HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 1982-01-27Mayor Gus Nicolopulos
Vice Mayor Roberta Cerri Teglia
Council:
Ronald G. Acosta
Mark N. Addiego
Emanuele N. Damonte
M I N U T E S
CITY COUNCIL
City Council Conference Room
January 27, 1982
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 54956 of the Government
Code of the State of California, that the City Council of the City of South
San Francisco will hold a Special Meeting on Wednesday, the 27th day of
January, 1982, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Council Conference Room, City Hall,
400 Grand Avenue, South San Francisco, California.
Purpose of the meeting is a Study Session to discuss the
following:
1. Newspaper Rack Ordinance.
2. Envirotech Presentation.
3. City Hall Addition.
4. Sister City Program.
Gus Nicolopul os, M~vbr
City of South San Francisco
Dated: January 22, 1982
A G E N D A
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CALL TO ORDER: (Side 1 TF-OO1)
1. Newspaper Rack Ordinance.
ACTION TAKEN
Reci ted.
7:10 p.m. Mayor Nicolopulos presiding.
Council present: Damonte, Acosta, Teglia,
Addiego and Nicolopulos.
Council absent: None.
City Manager Birkelo said that during
the construction of the Downtown Revital-
ization Council had instructed Staff to
work out a system to improve the news-
paper racks appearance to conform to
the project. He said that an Ordinance
had been drafted and was sent to each
of the newspaper companies and that it
had been viewed with disfavor. He said
that the companies did not see a need
for a regulatory ordinance and thought
that a voluntary program might achieve
the same objectives.
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Page 1
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
1. Newspaper Rack - Continued.
Director of Public Services Yee said
that the newspaper distributors
objected to the following: imposition
of application fees, limitation on the
number of newsracks and restrictions
on their location, the time limits
for compliance with the Ordinance are
unrealistic. He said that the news-
paper distributors proposed a plan
of self-regulation to monitor the
distribution of newspapers on Grand
Avenue and would install modular
metal newsracks at the present
locations where no precast concrete
newsracks exist. He explained in
detail the six locations where news-
papers are not displayed in precast
newsrack and the suggested alter-
natives for display purposes.
Discussion followed on whether the
existing structures could also be
used, removing the concrete boxes,
the cost of the concrete bunkers,
etc.
Mr. J. Hart Clinton, Editor of the
San Mateo Times, said that the City
had constructed the bunkers without
consultation with the newspapers and
that if they had been consulted the
bunkers would not have been placed
where they were placed. He said that
where bunkers are established it
was proposed to use them and where
they were inadequate to construct
newspaper rack holders which would
be artistically suited for the area.
Vice Mayor Teglia stated that the
Council's objective during the revit-
alization had been to get away from
the metal racks and chains that were
attached to telephone poles.
Mr. Clinton said that the newspaper
companies should not be penalized
for the metal racks and that that
had been done by people outside the
area who created the situation.
Councilman Damonte said that Council
was concerned with the undesirable
publications and that was why it
1/27/82
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AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
1. Newspaper Rack - Continued.
2. Envirotech Presentation.
was felt that control was necessary.
Mr. Clinton said that the newspapers
represented tonight would put up a
modular rack if additional space was
needed to display newspapers. He
said that the bunkers were objectionable
due to the fact that the newspapers
were hidden and as a result of that
very few papers were sold. He said
that the bunkers were litter collectors
and that was why racks were recommended.
He said that if vandals broke open
the racks then the newspaper company
would come in and replace the racks.
Vice Mayor Teglia related that the
revitalization of Grand Avenue had
not been paid for by City Hall but
the City had participated with the
Downtown merchants and the owners
and she felt that the other two
groups should be parties to any
change of bunkers to racks.
Councilman Acosta suggested that
the newspaper companies meet with
the Downtown Merchants and come to
an agreement in that they had paid
for the revitalization through
assessment proceedings. He said that
perhaps then the bunkers could be
removed or used as planter boxes.
City Manager Birkelo said that the
type of newspaper racks was one thing
and the regulatory ordinance was a
different issue which only the Council
can act upon.
Mr. Clinton thanked the Council for
their consideration and said the news-
paper group would meet with the Down-
town Merchants.
Mr. Jack LaRocca, Envirotech, acquainted
the Council on the Firm's scope of
services of the Waste Water Treatment
Plants and presented a series of slides
showing various operations.
