This morning just before the full moon set at 5:50 AM:
Photo taken looking west from the Willows Community Center parking lot on Lincoln Ave, near the tall Cedar tree. (Across the street from Elva’s Coffee Stop.)
This morning just before the full moon set at 5:50 AM:
Photo taken looking west from the Willows Community Center parking lot on Lincoln Ave, near the tall Cedar tree. (Across the street from Elva’s Coffee Stop.)
Ballot Measures for the November 4, 2008 Election
4. LONG TERM AGREEMENTS IN CERTAIN CITY PARKS
This proposed charter amendment would give the City Council the right to approve park use agreements for 30 years at a time, without voter approval, in parks larger than five acres, if the agreement would enhance the recreation purpose of the park.
Currently, the City Charter only allows the City Council to enter into agreements for three years at a time except for parks where the longer agreements have been approved by the voters.
The three-year maximum limits the City’s ability to attract private companies to enter into sponsorship and operating agreements in those parks, which in turn provide funding for the improvement of facilities, such as pools, community centers and soccer fields.
The proposed revision would encourage private companies to make financial investments in exchange for lease periods long enough to obtain a return on their investment.
The charter provision would require that the long-term agreement must enhance the recreational opportunities of the park.
This measure would require a simple majority vote (50% +1) to pass.
Memo from Councilmember Oliverio
TO: San Jose City Council
SUBJECT: Reconsider Ballot Measure
Regarding Park land / Proposed Fire House 37
Memorandum
FROM: Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio
DATE: July 30 , 2008
RECOMMENDATION
I respectfully request that the issue of using Lincoln Glen Park for the proposed Fire House 37 be included with Agenda Item 3.7 (Proposed Ballot Measures) at the August 5, 2008 San Jose City Council meeting for discussion and for the city council to reconsider it’s prior vote allowing this measure to be placed on the ballot for the November 2008 election.
At the June 19, 2008 council meeting, important information was not available for the public discussion regarding the request to place on the ballot the use of parkland for the proposed Fire House 37.
I believe that it is in the Council’s best interest that this issue is heard again, which will give the San Jose Fire Department and the City Managers office the opportunity to provide the council with the appropriate data, maps, and a list of the other proposed sites that were investigated for the proposed Fire House. This information was not included at the June 19th council meeting nor was it included in the memo “Fire Station Construction-Lincoln Glen Park Site Ballot Measure” dated May 22, 2008, which was the memo given for this issue, Therefore, in my opinion; the council did not have all the information necessary to make an informed decision regarding this matter.
Ballot Measure Refinement Survey
“To generate revenue for park improvements and other recreational purposes, shall the City Charter be amended to allow the City Council to approve park use agreements for up to 30 years in parks larger than five acres, provided the agreements enhance the recreational purposes of the park?”
SJ City Council Agenda for 8/5/08
3.7 Council Discussion, Consideration, and Action on the Submission of Various Ballot Measures for the November 4, 2008 Election.
Recommendation: Council discussion and consideration of various ballot measures for the November 4, 2008 Election and adoption of resolutions calling and giving notice of, on its own motion, Special Municipal Elections to be held on November 4, 2008 to submit to the electors of the City of San José the following measures:
…
(4) A measure entitled “Long Term Agreements in Certain City Parks” to amend the City Charter to permit the Council to enter into long term agreements WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL.
Lincoln Glen Park off of Lincoln Avenue …
has trees, greenery, and open space …
until Firestation #37 replaces it.
Mercury News Coverage of Council Meeting
San Jose City Council spent 58 minutes the other day discussing the issue of removing Fire Station #6 and building Fire Station #37 on city park land.
However, the report posted on page 3B of yesterday’s newspaper, makes NO MENTION of it!
San Jose City Council voted yesterday to adopt a resolution ordering the submission to the electors of the City, at the Municipal Election to be held in November, a measure entitled “Fire Station Construction – Lincoln Glen Park site”.
The resolution passed. Three councilmembers, Pierluigi Oliverio, Kansen Chu, and Vice Mayor David Cortese, voted against the resolution.
The park land open space, next door to Willows Senior Center, is owned by the city.
SJ City Council – June 19
The video and audio of this City Council Special Meeting – 06/19/08 is linked from sanjoseca.gov/meetings.html and is posted at Watch or Hear City Council Meetings Live Online
Discussion concerning the Lincoln Glen Park site starts at one hour and 37 minutes (1:37:14 to be exact) into the recordings.