HomeMy Public PortalAbout20150225 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD)
Board Meeting 15-05
*Approved by the Board of Directors on April 8, 2015
SPECIAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE
MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT
Administrative Office
330 Distel Circle
Los Altos, CA 94022
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
APPROVED MINUTES*
SPECIAL MEETING
I. CALL TO ORDER
President Siemens called the Special Meeting of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Board of Directors to order at 6:30 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Members Present: Jed Cyr, Nonette Hanko, Cecily Harris, Larry Hassett, Yoriko Kishimoto,
Curt Riffle, and Pete Siemens
Members Absent: None
Staff Present: General Manager Steve Abbors, Assistant General Manager Ana Ruiz,
Assistant General Manager Kevin Woodhouse, General Counsel Sheryl
Schaffner, Public Affairs Manager Shelly Lewis, Real Property Manager
Mike Williams, Planning Manager Jane Mark, Senior Planner Meredith
Manning, Planner III Lisa Bankosh, Planner II Gretchen Laustsen,
Supervising Ranger Mike Perez, Ranger Steve Gibbons, Natural Resources
Manager Kirk Lenington, and Interim District Clerk Kim Marie Smith
1. Discussion Regarding Potential Donor Recognition for Mt. Umunhum Radar Tower
Director Yoriko Kishimoto said that the Mt. Umunhum Conservancy had gone to staff to
request a policy to allow some acknowledgement of donors, and asked for a general outline
of the suggested framework. It is beneficial for the Conservancy to tell donors how they
will be recognized. She reminded the Board members that the District has already agreed
that they would wait for the Conservancy to raise half the amount before proceeding with a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Director Kishimoto said she had asked staff to
provide examples of what had done with other major donors, which was handed out
recently, and to include the existing donor recognition policy in the packet. She suggested
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a motion which would convey the board’s willingness to include major donor recognition
as a part of the MOU.
Director Hanko said it was the charge of the Legislative, Financial and Public Affairs
Committee (LFPAC) to the question of a policy change, and suggested that the matter be
referred to that committee.
Director Harris said that the current donor policy addresses significant supporters and
founders, and it may not be appropriate to add another category for financial supporters
prior to the execution of a formal agreement between MidPen and the Mt Umunhum
Conservancy.
Director Siemens referred to the donor policy which was in the packet, and sections of that
may be applicable.
At 6:45 p.m. the public discussion was opened.
Mr. Brandon Lewke said he was a volunteer for the District and at Mt. Umunhum. He said
that there is already signage in open space areas, and donor recognition is given at a certain
threshold. If the Conservancy fails to reach its 50% share, the question is moot, but he did
not see why there would be opposition to the Conservancy having a policy for major
donors once that was reached. He talked about his personal experience with a family
donation to the Computer History Museum.
Mr. Sam Drake, President of the Umunhum Conservancy, said it was important to tell
major donors how they would be recognized, so he requested that the District agree that
signage is appropriate, and give an approximation how many square inches would be
allowed for signage. He said the Conservancy had also been asked about the opportunity
for donors to purchase personalized bricks. Mr. Drake said they have been fundraising for
several months already, and he hoped to have an answer from the District in the next six
weeks, if possible.
The Board members discussed whether the matter should be referred to the LFPAC for
further study.
General Manager Steve Abbors explained that this request had originally been brought to
staff, but he stopped their work on it and asked Mr. Drake to make the request directly to
the Board under Public Comment. He noted that if the issue is sent to the LFPAC, the
discussion should be whether a major donor policy is the appropriate thing to do or not,
and if it is, what should that policy be.
Motion: Director Kishimoto offered a motion to refer to LFPAC (1) the request to consider
a donor plaque and/or personalized bricks. Director Riffle seconded.
Director Cyr was opposed because he felt it would address details before a general policy
had been developed.
Director Hassett said he would like to see the MOU in place first.
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The motion failed
VOTE: 3-4-0 (Directors Kishimoto, Hanko and Riffle voted aye, Directors Hassett, Cyr, ,
Siemens, and Harris voted no).
