City Council Roundup
June 23, 2009 Meeting
By Robert Haugh
Roll Call: All Council members present.
Approval of the Minutes: The May 19, 2009, May 26, 2009 Joint City Council/Planning Commission Meeting and May 26, 2009 - Special Meeting were approved and filed.
Special Order of Business:
• Outgoing Commission Members Marwan A, Fawal, Cultural Advisory Commission (1998-2009), Mary Ann Marinshaw, Historical and Landmarks Commission (1999-2009), Frank J. Barcells, Planning Commission (2005-2009) and Edward L. Murphy, Senior Advisory Commission (2005-2009) were honored and recognized.
• The City of Santa Clara Silicon Valley Power Scholarship and Technical Grant Awards were presented to recipients. (See Page 6 for full story).
• Estella Ross Lockwood was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Cultural Advisory Commission for the full term ending June 30, 2013.
• Deborah Costa was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission for the full term ending June 30, 2013.
Unfinished Business:
San Francisco 49ers Proposed Stadium:
• Council Approved the recommendation regarding the process and timeline for creating a Charter Review Committee while Informational reports discussing the immense potential event synergies between the Santa Clara Convention Center and a new stadium and estimated costs regarding potential ballot measure for the stadium up to the 2010 Primary Election were noted and filed.
Ballot options include a March 10, 2010 All-Mail Ballot which is currently being researched as in general, this option under Election Code is limited to Cities under 100,000 residents. Estimated costs for this election would be $364,459. A second ballot option would be an April 13, 2010 Special Citywide election, carrying an approximate cost of $652,395. The third and most cost-efficient ballot measure would be holding the election during the June 8, 2010 Primary election, which would cost an estimated $151,644.
To declare a ballot for the March 2010 all-mail ballot option, if feasible, Council would move by November 24, 2009 to gold that election. For the April 2010 option, Council would need to call an election by December 15, 2009. Finally, for the June 2010 option, Council would need to call for that ballot measure by February 2010.
The Charter Review Committee will be comprised of 16 members, with each Council member appointing one individual, one member appointed by the Citizen’s Advisory Commission, one appointed the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce, and seven (7) at-large members to be selected by the City Council through an application/interview process similar to such used for other Commission and Board vacancies. Letters of interest must be submitted to the City by August 12, 2009. Informal interviews are scheduled tentatively for August 18 at 5:30 p.m., with selection of members immediately following at the Council meeting. All applicants must be Santa Clara residents and registered voters, as required for all City Boards and Commissions.
The initial committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 20 at 5:30 p.m. in Council chambers with subsequent meetings at same time and location on Thursday, September 3, Thursday, September 17 and Thursday, October 1 (if necessary).
