A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Ramon was called to order on March 26, 2002 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 2222 Camino Ramon, Mayor Tatarka presiding.

PRESENT: Councilmembers Cambra, Dickey, Hudson, Wilson and Mayor Tatarka

ABSENT: None

STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Herb Moniz, City Attorney Tom Curry, Police Chief Brian Lindblom, Administrative Services Director Jim Randall, Parks and Community Services Director Jeff Eorio, Planning Director Phil Wong, Engineering Services Director Joye Fukuda, Transportation Director John Dillon, Building and Safety Services Director Don Rhoades, Economic Development Services Director, April Gray, and City Clerk Judy Macfarlane

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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Brownie Troop 963 from Montevideo School led Council, staff and those present in the audience in the pledge of allegiance.

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The City Attorney said the Brown Act requires that a portion of every meeting be devoted to public comment. At a regular meeting public comment is limited to items that are not on the agenda. For a closed session the public comment is limited to the matter that will be before the Council in the closed session, which that night was the appointment of an interim city manager.

Rosalind Rogoff stated she hoped that the Council appointed someone who was already on City staff, and suggested the appointment of Jim Randall.

Mayor Tatarka convened the meeting to closed session.

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Mayor Tatarka said Council had met in closed session pursuant to Government Code §54957 to discuss the appointment of an interim City Manager. She stated the Council had unanimously selected Jim Randall to be effective April 1, 2002.

The City Attorney said the recent Council closed sessions were authorized under Government Code §54957, generally called the "personnel exception." He said that section requires confidentiality to protect the privacy of the person being evaluated or appointed. He stated that after most closed sessions, Councils can disclose information from that closed session, however, in this case, Council was precluded from discussing what occurred because the privilege of confidentiality belonged to the person involved.

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Mayor Tatarka introduced Craig Bowen, Fire Chief, San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District. She welcomed the new fire chief and gave him a City pin.

Mayor Tatarka presented certificates of recognition to the Academic National Merit finalists from California High School.

Mayor Tatarka presented certificates of recognition to the California High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team - EBAL Champions and North Coast Section Runners-up.

Mayor Tatarka presented certificates of recognition to the "Parade Magazine’s" All American High School Girls Soccer Team members from California High School.

Mayor Tatarka presented certificates of recognition to the California High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team - EBAL Champions.

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Christy Winter, President, San Ramon Chamber of Commerce, announced several upcoming Chamber activities and invited everyone to participate.

Mary Lou Oliver said she had just returned from an extensive trip and expressed concerns over recent events. She said she wanted to share thoughts from her experiences as a 12-year councilmember, 3 term mayor, and 3-year member of the City incorporation team. She said her constituency was not just those who had voted for her, but was comprised of all the residents of San Ramon. She spoke of the need to balance the interests from her supporting constituents with the interests for the long-term benefits for San Ramon. She asked Council to keep that thought in mind as they proceeded. Mrs. Oliver expressed her thanks to Herb Moniz for many years of dedicated service, especially his leadership in the development of parks. She asked the Council to make San Ramon as proud of them as they are of San Ramon, and for the Council to look to the future of San Ramon, its progress, business community, and its financial viability in their decision making process. She said to remember to listen to the members of the public who have a definite need to be heard, and to listen, weigh and balance their needs with the City as a whole while making their decisions.

Bob Patrino said that the Council has had quite a few closed sessions during their short tenure. He suggested that the recruitment and interview process of the city manager be conducted in public as had been done in the past for a new police chief. He said this would give the public an opportunity to see what this Council was looking for in a city manager, and they would also see what their vision was for San Ramon.  Mr. Patrino suggested that the public visit the web site www.sanramonobserver.org for a good cross section of opinions from the residents of San Ramon.

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Cm. Dickey’s motion to approve the amended minutes of the March 12, 2002 meeting was seconded by Cm. Cambra and passed 5-0.

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Cm. Hudson requested that Item 11.4, Resolution No. 2002-28 Proposed rental of office space at 3180 Crow Canyon Place and the relocation of Economic Development Department, be removed for discussion.

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

Finance

Register of Demands dated March 5, 11, 17 and 31, 2002 in the amount of $767,598.64

Authorizing the Mayor to execute contract amendment No. 1 to the agreement with Architectural Resources Group for additional architectural design services for the David Glass House Exterior Renovation (CIP 5306) in an amount not to exceed $29,000

Resolution No. 2002-27

Authorizing the Mayor to amend Cooperative Agreement 43.00.77 between the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and the City of San Ramon to include funding of $50,000 for the Contra Costa Clean Fuel Vehicle Program

Acceptance of Work

Sand Channel Greens for the Athan Downs Field No.1 Drainage Improvements Project (CIP 5370) as complete and authorization for the City Clerk to file a Notice of Completion with the County Recorder’s office.

