The City Council of the City of Sunnyvale adjourned from a 5:45 p.m. Study Session regarding Downtown Plaza Design Charrette and a 6:30 p.m. Study Session regarding Adult Business Regulation Update and met in regular session in the City Council Chambers, 456 West Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale, California, at 7:30 p.m. with Mayor Vorreiter presiding.

The salute to the flag was led by Mayor Vorreiter.

PRESENT:
Mayor Pat Vorreiter
Vice Mayor Jack Walker
Councilmember Manuel Valerio
Councilmember Jim Roberts
Councilmember Julia Miller
Councilmember Tim Risch

ABSENT:
Councilmember Fred Fowler

STAFF PRESENT:
Robert S. LaSala, City Manager
Amy Chan, Assistant City Manager
Valerie J. Armento, City Attorney
Trudi Ryan, Planning Officer
Lorrie Gervin, Environmental Services Manager
Rocio Abundis-Rodriguez, Administrative Services Manager
Linda Kelly, Sr. Management Analyst/Deputy City Clerk

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Margaret Lawson, Chair of Celebrate Sunnyvale 2000, distributed income and expense data for the Celebrate Sunnyvale 2000 organization to the Council and presented an update on the group’s projects.

Suzi Blackman, President/CEO of the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, announced Sunnyvale night with the San Jose Giants on August 18. She stated that anyone interested in attending may call 736-4971, or pick up tickets at the Chamber office.

Thomas Mayer announced the Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association Annual Picnic to be held on August 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Almaz Negash of the Bay Area Eritrean Development Foundation presented her organization’s mission. She stated that there are currently approximately 4,000 Eritrean people in Silicon Valley, and that most are here due to the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. She stated that most Eritreans in the Bay Area are professionals. Anyone wishing more information regarding her organization may call 737-1605.

Mayor Vorreiter stated that the City is having an International Street Fair on Saturday, September 23, and that cultural groups are invited to set up booths and displays.

Vice Mayor Walker moved, and Councilmember Valerio seconded, approval of the Consent Calendar. The motion carried unanimously.

Environmental Services Manager Gervin presented the staff report and responded to Council questions. City Attorney Armento also responded to Council questions.

Mayor Vorreiter opened the public hearing at 7:50 p.m.

Billie Barewald, with Mountain View Citizens for Safe Drinking Water, stated that she wanted to show a video on the harmful effects of fluoride. She stated that the Mountain View measure was put on the ballot by outside promoters who misled the public. She encouraged the Council to allow time for opponents to present their issues.

David Lamar, Mountain View, stated that fluoride was a controversial issue, and that the Council was doing the citizens a disservice by not entertaining comments on fluoride safety. He also asked for a public forum on the issue.

Shirley Gold, Sunnyvale, provided handouts which discuss the harmful effects of fluoride on early child development. She asked the Council to strongly consider their decision, and stated that 98% of Europe is not on fluoridated water.

Bobbi Evenson, Sunnyvale, spoke in opposition to the use of fluoride and all other chemical additives in Sunnyvale water. She read the warning label on Crest toothpaste which warns against excessive fluoride ingestion, and asked if there would be a warning label for drinking water.

Lowell Carlstrom, Sunnyvale, stated is he opposed to placing the item on the ballot, and that the item should be delayed, studied and then discussed.

Alexander Eulenberg, Mountain View, stated that fluoride may cause risks for some people and asked how people will be compensated for bottled water if they do not choose to use fluoridated water. He stated that it would be a loss of autonomy for the City if it accepts San Francisco’s water, and that the City would be hindered from going back to non-fluoridated water.

Jeff Green, Director for Citizens for Safe Drinking Water of San Diego, stated that the City was not compelled to fluoridate, and that it is not a statewide issue. He also stated that the City would abdicate its role as protector of the water.

Maureen Jones, San Jose, stated that the fluoridation cause is based on an appeal that it is for poor children, and that this was misleading since early childhood tooth decay was caused by not weaning children early enough, not by lack of fluoride.

Gary Wesley, Mountain View, stated that the legislature has provided four election dates for local elections. He also stated that he is currently on trial with the City of Mountain View for their alleged violations of the Brown Act, and that the Brown Act requires that Council take input before it takes action.