Motion: Director Kishimoto moved to refer to LFPAC the possible revision of district-
wide policy 5.01, Site Naming, Gift and Special Recognition regarding donor recognition.
Director Hanko seconded.
Directors Harris and Cyr commented on the amount of time this would take at committee
and the impact on staff.
General Counsel Sheryl Schaffner said that, absent any amendment to the current policy,
the section of the policy which appears to apply to this request says “LFPAC shall be the
committee designated to discuss all requests that meet the criteria in the policy for special
recognition…and after deliberation shall decide which requests shall be referred to the full
board for a vote.” She said that just referring the matter to the committee will let LFPAC
do its normal job. She wanted the board to be aware that the current motion goes a little
beyond that policy, because right now it’s at the discretion of LFPAC whether to send a
referral to the full board.
After further discussion, Director Siemens called for the vote.
The motion failed.
VOTE: 2-5-0 (Directors Kishimoto and Hanko voted aye, Directors Hassett, Cyr, Riffle,
Siemens, and Harris voted no).
Director Siemens reviewed the outcome of this discussion and staff is not directed to do
any work, and it appears the Board would be willing to consider more details when the
MOU is developed. In the meantime, the existing policy would be followed.
General Counsel Schaffner clarified that this particular site is not an historic site, so the
pertinent section of Policy 5.01 would be Section III, Special Recognition.
II. ADJOURNMENT
Director Siemens adjourned the Special Meeting of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space
District Board of Directors at 7:20 p.m.
REGULAR MEETING
I. CALL TO ORDER
President Siemens called the Regular Meeting of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Board of Directors to order at 7:20 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Meeting 15-05 Page 4
Members Present: Jed Cyr, Nonette Hanko, Cecily Harris, Larry Hassett, Yoriko Kishimoto,
Curt Riffle, and Pete Siemens
Members Absent: None
Staff Present: General Manager Steve Abbors, Assistant General Manager Ana Ruiz,
Assistant General Manager Kevin Woodhouse, General Counsel Sheryl
Schaffner, Controller Michael Foster, Administrative Services Manager
Kate Drayson, Public Affairs Manager Shelly Lewis, Real Property
Manager Mike Williams, Planning Manager Jane Mark, Planner II
Gretchen Laustsen, Planner III Lisa Bankosh, and Interim District Clerk
Kim Marie Smith
III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
No speakers were present.
IV. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
Motion: Director Riffle moved, and Director Cyr seconded the motion to adopt the agenda.
VOTE: 7-0-0
V. CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Approve Minutes of the February 11, 2015 Board Meeting
Motion: Interim District Clerk Kim Marie Smith noted a grammatical correction to page 7 of the
minutes.
2. Approve Claims Report
3. Contract Award for a Deck Safety Replacement of a Tenant Residence at 20000 Skyline
Boulevard Located at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve (R-15-27)
Staff Contact: Elaina Cuzick, Senior Real Property Agent
General Manager’s Recommendation:
Authorize the General Manager to enter into a contract with TKO Construction of Woodside, CA,
for a not-to-exceed amount of $30,458, which includes the base bid amount of $27,689 and a
10% contingency amount of $2,769, to complete a Deck Safety Replacement Project at Russian
Ridge Open Space Preserve.
4. Approval of Santa Clara County Funding Agreement to support the Purchase of the former
Sargent Lysons Family Trust property as an Addition to Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
located at 17251 Stevens Canyon Road in unincorporated Santa Clara County (Assessor’s
Parcel Number 351-16-020). (R-15-35)
Staff Contact: Allen Ishibashi, Senior Real Property Agent
Meeting 15-05 Page 5
General Manager’s Recommendation:
1. Determine that the recommended actions are categorically exempt from the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as set out in this report.
2. Adopt the attached Resolution authorizing the General Manager to negotiate and execute a
Funding Agreement with Santa Clara County for their contribution of half the purchase
price of the former Sargent Lysons Family Trust property, or $740,000, in exchange for the
conveyance of a Conservation Easement.
