MINUTES OF THE
CITY OF SAN RAMON – COUNCIL MEETING

A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Ramon was held September 13, 2005 at 7:01 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at City Hall, 2222 Camino Ramon, Vice Mayor Livingstone presiding.

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

ABSENT: Mayor Wilson.

STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Herb Moniz, City Attorney By Athan, Police Chief Scott Holder, Parks and Community Services Director Jeff Eorio, Planning Director Phil Wong and City Clerk Patricia Edwards.

Roz Rogoff led the Council, staff, and those in the audience in the pledge of allegiance.

Vice Mayor Livingstone asked if there were any changes or additions to the agenda. The City Clerk requested that item 4.3 be continued to the October 11, 2005 meeting.

Vice Mayor Livingstone asked if there were any changes or additions to the Boards, Committee and Commission meetings schedule. The City Clerk noted there were none.

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Cierra Nicole Nelson was presented with a certificate recognizing her accomplishments in the Iceskating Institute Worlds 2005 Competition by Vice Mayor Livingstone. She skated in five events and received 2 first place, 2 third place and 1 fourth place awards. She is a former Country Club School student. Future events will include a competition in Salt Lake City in 2005 and China in 2006. Mrs. Nelson thanked the City for recognizing her daughter. Cm. Rowley commented that the Council is proud of her accomplishments.

Vice Mayor Livingstone presented the proclamation to Maggie Hauser, a representative of Stand!. This organization assists victims of domestic violence. Ms. Hauser thanked the City for the proclamation and for recognizing the importance of this issue. She emphasized that domestic violence affects all levels of society.

As Officer Cook was unable to attend, the item was continued to October 11, 2005.

Jeff Eorio, Parks and Community Services Director, introduced two new Parks and Community Services Department employees: Jonette Fuentes, Office Technician at the Dougherty Station Community Center, and Stacy Darcy, Office Technician at the San Ramon Community Center. Vice Mayor Livingstone welcomed them and presented each of them with a City pin. Ms. Darcy remarked that she was glad to return to San Ramon and work in the City where she had grown up.

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The City Clerk noted that there were no appointments.

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Steve Liao gave an overview of the 2005 Building Bridges event. This annual community service project is sponsored by the San Ramon Presbyterian Church. Mr. Liao invited the City Council and residents to participate. Efforts are focused on serving seniors, the disabled, and single parents in the Valley. Tasks include minor household repairs, yard work, etc. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, October 22, 2005, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Participants may sign up to work for all or part of the day. There are a variety of jobs for every skill level. Mr. Liao added that child care will be provided if needed. The event will culminate with an evening barbecue. Vice Mayor Livingstone noted that this is a very worthwhile project. Cm. Perkins commented he had a wonderful experience at last year’s event. He encouraged residents to participate.

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The City Clerk requested that the Council continue this item to the next Council meeting. Cm. Perkins’ motion to continue approval of the September 13, 2005 minutes to the October 11, 2005 Council meeting was seconded by Cm. Rowley and passed 4-0.

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Resolution No. 2005-125 – Accepting Certain Landscape Parcels in Subdivision 8135, the Landscape Improvements on Those Parcels and all Other Landscape Improvements Contained in the Medians and Parkways of Public Roadways Within this Subdivision for Maintenance (Shapell Industries/The Bridges at Gale Ranch).

Resolution No. 2005-126 – Accepting PA 0005 (Hidden Valley Park, Lot 7 in Subdivision 8507) for Maintenance (Windemere BLC Land Development Co., LLC).

Resolution No. 2005-127 – Accepting PA 0006 (Limerick Park, Lot 8 in Subdivision 8507) for Maintenance (Windemere BLC Land Development Co., LLC).

Resolution No. 2005-128 – Authorizing the Mayor to Execute Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement with Pacheco Brothers Gardening, Inc. to Provide Landscape Plant Material Replacement Services in an Amount not to Exceed of $42,400.

Resolution No. 2005-129 – Authorizing the Sale of Surplus Real Property to the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Ramon.

There were no requests for public comment on the Consent Calendar items.

Cm. Hudson’s motion to approve consent calendar items 8.1 through 8.5 was seconded by Cm. Perkins and passed 4-0. Cm. Perkins commented that, through this action, the City has accepted Hidden Valley Park and Limerick Park in Dougherty Valley. They are now available for families to enjoy.

