Long agenda, but probably deceptively so.
We start the evening with a closed session regarding labor negotiations with the Sunnyvale Employees Association (SEA). I don’t think I’m permitted to explain what it involves, sorry. But it is only a 30-minute session.
The general meeting has no presentations or special orders, so we get right into it. The consent calendar is fair-to-middlin’, with a technology upgrade for our pavement maintenance, our annual investment report, the creation of a new classification called “Civilian Fire Marshal”, and a contract modification involving the ongoing sediment dredging of the ponds at the Water Pollution Control Plant. On that last one, sediment has built up in those ponds over 60 years, and it’s finally time to dredge all of that stuff out.
Item 2 under general business involves our annual review of the city’s legislative advocacy positions. These are standing positions we take on issues that concern the city. By establishing those positions, the Mayor or any of us as individuals can freely advocate for any of them on behalf of the city when opportunities arise (and likewise, we cannot advocate against them while representing the city).
Items 3, 4, and 5 are all related – awarding taxicab franchises, to Yellow Cab Company Peninsula, Checker Cab of Silicon Valley, and A Orange Cab, respectively.
Item 6 is an interesting one that I haven’t seen before – consideration of establishing a friendly exchange relationship with the city of Dubna in Russia. Historically, Sunnyvale hasn’t been big on the sister city concept, so this will be a new experience for me.
Item 7 is an item that was touched on at our last meeting – consideration of ratification of Councilmember Meyering’s appointment to the League of California Cities Employee Relations Policy Committee. Councilmember Meyering received an appointment to this committee, which requires ratification before he can represent Sunnyvale on the committee, and before the Mayor can authorize travel reimbursement for the meetings.
At this point, we have to adjourn to another closed session regarding the City Manager’s performance evaluation, which is listed as item 8. This is a repeat of that very odd new process that we have to follow regarding specific sorts of closed sessions, where we have to schedule it on the regular agenda, adjourn to closed session, then return before we can adjourn the regular meeting. Don’t ask me, but the City Attorney says it’s the way it has to be done, based on changes to the law, so that’s the way we do it now.
That’s about it. We then have our all-day study and budget issues workshop on Friday the 1st.
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