5. Revisions to Management Partners’ Professional Services Contract for a Financial and
Operational Sustainability Model Study and Master Agreement Authorization for On-going
Implementation Assistance. (R-15-34)
Staff Contact: Kevin Woodhouse, Assistant General Manager
General Manager’s Recommendation:
1. Authorize the General Manager to increase Management Partners’ Professional Services
Contract for a Financial and Operational Sustainability Model Study by $9,985 to a not-to-
exceed amount of $128,675.
2. Authorize the General Manager to enter into a separate master professional services
agreement with Management Partners, of San Jose, CA, for a not-to-exceed amount of
$125,000 to provide on-going implementation assistance through June 2016 related to
organizational changes identified in the Financial and Operational Sustainability Model
Study.
Motion: Director Cyr moved, and Director Siemens seconded the motion to approve the Consent
Calendar.
Director Kishimoto moved, and Director Riffle seconded the motion to approve the Consent
Calendar, including the amendment to the minutes of October 21, 2014.
VOTE: 7-0-0
VI. BOARD BUSINESS
6. Appointment of Jessica Lucas as Peace Officer (R-15-20)
Operations Manager Michael Newburn introduced Ms. Jessica Lewis, the District’s newest
ranger. He reviewed her qualifications, which included park ranger positions for other agencies.
She attended the Santa Rosa Park Ranger Academy, and has met all the Penal Code requirements
for a Peace Officer.
Motion: Director Riffle moved, and Director Hanko seconded the motion to adopt the
Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
appointing Jessica Lucas as a Peace Officer.
VOTE: 7-0-0
Operations Manager Newburn administered the oath of office to Ms. Lucas, and Supervising Park
Ranger Mike Perez pinned on her badge.
Meeting 15-05 Page 6
7. Consideration of the Controller’s Report on the Proposed Fiscal Year 2015-16 Budget
(R-15-36)
Controller Michael L. Foster presented his report on the Proposed Fiscal Year 2015-16 Budget.
He said that the District was entering the year in very sound financial condition, with a total cash
balance of about $35 million. He highlighted the General Fund, the Measure AA Capital Fund,
and the Hawthorn Fund.
He said that the General Fund is about what the District used to have, with an overall forecasted
growth of 6.5% for FY2015-16.
The General Fund operating budget is $21.2 million, and even if this district spent 95% of this
budget, operational spending would be at 55% of tax revenue, which is consistent with the post-
Measure AA long-term financial model.
He said the budget includes 9 new employees next year and could accommodate an additional 25
employees in the following 2 years. This is affordable and sustainable even at lower tax growths.
He reviewed a series of charts including the FY2015-16 Cash Budget, the MROSD 30-year Cash
Flow Projection using a variety of tax growth percentages, and the MROSD Projected Measure
AA Tax Rate.
Mr. Foster said that Measure AA Capital budget includes $18.03 million of spending on projects,
partially funded by grants, for net MAA-funded spending of $17.57 million. That includes $1.3
million for staff labor for project management and construction
He said that the Hawthorn Endowment fund will end the year with a cash balance of $1.1 million
even after spending $543,800 from this budget.
Director Harris asked for an explanation of the Measure AA Grants and Gifts category, which
sounded like funds from Measure AA were being used toward grants and gifts. Mr. Foster said
that on land projects sometimes they record the full value of what they buy, even though a lesser
amount was paid. The title means grants and gifts for Measure AA projects, and he noted that his
Financial Model assumes that about 8% of the Measure AA capital expenditure budget would be
derived from gifts and grants over the long term.
Director Riffle asked why there was such a large jump in the non-Measure AA capital
expenditures in FY2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19. Mr. Foster said it has $20 million of
additional staff facilities. Director Riffle said that the board was considering hiring a lot more
people in the coming years, and this will create space for them.
Director Kishimoto asked if there is anything in the financial forecast that was worrying him,
such as a period of inflation. Mr. Foster said that if cost inflation was not reflected in assessed
valuation growth, which is not very likely in real estate, that would be a problem because the
$300 million would not be worth as much, but hopefully inflation and assessed value growth are
related.
Director Siemens asked if operating expenses included compensation increases. Controller Foster
said he did make some assumptions based his long history with the District and on what he had
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heard board members and staff members say, and those are included in the budget.