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Jeff Eorio, Parks and Community Services Director, presented the resolution establishing the "San Ramon Helping Hands" emergency relief trust fund. This fund would authorize the appropriation of up to $10,000 in donated funds to the designated relief organization as determined by the Council. City staff will coordinate donation boxes. Hurricane Katrina is the immediate focus of this program. Collection boxes were available at the California Symphony performance and the Grand Opening of the Dougherty Station Community Center and Library and several thousand dollars were collected. The program will be promoted at the San Ramon Black and White Party. The Party’s Mardi Gras theme will celebrate the spirit of New Orleans. He noted that the City’s financial commitment would be staff time and volunteer coordination. He requested Council direction to identify the designated relief organization. Cm. Rowley complimented Mr. Eorio on the report.

Vice Mayor Livingstone opened public comment.

Roz Rogoff commented that the program is a good idea. She suggested that the Council consider expanding this program to include local situations. She requested that either a second fund or a portion of this project be available for local emergencies. The local version could incorporate donations for items such as clothing, food, etc.

Cm. Hudson commented that the staff report does include local needs. He added that this resolution establishes the vehicle for donations. He stated that the Hurricane Katrina repairs will take several years and expressed his support for the program.

Vice Mayor Livingstone closed public comment.

Cm. Perkins also expressed his support for the program. He said that it allows for the mobilization of local organizations to ship and distribute supplies and assist local families. It includes the option to support either existing charities or other activities. He remarked that he was familiar with the Gulf Coast area as a result of his Navy reserve career. He contacted the Long Beach, Mississippi school district and asked how they had been impacted by Hurricane Katrina. They have 3 elementary schools, 1 middle school and 1 high school in a community of 17,000. One of the elementary schools, its library, and the City library were completely devastated. Without making a commitment from the City, he inquired about the opportunity to help them rebuild their library collections. He recommended that San Ramon make a direct and meaningful contribution to this community. He noted that small communities might get lost in the bureaucratic shuffle and that large cities have the political clout and savvy to improve their situation. Working directly with a small community, would focus San Ramon’s donation and make an impact in one community.

Cm. Perkins spoke with Sharon Keaton from Montevideo Elementary School to discuss how the school children might participate in this effort. They proposed creating a bookplate that says "From the citizens and children of San Ramon, California" which the students could sign and adhere to the donated books. For many future years, the citizens of Long Beach will open a book, see the bookplate, and know that someone thought of them in their time of need. He strongly recommended that the Council consider this suggestion as an opportunity to make a specific impact on a community in great need.

Cm. Hudson agreed with Cm. Perkins’ recommendation. He commented that it was a good way for San Ramon to leverage a relatively small amount of money. He added that Long Beach is also going to need school equipment, books, clothing, etc. He recommended that the Council make a motion to designate funds for Long Beach, MS.

Cm. Rowley supported the purchase of school books as an outreach project for school children. She added that children like to connect with other children. She expressed concern that people will need basic essentials before they need books. She expressed reluctance to designate all of the funds for books.

Cm. Perkins added that there are many large relief organizations that can provide the major needs of clothing, shelter, food, etc. He felt that it will take a long time for the school districts to get back on their feet. His proposal is a more personal touch and a way in which San Ramon can make a direct impact with a more limited financial contribution.

Cm. Hudson’s motion to approve Resolution No. 2005-130 was seconded by Cm. Rowley and passed 4-0.

Vice Mayor Livingstone gave direction to staff to contact the Long Beach school district on behalf of the City in order to identify their needs and determine what assistance is being provided by the major relief organizations.

Cm. Rowley suggested that staff contact the State Superintendent of Schools to identify other needy school districts. Cm. Perkins reiterated that San Ramon’s efforts are best directed to one district. He noted that Long Beach may not be the most needy district but that it has suffered significant damage. He added that contacting the State Superintendent of schools may provide other alternatives. Cm. Rowley requested exploring both options. Vice Mayor Livingstone proposed that staff contact the Long Beach City Manager to determine how San Ramon can be the most helpful. Cm. Perkins stated that he would provide his Long Beach contact information to staff.

