HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 1988-04-20Mayor Jack Drago
COunci 1:
Mark N. Addiego
Ri chard A. Halley
Gus Nicolopulos
Roberta Cerri Teglia
MINUTES
City Council ~
City Council Conference Room
City Hall
April 20, 1988
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 20th day of April, 1988 at 7:00 p.m., in the City
Council Conference Room, City Hall, 400 Grand Avenue, South San Francisco, California.
Purpose of the meeting:
1. Interviews for the Personnel Board.
2. Discussion and direction to Staff on the Grand Jury Report on the Westborough
Water District.
3. Closed Session for the purpose of the discussion of personnel matters, labor
relations, property negotiations and litigation.
Barbara A. Battaya~
City of South San Francisco
~Dated:
April 18, 1988
AGENDA
CALL TO ORDER: (Cassette No. 1)
ROLL CALL:
1. Interviews for the Personnel Board.
~.0O0
ACTION TAKEN
7:02 p.m. Mayor Drago presiding.
Council present:
Council absent:
Addiego, Nicolopulos,
Teglia and Drago.
Halley.
Mayor Drago stated that this evening's
applicants would be interviewed for
the two expired terms on the Personnel
Board. He stated that the two Board-
members had asked to be reappointed to a
second term, and one had opted to be
interviewed this evening - Mr. Galeno.
Councilman Addiego stated that there was
some controversy over having this par-
ticular interviewing session, however, in
December the Council would have to
replace Mr. Park because he would be
completing his second term. He stated
that there would also be two potential
openings on the Board with Ms. Humbert
and Mr. Strazzarino, so this meeting was
4/20/88
Page I
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
Personnel Board Interviews - Continued.
Councilman Haffey Arrived:
(Cassette No. 2)
Discussion and direction to staff
on the Grand Jury Report on the
Westborough Water District. ~o~q
not just an exercise, for the Council
would have to make some decisions.
He stated that Mr. Galeno had chosen to
be interviewed, and he assumed that the
other incumbent had had the same oppor-
tunity and chose not to be interviewed.
Vice Mayor Teglia stated that the indivi-
dual had been told that it was neither
requested or expected by Council, yet the
option was there if they chose.
Council interviewed Gloria Taormino.
Councilman Haffey arrived at 7:37 p.m.
Council interviewed: Mario Raffaelli;
William Tidd, and Oscar Galeno.
Mayor Drago stated that another indivi-
dual had yet to be interviewed, and a
decision would not be made tonight. He
stated that the incumbents for the two
seats had requested reappointment,
however, there would be other openings
for appointments at the end of the year,
wherein the members had completed two
terms and were not eligible for reap-
pointment. He stated that Council would
be making selections within the next
couple of meetings.
City Manager Lewis stated that the 1987
Grand Jury had recommended that the City
take over the operation of the
Westborough Water District, and the City
had a responsibility to provide a
response to that query. He stated that
he had requested an extension for the
response until May 15th.
He stated that last year LAFCO had made a
similar recommendation, and the Council
had taken the position that the recommen-
dation was maybe appropriate for the long
term, but really it could not be actually
implemented unless either the District
Board or the Westborough voters were con-
vinced that it would make economic and
political sense. He stated that after
the City's response LAFCO had made the
4/20/88
Page 2
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
Grand Jury Report - Continued.
decision to leave the District in status
quo at that time.
Mayor Drago questioned how the Grand Jury
how become involved in this process.
City Manager Lewis stated that part of
their goal was to look at all special
districts which included the Bayshore
District and Westborough.
Discussion followed: why there was not a
recommendation from staff on this item;
City Manager - that it fell into the
sphere of being a political issue;
Councilman Haffey - that it was an admin-
istrative standpoint rather than a poli-
tical, and it should be policy rather
than political; that it would be very
difficult to implement the recommen-
dation; that the City would have to be
approached by the District or the
Westborough voters to implement the
recommendation, etc.
Mr. Mahar, President Westborough Water
Direct Board of Directors, stated that it
had requested an extension to answer the
recommendation because it had been
involved in a recruitment process for a
new General Manager.
He stated that he felt his Board was
doing a good job, and had the lowest
water rates in the area.
Councilman Nicolopulos questioned what
type of input had influenced the Grand
Jury recommendation.
Mr. Wright, General Manager, stated that
the Grand Jury report had erroneous data,
and did not take into consideration the
institutional constraints or the fact
that the Agency itself had long term
planning.
He stated that the Agency had requested
an extension to the 30th to respond to the
Grand Jury report.
4/20/88
Page 3
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
O!
Grand Jury Report - Continued.
He stated that in the report Westborough
appears twice, however, the first
Westborough was really Hillsborough.
Councilman Nicolopulos requested a recom-
mendation from the City Attorney.