1/27/82
Page 3
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
2. Envirotech - Continued.
4. Sister City Program.
He said that the proposal was to
contract for the waste water mainten-
ance and described the computers that
were utilized, management, operators,
superintendents and labor specialists.
Discussion followed on the degree of
Envirotech's responsibility in the
event of a successful contract,
effluent violations, legal fees in
the event of a lawsuit, life expectancy
of plant equipment, etc.
Discussion followed on mandates on
water quality control, air pollution,
violations of effluent requirements,
civil service employees vs. Envirotech
employees, unions, a guaranteed fixed
budget with Envirotech running the
plant, Envirotech's freeing the client
from plant operations and maintenance.
Mr. LaRocca said that at the time of
contract the City employees would
become Envirotech employees and a
package of benefits would be made
up for the employees comparable or
better than the City's.
Discussion followed on the various
employment and retirement plans that
Envirotech offered employees when
taking over a plant.
Councilman Addiego spoke of the City
incentive cash program, on-going
training and certification programs
and the low turnover in employees.
Councilman Damonte expressed concern
in that the City had experienced a
similar transition when the Harbor
Commission took over City employees,
however he noted that the plant would
represent a larger number of employees
going out of City service or being
absorbed by other City departments.
Discussion followed on employee moti-
vation, liability from accidents,
etc.
Mr. Alvaro Bettuchi, Chairman of the
1/27/82
Page 4
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
4. Sister City Program - Continued.
South San Francisco Sister City
Committee, said that last November
when he had addressed Council he
had put forth many issues for input:
Recognize the Committee by Resolution
as an arm of the City Council;
qualify as a non-profit organization
through recognition.
Councilman Addiego questioned that
this was something in the Council's
realm of authority.
Vice Mayor Teglia suggested that what
was being said was to make the Committee
a Commission, however a Commission was
selected by Council and she did not
believe the Commission wanted the
Council involved. She said that to
become tax exempt the Committee must
apply to IRS.
Councilman Addiego said that if the
Sister City Committee became a Council
Commission and had a program that
collected money, then the City would
manage those funds.
Councilman Acosta that a Commission
was an integrity unto itself, which
elects its members and Board of
Directors and solicits funds. He
said that then the City could rec-
ognize the Committee for the services
rendered the City.
Vice Mayor Teglia asked if recognition
meant that the City would contribute
funds to the Committee.
Mr. Bettuchi said that in working with
cities in other countries the Committee
wanted to know that it was representing
the City and that their actions were
approved. He said that if a Mayor
from one of the cities came to South
San Francisco this City might want to
do something for him, however if 30
people came to this City there would
be no obligation.
Councilman Damonte suggested that the
Committee make application under
Revenue Sharing.
1/27/82
Page 5
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
4. Sister City Program - Continued.
3. City Hall Addition.
ADJOURNMENT:
Councilman Addiego questioned the
control the Council would have over
the Committee.
Councilman Damonte said that application
for revenue sharing required a financial
statement be submitted each year.
Discussion followed on whether the
Council was being asked to fund a
structure or a program, how other
cities treated the Sister Cities
Program, the Committee having latitude
without being an arm of the City,
the Committee privately raising funds
without the City, the Committee applying
for revenue funds, that the Mayor would
sit in on the Committee's meetings.
City Manager Birkelo presented the
preliminary designs of the City Hall
Addition and the projected costs.
He said that Staff had discussed
adjacencies and four plans had been
designed and reviewed with the
department heads. He described the
floor plans in detail and stated
that the top floor in City Hall would
not be changed in any of the plans.
He said that Plan C had been recommended
at the subcommittee meeting, and that
Plan A had been recommended by Staff.
He said that Plan D shows a new
building of 6,000 square feet.
Discussion followed on the elevator
for the handicapped, the print shop not
being permanently located in the
basement, moving the print shop to
the Municipal Services Building,
the costs of the various plans,
selling surplus property to pay for
the addition.
M/S Damonte/Acosta - That the meeting
be adjourned.
Carried by unanimous voice vote.
The meeting was adjourned at ll:05 p.m.
1/27/82
Page 6
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
APPROVED:
'Barbara A. Battaya, City Cl~e'rk
City of South San Francisco
J Gus Nicolopulos, M~y'or v
City of South San Francisco
The entries of this Council meeting show the action taken by the City Council to
dispose of an item. Oral presentations, arguments, and comments are recorded on
tape. The tape and documents related to the items are on file in the office of
the City Clerk and are available for inspection, review and copying.
1/27/82
Page 7