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Home My Public Portal About19950823 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) Regional 1_ t I MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT Meeting 95-20 REGULAR MEETING BOARD OF DIRECTORS August 23, 1995 MINUTES I. ROLL CALL President Pete Siemens called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M. Members Present: Pete Siemens, Teena Henshaw, Nonette Hanko, David Smernoff, Betsy Crowder, Mary Davey, and Wim de Wit. Personnel Present: Craig Britton, John ,Escobar, Randy Anderson, Jean Fiddes, Sheryl Cochran, Del Woods, and Susan Dale. IL ORAL COMMUNICATIONS There were no oral communications. III. SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY C. Britton stated that Brendan Downing, the new District ranger, would be introduced to the Board at a later meeting. IV. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Motion: T. Henshaw moved that the Board adopt the agenda. B. Crowder seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. V. ADOPTION OF CONSENT CALENDAR N. Hanko requested that the minutes dated June 28, 1995 be removed from the consent calendar. B. Crowder requested revised claims 95-15 be removed from the consent calendar to discuss items 8073 and 8102. C. Britton inquired if B. Crowder's questions on the revised claims could be easily addressed at this time. B. Crowder asked at what locations the grading took place. J. Fiddes stated the grading by Frank W. Isidoro Company was in the Foothills area, and she would review claim 8073 and report to the Board at the end of the meeting. Motion: T. Henshaw moved that the Board adopt the consent calendar as amended including approval of minutes dated July 8, 1995 and July 26, 1995; written communication responses to Stephen Wilcox, 22400 330 Distel Circle s Los Altos, CA 94022-1404 * Phone:415-691-1200 - FAX:415-691-0485 - E-mail: rnrosdu netcom.com Board of Directors:Pete Siemens,Mary C. Davey, reena Henshaw,David 4.Smernoff,Nonette Hanko,Betsy Crowder,Wim de Wit en rat A1ar7Go,ger:r.Craig Britton r Meeting 95-20 Page 2 Skyline Boulevard, Box 7, La Honda and H. Earl and Donna R. Harris, 22802 Prospect Avenue, Saratoga; agenda item 2 Final Adoption of an Amendment to the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve Use and Management Plan to Change the Stevens Creek Nature Trail Interpretive Brochure and, agenda item 3 Final Adoption of the Amendment to Use and Management Plan for Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve for District-Managed Lands of Peninsula Open Space Trust. W. de Wit seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES N. Hanko stated that Dr. Noel Thompson's statement on page four should be expanded to include more detailed information on his comments to the Board. Motion: N. Hanko moved the minutes of June 28, 1995 be continued to the next meeting to include more detailed information on Dr. Thompson's comments. T. Henshaw seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. VII. BOARD BUSINESS A. Agenda Item 1 - Approval of Employment Agreement with Michael Foster, District Controller, Including; Setting Annual Salary at $9.500 and Instituting a Meritorious Incentive Pay Provision (Report R-95-105) C. Britton stated that the words "in specified" in Section 2 Powers and Duties of the Employment Agreement should be deleted. B. Crowder, in behalf of the Board, commended M. Foster for his outstanding service and the Board's hope that it long continue. Motion: M. Davey moved that the Board approve the employment agreement, as amended, with District controller Michael Foster and the revised controller job description. B. Crowder seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. B. Agenda Item 4 - Informational Report on the Physical Condition of the Seven Springs Loop Trail at Fremont Older Open Space Preserve and the Status of the Fremont Older Trail Use Plan (Report R-95-106) R. Anderson stated this was an informational report in response to concerns raised by a member of the public at the July 26 meeting regarding trail use and safety on the Seven Springs Loop Trail at Fremont Older Open Space Preserve. S. Cochran reviewed the staff report and showed slides depicting various sections of the trail. S. Cochran reported she and D. Woods had ridden the trail on their mountain bicycles. She said a review of Trail Use Guidelines along with a thorough investigation of the condition of the trail will be conducted and she anticipated coming back in November with the recommended use designation for this trail. S. Cochran said until that time rangers will increase patrol of the area. Meeting 95-20 Page 3 B. Crowder asked how many areas of short site distance were there on this trail. S. Cochran responded there are five to six. N. Hanko requested staff attempt to work out difficulties that are