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The Engineering Services Director said staff recommended the Council conduct a public hearing and then continue this item to the next Council meeting on April 9, 2002. She said on March 12, 2002, the Council conducted a public hearing regarding the scheduling and timing to construct three projects that were contained within the Iron Horse Trail Corridor, 1) Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (CCCSD) Force Main Project, 2) Dublin San Ramon Services District/East Bay Municipal Utility District Recycled Water Authority (DERWA) – San Ramon Recycled Water Project, and 3) Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Fiber Optic Telecommunication Project. She said as a result of that public hearing, staff had been directed to, 1) contact Contra Costa County to offer support for DERWA’s request to secure right-of-way within the Iron Horse Trail Corridor,

2) issue the encroachment permit for the CCCSD force main project in accordance with the Dougherty Valley Sewer Settlement Agreement, 3) further discuss a possible coordination effort with CCCSD and DERWA and, 4) provide a status report to the City Council in two weeks regarding PG&E’s alternatives for their fiber optic telecommunication project.

The Director reviewed the background of the projects and gave the following update.

She stated on March 14^th, staff from CCCSD, DERWA, and the City met to discuss the possible coordination between the CCCSD force main project and the DERWA project. She said after much discussion, all staff members had come to the conclusion that it was not possible to accelerate the DERWA project to allow for construction with or within the same timeframe as the CCCSD force main project and still have the CCCSD force main project comply with the requirements of the Dougherty Valley Settlement Agreement. She said the conclusion was based on the following:

1. On March 12^th, DERWA formally submitted a letter to the County to initiate the process to secure right of way within the Iron Horse Trail for their recycled water line. The County had previously indicated that their normal timeframe to process a right of way request was three to six months.
2. DERWA will need to complete their design after the County determines the location of their pipeline within the Trail corridor. DERWA must then obtain funding approval for their project from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in Sacramento. The SWRCB requires the submittal of 90% complete design plans, a cost estimate based on the 90% design, and some type of assurance that the necessary right of way has been secured.
3. With the submittal of the required information to the SWRCB, DERWA informed City staff that it would take six weeks to agendize their project for a SWRCB Board workshop and an additional two weeks to agendize it for Board action for a total of eight weeks. This eight weeks does not include the time for the County processing of the right of way and the completion of the 90% design. DERWA is seeking confirmation from the SWRCB regarding this process.
4. City staff had asked if DERWA could proceed with a "right of entry" from the County. A right of entry would allow DERWA to construct their project and negotiate the cost of the right of way with the County at a later date. DERWA said that their state funding comes with a commitment to use the funded recycled water facilities for 20 years. DERWA’s initial reaction was that the SWRCB may not favorably review a "right of entry" as sufficient for a 20 year commitment. DERWA was seeking confirmation from the SWRCB.
5. CCCSD is scheduled to complete design March 29^th, start bid advertisement April 1^st, open bids April 23^rd, and award May 9^th. The deadline to incorporate the DERWA project into the CCCSD bid prior to the bid opening would be 10 days (April 12^th), prior to the bid opening date (April 23^rd), only four weeks away. DERWA staff stated that they could not complete their design within this timeframe.
6. CCCSD would not be in favor of adding the DERWA project after the bid opening date because it would constitute a material change from their originally bid project. The bid estimate for the construction cost for the force main project is $4.41M. The pre-design cost estimate for the DERWA pipeline based on $400 per linear feet and approximately one mile of overlapped pipeline with the CCCSD force main project was $2.1M.
7. City staff had asked if DERWA would consider proceeding with the portion of their pipeline that coincides with the force main project without funding approval from the SWRCB. DERWA stated that their financing for this project was based on receiving the state funds.
8. The option of DERWA constructing the installation of their pipeline with their separate contractor but within the same timeframe as the CCCSD force main project would still require DERWA to comply with the request from San Ramon schools to have construction occur during the summer months. This constraint in combination with the above requirements would preclude DERWA from using their separate contractor to install their pipeline within the CCCSD force main construction window of June through December 2002.
9. CCCSD had previously contacted the County regarding moving their easement because it is currently under the paved concrete portion of the Iron Horse Trail between Norris and Bollinger Canyon Roads. This move would require a transition in their planned pipeline location just south of Bollinger Canyon Road. CCCSD stated that after looking at their information regarding the location of utilities within the Trail corridor, that they needed to further adjust their easement request to the County for DERWA. The County is considering CCCSD’s request and will respond to them by March 22^nd. CCCSD will be present at the March 26^th Council meeting to advise of their status. CCCSD had identified one other constraint point for the DERWA pipeline along the Trail that is the area adjacent to the San Ramon Valley Conference Center. In this area, the Trail corridor is narrower. A solution would be for DERWA to obtain an easement from PG&E to install their pipeline within the Conference Center parking lot.
10. Mayor Tatarka had called Supervisor Gerber’s office to lend support to DERWA’s request for right of way from the County within the Iron Horse Trail corridor.