City Attorney Armento stated that recent
changes in the law had a tendency to push
for consolidation of all small districts
into the larger governmental units, which
could have been the driving force behind
the Grand Jury recommendation. She
stated that the City had received the
report for a response, and it had to give
a response.
Mayor Drago questioned if the response to
LAFCO would suffice for the same response
to the Grand Jury.
City Attorney Armento thought it would
suffice, but didn't think the response to
the Grand Jury had to be as long or as
detailed as the response to LAFCO.
Discussion followed: that the City did
not have its own water system, and if the
City could assume administration of the
Westborough Water District - it could
take over California Water as well; that
Councilman Haffey felt it was logical
that this District be absorbed by the
City, however, the relevant costs had to
be analyzed, as well as capital improve-
ments that needed to be made to the
District; that Mr. Waters had expressed a
great desire to Councilman Haffey for the
City to absorb the system.
Mr. A1 Waters, 2266 Shannon Dr., stated
that the question had been posed to him
as an applicant to the Planning
Commission by a Councilmember, and he had
replied that he had always been for one
system.
He stated that as a Boardmember he felt
that at this time it was a little late to
be saying that we are going to get into a
private system.
4/20/88
Page 4
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
r 2.
Grand Jury Report - Continued.
He stated that he had come to the Council
representing the Westborough Concerned
Citizens and requested consideration of
district elections. He stated that there
had never been a response from the City
on the question, and still there was not
representation of the Westborough com-
munity in the City.
Discussion followed: that the
Westborough Special District was resolved
by the legislature, and was a duly
elected body; that the City was only
trying to respond to the Grand Jury, and
not trying to absorb anything; that
Councilman Addiego was against the idea
of district elections; that the Chairman
of the Planning Commission was a resident
of Westborough; that the consensus of
Council was to respond to the Grand Jury
recommendation as conservatively as
possible, etc.
M/S Haffey/Teglia - That the City has no
objection to the Grand Jury's recommen-
dation, however, we are not necessarily
going to take any action to facilitate it
at this time.
Mr. Caesar Churchwell questioned if the
Council would do a feasibility study.
Mayor Drago stated that tonight's meeting
only involved a response to the Grand
Jury in that the City had requested a
thirty day extension for that response.
He stated that the Council was not trying
to take over anything either way, and was
trying to keep an open mind on the issue.
Mr. Churchwell stated that he would like
to see Council take charge of the Board.
Vice Mayor Teglia stated that she felt
that the response should indicate to the
Grand Jury that the District was in fact
a legally constituted District, and the
City would have to be approached by that
Body to effect a change. She stated that
a great number of financial studies would
have to be conducted to determine if it
would be beneficial to either Body.
4/20/88
Page 5
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
Grand Jury Report - Continued.
Mr. Churchwell questioned if the sewage
plant was big enough to absorb the
Westborough Water District into the City.
Deputy City Manager/City Engineer Yee
stated that the sewage treatment plant
did have the capacity.
Discussion followed: whether the City
wanted to dedicate the 15% sewage capac-
ity to Westborough, when it had to buy
into their capital improvements; that
there was a division amongst the
Westborough community about coming into
the City's water system; that a poll
should be made of the community on the
subject; that the Board should turn back
to its constituency and ask for direction
from the people they serve on the sub-
ject, with consideration of feasibility
studies being made; that the Board or the
Westborough community would have to make
their voice heard if they wanted to come
into the City system; etc.
Mr. Jackson stated that he had par-
ticipated in the Grand Jury recommen-
dation, and felt that the Board would not
do a study in that they could not afford
it. He stated that he did not feel that
the Board would expend the money to elim-
inate itself. He stated that the Grand
Jury had been aware that this was a duly
elected body, and felt it would be more
advantageous for the District to come
into the City.
Discussion followed: that this issue
revolved around an issue outside of the
City's realm; that the Board could util-
ize its fees to have a study performed;
that the Westborough community had volun-
teers perform a community needs study
that addressed water, transportation,
etc.
Carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
Mayor Drago stated that as quickly as
possible a letter would be put together
in response to the Grand Jury and mailed.
4/2O/88
Page 6
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
--CLOSED SESSION
Closed Session for the purpose of
the discussion of personnel mat-
ters, labor relations, property
negotiations and litigation.
RECALL TO ORDER:
ADJOURNMENT:
CLOSED SESSION
Council adjourned to a Closed Session at
9:30 p.m., to discuss the items noticed.
Mayor Dra§o recalled the meeting to order
at 10:24 p.m., all Council present, no
action taken.
M/S Teglia/Haffey - To adjourn the
meeting.
Carried by unanimous voice vote.
Time of Adjournment was 10:24 p.m.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED ,
Barbara A. Battaya,
City of South San Francisco
APPROVED.
f~:yk Drago, Mayo~r!
of South Sah~Francisco
The entries of this Council meeting show the action taken by the City Council to dispose
of an item. Oral communications, 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.
4/20/88
Page 7