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Published on 02/03/1997 All articles from this issue

News Briefs

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18-month probation for sworn police officers

Los Altos city council members voted to change from a 12-month to an 18-month probationary period for sworn police officers.

"That makes the rules conform to the actual practice," said Los Altos City Attorney Bob Booth. "Council has the right to set the standards of employment." An 18-month probationary period has been in practice for police officers for about 10 years, Booth said.

"Each new officer signs a statement acknowledging that (the 18-month period)," said Los Altos Mayor Francis La Poll.

The item was on the consent calendar of the agenda for the Jan. 28 council meeting.

Alan Davis, a labor lawyer who represents the local Police Officers Association, took it off the consent calendar for discussion.

Police officers did not know the item was on the agenda until the morning of Jan. 28, said Los Altos police officer Tracy Gurecki, president of the local Police Officers Association.

"That should be a 'meet and confer' item," he said, something that should be talked about with the police and the city.

According to police, there is an inconsistent probationary period with officers returning to Los Altos or transferring into the department from other law-enforcement agencies.

For example, an officer is hired, serves his 18-month probationary period, moves away, comes back and is re-hired. Should that officer serve another 18-month probationary period?

Some do and some don't, Gurecki said.

Council to vote on 3-story condo project

The controversial three-story Etruscan Condominium project will be on the agenda for the Los Altos City Council meeting next Tuesday night.

The developer, Los Altos Hills resident David Knudson, is proposing a three-story 24-unit project for the corner of Foothill Expressway and Fremont Avenue.

Some neighbors, led by real estate investor Mike Harrington, object to the density and bulk of the plan and the traffic they say it will generate. They want the two-story 16-unit plan that was approved by the Los Altos planning commission.

This will be the second time the plans have come before the city council. The first time around, last October, council overturned the planning commissioners' recommendation of the two-story plan and unanimously approved the developer's three-story project.

Then Harrington, who owns property within 500 feet of the project, stepped forward and proved he had not been legally notified of the project as required by law.

Council then sent the plans back to the planning commission to start the process over.

This time the planning commissioners "strongly" recommend the two-story plan to the council, said planning commission chairman, Chet Frankenfield.

The council will vote Feb. 11. The meeting is open to the public and begins at 7:30 in city hall chambers at 1 N. San Antonio Road.

- Joanne Griffith Domingue