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Planning Director Phil Wong provided the report. The Street Smarts Program is a collaborative effort between the Town of Danville, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Contra Costa County District 3 and the City of San Ramon. The objective is to improve and promote safety along local roadways through a valley wide public awareness/public education campaign. Phase I focused on the elementary schools. Phase II will expand the Program to the middle schools. To implement Phase II, staff has identified a contract person to augment staff support by providing Program oversight and implementation. Danville has authorized monetary support for the contract position. The City’s Finance Committee has reviewed and supports this resolution.

Vice Mayor Livingstone opened public comment. There were no requests to address this item. Vice Mayor Livingstone closed public comment.

Cm. Rowley reaffirmed her support of the Program. She commented that it has made a strong impact in the schools and made the public more aware of street safety for children and adults. She strongly supports the resolution and the need for additional staff.

Cm. Perkins’ motion to adopt Resolution No. 2005-131 was seconded by Cm. Hudson and passed 4-0.

Vice Mayor Livingstone commented that Phase I was an extremely successful public/private partnership. He added that a point person is an important addition. He noted that the Street Smarts web site, www.streetsmarts-srv.com, will be available soon.

The City Manager reported that eight firms attended the mandatory Solid Waste Collection Pre-Proposal conference on September 26, 2005. He remarked that this should result in a competitive bid situation which will benefit the City.

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Cm. Rowley thanked Darlene Amaral, Administrative Analyst, for her work on Street Smarts and Golden Skate for hosting the Street Smarts Skate nights.

Cm. Perkins thanked City staff for their hard work and efforts to make the Grand Opening of the Dougherty Station Community Center/Library/Police Substation a success. It was a wonderful event with an attendance of about 8,000 on Saturday and about 5,000 on Sunday.

He noted that the California Symphony performance on September 23, 2005 was marvelous with a wonderful selection of music. There was a good crowd in spite of the cold weather. He hopes that the Symphony will be able to return and expressed confidence that the community and City businesses will work together to make it happen.

Cm. Perkins said that the Dougherty Valley High School ground breaking was also held on September 23, 2005. The school is scheduled to open in 2007. He anticipates that negotiations with the School District for the Community Theater and Community Pool will be successful.

He also attended the Grand Opening of the Sycamore Open Space on September 25, 2005. He reminded residents that the San Ramon Black and White Party will be held on Saturday, October 1, 1005. This event will be a wonderful party with good dancing, entertainment, and fun. Tickets are available.

Cm. Hudson attended the Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Commission meeting. They discussed how to dispose of prescription drugs so that they would not be added to our landfills. He remarked that the California Energy Commission expressed an interest in being responsible for oil refinery permitting.

He attended the East Bay Regional Parks District Citizens Advisory Committee which discussed a universal access program. They are planning to put the District’s ADA requirements into a GIS program so that information regarding the accessibility of parks will be available on the website. Cm. Hudson suggested that the City’s web site include a direct link to this program.

Cm. Rowley thanked the City staff and the volunteers for coordinating the fabulous events which included the California Symphony performance, the Grand Opening of Dougherty Station, and the Arts Walk. She remarked that everyone was excited to view the new facilities.

Vice Mayor Livingstone noted that October 12, 2005 is the last E-Waste recycling event for San Ramon residents and businesses. He stated that the Street Smarts Skate Night is scheduled for October 19, 2005 at Golden Skate. He reminded the Council of the Primo’s to Primo’s Run on October 9, 2005. The San Ramon Rotary is sponsoring the CarboLoad Party at the Toyota facility on October 8, 2005. He noted that the Jazz at the Library series is being held on Friday nights at the San Ramon Library. He encouraged people to attend the San Ramon Business Expo scheduled for Thursday, September 29, 2005 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Dougherty Station Community Center. It will include seminars, exhibitors and a barbecue dinner.

There being no further business, Vice Mayor Livingstone adjourned the meeting at 7:58 p.m. and the Council convened to Closed Session pursuant to Government Code §54957 for City Council to meet with its labor negotiators, Jeff Eorio, Greg Rogers and Cheryl Mitchell Wade, concerning negotiations with SEIU Local 790.

Vice Mayor Livingstone reconvened at 8:38 p.m. and reported that the Council was updated on the status of the negotiations with SEIU Local 790. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:39 p.m.

Signed:
Jim Livingstone, Vice Mayor
Patricia Edwards, City Clerk

Approved at the October 11, 2005 City Council meeting, 4-0, Mayor Wilson abstain.