A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Ramon was called to order on September 12, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 2222 Camino Ramon, Mayor Kinney presiding.
PRESENT: Councilmembers Hudson, Raab, Tatarka, Wilson and Mayor Kinney
ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Herb Moniz, City Attorney Bob Saxe, Police
Chief Brian Lindblom, Parks and Community Services Director Jeff Eorio, Planning Director Phil Wong, City Engineer Joye Fukuda, Transportation Director John Dillon, Administrative Analyst Sandra Barlow, Administrative Analyst Kevin Carunchio and City Clerk Judy Macfarlane

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Cm. Hudson led Council, staff and those present in the audience in a pledge of allegiance to the flag.

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After calling the meeting to order Mayor Kinney said the Council had met in closed session pursuant to Section 54956.9(a) of the Government Code for the purpose of conferring with legal counsel on pending litigation regarding the urban limit line (City of San Ramon v. Contra Costa County).

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The City Manager said the following announcements were not on the agenda; September 13 at 7:00 p.m. – General Plan Review Steering Committee, Planning Conference Room and September 14 at 6:30 p.m. - General Plan Review Committee, Senior Center. He also said changes had been made to the times listed on the agenda for the gymnasium groundbreaking ceremonies on September 15 and the current times were; Pine Valley Middle School 9:30 a.m. and Iron Horse Middle School 10:30 a.m.

Mayor Kinney said the City has a new automated meeting notification where you can subscribe to the City’s current agenda via email.

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The City Engineer introduced Jennifer White, Engineering Services Manager, District Engineer.

The Economic Development Services Manager introduced Office Technician Pat Edwards.

Mayor Kinney welcomed the employees and gave them City pins.

The Police Chief said Keith Allen, Scott Dickson, Patricia Grady, William "Bill" Hoffman, Bonnie Lester, William "Bill" Meine, Theodore "Ted" Prince, Gary Swenson and Tracy Vining were San Ramon Police Chaplains and introduced those that were present.

Steve Goins, Valley Children’s Museum Board Member, gave an overview of the programs provided by the Museum and talked about its benefits to the Tri-Valley. He asked for feedback from the Council as to what they would like to see included in the Museum’s future expansion plans.

Mayor Kinney said the San Ramon Aquacats Recreational Swim Team had won the Division III- 2000 County Championships. He introduced team members and coaches that were present and gave them certificates recognizing their achievements.

The Senior Engineer said the State of California Department of Transportation had a landscape project currently underway along the I-680 corridor from Dublin to San Ramon that included the Crow Canyon Road interchange. She introduced Art Yee, the District Branch Chief, Office of Landscape Architecture, California Department of Transportation.

Mr. Yee said the highway planting program was budgeted at $1.9 million and contained three sections. After describing the project he said they had worked with City staff in the development of the contract plans.

Mayor Kinney presented a proclamation to the City Manager recognizing and congratulating him on 15 years of service to the City of San Ramon.

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The City Clerk said the nomination for the Chamber of Commerce’s representative to the City’s Environmental Affairs Advisory Committee had been withdrawn and would be considered at a later date.

The City Clerk said the Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors had nominated Ranjit Chavravorti to serve as its representative on the City’s Transportation Advisory Committee.

Cm. Hudson’s motion to appoint Mr. Chavravorti was seconded by Cm. Raab and passed 5-0.

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Pat Boom introduced Ms. McWood and Ms. Penna and said they would like to take the Council to tea. She gave the Council tea bags and a program for the first annual Victorian Afternoon Tea to be held September 17 at the Community Center in memory of Ruth Boone and encouraged everyone to attend.

Victor Petersen, expressed concern about the recent legal action taken by the City to sue the County over the new urban limit line. He said the urban limit line does not change or place any restrictions on any land that is currently within the San Ramon City limits and does not reduce San Ramon’s current sphere of influence boundaries. He said he thought the vast majority of the City’s residents were in favor of the new urban limit line and asked the Council to consider placing an advisory vote on the November ballot to let them know where the public stands on this issue. He also suggested a phone survey be commissioned to determine how the residents felt about this issue and asked that this issue be agendized for discussion.

Cm. Raab said this would be an agendized item and possibly it could be heard at the next meeting.