General Manager Steve Abbors said, with respect to the Controller’s financial model, decisions
that the board makes today must pencil out 30 years from now, and that those decisions will be
affected by assessed valuations.
The Directors thanked Mr. Foster for an excellent report. The report was accepted by consensus
and no action was taken.
8. Initial Review of the Proposed Action Plan and Budget for Fiscal Year 2015-16 (R-15-33)
General Manager Steve Abbors said the controller’s report was an important prelude to this
budget discussion, and it is a good reminder that there is not a huge acceleration in what the
District is proposing to do. Rather, there is a supplement of $10 million from Measure AA, and
the District is building the organization in order to spend that over a long period of time at the
rate the controller has indicated. He noted that some of the department heads capacities had
changed so they could focus more on their core functions, and that the budget includes a 20% to
30% contingency rate to address uncertainties at this particular time. He thanked the staff for the
tremendous amount of work it took to produce this budget under very difficult circumstances.
Administrative Services Manager Kate Drayson distributed copies of the slide presentation and
highlighted a few items, including an explanation of how the projects were prioritized. She then
highlighted the projects by program and funding source, and said that of the 156 projects, 46 of
them were in public access and education. About 26% of the total projects are funded by
Measure AA.
Ms. Drayson highlighted the Administration and General Counsel budgets shown on pages 3-6 of
Attachment I to the staff report, including project to replace IT and communications equipment,
an upgrade to the Microsoft Office software, completing the document management system, and
hiring a consultant to develop an IT strategic plan.
Director Harris asked about the number of items in the budget column that carry a zero cost. Ms.
Drayson explained that those items represent staff time. The only staff expenses identified here
are those for Measure AA projects because of the reimbursement.
Director Harris asked for an explanation of the phrase “building and testing an image” in the IT
section, and the replacement of Fund Ware. Ms. Drayson said it is a technical term which
references how each person’s computer profile is built. She said that Fund Ware replacement
started two years ago, but the payroll section was delayed until now because of staff turnover.
Natural Resources Manager Kirk Lenington highlighted the key projects in the action plan,
including La Honda Creek grazing plan and the Highway 17 wildlife passage, including retaining
an engineer to work on the conceptual design and feasibility study.
Director Hassett asked about cost-sharing on the wildlife passage. Mr. Lenington said that
Caltrans will assist with permitting and construction oversight, and possibly funding in a larger
manner but that would delay the project. He said that that Santa Cruz only received a minor
portion of the Caltrans grant they requested to their project has been delayed.
Meeting 15-05 Page 8
Director Hanko asked if there has been community feedback on the wildlife passage. Mr.
Lenington said that outreach will come later. He explained it would be an underpass for the
animals, and people would go over. They originally looked at land bridges as done in Canada,
but this area is not suited for a land bridge because of landslides, so instead they are looking for
culverts as a solution.
Director Harris said a lot of projects on page 7 of the attachment have to do with fencing and
water systems, but is water going to be available for the tenants? Mr. Lenington said no, last year
the properties ran out of water, and this year the tenants are being asked to stock the properties at
a very low rate, anticipating that there may be water problems again.
Mr. Lenington also highlighted the Prescribed Fire program development.
Director Kishimoto asked why some of these items, including sudden oak death and prescribed
fires, are priority 2. Mr. Lenington said these projects did not meet the priority 1 criteria set forth
by the Administrative Services Manager. They will still get done, but may be delayed if the
priority 1 projects fall behind.
Director Hanko remarked about the salamander undercrossing, and said that Palo Alto had a
similar problem with salamanders coming onto the road in the rain, and perhaps that city could
offer some suggestions. Mr. Lenington said in this section of Alpine Road there are hundreds that
are killed every year.
Director Harris asked if they had talked to the Committee for Green Foothills and some other
partner conservation groups about the Restoration Forestry Demonstration, because they were
strongly opposed to the County doing something similar. Mr. Lenington said they had worked
closely with the Committee for Green Foothills when developing the Forest Management policy,
and the desire is to do a demonstration project to show what the District means when it talks
about forest management and restoration.
