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Published on 03/01/1999 All articles from this issue

News Briefs

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Half-time position for economic manager

The Los Altos City Council will be considering authorizing the city manager to recruit one full-time person who will be a half-time economic development manager and a half-time management analyst.

The item will be on the agenda at next Tuesday's council meeting. The city had a full-time economic development manager until October 1997.

The city staff gathered input from both the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce and the Los Altos Village Association at two meetings in January for the economic development manager position.

Together, city staff and business leaders agreed to a list of objectives for the new person that include: meeting with downtown property owners and merchants regarding parking; developing a program of litter collection on public property in commercial areas; meeting and working with the various commercial districts in town regarding issues particular to their area; managing the First and Main Street property, including exploring development alternatives.

Gas station property at Grant and Fremont

The Los Altos City Council took no action Feb. 23 at a closed session regarding property acquisition of land at the former gas station site at 1287 Fremont Ave.

The session, held at 11:20 p.m. following the regular council meeting, was announced Feb. 19 after the regular council agenda was released.

Neighbors of the site on Estate Drive had hoped the city might buy the corner to either expand the nearby Marymeade Park or for open space.

City officials declined to comment on the item.

Garden House updates offered by Rotary Club

The Garden House in Shoup Park off University Avenue in Los Altos will soon be getting an update.

The Los Altos City Council, at its Feb. 23 meeting, approved $16,000 in improvements offered by the Rotary Club of Los Altos.

The club rents the facility from the city for its weekly luncheon meetings and plans to improve the interior of the building.

The group plans to paint the main hall, entry and to put in new lighting in these areas. Work should be completed by spring of 1999.

Bob Rayl, recreation director for Los Altos, said the Rotary Club will probably be asking the city to pay $5,000 of the project. The city has been considering these improvements since 1990 but has not had funds to do them. Rayl said.

Last year, Rotary Club spent $4,000 for 15 new folding round tables for Garden House.

New 7 p.m. start time for Los Altos Council

It's official. Beginning with the Los Altos City Council's meeting next Tuesday, the starting time will be 7 p.m. per a new city ordinance.

In an effort to have meetings finish earlier, Mayor Lou Becker began in December having meetings begin earlier, at 7 p.m. instead of the official 7:30 time. But the council could not consider any items that required action until after the official 7:30 p.m. start time, per the Brown Act regarding open meetings.

So from 7-7:30 p.m. council members gave reports that seldom went past 7:20 p.m. Then, since they couldn't hold hearings or take votes, they often took a 10-minute break until 7:30.

Now members can continue right into hearings and action items beginning at the earlier hour.

-- Joanne Griffith Domingue,