Rosalind Rogoff, South San Ramon Neighborhood Association, said the association had been formed to fight for the rights, the values, the property and the health of the people who live in south San Ramon. She gave the Council a copy of the association’s amicus brief and encouraged everyone to visit their web site.

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Cm. Raab’s motion to approve the minutes of the August 22, 2000 Council meeting was seconded by Cm. Hudson and passed 5-0.

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Paul Chan, asked for the Council’s help in solving problems he was having with a developer. He said his problem had been bouncing back and forth between the homeowners association and Shapell, the builder, with no resolution.

Mayor Kinney said this issue would be referred to staff.

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Cm. Hudson’s motion to approve the following Consent Calendar was seconded by Cm. Tatarka and passed 5-0.

FINANCE     Register of Demands dated August 25, 29 and September 1, 8, 2000 in the amount of $2,293,264.03

AUTHORIZING AN INCREASE IN THE 10% CONTRACT CHANGE ORDER LIMIT SPECIFIED BY TITLE A, DIVISION A7 OF THE CITY OF SAN RAMON MUNICIPAL CODE IN THE AGREEMENT WITH BAY CITIES PAVING & GRADING, INC. FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAN RAMON VALLEY BOULEVARD OVERLAY PROJECT (CIP 7137) AND AUTHORIZING A BUDGET INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF $40,000

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO THE AGREEMENT WITH DMC ENGINEERING FOR ADDITIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $70,000 

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH FLORA TECH LANDSCAPE, INC., FOR THE PROVISION OF LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE SERVICES ALONG SAN RAMON VALLEY BOULEVARD AND TAREYTON AVENUE IN AN ANNUAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $12,600

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH WHITE OAK LANDSCAPE, INC., FOR THE PROVISION OF TURF MOWING SERVICES FOR LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS LOCATED ON SHORELINE DRIVE IN AN ANNUAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2,160

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE SAN RAMON VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND USE OF THE  CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL SYNTHETIC TRACK PROJECT, (CIP 5309)

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The Administrative Analyst said the City’s Environmental Affairs Advisory Committee met the third Wednesday of each month to monitor issues facing the City in areas of solid waste, recycling, air quality, water quality and other environmental affairs and to advise the City Council and staff on those matters. He introduced Douglas Graver, Chairperson of the Environmental Affairs Advisory Committee, and said that he would be giving the Committee’s annual report.

Mr. Graver summarized the committee’s accomplishments for the past year and reviewed their goals and work plan for the coming year.

Cm. Hudson asked about the $25,000 request in the committee’s work plan for a feasibility study to establish fish spawning beds in local creeks. He said it was his concern that a feasibility study could be accomplished and it wouldn’t go anywhere without feedback from government agencies such as the EPA, Water Quality and Fish and Game.

Cm. Raab said one of the projects he would like to see was a "Clean Up the Creek Day". He said he receives comments about the trash in San Ramon creeks and asked the committee to look into that as a program and to possibly coordinate it with the grant program.

Mr. Graver said in comment to Cm. Hudson’s concerns, he had been attending the Contra Costa County Water Shed Forum meetings this past year and one of the things that had been brought to his attention was that things would have to start moving soon to bring back the fish habitats.

Cm. Hudson said the City has had plans but the problem was the roadblocks placed on the City by the governmental agencies.

Cm. Tatarka asked for a timeline regarding San Ramon becoming a "Tree City USA".

The Administrative Analyst said the "Tree City USA" applications are considered once a year following a December application deadline. He said one of the standards that must be met was for the City to adopt an ordinance establishing a plan for developing, approving and implementing an annual tree plan. He said the committee felt since those standards would directly impact City departments through the compliance process the standards should really be proposed by those departments and incorporated into the ordinance.

Cm. Tatarka confirmed that the process would be completed in time to submit the City’s application this year.

Mayor Kinney said he agreed with Cm. Hudson’s concerns regarding obtaining the approval of the governmental agencies before moving forward with a feasibility study.

Cm. Raab suggested that staff help the committee with a presentation for the Council that would include more information and detail.