Dr. Ken Horowitz, dentist and professor at Foothill College, stated that outsiders did not come into Mountain View to put the item on the ballot. He stated that there was an alarming tooth decay problem in Mountain View, and that he and his dental students walked the streets of Mountain View regarding the ballot measure.

Barbara Dawson, Palo Alto, stated that Palo Alto water has been fluoridated since 1952, and that the State classifies fluoride compounds as toxic. She also asked how the Council would ensure voters get information on both sides of the issue.

Warner Gans, Sunnyvale, stated that drinking water in Chicago has been fluoridated for 43 years and asked questions regarding the specifics of water fluoridation. He further stated that it is a proper thing to add fluoride and voters should have an opportunity to vote on this.

Thom Mayer, Sunnyvale, stated that he was concerned that water rates would double if the City has to get water elsewhere, and that if the City could use the fluoridated water without an election, then he was in favor of that.

Mayor Vorreiter closed the public hearing at 8:21 p.m.

Mayor Vorreiter reopened the public hearing at 8:25 p.m.

Julie LaVont, Project Manager with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, stated that they were trying to make a recommendation to the San Francisco Commission by the end of this year, and that the construction schedule would be combined with the chloramine conversion project, which needs to be completed by mid-2003.

City Attorney Armento stated that this was a general election with a higher turnout and that placing a measure on this ballot was less expensive that holding a special stand-alone election. She also stated that this should not become a local candidate election issue, and that the County required the City to take action by the end of this week to meet the deadline for placing a measure on the ballot.

Maureen Jones stated that the percentage of U.S. population with fluoridated water was 49% and that another 7% of the population is on calcium fluoride, a naturally-occurring compound.

Mayor Vorreiter closed the public hearing at 8:30 p.m.

Sr. Management Analyst/Deputy City Clerk Kelly reminded the Council that if they wished to designate themselves or one of their members as ballot argument writers, that the last regular Council meeting to take action on such a matter is August 15. The Council took no action on a ballot argument.

Councilmember Risch moved, and Vice Mayor Walker seconded, to adopt the resolution calling a Special Municipal Election consolidated with the Presidential General Election on November 7, 2000, and approve Budget Modification No. 2.

Councilmember Valerio requested a friendly amendment that the City make available a public forum where opponents and proponents could be heard, to be recorded and televised on the local government cable channel, KSUN.

Councilmember Risch and Vice Mayor Walker accepted the amendment.

Councilmember Roberts requested a friendly amendment that representatives of both sides of the issue be allowed to record a statement to be run on KSUN.

Vice Mayor Walker stated that his intent could be essentially accomplished through the airing of the public forum on KSUN.

Councilmember Roberts withdrew his friendly amendment.

Resolution No. 176-00: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SUNNYVALE CALLING A SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE CITY OF SUNNYVALE ON NOVEMBER 7, 2000, FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING TO THE VOTERS OF THE CITY A MEASURE CONCERNING FLUORIDATION OF THE WATER SUPPLY, REQUESTING ELECTION CONSOLIDATION AND THE SERVICES OF THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS

The motion as amended carried unanimously.

Administrative Services Manager Abundis-Rodriguez presented the staff report and responded to Council questions.

Mayor Vorreiter opened and closed the public hearing at 8:52 p.m.

Vice Mayor Walker moved, and Councilmember Roberts seconded, to accept the report "Findings from the CNC Replication Study and Community Needs Assessment" and concur with staff’s recommended City Actions and to defer fiscal impact decisions at this time. Staff will develop recommendations and proposed fiscal impact for approval in the 2001-2002 budget process. The motion carried unanimously.

Councilmember Risch questioned item No. 3, and Planning Officer Ryan stated that the report for item No. 3 was an error and should not have been in the Council packet, as it cannot be appealed.

No action was taken on this item.

No action was taken on this item.

Werner Gans displayed recent newspaper articles regarding the housing/jobs imbalance and the housing crisis. He also stated that there should be high-density apartments built in Moffett Park to help relieve the housing crisis

Councilmember Miller thanked staff for hanging a banner in the Chamber on "Spare the Air."

Mayor Vorreiter requested a Study Issue on exploring an intracity transit system that might supplement the existing bus system, to serve the new downtown, new senior center and community center, and to include fixed routes as well as on-call.

There were no comments from staff.

Mayor Vorreiter declared the meeting adjourned at 9:03 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Linda Kelly
Senior Management Analyst/
Deputy City Clerk