The Director stated with regard to the CCCSD Force Main Encroachment Permit, that was cited earlier, the scope of the City’s encroachment permit for the force main project was for the following elements: 1) tunneling under South San Ramon Creek; 2) tunneling under three roadway crossings, Montevideo Drive, Norris Canyon Road, and Bollinger Canyon Road; 3) open trench across Executive Parkway; and 4) use of up to one acre of the City’s 7.7 acre site south of Bollinger Canyon Road as a construction staging area. The last element was discussed at the joint CCCSD/DERWA/City staff meeting of March 14^th. She said two permit conditions of note were:

• Construction staging area – On March 20^th, staff advised the Finance Committee of this matter. The Finance Committee and staff support the temporary use of up to one acre of the City’s 7.7 acre City Center site, south of Bollinger Canyon Road, as a construction staging area. Originally, CCCSD had discussions with Sunset Development for the use of the southeast portion of Sunset’s property. This area is in proximity to adjoining residents. Use of a portion of the City’s 7.7 acre site would remove the immediate impacts associated with the construction staging activities from the adjoining residents. The encroachment permit requires CCCSD to fence the staging area to secure the site and screen it from the Iron Horse Trail. CCCSD would need to acquire access to the staging site via the existing roadway on Sunset Development’s property. In return, CCCSD would pay the City for the use of the site. At this time, this fee is being discussed between CCCSD and City staff.

• CCCSD has agreed to fund the installation of mitigation planting at the trail roadway crossings at Pine Valley Road, Montevideo Drive, Bollinger Canyon Road, and Norris Canyon Road, which coincides with their force main project. The mitigation planting will comply with the Contra Costa County Iron Horse Corridor Management Program Landscaping Element that was approved by the Iron Horse Trail Corridor Advisory Committee and approved by the County Board of Supervisors in September 2000. The design is being coordinated with the County, East Bay Regional Park District, and DERWA. At this time, the plan is to have CCCSD design the mitigation planting and have DERWA install the planting as part of their recycled water project. This approach allows for the DERWA project to provide the necessary water source for the mitigation planting and would eliminate any construction damage that may occur if the mitigation planting were installed by CCCSD at this time. DERWA supports this joint landscaping project.

For the final update, the Director said on March 20^th, PG&E informed staff that they were still investigating alternative routes for their fiber optic telecommunication cable. PG&E said that this process was moving slower than expected due to issues surrounding PG&E’s bankruptcy case and they did not expect to have any new developments to report to the City Council at the meeting on March 26th. However, once PG&E had determined that a viable alternative route exists, PG&E would present it to the City Council.

Mayor Tatarka opened the public hearing.

Paul Mitchell said after March 12, 2002, it was his understanding that the CCCSD had a legally binding settlement agreement that had a timetable that does not allow for any other options. He stated that the CEQA approvals had been completed for separate projects and said the discussion of two weeks ago surrounding simultaneous installation of two parallel lines was not a feasible project for numerous technical and logistical reasons. Mr. Mitchell told the Council that while this project is basically in his front yard, his preference would be to have two separate projects rather than rushing one.

Cm. Hudson asked Mr. Mitchell when he spoke with Buck Jones (PG&E), if there had been any indication given that the fiber optic cable was going to be under-grounded.

Mr. Mitchell stated they did not talk about that specifically. He said Mr. Jones had security concerns about sharing that type of information. Mr. Mitchell said he was satisfied with their discussion and would wait until PG&E came before Council again.

Cm. Dickey’s motion to continue the public hearing until the meeting on April 9, 2002 was seconded by Cm. Cambra and passed 5-0.