Director Siemens asked if the data was still available from the time when there was logging at
Bear Creek, and he asked that Ms. Lennie Roberts be kept up to date on this project, since she had
voiced a concern that the District would start to depend upon the money from logging, and she
was active with many of the conservation groups. Mr. Lenington said he had the data from Bear
Creek.
Mr. Lenington highlighted the Watershed Protection programs at Corte Madera and La Honda
Creek.
Director Kishimoto noted that the wording in the scope of project for La Honda Creek Watershed
protection should be changed from “design” of the road upgrade to “construction.”
Operations Manager Michael Newburn highlighted the Stevens Canyon Trail Bridges project and
the Seasonal Ranger Program. He explained that the ranger program will probably have two
stages. The first ranger position would not be badged, and would help with public outreach,
assisting with events, etc. The second ranger position would be badged, and would be recruited
from the Santa Rosa Ranger Academy.
Director Hanko asked that the board be notified when new events are happening, particularly in
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public access and education projects, so that the board members could attend.
Mr. Newburn also highlighted the Preserve Entrance Signage Upgrades project, the AEDs for
District Emergency Response Vehicles, District-wide Bridge Inventory, and District-wide
Structures and Demolitions Inventory.
Director Hassett asked if the Skyline Filed Office Safety and Maintenance budget will bring the
road up to Cal Fire/County standards. Mr. Newburn explained that these are maintenance projects
only, to repair potholes or crumbling roads, and will not be up to County standards. If the
building were changed, the road improvement costs would be up to $1 million.
Planning Manager Jane Mark gave an overview of her action plan, and said that of the 32 total
projects, 15 are a continuation from the current action plan and budget, and the upcoming action
project would have 11 new projects, and in total the department will be working on 22 public
access and education projects. She that in order to expedite the Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve
plan and environmental review, they will be contracting for some planning assistance.
She said the key projects in this action plan are the Radar Tower Interim Repair, Mt. Umunhum
Trail Construction, the Summit Restoration Parking and Landing Zone Project, the Guadalupe
Creek Overlook and Bridges Project, and the Mt. Umunhum Road Design, Permitting and
Implementation.
She also highlighted the Mindego Public Access, Mindego Hill Trail, Bear Creek Redwoods
Preserve, La Honda Red Barn Parking Area and Trail Connections as well as the Sears Ranch
Interim Parking and Trail Connections.
Ms. Mark also provided some responses to questions asked of staff by Director Kishimoto.
Regarding the La Honda Sears Ranch, the proposed scope includes the planning work for the
future trail connections as well as minor grading and improvements such as wheel stops, gates,
fencing and signage. Also the scope of work for the Mt. Umunhum road will include design,
engineering, and permitting for approximately 5.5 miles of paved road improvements, including
consulting services for geotech, civil engineering, biologists, hazardous materials, and traffic, as
well as permitting fees and contingencies.
Director Harris asked about costs for the Cooley Landing Interpretive Design and Implementation
Ms. Mark said the City of East Palo Alto is still the lead on the Cooley Landing project, and they
are finishing the interpretive center at the site, but the District will work only on its own lands.
Director Harris asked for more information about Bear Creek Alma College Site Rehabilitation
Plan. Ms. Mark said that an inventory and assessment of the structures on the college site has
been done, but at some point the Board redirected the planning staff to refocus on Mr. Umunhum,
which put the combined master plan for Sierra Azul and Bear Creek Redwoods on hold. The
Board has not made a decision on the master plan alternative which was developed, but the plan
is to bring the preserve plan to committee and to the Board.
Ms. Mark clarified language on the Mt. Umunhum Overlook and Bridges to indicate that
“helicopter” means delivery of construction materials by helicopter.
Director Siemens referred to the Mindego Hill Trail and True Ranch demolishing project, and
Meeting 15-05 Page 10
said that public documents should no longer include the True Ranch name, and should just be
referred to the Mindego Ranch House. He also suggested that staff consider establishing design
standards for wheel stops and square curbs so that cars can roll up against them without scraping.
