City places two items on March 7 ballot

Voters to decide if library expansion should proceed

By Jeff Kearns

It's official. When Cupertino voters go to the polls in March, one of the issues on the ballot will be the city's library expansion. Although the vote will be non-binding, council members aren't prepared to make any final decisions until they hear from residents first.

The City Council put the issue on the ballot during the Oct. 18 meeting. Measure A, an advisory vote only, will ask voters on March 7 if they're willing to spend up to $22 million for a new library building, using a combination of the city's cash reserves and funding from bonds or other sources.

Voters won't be asked where they think the new building should be located. Instead, that phase of the planning process will be tackled after the results of the votes are tallied, an architect has been hired and the project has been better defined.

Before approving the text of the measure, council members changed the language of the resolution, which originally said that the city would spend an "estimated" $19 million from the general fund, up to "an amount not to exceed $22 million" by adding language that would allow the city to use funding sources other than the general fund.

In addition to Measure A, council members also decided to put a utility tax initiative on the ballot. That item, Measure B, would extend the current utility tax of 2.4 percent on phone, gas and power services for another 10 years, from 2015 to 2025. City officials say the city needs the future revenue to continue funding capital improvements. The measure requires a 50 percent margin to pass.

City Attorney Chuck Kilian will write short summaries of the measures for the ballot. The deadline to submit arguments for or against the measures to the city clerk's office is set for Nov. 11, and the deadline for rebuttal is Nov. 22.

In other action, council members took aim at two eyesores that city staff say are overgrown with weeds.

Code enforcement officials say the city has received complaints about a house at 862 Bette Ave., where overgrown weeds in the yard could pose a fire hazard, and piles of garbage are being stored in the front yard. City staff sent several letters to the property owner, who neighbors say they haven't seen around the house for the last three years, but all of those letters came back unopened.

Council members declared the property a nuisance and told the city attorney to get an inspection warrant. After that, the city can hire someone to tame the weeds and haul the garbage away, then send the bill to the property owner.

A property in similar condition, at 18781 Tuggle Ave., was set for a hearing Dec. 6, after the city sent several letters to the owner with no results.

Sheriff's Report

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