Cm. Hudson made a motion that the Council receive the annual report of the Environmental Affairs Advisory Committee and accept the proposed 2000/01 work plan including Council comments. He said he felt the presentation would be more successful if the presentation came from the committee rather than from staff.

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HENRY RANCH L & L DISTRICT SPECIAL ZONE 17

The Administrative Analyst introduced the public hearing  for the Henry Ranch Lighting and Landscaping District  1984-1 Special Zone 17 and a resolution confirming the assessment limit. She said there would be no immediate fiscal impacts at this time since the developer was still responsible for landscape installation and maintenance. She also said the first year assessment was estimated to be approximately $200 per unit with the assumption that all landscaped areas would be turned over for maintenance during the first year.

No one spoke during the public hearing.

The City Clerk certified the ballots for Special Assessment Zone 17, Henry Ranch/William Lyon Homes stating there was a majority in support – 99% affirmative.

Cm. Hudson’s motion to adopt the resolution confirming the assessment limit was seconded by Cm. Tatarka and passed 5-0.

ESTABLISHING A "PER UNIT" ASSESSMENT LIMIT LANDSCAPING AND LIGHTING DISTRICT 1984-1 SPECIAL ZONE 17, HENRY RANCH 

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GENERAL PLAN PLANNING PROCESS

The Planning Director gave a status report regarding the  preparation of the City’s new General Plan stating it was compliance with Measure G approved by the residents on the November 1999 ballot. He said the 33 member General Plan Review Commission had done a lot of work and had attended many meetings. He said staff hoped by the end of the year that a preferred plan would be generated so that the preparation of an EIR could be initiated. He said the whole process must be complete so that it can be presented to the voters on the November 2001 ballot.

Cm. Hudson’s motion to receive the report was seconded by Cm. Raab and passed 5-0.

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Mayor Kinney said he had received a request from the Contra Costa County Clerk asking for help in finding polling places and election officers for the November 2000 election.

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EBMUD SOUTHERN LOOP PIPELINE

The City Engineer said EBMUD was conducting a seismic improvement program and a component of that program was the Southern Loop Pipeline which would connect the southern portions of their district. She said the proposed alignment originates at San Ramon Valley Boulevard and Deerwood Road and would ultimately enter a tunnel portal at Crow Canyon Road west of Bollinger Canyon Road. She said in the intervening area the project would go from San Ramon Valley Boulevard up Deerwood Road then Deerwood Drive, Bollinger Canyon Road and west on Crow Canyon Road to the portal. She said another alternative listed in EBMUD’s environmental impact report was a pipeline that would not go on Deerwood Drive but would continue on Deerwood Road to Crow Canyon Road and then from Crow Canyon Road to the portal. She said the following documents had been received since the agenda report was written, 1) a petition from the Deerwood Highlands Homeowners group against the water line going into Deerwood Drive, 2) a copy of an EBMUD letter in response to a letter that was received by the City from Richard Weisman and, 3) two location maps which show that EBMUD within the portion of the project in Alameda County was relocating their pump station from a piece of property owned by Alameda County to property owned by EBMUD called their Jensen pump station. She said a report was given to the Council on August 8 and at that time, following public comment, an EBMUD board member suggested there be an additional meeting between EBMUD and the residents of San Ramon. She said that meeting occurred on August 21 with 35 people in attendance.

Michael Spratlin, President of the Deerwood Highlands Homeowners Association, said at the August 21 meeting, the residents were advised by EBMUD that to run the Southern Loop pipeline on the Crow Canyon route would be just as easy as the Deerwood Drive route. He said access to their property was solely from Deerwood Drive and it would be a major life style change to have their two-lane road taken up by the whole project. He asked the City Council to strongly consider the EBMUD proposal to reroute the pipeline along the Crow Canyon route. He said it was his understanding there would be a difference in cost or buildability of the pipeline.

Jay deFrance, presented a petition with 125 signatures against the pipeline along Deerwood Drive and said this petition was in addition to the two petitions already submitted. He spoke about reasons why he did not want the pipe on Deerwood Drive and focused on safety issues.

John Sullivan, representing the owners and management of Promontory View Apartments on Deerwood Road, said the residents would be impacted in a big way if the pipeline was allowed to go down Deerwood Drive. He suggested a solution would be to run the pipeline through Norris Canyon Road.

