HomeMy Public PortalAbout19950315 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) Open Space
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MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT
Meeting 95-06
SPECIAL MEETING
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
March 15 1995
MINUTES
I. ROLL CALL
President Pete Siemens called the meeting to order at 5:42 P.M.
Members Present: Pete Siemens, Nonette Hanko, Mary Davey, Wim de Wit, and
Betsy Crowder. Director Teena Henshaw arrived at 6:00 P.M. and Director Ginny
Babbitt arrived at 6:10 P.M.
Personnel Present: Craig Britton, Sue Schectman, Jean Fiddes, John Escobar, Randy
Anderson, and Malcolm Smith.
H. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
There were no oral communications.
III. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
Motion: M. Davey moved adoption of the agenda. N. Hanko seconded the
motion. The motion passed 5 to 0. Directors Henshaw and Babbitt
were not present for the vote.
IV. BOARD BUSINESS
A. Agenda Item 1 - Status Review and Amendment of Guidelines for Board-Staff
Relationships
The Board and staff reviewed the Guidelines for Board-Staff Working
Relationships. Based on the discussion, the following changes were
recommended: 1) program managers shall confer with the general manager
regarding Board members requests for use of staff time; 2) Board members
are encouraged to put requests in writing where appropriate; 3) information
(except trail conditions) from a Board members to staff should be routed
through the general manager or program managers; 4) rephrase item five to
encompass concept that staff reports will present areas of potential controversy
and concern; and 5) Board members and management will not surprise each
other with important information consistent with the Brown Act. With
respect to the three meeting-related items, it was determined that they should
be rewritten to include what is allowable under the new Brown Act. Legal
330 Distel Circle Los Altos,CA 94022-1404 • Phone:415-691-1 200 • FAX:415-691-0485 • E-mail: mrosd@netcom.com ED
Board of Directors:Pete Siemens-loary C. Davey,Teena Henshaw,Ginny Babbitt,Nonette Hanko,Betsy Crowder,Win)de Wit
General Manager:L,Craig Britton
Meeting 95-06 Page 2
counsel S. Schectman noted that she had previously distributed Brown Act
guidelines for informational reports to the Board and staff.
B. Agenda Item 2 - Review of Parliamentary Procedures and Protocol for Public
Participation in Board Meetings
S. Schectman highlighted rules of procedure for Board meetings, including the
Brown Act, Robert's Rules of Order, and the District's adopted Rules of
Procedure; various opportunities for public comments at Board meetings;
Board deliberation; and motions and voting. T. Henshaw stated that she
would prefer Board meetings run more tightly than they are now.
S. Schectman proposed that a manual-type handbook be prepared that would
incorporate both rules for working with the staff and Board meeting protocol
and procedures, including Brown Act procedures for informational reports.
There was Board consensus that legal counsel should prepare the handbook.
C. Britton noted that legal counsel would probably not be able to work on the
project for a couple of months. He said that the draft handbook would be
presented to the Administration and Budget Committee for review prior to
consideration by the full Board.
C. Agenda Item 3 - Review of Capital Improvement Project Planning and
Budgeting Process
R. Anderson, as an informational item, reviewed the multi-year planning cycle
used for the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve water system as an example
of the various phases and factors, both known and unknown, that are involved
in a planning project. P. Siemens noted that, in some cases, because of the
complexity of projects the District might want to consider using outside project
managers.
T. Henshaw left the meeting at 7:14 P.M.
D. Agenda Item 4 - Discussion of Various Public Participation Qpp-Qrtunities in
Regional QWn Space Plan
R. Anderson reviewed initial staff work to date on a regional open space plan,
noting that staff proposed that a task force appointed by the Board was
anticipated as part of the process and that staff was still working on a
timeframe for the various steps of the plan's preparation. Discussion centered
on the amount of staff time required to work on the plan; what the end result
of the plan was to be and why it was important; the role the plan could play
in future potential funding measures; and the plan helping to clarify the
Meeting 95-06 Page 3
District's Basic Policy. P. Siemens stated that he would like to see the plan
show where the District wants to be in 20 years (how big, what properties
District would like to purchase, what the District going to do with its lands;
good costs estimates of funding required; and where funding to come from.
N. Hanko noted that the plan is a means of involving the public in what the
District is doing and what it is going to do. B. Crowder stated that the plan
would help clarify the District's Basic Policy and would draw a picture of
what the District should look like.
V. CLOSED SESSION
P. Siemens announced that the Board would meet in Closed Session for the purpose
of discussing Closed Session agenda item one. The Board recessed to Closed
Session at 7:34 P.M. and the Special Meeting Closed Session commenced at 7:42
P.M.
The Closed Session concluded at 8:05 P.M.
VI ADJOURNMENT
The Special Meeting was adjourned at 8:05 P.M.
Jean H. Fiddes
District Clerk