Director Kishimoto referred to page 25, the Trail Database for the District’s website, and
suggested that the advanced volunteers be recruited for this project.
Director Hassett asked about page 24, District-wide Longterm Facilities Plan. Ms. Mark said that
at this time, the team is composed only of internal staff and no consultants have been hired.
Director Siemens asked if there were any plans to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with
the San Mateo County. Ms. Mark said that was considered as part of their core function, and it
was also part of the Financial and Operational Stability Model (FOSM) recommendations for
process delivery improvements. Discussions have been initiated with the San Mateo County
Planning Director. Director Siemens said that perhaps it would be good to have a board member
present at a future meeting to indicate their level of interest.
Public Affairs Manager Shelly Lewis highlighted key projects in the Public Affairs category,
including Measure AA ribbon cuttings and project tours, updating Measure AA information
materials and signage in the preserves, an educational campaign about Restoration Forestry, a
new annual report at the end of each fiscal year, and a more robust legislative program.
Director Hanko asked about the possibility of a state parks commission bond measure. Ms. Lewis
said that a bare bones measure was introduced yesterday, but so far no dollar amount has been
specified.
General Manager Steve Abbors said that the District needs to plan for a Park Bond in 2016, but
also in 2018, which might be more likely, so it must be closely monitored.
Director Harris asked for more information about the project tours. Ms. Lewis said that not all
the details have been decided, but she expected that invitations would go out to elected officials
and other interested parties, and the open house tours are for the public as well as invited guests.
Real Property Manager Mike Williams highlighted the Lot Line Adjustment/Property Transfer of
Purisima Uplands, the Event Center and Apple Orchard Purchase, Bear Creek Redwoods –
Moody Woods Gulch, improving existing rights to the road on Mt. Umunhum, and Ravenswood
Bay Trail, CEQA, Permits and Implementation.
Director Hanko noted that this is the missing link to the entire Bay trail, and she asked if Menlo
Park has agreed to be the lead agency. Mr. Williams said that Menlo Park is not interested,
although they will share management responsibility of portions of the trail. East Palo Alto has
grant funds, but not the staff to manage it. He said that there is a grant proposal for construction,
and there is a Santa Clara County/Stanford grant for $400,000 to get permits, and there are a lot
of other opportunities and partnerships. This work is all happening at the staff level and has not
yet gone to Menlo Park city council.
Director Kishimoto asked for more information about the Alpine Road Regional Trail
Connection. Mr. Williams said that they were in preliminary talks with San Mateo County Parks
and Public Works staff and hoped to set up a tour to look at culvert failure areas and other
Meeting 15-05 Page 11
sedimentation problem areas, and then discuss how much of that cost the County would bear and
how much of the trail would go on District land. Ultimately the County would have to abandon or
quitclaim the land for public trail purposes.
Administrative Services Manager Kate Drayson reviewed the funding sources for the budget of
$55.76 million, which is comprised of 2/3 from the General Fund, 32% from Measure AA, and
1% from grants. Operating expenses are about $21.2 million, which is 38% of the District
budget. She said in prior years that was higher, so this reflects a shift of the resources to the
Capital and Land programs. She noted that salaries and benefits increased by 15%, but when
Measure AA reimbursable staff costs are removed it drops the increase to only 6%. She said the
total Capital budget increased by 113% reflecting the influx of Measure AA funding and projects,
and Land increased by 32% largely due to the Apple Orchard purchase. She said the total District
budget increased by 27%.
Ms. Drayson also highlighted the salary and benefits increase, staffing increases, retirement costs
and the decrease in the CalPERS rate, increased costs for workers compensation, and she
reviewed the costs for supplies, and additional staff positions.
Assistant General Manager Ana Ruiz highlighted new positions shown on the organizational
chart in Section II, page 7 of the staff report. The four high-priority staff positions are the Chief
Financial Officer and Director of Administrative Services, the Engineering and Construction
Manager, the Information Systems Manager, and the Special Projects Manager. She also
discussed the Legislative and External Affairs Specialist, an additional GIS specialist and IT
specialist position, and new Ranger and Supervising Ranger positions needed because of the
opening of Mt. Umunhum and Bear Creek Redwoods.