Cm. Hudson asked Mr. Sullivan to describe the route he was proposing.

Mr. Sullivan said Norris Canyon would connect with the present water line on San Ramon Valley Boulevard the same way the pipeline was going to connect to the Boulevard a quarter mile to the north.

Cm. Hudson said at Norris Canyon the flow of the pipeline went south and at the point talked about by EBMUD the water flowed north.

Mr. Sullivan responded his proposal would be connected where the water flows north and up over the hill to Castro Valley.

Mayor Kinney said Norris Canyon Road from Bollinger Canyon back to San Ramon Valley Boulevard had numerous residents on both sides of the street and those residents would have the same fears expressed by the previous speakers.

Mr. Sullivan said on the three blocks of Norris Canyon being considered there were 46 houses with driveways exiting onto Norris Canyon and the apartment houses had alternative exits on other streets. He said the apartment complex that he was speaking of had in excess of 1000 residents and they had no other way of getting out.

Frank Mellon, EBMUD Director, said the large turnout from the residents at the August 21 meeting was gratifying and they had received a lot of good input. He said EBMUD was asking the City to approve the Deerwood Road onto Crow Canyon Road proposal and gave reasons why he felt this was the way to go rather than on the route down Deerwood Drive as discussed at the August 8 meeting. He said this proposal was a four lane route going into six lanes rather than going down a two-lane route. He said the proposed route created a gravity feed from San Ramon to Castro Valley. He said if Norris Canyon were selected they would have to do pumping to get over to Castro Valley. He said the Deerwood Drive residents’ proposal would cost less and would be completed in less time.

Cm. Raab asked Mr. Mellon to address the issue of accessible pumps and the ability to bring water into the San Ramon Valley in the event of an emergency.

Mr. Mellon said there would be a permanent location for the pump at the Jensen site with the ability to move it in the case of an emergency.

Cm. Wilson expressed concern regarding the logistics of moving the pump in case of an emergency such as an earthquake.

Mr. Mellon explained the pump would be set up and ready to go in case of an emergency and in the event the roads were washed out the pump could be moved by helicopter. He said EBMUD had an emergency response department with an action plan in place.

Marilyn Miller, EBMUD engineer, said in selecting a location for the pumps they had looked at the historic maps of landsliding in the canyons and picked a spot west of where that had occurred. She said they felt the pump was in a secure spot for getting access in the unlikely event the pump was some place else when it was needed to serve San Ramon. She said EBMUD also has numerous mutual aid agreements with their sister water agencies as well as the county and other emergency organizations.

Cm. Hudson asked if EBMUD had an emergency procedure where they go out and test portable pumps at the different sites.

Mr. Mellon responded that was a standard part of their emergency response plan.

Cm. Tatarka confirmed that Mr. Mellon was concurring with the Deerwood residents that the pipeline should go down Crow Canyon Road. She asked how much time and money that route would save.

Ms. Miller said the construction time saved would be approximately a few weeks and that would depend on the working hours arranged with city staff.

Cm. Tatarka said in essence that would save the ratepayers money.

Mr. Mellon said the whole seismic project was being paid for through an approved surcharge and they were trying very hard to stay on budget and were ahead of the time schedule. He continued to say there would be no savings to the ratepayers.

Mayor Kinney questioned the discussion about power outages.

Mr. Mellon said the Hayward Fault was viewed as the one with the most significant impact on the pipeline because there were a lot more electrical facilities in that area. The pipeline was designed to be gravity flow in that direction. If the Calaveras Fault moves they did not feel they had the same risk of power loss and that was where they had the high degree of confidence with the pumps.

Ms. Miller said the pumps at the Jensen pumping plant were fueled by diesel and therefore not subject to power issues.

Mayor Kinney said in previous discussions with EBMUD he had been told the ideal route was down I-680 where no homes would be affected but EBMUD could not get Caltrans to agree to that.

Mr. Mellon acknowledged he said the ideal route would be I-680/580 and after talking with EBMUD engineers and staff he had been advised there was no receptivity from Caltrans regarding that proposal to go down the freeway.

Mayor Kinney said it was his understanding there was a pipeline at Montevideo that EBMUD would have access to in case of an emergency and the water would not have to be pumped over the hill.

