A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Ramon was called to order on March 13, 2001 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 2222 Camino Ramon, Mayor Hudson presiding.
PRESENT: Councilmembers Kinney, Raab, Tatarka, Wilson and Mayor Hudson
ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Herb Moniz, City Attorney Bob Saxe, Police Chief Brian Lindblom, Administrative Services Director Jim Randall, Parks and Community Services Director Jeff Eorio, Planning Director Phil Wong, City Engineer Joye Fukuda, Transportation Director John Dillon, Building Services Director Don Rhoades, Economic Development Manager, April Gray, and City Clerk Judy Macfarlane

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

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Mayor Hudson announced there was an opening on the Parks and Community Services Commission and the closing date for submitting an application was Friday, March 16, 2001.

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The Public Services Director introduced new employees Greg Bender, Raul Espinoza and Brent Scroggs, Maintenance Technicians I.  Mayor Hudson welcomed the new employees and gave them City pins.

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Cm. Tatarka’s motion to appoint Jan Frazier to fill the vacancy on the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee was seconded by Cm. Wilson and passed 5-0.

Cm. Raab’s motion to appoint Betty Duborow to represent San Ramon on the Contra Costa County Advisory Council on Aging was seconded by Cm. Kinney and passed 5-0.

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Promontory Coalition to Save our Homes members, Robin Shahan, 113 Stonepine Lane, Joe Smith, 205 Treasure Court, Roseann Sullivan, 3000 Promontory Way, Norma Avery, 1203 Destiny Lane, John Sullivan, 17760 Sweetbriar Place, Castro Valley, and Cindy St. John, expressed concerns regarding the EBMUD Southern Loop Pipeline and submitted a petition requesting re-routing the pipeline.

Cindy St. John, representing the Promontory Point Apartments spoke regarding her concerns for the safety factors of the EBMUD Southern Loop Pipeline not only for the residents on the hill, but for those at the bottom of the hill as well.

Jim Blickenstaff, 2410 Talavera Drive, Mt. Diablo Sierra Club, said he was concerned that the pipeline which was originally designed to be for emergency use only, has now developed the potential to be growth inducing and asked the Council to review the project again.

Charles B. Sapper, 1129 Promontory Terrace, expressed his concerns regarding the EBMUD Southern Loop Pipeline and the traffic problems that would be created by the construction of this project.

Mayor Hudson directed staff to answer the questions and, if any changes were discovered to the original presentation by EBMUD, to bring the information back to Council for possible further action.

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Cm. Kinney’s motion to approve the minutes of the February 27, 2001 meeting was seconded by Cm. Raab and passed 5-0.

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

FINANCE      Register of Demands dated March 2^nd and 9^th, 2001 in the amount of $638,689.02.

Landscaping and Lighting District 1984-1 Describing new improvements and ordering the District Engineer to prepare and file an Engineer’s Report for FY 2001-02

Acceptance of work by Cleary Brothers Landscape Construction for the construction of the Tareyton Avenue West Side Landscaping Project (CIP 8339) as complete and authorize the City Clerk to file a Notice of Completion with the County Recorder’s Office

Acceptance of work by Cleary Brothers Landscape Construction for the construction of the Alcosta Community Park Canine Facility (CIP 8272) as complete and authorize the City Clerk to file a Notice of Completion with the County Recorder’s Office

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ARTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT 

Mark Ballock, Chairperson of the Arts Advisory Committee, reviewed the vision, goals and objectives of committee. He spoke of the public art featured at the Country Village Shopping Center and the San Ramon

Library. He also talked about the committee’s research and study regarding a performing arts center and stated the San Ramon Arts Foundation should be fully operational by July, 2001.

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MID YEAR REVIEW FY 2000-01 PROGRAM OF SERVICES

The Administrative Services Director said the Finance Committee had discussed in detail the mid-year review and recommended it be forwarded to Council for approval. He stated the City was in excellent fiscal condition and budget adjustments were the result of Council actions taken earlier in the fiscal year. The Director said there was a major increase in sales tax revenue and noted the adjustments for energy costs due to the current energy crisis throughout the State.

Cm. Tatarka’s motion to adopt Resolution No. 2001-29 was seconded by Cm. Wilson and passed 5-0.

Receiving the Mid Year Review of FY 2000-01 Program of Services, approving the recommended budget adjustments and amending the Capital Improvement Program

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PRELIMINARY FY 2001-02 - FY 2005-6 FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PROGRAM

The Administrative Services Director introduced the bi-annual review of the City’s five-year financial program and said it had been reviewed extensively by the Finance Committee. He stated the City’s revenue continues to grow at a healthy rate and we should be able to sustain a substantial operating reserve. He said the expenditure estimates were projected to reflect the goals that have been established by the Council.

The City Manager said this was a conceptual plan reflecting the goals of the City.

Cm. Tatarka’s motion to accept the Preliminary Five-Year Financial Program was seconded by Cm. Wilson and passed 5-0.

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CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP

The City Manager reviewed the Council Workshop held February 28, 2001 and stated the Council had established goals for maximum communication.

He said the Council reviewed ongoing goals in the City’s Annual Program of Services, short term goals and objectives generated at the last workshop held February 2000, and new or additional short-terms goals and objectives.

Cm. Tatarka’s motion to accept the report was seconded by Cm. Kinney and passed 5-0.