Cm. Hudson verified with the Engineering Services Director that there was no direction requested from Council that evening.

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Mayor Tatarka declared a five-minute break.

All Councilmembers were present when the meeting reconvened.

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The Planning Director said at the March 12, 2002 meeting, staff posed several issues relative to the City Center project and its planning process for Council discussion and direction. He referred to each issue separately.

The first issue was the expansion of the study area. He outlined the General Plan elements and the policies within those elements that made reference to the City Center. He said the purpose of this issue was to see if Council were interested in expanding the study area because of the existing opportunity. He stated Council was under no obligation to expand the study area and could continue to focus on the existing 18+/- acres that had been the primary area.

He said the second item concerned the design team, which had been deferred until a project manager was hired by the City.

The third issue, he continued, pertained to the procedure for the selection of a new project manager. He said this process had been initiated with staff distributing requests for proposal to firms specializing in recruitment services. He said the information was also available on the City web site. The director stated staff was seeking Council’s direction on their level of involvement for the recruitment of services.

The fourth issue related to the definition of "long-term vision," and clarified what staff had been attempting to convey to Council was there could be greater opportunities if the vision (referring to the study area) were to be expanded. He said designing with a long-term vision does not preclude the city from doing more specific design work on a smaller scale.

He said the fifth issue was the survey that had been deferred to a later date.

The Council also discussed the formation of an advisory committee to assist the City and the new project manager throughout the City Center process through project completion. He reviewed the proposed composition of this committee and asked for direction from Council on how to proceed.

Cm. Dickey asked for a status update on the recruitment of a project manager.

The Planning Director said pursuant to Council direction, staff had sent requests for proposal’s (RFP’s) to numerous headhunters with a deadline of Friday, April 8, 2002.

Cm. Cambra asked the Planning Director in what particular order would he like the Council to proceed in providing direction.

The Director stated the critical issues were #3 and the proposed establishment of the advisory committee.

Mayor Tatarka opened public comment.

Bob Patrino stated he did not recall a consensus of Council giving direction to proceed with the recruitment of a project manager. He also questioned if this was "City Center" or "Civic Center," and said enough studies had been done and expressed he was anxious to get this project underway. Mr. Patrino stated from personal experience as a project manager, it was very difficult to obtain clear, concise direction from a committee and felt it was crucial that expectations must be set up-front to avoid another Turner situation. He said using a committee to set direction would put the project behind schedule and create difficulties for the project manager to do his work, and that it would be a lot easier if direction came from one source, ideally, the planning staff. He suggested that a facilities oversight committee (similar to the school district’s) be used to oversee the use of the funds, not the design, concept or the construction.

Diane Schinnerer said her main concern was project managing by committee. She doubted the City’s ability to attract a highly qualified project manager if they were going to have to meet with a citizen committee every week.

Donna Kerger said she was frustrated with going backwards on the City Center. She expressed her desire for the City to go forward and had to agree with the previous speakers that proceeding with an advisory committee could stall the entire process. She said she hoped the Council had been listening to the community that had voiced their desires for many years on what they wanted on the acreage. She said she did not want to start all over again.

Jim Hansen said as a member of the City Center Task Force, he wanted to remind Council that is was "City Center" not "Civic Center." He said after a lot of public input, it was by overwhelming consensus that it would be a City Center, a place where people would want to go. He stated a Civic Center would not have everything we would really want.

Mayor Tatarka closed the public hearing.

Cm. Dickey said there was a concern for getting a plan for the library because there was grant money involved and she did not want to run out of time.

Mayor Tatarka stated the Library Advisory Committee had established timelines and schedules to coordinate their needs to apply for a grant. She said they were planning on applying during the second round with a due date of March 2003 versus June 2002. She said the urgency for the grant process had been diffused.

Mayor Tatarka asked Council for discussion on Item #1, the expansion of the study area.

Cm. Dickey stated she felt we should work with the property we own and she wanted to avoid including property that was not owned by the City.

Cm. Cambra asked the Planning Director, relating to Bishop Ranch 2, if Chevron and Sunset Development had been contacted to inquire their interest in development of this project.

The Director stated Chevron had not been contacted, but Sunset indicated they wanted to participate and have the City plan their site.

Cm. Wilson said he felt it was imperative that the City include the additional site in the long-term vision for this project. He emphasized that we needed to concentrate on the 18+/- acres but to keep in mind the additional site in anticipation for future expansion .He suggested that the City Center building placement be done in a manner where the City could utilize this additional space in the future, if and when the need arises.