Ms. Miller said EBMUD has emergency connections with other agencies but the problem with those connections was they were where the two agencies were adjacent to each other and located on the extremity of the systems and that was where the pipes were small. She said those emergency connections were available and would be used in the event of an emergency but they would not be enough to meet the needs of the community.

Mayor Kinney closed the public hearing.

Cm. Wilson said the basic concern was safety and because of that Deerwood Drive was not an option.

Cm. Raab said he agreed the pipeline should go back to its original route, the preferred route. He thanked EBMUD for taking his concerns seriously regarding the pumping generator that runs on diesel fuel. He said if the project was moved back to Crow Canyon Road with a pump accessible at the Jensen site he would like to see the project go forward.

Cm. Tatarka said she felt after hearing the testimony it was clear the Crow Canyon route was the preferred route and was in the best interests of the City.

Mayor Kinney said he felt the Council had been given conflicting information and had been misled by EBMUD. He said the preferred route would go past the apartments on Deerwood with 1,000 residents and then down to Crow Canyon Road. He said the pipeline should go down San Ramon Valley Boulevard or, better yet, down the freeway where it belongs. He said if EBMUD can put a pump over on the other side to pump back to San Ramon they can gravity feed back to Bollinger or they can gravity feed all the way down to I-580 and then dig a tunnel under the hills where there are no houses. He concluded by saying he would not approve this proposal.

Cm. Hudson asked for clarification on the preferred route.

The City Engineer said the alternative being discussed would make the connection at San Ramon Valley Boulevard and Deerwood Road then up Deerwood Road past the Promontory Apartments and down to Crow Canyon Road. She said at the intersection opposite Park Place the pipeline would then go west on Crow Canyon Road all the way to a tunnel portal which would be located west of the Thomas Ranch development on the south side of Crow Canyon Road.

Mr. Mellon said what was being discussed was the construction of a pipeline that is essential for the economic well being of this area as well as the other side of the hill. He said with regard to the concern expressed about possible pipe breakage, EBMUD has been making pipes for many years and its expertise is water systems engineering. He said Deerwood Road was a four lane road as opposed to Deerwood Drive which is a two lane road that would have a lot of complications.

Cm. Raab said at this time he would like to go ahead with the project with the preferred route knowing that the pump station is in and is quite large and that would be his motion.

Cm. Tatarka seconded the motion.

Mayor Kinney asked are we not concerned with the people on Deerwood Road in the apartments but we are concerned with the possibility of the pipeline breaking and affecting the other residents on Deerwood Road.

Cm. Raab said the grading was slightly different on the preferred route and the road was wider.

The motion did not pass on a 2-3 vote (Cm.Hudson, Cm. Wilson and Mayor Kinney dissenting).

Cm. Wilson said he was not in favor of anything that would put San Ramon residents’ lives in jeopardy.

Mr. Mellon suggested that an EBMUD engineer get in touch with Cm. Wilson to discuss his concerns.

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Mayor Kinney declared a break.

All Councilmembers were present when the meeting reconvened.

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ATHAN DOWNS PARKING MITIGATION TASK FORCE

The City Clerk introduced a resolution that would adopt the recommendations of the Athan Downs Parking Mitigation Task Force. She said as background, the City  Council appointed a nine member Parking Mitigations Task Force in September 1999 to review citizens complaints Regarding parking and safety issues connected with the north entrance to Athan Downs Park. After reviewing correspondence and hearing testimony on this issue the Task Force presented a report at the July 25, 2000 Council meeting that included a majority and a minority opinion. She said at that meeting the Council discussed the report, heard from Task Force members and approved the recommendations listed in the proposed resolution.

Mayor Kinney confirmed the resolution included approved recommendations from both the majority and minority reports.

Larry Jay, expressed concern regarding the parking permit requirements. He said he agreed the few residents in the immediate area of the walkway into the ingress of Athan Downs Park had a serious parking problem but felt restricting parking for 50 homeowners would only cause additional problems. He said they did not need government telling them when and where they could park.

Pam Katz, said she did not understand the purpose of extending the permit parking area and stated she had people park in front of her house during soccer and baseball season and that was not a problem.