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MAYORAL ELECTION/SELECTION 

The City Clerk said the staff report covered three options for the selection of Mayor, 1) Ordinance No.300, which is the current process used, 2) a proposed ordinance for the election and rotation of City Councilmembers submitted by Joe Covello and, 3) a Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition, which was presented by Councilmember Raab at the February 28, 2001 Council Workshop. She asked the Council to review the options and give direction to staff.

Mayor Hudson opened the public hearing.

Joe Covello said the ordinance he presented to Council at the January 23, 2001 meeting provided a solution to a problem the City Council had created. He said it was a political problem of the Council, it was their problem to deal with and not that of the citizens. He stated putting this issue in front of the voters would create an emotional situation that would be detrimental to the City. He asked the Council to consider his proposed ordinance that outlined a rotational selection of mayor.

Rosalind Rogoff, 9913 Mangos Drive, said the Council should be neutral on this issue and each option, the Covello plan, the existing plan and the plan for an elected mayor should be on the ballot, listing all the pros and cons. She recommended letting the people decide which way they want to go.

Alex Smith, 2456 Camino De Jugar, urged the Council to continue with the current selection process for mayor. He felt this process had served the City well and that change simply for the sake of change has never benefited anyone.

Victor Petersen, 2955 Morgan Drive, said he felt the proposed ordinance submitted by Joe Covello was too late and this issue should be placed on the ballot along with the question of whether or not we should have an elected Mayor. He said he was leading a team to place an initiative on the November ballot specifically asking the residents if they want an elected mayor.

Bob Ingalls, 3147 Riviera Way, said he believed the demographics of San Ramon were similar to Dublin and Pleasanton and not so much like other cities in Contra Costa County. He said San Ramon should have an elected mayor. He said the initiative was written for two year terms and had term limits. He asked the Council to consider placing this initiative on the fall ballot.

Jerry Cambra, 9762 Tareyton Avenue, said the selection of mayor process had been destroyed. He asked the Council to put this issue on the fall ballot and let the citizens of the community decide.

Mayor Hudson closed the public hearing and declared a five-minute recess.

All Councilmembers were present when the meeting reconvened.

Cm. Wilson compared the rotation method, the vote by council method and the directly elected method of mayoral selection. He also summarized the pros and cons of each method.

Cm. Raab said the people of San Ramon should hear both sides of the debate and determine how their government operates.

Cm Kinney recommended the term of Mayor be four or six years and said term limits should apply to councilmembers as well as the Mayor. He said he had no problem with having an elected Mayor. He suggested Mr. Petersen consider this issue and said if he was going to put out an initiative and talk to people about it, he should talk about what is in the initiative and not what happened at a Council meeting and when he was not here. He continued to say if you have to go out and peddle an initiative, you need to be honest with the people and say, we want to give you the chance to be mayor and not because Ron Raab got screwed and you are passing the petition around because poor Ron got cheated out of being mayor. He concluded by saying, again he had no problem with an elected mayor and he would have no problem if the Council decided to put the elected mayor issue on the ballot this year if someone wanted to bring forward an initiative for that purpose.

Cm. Tatarka gave an overview of what previous councils had done in regard to the selection of mayor and said it was time for the residents of the City to decide if the Mayor should be elected.

Mayor Hudson said before the question was put to the people for a vote, the issues surrounding terms limits, compensation and job description need to be established by the Finance Committee and Internal Operations Committee, so the voters would know exactly what they were voting for.

The City Attorney said because San Ramon is a Charter City, the procedure for placing these items on the ballot was different than for general law cities. He explained that we have to amend the charter, and if any of the proposed ballot measures fail, then they do not become law. He added we would also have to have a provision since there are three competing proposals, that if they were all to succeed, the one with the most votes would become law.

Cm. Raab’s motion to have the City Attorney prepare five ballot measures for the November 2001 election, 1) amend the City Charter to have the electors elect the Mayor and four city councilmembers, 2) ask the electors "shall the term of the office of Mayor be two years or four years, 3) to amend the City Charter to have the position of Mayor set by the rotation system as proposed by Mr. Covello, 4) to establish term limits for the Mayor and Councilmembers and, 5) the selection of Mayor, was seconded by Cm. Tatarka. The motion did not pass on 2-3 vote (Cms. Kinney, Wilson and Mayor Hudson dissenting).

Mayor Hudson requested the Internal Operations Committee establish a code of conduct for elected officials and draft the role of an elected mayor. He asked the Finance Committee to propose term limits, compensation and establish a time frame for electing a Mayor should the City choose to have an elected Mayor. He asked for a report back from the two committees within 45 days.

Cm. Raab’s motion to change the current selection process to the proposed Covello rotation was seconded by Cm. Tatarka. The motion did not pass on a 2-3 vote (Cms. Kinney, Wilson and Mayor Hudson dissenting).

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MAYORS’ CONFERENCE 

Mayor Hudson said the March Mayors’ Conference was held in Danville with the P G & E transmission lines the main topic of discussion.

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INTERVIEW DATE PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION

Mayor Hudson said the application deadline for the Parks and Community Services Commission vacancy was Friday, March 16, 2001. He said an interview date would be scheduled in April.

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SOUTHWEST AREA TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE (SWAT)

Mayor Hudson said the City would be receiving  $65,000 for transportation issues.

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SENIOR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Mayor Hudson reported Phil Reed was the new  chairperson and Betty Detweiller the new vice chair. He said there was going to be a Grand Opening celebration in June for the new park at the San Ramon Senior Center.

There being no further business to come before the City, the meeting was adjourned at 10:25 P.M.

David E. Hudson, Mayor
Judy Macfarlane, City Clerk

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