Cm. Dickey said this project had been delayed enough and she did not want to get side-tracked by property we would have to acquire. She said although she did not want to eliminate the possibility of utilizing this property from the thought process, she wanted to concentrate all efforts on the 18 acres.

Cm. Wilson agreed that the 18 acres were the main issue but said we should always be cognizant of the surrounding areas for future expansion needs. He said we need to configure the buildings now to accommodate the expansion and utilize the additional space available to avoid problems in the future. He said when the City built the Community Center, it was thought to be too large and look at it now, we are at maximum capacity.

Cm. Hudson stated the land would not have to be acquired, and questioned if the City technically owned any of the 18 acres saying it was a combination of contracts and agreements. He said we have changed facades and uses in planning for as long as we have been a City, and saw the additional property as an opportunity. He said as long as it is there, it is a possibility and he didn’t think we would lose any time at all if we included the additional land for long-term vision.

Cm. Cambra said the expanded vision gave us the possibility to end the debate whether it is a City Center or a Civic Center. With the larger expanded area he said, there would be an opportunity to create a real downtown with vitality off the 18 acres that would be focused on civic uses. He thought the 18 acres could be the civic component which would be part of our city center and could encompass everything from the freeway to Alcosta Blvd., including the Market Place, BR2, and the Shops at Bishop Ranch. Cm. Cambra said he felt this could be a way to obtain a better downtown type of feel to the project. He said he liked having the opportunity to look at the additional property, but felt at this point in time, we have to maintain our focus on the 18 acres.

Mayor Tatarka asked the planning director about his discussion with Sunset Development and what their thoughts were regarding their vision. She asked for elaboration, stating there were not any specific particulars indicated in the staff report.

The planning director stated Sunset had not expressed an intent to develop this property. He said the discussions he had with Sunset were for the City to partake in the process and they would allow the City to plan it. He said they did not know what the uses might be, as that was something for the new project manager and design team, along with the City, to develop.

Mayor Tatarka verified that when the project management team and the committee worked together, they could provide input for that. She said she was amenable to that process, and stated the city/civic center had been discussed for a long time and the focus needed to be on the 18 acres. She said her direction was to concentrate on just the 18-acres and wait for the project manager to get input on anything else. She asked for concurrence from the Council.

Cm. Wilson stated the 18 acres was paramount, but again stated they had to be cognizant of the available surrounding areas.

Cm. Hudson said this whole thing started with Bishop Ranch, and what was going to be a City Center in addition to facility needs. He said this was not about bringing in somebody new, this was somebody that had been part of the project since the very beginning. He said when they first got this idea, the project was going to be 11 acres, then we got the 7.7 acres, so it was not uncommon that we add to the project. In fact he said, BR3 was part of the original plan that was approved through planning. He said while in the planning process, it is not difficult to add the 14 acres. He said this is what has been called the "core" and it is an opportunity for us to explore the possibilities and not lose any time.

Mayor Tatarka asked Cm. Hudson what would be on that particular area. She said we knew what we are looking at on the 11 and the 7 acres, but we don’t know what we are going to want on the 14 acres.

Cm. Hudson stated eventually this parcel is going to the Planning Commission to figure out what the zoning is for downtown or whatever it is going to be called. He said when this project first started, we planned the 11 acres and the 7.7 acres was not part of it. He said the main issue is zoning, and it may stay the same way as it is now for 10-15 years. He stated we can change the zoning and then a specific plan will come up for that particular 14 acres. At that time he said, it would go before planning and the Architectural Review Board, but it will be planned right now. He said we did not have to exclude it from the process.

Cm. Cambra said the starting point would be to ask Sunset Development what they would like to see on their own land as they may have not thought about it at this point. He expressed his desire to have the landowner’s ideas on what they would like to do with their property, and with the zoning that is going to come in with the new general plan.

The Planning Director confirmed Council direction was to continue to focus on the 18 acres and also to communicate with Sunset Development as to their vision for the 14 acre site.

The Mayor stated the second item in question was the solicitation for a new design team and confirmed that at the meeting of March 12, 2002, this item had been deferred.

Cm. Wilson asked why we were deferring the design team.

Cm. Dickey stated it was deferred until we have a project manager.

