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Published on 03/22/1999 All articles from this issue

News Briefs

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Council taking action at study sessions

Watch those Los Altos City Council study session agendas. Lately, most of them have been listed as special council meetings, which means the council can take action on the item under study that night. And they have been doing just that.

It is a move to make efficient use of council time, staff said. City Manager Phil Rose pointed out this option to council members, and they all thought it was a good idea, said Mayor Lou Becker.

"Why take it back to the council and regurgitate it all over again?" Becker said.

Since the first of the year this has happened several times, including approving a 13.13 percent garbage rate increase at a January study session; and reducing the housing density in the Sherwood area at a March study session.

This has caught some residents off-guard.

Historically study sessions have been no more than an opportunity for the council to discuss a topic, without violating the Brown open meeting law.

Driver checkpoint on St. Paddy's Day

Los Altos Police set up a driver checkpoint on St. Patrick's Day in an effort to curb drinking and driving, said Sgt. Tom Connelly.

During two hours of the checkpoint, which was located on Grant Road at Eureka Avenue in south Los Altos, officers made three arrests for hazardous violations, issued five citations to motorists and impounded three vehicles.

One of the drivers arrested was found to be under the influence of alcohol, Connelly said. The other two were arrested on charges of driving on suspended licenses.

One of those drivers had had their license suspended for a previous DUI charge, police said.

"The checkpoint was the first of many planned for the year," Connelly said. "The goal of checkpoints is to combat drinking drivers and persons driving while their licenses are suspended, as well as to stress the importance of using seat belts," Connelly said.

- Joanne Griffith Domingue