frightening for hikers. P. Siemens commented the Board should consider how much of the District's resources it wants to use and that it might be easier to close the trail to mountain bikes. C. Britton commented that it is important for the Board to consider any actions to change the designation on this trail in the context of the upcoming trail use element of the entire preserve. David Klinger, 7538 Waterford Drive, Cupertino, shared his own experiences on the trail including blind comers, narrow trail width, and the fact that hikers go in a clockwise direction, while bikers go in a counter-clockwise direction making the blind corners dangerous to both users. Mr. Klinger commented because it is a loop trail he feels it's an all or nothing situation with the narrow trails and blind spots. He expressed his concern that widening the trails would destroy the natural qualities of the area that make it such a unique and special trail. He proposed two options: 1) to close the trail to bikes; or 2) make all traffic go clockwise (or at least one direction). C. Britton asked if there were plans for any future workshops on the Preserve. S. Cochran replied if significant changes are proposed for the Preserve, an additional public workshop would be held. B. Crowder thanked Mr. Klinger for his presentation. P. Siemens stated that the Board accepted the staff report. VIII. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS C. Britton reported that: 1) the grant for Soda Springs Canyon had been awarded; 2) he had sent a letter to the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District with a list of proposed discussion topics for the Not-So-Annual Conference; 3) close of escrow for the final Hosking transaction would occur August 24; 4) staff of the Santa Clara Valley Water District was working diligently to provide a trail on the Lexington Dam face as noted in the letter from Director Siemens; 5) the annexation of the Big Dipper Ranch had been approved by San Mateo County LAFCO, but that a delay was requested on Thysen property annexation and should be approved by September 8; 6) the Thysen Management Agreement was executed by POST and the District is now responsible for the property; and 7) he attended and testified at a Senate Judicial Committee hearing on AB700 which was passed by the committee and then moved to the Senate floor for a final vote. B. Crowder reported that: 1) a full Environmental Impact Report is being required for the San Mateo County Trails Plan; 2) she took a field trip to the Thysen property with Area Superintendent Sanguinetti and recognizes this area will be a management problem for the District; 3) the South Skyline Association folk dance event is being held the coming weekend at the Jenkins property and all are invited; 3) the Kings Mountain craft fair will be held Labor Day weekend; 4) Esther Feldman was now head of the Trust for Public Land office in Los Angeles. J Meeting 95-20 Page 4 M. Davey expressed her thanks for the Founders Day picture. P. Siemens reported on his presentation to the Monte Sereno City Council with M. Smith. D. Smernoff reported on the proposal he submitted to the San Francisco Estuary Institute to establish a riparian station on behalf of Bay Area Action. J. Escobar said the July monthly field activity report had been distributed to the Board for their review. J. Fiddes reminded the Board that the staff appreciation event was on September 29, 1995. W. de Wit reported on San Mateo County approval of the recreational development proposed at Cascade Ranch. C. Britton reported that: 1) the Draft Environmental Impact Report on the trails plan for Santa Clara County was available for review; 2) the San Mateo County Alternative Funding Committee was pleased with a recent telephone survey; 3) he gave a District presentation to the Sunnyvale Planning Commission; and 4) there will be a Bay Trail event on September 10 at Lake Merritt and possibly Director Smernoff would like to compete in the bicycle race on behalf of the District. R. Anderson announced A. Cummings retirement as of September 6 and that a retirement party was being planned for September 12. IX. REVISED CLAIMS J. Escobar confirmed claim 8073 was for the annual Skyline grading. D. Smernoff asked if it were possible to put a total on the claims and show if expenditures are within approved budget. C. Britton responded a total could be added, but including budget information on this report is not easy. He said budget oversight was ongoing and coordinated with the Administrative and Budget Committee and that Director Smernoff was welcome to review budget documents at any time. Motion: T. Henshaw moved that the Board approve revised claims 95-15. N. Hanko seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. VIII. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 P.M. Susan Dale Recording Secretary