Mayor Kinney said the parking lot was 750 feet from Field #4 and the extended permit parking was also 750 feet.

Ms. Katz said her home was within the extended parking area and she did not have a problem with people parking in front of her home.

Tad Duffy, said he had a problem with item #10 in the resolution that states "Future Sunday scheduling of Field #4 will be prohibited". He said the number of participants in both soccer and baseball was increasing each year and this would take away a playing field in an area that was already short on playing fields. He said the idea that future scheduling of Field #4 would be controlled by a vote of the homeowners was not logical.

The Parks and Community Services Director said Field #4 was not scheduled past December 2000.

Mayor Kinney said the residents who participate in unstructured sports should also have an opportunity to use the fields.

Cm. Wilson said in regard to the parking issue: soccer tournaments have never been a problem.

Donna Kerger, San Ramon Soccer Board Member, said she was also disappointed with the proposed restrictions in the use of field #4. She said the tournaments hosted by San Ramon bring revenue into the soccer club and the community. She said to restrict one field on a Sunday on a tournament weekend could really cause a lot of problems because there are never enough fields for the children to play on right now. She asked the Council to reconsider item #10 on the resolution.

Cm. Wilson confirmed the soccer club hosted three tournaments annually. He said residents not involved in organized sports would also like to use the facilities.

Karen Cook, asked for an explanation of the field permit process.

Marilyn Lord, said she did not feel there was a parking problem on Burns Circle and she did not want a permit parking sign in front of her house.

Cm. Raab said he would like to see item #1 from the resolution regarding the requirement for a volunteer guard at the raised crosswalk removed. He said with the permit parking and the signs stating "no parking within 50 feet" on both sides of the crosswalk he felt it was unfair to ask the leagues to provide a volunteer crossing guard. He said temporary warning signs could be set up on the days that there was high activity. He recommended looking at the limitations for permit parking as originally suggested by the minority report because there was always the option, if the permit parking was pushed out, to come back. He said Field #4 could always be used on a first come first serve basis. He said he would like to see item #10 changed to read "Future Sunday scheduling of Field #4 will be prohibited. Adding Field #4 to the Sunday schedule would not be allowed without the consent of either the Parks Commission or the City Council." He said he would also like a set number of Sundays be reserved for the San Ramon soccer tournaments and any baseball tournaments that might be scheduled.

Cm. Hudson recommended the Council come to a consensus as to what permit parking was and then come back with the changes for approval.

Cm. Wilson said he felt the permit parking should not initially go out 750 feet and if it is determined there is a problem it could be expanded. He also said he would like to limit multi colored curbs.

Cm. Tatarka said the crossing guard requirement was redundant and she would like to see it eliminated. She suggested the leagues consider carpooling to their games. She said the 750 feet for permit parking was too far and could cause more problems. She recommended installing permit parking on a trial basis in the area of the immediate problems. She asked Cm. Raab for clarification on his amendment of item #10.

Cm. Raab clarified item #10 to state "Future Sunday scheduling of field #4 will be prohibited with the exception of a set number of tournaments for both soccer and baseball. Adding field #4 to the Sunday schedule would not be allowed without the consent of the Parks Commission and/or the City Council". He said his motion was also meant to include working with the soccer and baseball leagues to determine what number of tournaments would be approved.

In response to Mayor Kinney’s questions regarding red curbs, the Transportation Director said the "no parking" signage would have the same effect as red curbs.

Mayor Kinney said he had no problem with a 150 foot limit for restricted parking and everyone within that limit would have permit parking and not a no parking zone.

The Transportation Director said with regard to the no parking, no standing, no stopping zone, three of the four sides were not in front of anyone’s house and only the 50 feet on the southeast side would be in front of a residence. He said if the Council wants to make that area no standing, no stopping, no parking anytime that would only be the condition in front of one home. The other homes for a distance of 150 feet, which really means one house in each side of that zone, would be permit parking. He said a no parking, stopping, standing zone currently existed right at the crosswalk.

Mayor Kinney recommended just for the crosswalk and maybe 10 feet on either side, no parking, stopping, standing or unloading and permit parking in front of two houses either way on both sides of the street.