Cm. Wilson said over the last 7-8 years we have decided on this property there will be library, performing arts, administrative building, city hall, retail and a children’s museum. He said that they were all in agreement on the main components. He expressed his desire and confidence to have staff put together a design team, come back to Council and move this process along. He said when you look at the gymnasiums, aquatic center, community center and senior center, staff has shown they know what they were doing and what we want. He said there are design managers in the City, that staff can compile a team of those who care about San Ramon. He said this would enable moving the process along and it would be more cost effective. He encouraged Council to give staff the opportunity, stating it was time for Council to exercise self restraint, to get out of the way and stop meddling so staff can get the job done. He said we should have enough confidence in the staff to put together a design team

Cm. Hudson said that at the December 20, 2001 meeting there were actual square footages established for the acreage. He stated he thinks this staff, if given the opportunity, could put together a design team. He said Council could not make up its mind on which design they liked, so staff couldn’t possibly do worse. He said he felt staff could assemble a design team in a matter of weeks thereby saving more delays in the project.

Mayor Tatarka asked for elaboration from the Planning Director on what steps they would take to assemble a design team in a few weeks opposed to 3-4 months.

The Planning Director said they were proposing two different options, the standard RFP process for master planning for the City Center project. This process he said would entail response to the RFP, reviewing the proposals, short listing, interviewing, with the process taking approximately three months. He said the process to select a project manager would take the same amount of time.

Mayor Tatarka said she didn’t want delays and wanted the processes to be done concurrently.

Cm. Cambra asked the Planning Director if the project manager could get the design team assembled.

The Planning Director said they could and it would be at the discretion and authorization by the Council to do that.

Cm. Dickey said that she felt there were talented design teams in San Ramon. She stated she had a comfort level having a project manager who had more expertise in this area than Council does to assemble staff, the design team and all of the elements that have to be figured out. She said she would like to see this done concurrently, and wanted a project manager overseeing it all.

Cm. Wilson said a project manager was one who controls or helps the project move forward. He said that we were talking about a design team. He again expressed his confidence in the staff’s ability to assemble the design team.

Cm. Dickey said she didn’t think the comment was mutually exclusive. She said she was not isolating staff, but was more comfortable seeking out a project manager to work with the design team.

Mayor Tatarka said we could do both at the same time.

The Planning Director asked for clarity, stating as we recruit for a project manager, should staff initiate sending out RFP’s for a design team.

Mayor Tatarka replied yes, and said she wanted to hear that from the other Councilmembers.

Cm. Wilson said, no that is not what he had been saying. He said let staff put together a design team, then we can get a project manager. He wanted a design team in place while we are looking for a project manager so we are still moving ahead.

Cm. Cambra said past practice had been to issue a RFP and he did not want to deviate from that procedure, or have the project manager be the design team.

Mayor Tatarka said she was in favor of proceeding with an RFP for a design team, and asked for a vote.

Mayor Tatarka’s motion to direct staff to prepare a RFP for a design team concurrently with the RFP for the project manager, was seconded by Cm. Dickey.

Cm. Wilson said they were talking about time and money. He asked the Planning Director to explain the difference between in-house recruitment and hiring a design team and asked if this process could be less expensive if done in-house.

The Planning Director again stated if staff assembled a design team, it could occur in a matter of weeks; the RFP process would take several months.

Cm. Wilson said time is money and we have gotten to the point where we know what we want. He stated what we were looking for issue was a design. He said staff was capable of doing that, and all that we are doing now is adding another layer, another four months. He said when we decide on the project manager, the project manager can walk in, look at the concept and move on. He said when you look at what has been accomplished in the past, it is apparent that staff is capable of accomplishing this project.

Cm. Hudson said that there has been so much accomplished on this project, all that needs to been done is a review and selecting the best that has been presented and that should not take that much longer. He stated that they were talking about having the design ready by the time the project manager was hired, and if we proceed that way, we could have a plan that could be voted on in June or July. He said at that time, if it is not acceptable, all we would have to do is say no, and we are not out a tremendous amount of time or money.

Cm. Wilson asked if Council lacked confidence in staff’s ability to combine a design team. He said this RFP process did not make sense.

Mayor Tatarka repeated the motion and asked for a roll call vote. The motion passed 3-2 (Cms. Hudson and Wilson dissenting).

The Planning Director asked for direction on how to proceed in the selection of a new project manager to provide oversight of the City Center project to its completion. He said staff had followed Council direction to obtain the services of a headhunter and asked what role Council wanted to play.

Cm.Wilson stated that this Council would probably want to see everyone. He was comfortable with staff doing the preliminary analysis of qualified applicants.

