CTRA Board of Directors Meeting - 5/6/03

Meeting called to order at 7:10 pm. A quorum was present.

In attendance: Paul Garrett, Alexandra McFarland, Holly Welstein, Laura Forrest, Kathy Durham, Jonathan Rabinovitz, Erika Enos.
Absent: Grace Liu, Paula Sandas.

Minutes from the 4/1/03 meeting were accepted as revised.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:

• Palo Alto Fire Department Chief Ruben Grijalva spoke to the board about a proposal to reassign three firefighters from Station 2 on Hanover St. to the summer fire season station at Foothills Park from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. In past years the Foothill Fire Station was staffed using overtime (net cost about 4160,000) and no firefighters were pulled from any of the other stations. Chief Grijalva noted that the proposal was part of the Fire Department's plan to achieve a 5% budget reduction which the city manager had asked of all city departments. Station 2 currently has 8 full time staff on duty at all times, more than any other fire station. Because of the proximity of Station 6 on the Stanford campus, and because the Rescue unit only gets an average of 1.8 calls a day, Chief Grijalva believes that the response time for emergency calls in Station 2's zone will not be significantly reduced. He noted that the department achieved most of its 5% budget reduction by increasing revenues and eliminating support personnel.

• Duane and Mary Bay gave the board an update on the efforts by University Lutheran Church to move and site a donated house onto their property on Bowdoin St. The house would be used to provide affordable housing for their pastor. They noted that a hearing for a conditional use permit and a variance will be held sometime this summer, and asked for the board's support. They explained that they had adapted the original site plan to accommodate concerns of neighbors with adjacent property

NEW BUSINESS:

• The board discussed Chief Grijalva's proposal to reduce staffing at the CT Fire Station over the summer and noted that earlier in the day homes in the neighborhood had received flyers hand delivered by firefighters' union representatives arguing against the staffing plan. In order to satisfy our mission to keep the neighborhood informed Jonathan and Kathy will obtain short statements from the union and the Fire Chief and include them in an e-news message to be sent before the PA City Council votes on the Fire Department budget Thursday.

• The board agreed that the University Lutheran Church rectory plan had been proceeding with sensitivity to the neighborhood and merited our support. Jonathan moved that the board give Erika, or a designated alternate, authority to speak on the board's behalf at the hearing for a conditional use permit and variance for University Lutheran Church. The motion passed unanimously.

OFFICER'S REPORTS:

• Social Coordinator:
  Laura requested CTRA letterhead for use in sending thank-you notes to people who donate time or supplies for our picnics.

• Secretary:
  Holly noted that the survey analysis was completed but because of computer snafus she and Kathy were only able to present a few charts. Kathy will send more information to the board via email when her computer is functional.

• Emergency Preparedness:
  Margaret Miller reported via email that 10 people attended the Red Cross Expect the Unexpected presentation last week on a very rainy evening.

• Government/University Observer:
  
  1. Erika reported that Dave Olerich has agreed to be a "committee member" of the Observer committee and report to her on City Council and Planning Commission meetings which he attends.

  2. Alexandra reported that as a step toward understanding the current parking congestion near the university, the PA Police Department has collected data for cars parked near the university on CT streets, identifying where these cars originate. This data will be reviewed during a parking solution working session, which has been scheduled with Stanford, Palo Alto and the CT Board Stanford Observer (Alexandra).

     In an effort to mitigate parking problems, the Stanford Community Relations Dept. has distributed a letter to Stanford associated cars, requesting them to respect the neighborhood and park on campus.

  3. Alexandra noted that Gordon Earle of Stanford University is interested in setting up a "house meeting" to meet with CT residents for an informal conversation. A date will be chosen and a location identified and communicated.

• President:
  Kathy noted that the next step in the ECR Study will be a joint City Council and Planning Commission study session. It will most likely be delayed until after the November elections.

NEXT MEETING:

The next board meeting will be Tuesday, 06/03/03 from 7:15 -9:00 p.m. at Kathy's home.

Respectfully submitted by Holly Welstein, Secretary, CTRA

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