Cm. Tatarka said anyone that was going to be affected by permit parking should be notified so that the Council was assured they knew what was going to happen. She asked for clarification on the requirements for red curbing.

The Transportation Director said the requirement was red curb or signage but not both and the reason why you would have both would be to give people the opportunity to not park there and to give the police the maximum opportunity to say no, you can’t use the reason that you didn’t see the sign. He said in other permit parking areas of the City signs are used and a black stencil with white lettering that says permit parking is placed on the top of the curb face. He said the way permit parking works was that the residents come to the police department with their license number of their car and their driver’s license or something that shows they live there and pick up permits for all of their family’s cars and a couple of guest permits at no cost. He said the permit allows someone who lives at that address to park during hours of restriction and when the hours of restriction were not in effect anyone could park there.

Cm. Wilson said he had lived in a permit parking area and while it sounds confusing you adapt very quickly and it does work.

Mayor Kinney said we can try it with the signs and then if there is a problem the curb can be stenciled. He said he would rather limit the no parking, no stopping, no standing to just the crosswalk area so that everybody else had an opportunity to park in front of their house.

Paula Pigozzi, said as she understood the Council’s recommendation there would be permit parking in front of three homes. She said they had gone to the houses that are currently affected by the parking and all of the residents but two signed the petition so that would be the logical permit parking zone. She said all of the residents have signed it, they are willing to accept it and they currently have a parking problem. She said if you only permit park three or four homes that would be the situation as it exists today and she did not feel that was what the minority opinion had intended.

Cm. Raab recommended staff be directed to get in touch with the soccer and baseball clubs to establish a set number of Sunday tournaments.

It was the consensus of Council that staff would bring the resolution back with the amendments on the next agenda.

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PERMIT PARKING AREA H

Resolution No. 2000-137, Designating a portion of Ascot Drive, Toby Road, Burns Circle and Fife Court as preferential parking area "H" and  restricting parking thereon, was continued to the next meeting.

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MAYOR’S CONFERENCE AGENDA 

Mayor Kinney said the September 14 Mayors’ Conference would be held in El Cerrito and he would give an update at the next meeting.

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SWAT 

Cm. Hudson said when the urban limit line was moved in there were two projects up for development. He said in regard to the 1,387 homes projected for Camino Tassajara it was clarified at the September 11 Southwest Area Transportation meeting that they would be widening Tassajara Road in front of the development to four lanes and contributing some mitigation to the area down Tassajara Road for bike lanes. He said there is a huge EIR and Danville has asked for additional time to comment on it and City staff will probably want to comment also. He recommended the City go beyond their concerns regarding transportation and look at the County’s plan for the utility district in that area. He asked if more homes were added in that area would the City be out of compliance.

The Transportation Director said he did not think it would be the City that was out of compliance but the County. He said the traffic study for the Camino Tassajara combined General Plan amendment indicated they were close to the maximum level of service at a couple of intersections and if the County were to approve more homes they would be in jeopardy of losing their return to source money by adversely impacting routes of regional significance in violation of traffic service objectives.

Cm. Hudson said one of the concerns was the project that put them over the limit was not the housing but was the soccer fields.

The Transportation Director said the deadline for commenting on the EIR was September 28.

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BUSINESS LICENSE ORDINANCE 

Mayor Kinney said he had received a number of complaints regarding the City’s ordinance that required someone to get a business license before renting his house. He said the ordinance was outdated and not needed and was causing the City’s Accounting Department untold problems.

The City Manager said the ordinance was enacted based upon the ability of the City to regulate rental properties and to deal with nuisance abatement. He said it was determined by the Council that the ordinance would be an additional tool to help regulate properties in the area of nuisance abatement. He said this ordinance has never been used.

It was the consensus of Council that staff be directed to come back at the next meeting with a report and an ordinance doing away with the current ordinance.

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CITY CLERK CLASSIFICATION 

Mayor Kinney said the item regarding the San Ramon City Personnel Classification structure and the City Clerk would be continued to the next meeting to allow the Internal Operations Committee an opportunity to meet with the City Clerk.

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There being no further business to come before the City at 11:25 p.m. the meeting adjourned.

Curt Kinney, Mayor
Judy Macfarlane, City Clerk

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