Cm. Cambra verified that this was for the consultant and stated he did not feel the need to meet everyone. He said he would like to review the proposals but if selection were to be done by staff, that would not be a problem.

Cm. Dickey stated she would like to see the proposals but staff could make a recommendation.

Mayor Tatarka said there was consensus of Council that staff would review the RFPs and make their recommendation to Council.

Cm. Hudson said he would like to return to the actual process that we follow. He said this issue should go before the Planning Commission to determine the type of land uses and zoning especially because we have a new general plan. He said at some point to cut out some time we might want to bring this to the Planning Commission because the Planning Commission are the people who have to make the determination.

Mayor Tatarka said there are other possibilities out there and discussing the complete project was going to be premature.

Cm. Hudson again said they should get back into the same domain as soon as possible.

Mayor Tatarka verified for the Planning Director that Item 5, conducting a survey, was deferred. She asked for an approximate date when this would be returning to Council again.

The Planning Director said the RFPs for recruitment services were due on April 8^th. He said they should be able to review and prepare recommendations for the meeting on April 23. He said he would provide a calendar of timelines for the Council to keep them apprised of the process.

The City Manager said it was his understanding that staff had been directed to issue RFP’s for a design team. He said the usual process for issuing RFPs, was to put the selection process in the proposal so the design team can prepare. He suggested that Council discuss what role the Council will play in the selection process, as they did with the City Center.

Mayor Tatarka said the same process used for the project manager would be used for the design team, and had consensus of Council on that direction.

Mayor Tatarka said she was looking for comments from Council regarding the formation of an advisory committee.

Cm. Cambra said it would be good to have some oversight on the project, similar to the Finance or Internal Operations Committees, or we can have practicing professionals, who are residents too.

Cm. Hudson first questioned "practicing professionals who are residents" saying for as politically charged as this issue is, we would not want them to be residents. He stated that the more he thought about the formation of a committee, the more he felt it would be the wrong direction. He said he preferred to stay with "staff oversight."

Cm. Wilson asked why we need a committee.

Mayor Tatarka said it was the Council’s charge to provide over-sight for the City Center Project, and that was what she was trying to do. She questioned the professions of the "practicing professionals" and asked the Planning Director what he was referring to in the staff report.

The Planning Director stated this was taken from Council discussion at the last meeting, as noted in the minutes.

Cm. Cambra stated it was his suggestion, to obtain advice on how to proceed with a project this size, which the city staff had never done before. He said the term "practicing professionals" could be architects, engineers, construction managers, etc., to assist in the process.

Mayor Tatarka stated she definitely did not want to have an "expandable" committee. She supported the involvement of the project manager, city manager, and councilmembers but expressed hesitation on practicing professionals. She wanted to see the involvement of the Council in the oversight along with the project manager and the City Manager and staff, working together as a team.

Cm. Wilson concurred with Mayor Tatarka with the project being managed by the Council, City Manager and staff. He stated that we did not need an extra layer which an advisory committee would be. He felt that was the purpose of hiring a project manager, and if a project manager can’t manage this, then we don’t need them.

Cm. Dickey stated she was very comfortable with that combination.

Mayor Tatarka said it was the consensus of the Council that the committee would be comprised of two councilmembers, a project manager, the City Manager and appropriate staff.

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The Administrative Services Director stated this was the Council’s opportunity to review the proposed work plan and levels of service for FY 2002-03 and this was the first step in the process of preparing the City’s annual budget. He said the Finance Committee finished their review on Sunday, March 24, 2002, and the recommendations from that meeting had been distributed to Council.

He stated the work plan included three main components, Service Enhancements, Development Services and Capital Improvement work plans, noting that a lot was driven by the new General Plan and the development of Dougherty Valley.

Cm. Hudson said with the City Center and a new City Manager, it was his understanding policy decision and policy direction were Councils, but implementation of policy was the City Manager’s responsibility. He wanted to make this clear with regard to the City Center. He asked the Administrative Services Director, with regards to significant issues it stated " to ensure an accurate, unbiased assessment, recommend outsourcing using a qualified consulting firm; costs unknown, estimate $50,000." He asked for a comprehensive breakdown on what this would encompass.

The Admin Services Director said this item was placement based on Council’s approval four years ago of an IT plan and assured Cm. Hudson that any item would come before Council for approval.

