MINUTES OF THE
CITY OF SAN RAMON – COUNCIL MEETING

October 26, 2004

A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Ramon was held on October 26, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at City Hall, 2222 Camino Ramon, Mayor Wilson presiding.

PRESENT: Councilmembers Hudson, Livingstone, Perkins, Rowley and Mayor Wilson.

ABSENT: None

STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Herb Moniz, City Attorney Byron Athan, Finance Director Greg Rogers, Planning Director Phil Wong, Police Sergeant Paul O’Mary, Public Works Director Joye Fukuda and City Clerk Judy Macfarlane

* * * *

Mayor Wilson announced the Council had met in closed session pursuant to: 1) Government Code §54957.5 to confer with Labor Negotiators, Jeff Eorio, Greg Rogers, and Cheryl Mitchell Wade regarding SEIU Local – 790, and, 2) Government Code §54957 to evaluate the position of City Clerk – no action was taken.

* * * *

Webelos from Pack 201, Country Club School, led Council, staff and those in the audience in the pledge of allegiance.

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The City Clerk said there would be an item added to the agenda under Special Presentations.

The City Clerk said the Southwest Area Transportation Committee meeting listed on the agenda for Monday, November 1 would be meeting Monday, November 8. The November 4 Architectural Review Board listed as cancelled on the agenda had not been cancelled and would be held at 2:00 p.m.

* * * *

Mayor Wilson introduced Alexander Lorenzo and said he had won the speech contest at Coyote Creek Elementary School last year.

Mr. Lorenzo gave his award winning speech entitled "Character Counts".

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CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS

The City Clerk said there were two openings on the Transportation Demand Management Advisory Committee. After advertising for interested applicants, one application had been received.

Cm. Hudson made a motion to appoint Scott Hulse to the Transportation Demand Management Advisory Committee for a term to run through January 2006 and direct staff to advertise for the remaining position

Cm. Perkins seconded the motion and it passed 5-0.

* * * *

Roz Rogoff said she was running for the Dublin San Ramon Services District Board in the November 2 election and thanked all of her supporters. She said she had received the endorsement of the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce and encouraged everyone to vote.

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Cm. Perkins’ motion to approve the minutes of the October 12, 2004 meeting was seconded by Cm. Livingstone and passed 5-0.

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

Quarterly Investment Report – Period ending September 30, 2004.

Resolution No. 2004-138 – Authorizing the Mayor to execute Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement with Mark Thomas and Company, Inc. for Phase I Construction Services and Additional Real Estate Appraisal and Acquisition Services for the Crow Canyon Corridor Improvement Project (CIPs 7114, 7116, 7117, 7127, 7129, 7130, 8125 and 8168) for an amount not to exceed $182,048.

Resolution No. 2004-141 – Authorizing the Mayor to execute Amendment No. 2 to the Lease Agreement with the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District for the Office Building at 9399 Fircrest Lane.

* * * *

The Finance Director summarized an Ordinance relating to travel and approval of a Travel Policy and asked the Council to introduce the Ordinance and hold a public hearing. He said the proposed Ordinance would repeal an Ordinance that was adopted in 1989 that set rules establishing the requirements for authorization and conduct of the City Council and City staff on City travel. He said the Ordinance included such things as the redefinition of local travel, the provision of an appeal process by City Councilmembers to the entire Council if a travel request is denied, the requirement of approval by the City Manager for out of the area travel, setting meal reimbursement at the IRS limit, and the establishment of a formal written Travel Policy.

Cm. Hudson said the Policy Committee had reviewed and approved the Ordinance and Travel Policy. He recommended an amendment be made to Division A6-1 where it states in excess of 100 miles add the word "radius" also.

Cm. Hudson’s motion to approve the introduction of the Ordinance repealing Ordinance 159 amending Division A6 of the Municipal Code related to travel and approval of a Travel Policy as amended was seconded by Cm. Rowley and passed 5-0.

