanko, Wim de Wit, Robert McKibbin, Teena Henshaw, Ginny Babbitt, and Betsy Crowder. Personnel Present: Herbert Grench, Craig Britton, Jean Fiddes, John Escobar, Randy Anderson, Malcolm Smith, Mary Gundert, and Emma Johnson. II. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS H. Haeussler, 1094 Highland Circle, Los Altos reported that he had found a fanny-pack on Windy Hill Open Space Preserve and knows of no District policy regarding lost and found items. He gave the item to the Board president. III. ADOPTION OF AGENDA N. Hanko requested that the letter to Daniel Bernstein be removed from the consent calendar, B. Crowder requested that the minutes of January 13, 1993 be removed from the consent calendar, and P. Siemens requested the Property Management Agreement with Peninsula Open Space Trust agenda item be removed from the consent calendar. Motion: R. McKibbin moved that the Board adopt the agenda as revised. G. Babbitt second ed the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. IV. ADOPTION OF CONSENT CALENDAR Motion: R. McKibbin moved that the Board adopt the consent calendar as amended, including minutes of December 9, 1992 and January 11, 1993; response to the written communication from Dorrado Federico, 2000 Fairway Drive, Halfmoon Bay dated January 14, 1993; Annual Review of the Relative Site Emphasis Plan and Schedule for Use and Management Plan Reviews; Plan for Compliance with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act; Resolution 93-02, a Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Accepting Gift of Real Property and Authorizing Execution of Certificate of Acceptance with Respect Thereto (Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve - Lands of Peninsula Open Space Trust) ; and Revised Claims 93-02. G. Babbitt seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. Meeting 93-03 Page 2 V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES January 13 , 1993 B. Crowder noted that Harry Haeussler's address was incorrectly listed in Portola Valley rather than Los Altos on page 3 and the informational reports on page 7 listed Anna Eshoo as a senator rather than congresswoman. Motion: R. McKibbin moved the approval of the minutes of January 13, 1993 as amended. G. Babbitt seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. VI. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS N. Hanko asked that the response to Daniel Bernstein's letter regarding allowing dogs on District trails be revised to delete all but the first two sentences of the second paragraph. She and G. Babbitt volunteered to redraft the letter. I B. Crowder noted that a copy of the Trail Use Guidelines should be included with the response to the Federico letter. Motion: T. Henshaw moved the approval of the written communications as amended. R. McKibbin seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. VII. PUBLIC HEARING Amendments to Conflict of Interest Code (Report R-93-17) President B. Crowder opened the Public Hearing at 7:41 P.M. J. Fiddes reported that the District is required to review its Conflict of Interest Code and that proposed changes include amending designated positions to reflect the staffing reorganization and adding a consultant disclosure category. She said the notice of the public hearing has been posted for 45 days as required by law and that no member of the public had commented on the proposed amendments nor requested to address the Board at the Public Hearing. President B. Crowder asked for public comment. There was none. Motion: R. McKibbin moved that the Public Hearing be closed. P. Siemens seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. N. Hanko suggested that all consultants be required to file a Conflict of Interest Code. Discussion focused on what type of consultants should be required to file. The Board concurred that more information is needed regarding the general manager's discretionary powers to determine which consultants for the District shall file and how exemptions might work. Motion: P. Siemens moved that the Public Hearing be reopened. N. Hanko seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. Motion: T. Henshaw moved that the Board continue the Public Hearing to the Board meeting of February 10. P. Siemens seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. i Meeting 93-03 Page 3 VIII. BOARD BUSINESS A. Citizens' Presentation on the Current Status of the Proposed Blue Oaks Subdivision in Portola Valley (Report R-93-23) Anna Loy Nikkum, president of the Los Trancos Woods Community Association and acting chair for the Committee to Save the Mariani Ranch, said the ranch is a key piece in the land acquisition puzzle and the group would like to persuade the District to add the ranch to its list of acquisitions. She proposed a working partnership with the District to acquire the land. Linda Drey Nightingale explained the impacts to the ecosystem if development is allowed to take place on the property, and Gale Smith proposed that the Committee to Save the Mariani Ranch work with the District. Gale Smith and Robert Zimmermann of Los Trancos Woods said the only opposition to preserving the land as open space that they are aware of is from the developer. N. Hanko noted that the residents of Los Trancos Woods live in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County and that the property is in the Town of Portola Valley limits. She explained that the District has adopted policies to acquire only land outside urban service areas of cities and towns. B. Crowder added that, in addition to the master plan policy, the District is in a difficult financial situation and available funding is necessary for commitments already made by the District. She said that the District could not offer to buy the property but could make suggestions as to what might be tried. T. Henshaw suggested that B. Crowder work as liaison with the group and staff. H. Grench said the District has a lot of knowledge about financing and could be helpful to the group as to what may be possible. P. Siemens suggested that, since the property is in the Town of Portola Valley limits, the group may want to discuss a potential assessment district with the Town or San Mateo County. B. Acceptance of a Gift to Fund Construction of the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve Disc Line Bypass Trail (Report R-93-21) M. Gundert showed the location of the proposed trail, noting that District funding had been eliminated during budget revisions in December 1992. She said Noel and Karen Calvin, neighbors of the preserve, have offered to fund the construction cost up to $10, 000. Motion: R. McKibbin moved that the Board accept and acknowledge the gift to fund construction of the disc line bypass trail and reinstate the project. N. Hanko seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. C. Trail Use Guidelines and Mitigation Measures (Report R-93- 20) Motion: R. McKibbin moved that the Board adopt the Trail Meeting 93-03 Page 4 Use Guidelines and Mitigation Measures contained in report R-93-10 and as amended in report R-93- 20. G. Babbitt seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. D. Strategic Plan for the Nineties (Report R-93-14) H. Grench reviewed the background and purpose of the Strategic Plan for the Nineties. He said the plan was presented