Cm. Wilson stated he and Cm. Cambra met with Mr. Randall and offered his assurance that items listed as "significant issues" had been discussed. He said this is the document that we are basing our future on. He stated with the new general plan, there were certain things that we have to do, and we will be revisiting each item, and it would depend on the financial stability of the City whether or not we will be implementing them. He also said it was dependant upon revenue or loss of revenue and the anticipated City Center.

The Admin Services Director stated the only new staff positions were in the police department. He said there were not a lot of service enhancements, but the general plan development of the Dougherty Valley would be a big issue. He said the key to this document is where key revenue numbers come in. He stated this was still a work in progress and it was anticipated a presentation wound be made to the Finance Committee in early May.

Cm. Hudson referred to page 36, and stated the Internal Operations Committee had discussed the ARB appointing procedure and stressed the need to recruit professionals.

The Administrative Services Director verified there were no other questions or comments and said staff would be directed to continue the process.

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The Administrative Services Director said the Finance Committee and staff recommended Council consider the proposed rental of additional office space at 3180 Crown Canyon Place for the relocation of the Economic Development Department. He reviewed the cost for the lease and moving expenses, and stated this would provide additional space for the City Attorney, the City Clerk’s department, and provide a surplus work station.

Cm. Hudson said he was not concerned about the additional space, but questioned the plan for a specific council and mayor’s office.

Mary Lou Oliver stated her concern for the establishment of a "mayor’s office" and said she felt it would separate the Mayor from the rest of the councilmembers. She said the duties of the elected Mayor were going to remain the same as they were for all councilmembers. She said a separate office could isolate council from the mayor and she did not want to create a hierarchy where the mayor was above the rest of the council. She said she did not object to providing more space for the staff. She suggested that the proposed mayor’s office be combined with the existing conference room to provide a more adequate use of space for meetings. She questioned why the City was leasing versus purchasing the property.

Diane Schinnerer said she agreed with Mrs. Oliver’s comments and concerns and asked what the need was for a mayor’s office. She stated her concern over the possibility that future mayors may become ensconced in a designated office, spending eight-hours a day at City Hall and becoming too involved with staff.

The Administrative Services Directed stated he did not intend for this to become a "full time" mayor’s office, and liked the suggestion of expanding the conference room.

Mayor Tatarka stated this was the first time she had seen this proposal and that it was solely staff’s recommendation to designate it at such.

The Administrative Services Director said staff continually seeks additional space to purchase and at this point in time, there were not suitable office buildings available to purchase.

Phil Mouser said he wished the squabbling would go away and said he did not support a designated mayor’s office.

Garry Chaban said the City does not need a mayor’s office. He said he felt the mayor and council should be in the same office space. He did ask where the Council and the mayor were going in serving the City and its constituents.

Cm. Hudson’s motion to approve Resolution No. 2002-28 approving the lease of office space was seconded by Cm. Cambra and passed 5-0.

Approving the lease of office space located at 3180 Crow Canyon Place for the Economic Development Department

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Mayor Tatarka said the next Mayors’ Conference would be April 4^th in El Cerrito and requested any comments or questions be forwarded to her prior to the meeting.

Cm. Hudson requested that she announce the appointment of Jim Randall as our Interim City Manager.

Cm. Cambra stated there was approval of permit parking on DeAnza, Ensenada and Mangos Drive.

Cm. Wilson stated the mural at the library has been restored by art students from California High School. He said new officers were appointed and a procedure for approving art in public places had been established.

Mayor Tatarka said new members were introduced and the committee identified the need to revise the document identifying roles of committees. Anne Clifford, the new City grant writer was introduced. She said there was a new check-out system along with six new computer terminals. She also said Monday, April 15^th is the library’s birthday, and there will be reception from 3-5 p.m.

Mayor Tatarka stated the main focus was on the update of SWAT’s review of the Camino Tassajara Combined General Plan Amendment Study, in addition to the modification to the County-wide Clean Fuel Program.

Mayor Tatarka said discussion pertained to the projected impacts of the Combined General Plan Amendment Traffic Study and compliance with the agreement. It was decided, she said, to send a letter to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors regarding concerns over this issue. She stated the preliminary drawings for the new community college project were presented and that she would provide copies to each councilmember for review.

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Cm. Wilson addressed his comments to Herb Moniz; "The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men and women the conviction and the will to carry on. Herb, may the wind always be at your back, and the sun warm the quiet moments in your life. Thank you."

* * * *

There being no further business to come before the City, the meeting was adjourned at 10:08 p.m.

Nancy Tatarka, Mayor
Judy Macfarlane, City Clerk