* * * *

The City Attorney said the proposed Ordinance would amend the current Ordinance to bring the terminology up to date. He explained previously the Attorney General’s office issued cardroom permits and now it has been delegated to the State Gambling Commission. The City’s current Ordinance provides that a license will not be issued unless a gambling license has been given by the Gambling Commission. In turn, the Gambling Commission will not issue a gambling license until the City has issued one. The proposed Ordinance provides that if an applicant will file a declaration under penalty of perjury that they have applied for a license to the State Gambling Commission then the City would process the application and would issue a provisional cardroom license that would become effective upon the issuance of a gambling certificate from the State Gambling Commission. He said passage of the Ordinance would not in any way affect the requirements for a cardroom license.

Cm. Rowley confirmed that adoption of the Ordinance was just amending the municipal code and that someone wishing to open a cardroom would have to come before the Council.

The City Attorney said that many steps would have to be taken before someone could obtain a cardroom license in San Ramon.

Cm. Hudson’s motion to introduce the Ordinance amending the Municipal Code provisions pertaining to cardrooms was seconded by Cm. Perkins and passed 5-0.

* * * *

The City Manager said the Public Works Director would give a brief report on the three items listed under City Manager Comments.

The Public Works Director summarized a memo that gave details on ways staff has prepared for upcoming wet weather, including routine and preventive annual maintenance and pre storm procedures for all City owned catch basins, drain inlets, creeks, channels, culverts and detention basins.

Mayor Wilson asked after the recent major storms, were there any areas in the City that needed major attention.

The Public Works Director replied in review of the potential problems areas, the City’s drainage system and creeks had performed well and so there were no issues that needed to be addressed as a result of the storm.

Cm. Perkins asked if there were any of the regular maintenance items associated with storm preparation that have not been completed to date.

The Public Works Director said there were not.

The Public Works Director gave an update on the status of the two David Glass House Projects; interior restoration of the Glass House and Tank House Project, and design and layout plans for the landscaping. She said after review of the submitted proposals, negotiations were in progress with the highest ranked consultants and will be before the City Council for authorization in November.

In response to Cm. Perkins’ question as to when work would begin, the Public Works Director responded early next year.

The Public Works Director summarized the procedures to be followed by staff during power outages at traffic signalized intersections. She confirmed that, in the case of an emergency additional City staff would be on stand by for call out.

The City Manager said he would like to recognize the Public Works Director; Maria Robinson, City Engineer; and Jeff Gault, Maintenance Operations Division Manager, for their response during the recent storms.

Mayor Wilson asked if any of the personnel called out during an emergency were volunteers from the police academy or volunteer police to help direct traffic.

The Public Works Director said typically if police are needed, the call out comes through police dispatch and the dispatch in turn contacts the City.

Mayor Wilson said he would like staff to explore the possibility of using volunteers from the police academy to assist the police to direct traffic.

Cm. Livingstone asked about the City’s response process for times other than those on the list.

The Public Works Director said the stand by hours that have been set aside are more toward the early evening on weekdays and during the daytime periods on the holidays. If a signal goes out outside of those hours, the service response falls back to a signal being out and the drivers observe the intersection as a four-way stop.

* * * *

Mayor Wilson asked the Boy Scouts from Pack 842 to introduce themselves and tell the name of their school.

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Cm. Rowley said the volunteers had done a wonderful job of organizing school tours at Forest Homes Farms.

Cm. Rowley also spoke about the Dublin San Ramon Women’s Club sponsorship of the holiday fashion show and luncheon with proceeds to go toward the purchase an "AutoPulse" resuscitator for the Cities of Dublin and San Ramon.

Cm. Hudson spoke about two issues that were discussed at the Dougherty Valley Oversight Committee; power lines on county property and the function of the Oversight Committee.

Cm. Perkins thanked the San Ramon Presbyterian Church for organizing the "Building Bridges" program conducted last Saturday. He said this program helped people in over 40 homes from Livermore to Walnut Creek.

Cm. Rowley thanked staff for organizing the Dougherty Valley Open House held on October 27.

* * * *

There being no further business to come before the City, at 7:54 p.m. the meeting was adjourned.

Signed:

H. Abram Wilson, Mayor
Judy Macfarlane, City Clerk

Cm. Livingstone made a correction in the minutes of the October 26, 2004 meeting, noting Mr. Eorio was not in attendance at that meeting to participate in the closed session regarding labor negotiations.

Approved  November 11, 2004, 5-0