to the Board in May 1991 and later presented to the Board in its present form in July 1992. He continued that the initial state budget crisis interrupted focus on the plan, but that it is now time to renew efforts to complete a long-term strategic plan document. Discussion focused on whether to modify the document because of the budget crisis or adopt it in its existing form and whether to include other documents such as the action plan, site emphasis plan, and the plan for compliance with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. N. Hanko requested two changes be made in the Plan. She said the language should be more specific regarding assessment districts and proposed that option G on page two of the Strategic Plan be amended to reflect that assessment districts would not be considered unless petitions are submitted by the affected citizens to form an assessment district. N. Hanko stated that an overlaying policy objective for the entire Strategic Plan of protecting and defending the District's existing property tax revenue should be included. G. Babbitt noted that the District has already launched into certain of the activities and suggested that there needs to be some consolidation and some understanding of the direction being pursued. She said she is concerned about the implementation and added that the site emphasis plan, the public affairs plan, and the action plan incorporate Strategic Plan activities, and that all the documents be integrated. T. Henshaw suggested that a workshop be held to discuss integration and implementation. There was consensus that a workshop is needed, and the timing of a workshop was discussed, possibly in September after the budget crisis is better understood or resolved. Motion: P. Siemens moved that the Strategic Plan be adopted with an added goal overlaying all the Strategic Plan to "protect and defend existing property tax revenue from reduction by the state" and that Action G under Basic Policy Objective 11 be amended to read: "Pursue alternative methods, such as fundraising, cooperative projects, and joint management agreements. Consider assessment district petitions where there is unusually high local benefit and support in order to raise an additional $5 million. " T. Henshaw seconded the motion. The motion to adopt the Strategic Plan as amended passed 7 to 0. Meeting 93-03 Page 5 E. Final Adoption of the Public Affairs Plan (Report R-93-161 M. Smith reported that the Public Affairs Plan is flexible and may be altered with the Board's consent, to reflect changing circumstances. He said three levels of implementation were developed and the present plan is mid-level implementation. N. Hanko said neighborhood organizations and homeowners groups should be included in the list of organizations. B. Crowder stated that she had non-substantive wording changes that she would relay to M. Smith. Motion: R. McKibbin moved that the Board approve the Public Affairs Plan with minor changes. G. Babbitt seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. F. Proposed Property Management Agreement with Peninsula Open Space Trust for Former Liles Property (Report R-93-15) P. Siemens questioned whether the public would be allowed on the property. C. Britton replied that the District will not encourage the public to trespass to reach the property, which is typical of other management agreements with POST. Motion: P. Siemens moved that the Board authorize the Board President to sign the Liles property management agreement with Peninsula Open Space Trust for the former Liles property. T. Henshaw seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. G. Appointment of Board Committees for 1993-1994 (Report R-93-18) P. Siemens suggested that several committees could be combined under an Operations Committee that could consider trail and dog issues, various enterprise contracts, and perhaps even gift polices. N. Hanko agreed that dog and trail issues could be combined as well as Picchetti, Fremont Older, and Thornewood oversight committee. She suggested that P. Siemens place the matter on a future agenda for Board consideration. R. McKibbin requested a straw vote on keeping the Trails Committee. The vote was five yes and two no. Motion: N. Hanko moved that the Board disband the office space committee and approve the assignments to ad hoc committees as presented by B. Crowder. T. Henshaw seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. IX. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS N. Hanko stated that H. Grench reported to the Finance Committee about a possible new assessment district type of legislation which would be a positive type of assessment district, and the committee has directed staff to continue working on language and sponsorship for legislation to allow such a district. She said that M. Smith had given the committee a copy of the proposed public opinion poll and that the committee asked staff to return to the committee with a budget on implementing various funding options. G. Babbitt said the Gift Policy Committee wanted to give other Board members the opportunity to be involved in site naming. She Meeting 93-03 Page 6 noted a recent article in the San Jose Mercury about volunteerism in San Juan Bautista in its struggle with state budget cuts. B. Crowder said she had attended the memorial service for Ripp King, producer of the District's 20th anniversary public service announcements. T. Henshaw reported that the Legislative Committee had a meeting with Peninsula Open Space Trust's Board of Directors and District lobbyist Ralph Heim to discuss the District's financial situation. She said a follow-up meeting is planned to draft language and process for contacting legislators. C. Britton distributed materials being mailed to potential interested parties for the Teague Hill land auction. He said over 2000 packets were mailed. R. Anderson said he spoke against the San Mateo County density credit transfer plan along with many others but the Planning Commission unanimously voted for its approval. He said staff is working on two ISTEA grant applications. J. Escobar reported on a solo bicycle accident at Monte Bello Open Space Preserve. He said he would show a video after the meeting that was shot at Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve and made for a health plan. H. Haeussler, 1094 Highland Circle, Los Altos said that the road problem on Eagle Trail is not the one that is going to be repaired. He also questioned whether the amount of legal fees paid by the District was excessive. X. CLOSED SESSION C. Britton announced that personnel matters and labor negotiation matters would be discussed in Closed Session. He announced that land negotiations to be discussed were Santa Clara County assessor's parcel numbers 558-01-023 and 562-03-001, owner General Convention of New Jerusalem, negotiated with Edwin Capon; Santa Clara County assessor's parcel number 562-06-011, owner Linda Johnson et al. , negotiated with Gary Beck; San Mateo County assessor's parcel number 067-208-010, owner Peninsula Open Space Trust, negotiated with Audrey Rust. The Board recessed to Closed Session on land acquisition, labor negotiations, and personnel matters at 10:05 P.M. XI. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11: 30 P.M. Emma Johnson Recording Secretary