Director Kishimoto said she did not agree with adding another position for legislative activities,
because there are already 6 people in the General Manager’s Office and 10 people in Public
Affairs, and felt the public would be watching closely to make sure the District is watching its
spending.
Director Hanko said she felt it was time for the District to be paying close attention to all the bills
that could affect the district or which could bring in grants.
Director Cyr said that, given the extensive public affairs and outreach planned for next year, it
would be easy to miss this important legislative connection. He felt this was a critical position.
Ms. Ruiz added that without this new position the responsibility will fall to existing staff, and
their review may not be as robust, or it would impact other projects.
General Manager Abbors said that up to 2000 bills move through the legislature each year, and it
is important to understand which ones may impact the District in order to address opportunities
and threats. Sometimes action is required in a day or two, and current staff cannot respond that
quickly. He said that there is a move to bring redevelopment back, which the cities want, and it’s
important for the District to monitor that subject as well. Ms. Ruiz said that the position will also
look for grant opportunities.
Administrative Services Manager Kate Drayson reviewed the summary of the FY2015-16 Five-
year Capital Improvement Program, and said that years four and 5 are very rough estimates, and
there are often permitting delays, so the General Manager is recommending that the District go
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back to a 3-year CIP Program.
Motion: Director Kishimoto moved to delete the Legislative and External Affairs Specialist from
the budget. The motion failed for lack of a second.
Motion: Director Cyr moved, and Director Hanko seconded the motion to direct staff to replace
the Five-Year Capital Improvement Program with a Three-Year Capital Improvement Program.
VOTE: 7-0-0
This was the first hearing on the budget, and the Final Action Plan and Budget will be presented
for Board adoption at the March 25 meeting.
VII. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS
A. Committee Reports
Director Riffle reported that the Planning and Natural Resources (PNR) Committee met on February
24 to review the Guadalupe Creek Overlook design guidelines and preliminary conceptual design, as
well of the proposed closure of two trail segments
Director Hanko reported that the Legislative, Funding, and Public Affairs Committee (LFPAC) met
on February 19, and had an informational report from Mr. Ralph Heim of Public Policy Advocates.
The members also discussed the future role and emphasis of the committee, and that discussion will
continue at the March meeting, along with review of a short list of bills to watch.
B. Staff Reports
Controller Michael L. Foster reported that the decision was made to hire Sohail Bengali as[MS1] the
District Financial Advisor for the initial sale of government obligation bonds.
General Manager Steve Abbors said that he had been invited to the Palo Alto Fellowship Forum
and spoke about Measure AA, and as a result he has two recruits for the bond oversight committee.
He said today he also spoke about the measure to the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority,
about Measure AA and the Open Space Authority spoke on Measure Q. Mr. Abbors said he had
also been working with the Bay Area Open Space Council which is recruiting an executive director.
Mr. Abbors presented a monogrammed gavel to former President Cecily Harris, as a
acknowledgement of her service.
C. Director Reports
Director Hassett reported that he attended the Midpeninsula and Cooley Landing event at which
Director Hanko did a great job with remarks, as well as the 75th Anniversary for the San Mateo
County Resource Conservation District, at which Director Harris did an excellent job representing
the District. He and Director Harris noted they had both been asked to speak on a panel before the
Coastside Democrats.
Director Cyr said he attended both of those events. He said that he and Director Riffle planned to
attend the Special Parks District Forum in Michigan in June. He said he would forward sign-up
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information on this event to all of the Board members.
Director Kishimoto said she went on a Sempervirens walk to the Lagomarsino Redwoods.
Director Hanko said she enjoyed the Cooley Landing event, which was very well attended, and she
talked about the history of the Buffalo Soldiers.
Director Riffle congratulated staff on their efforts for that event.
Director Harris said she and some staff went to one of the Public Open Space Trust (POST) lectures
and heard an interesting presentation about how livestock can stop desertification.
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Director Siemens adjourned the Regular Meeting of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Board of Directors at 10:18 p.m.
___________________________________
Kim Marie Smith, MMC
Interim District Clerk