By Anne Gelhaus
While the Monte Sereno City Council took no votes regarding a letter penned by a group calling itself "Citizens FOR Monte Sereno," a Feb. 6 meeting gave both the council and the public a chance to respond to issues the letter addressed.
Last month, the group mailed an unsigned letter to all Monte Sereno residents, lambasting the city's government for "arrogant leadership more concerned with process than how that process is impacting its citizens." The letter addresses a wide range of topics, including the city's budget, its heritage and tree-preservation ordinances and its efforts to save the Claravale Guernsey Farm.
At last week's meeting, Mayor Nancy Hobbs attempted to clear up what she and other city officials termed inaccurate information in the group's letter.
In the missive, members of the citizens group quote Monte Sereno's founder, Adm. Thomas B. Inglis, as saying that he envisioned the city clerk as the only salaried employee, and intimate that they share Inglis' view.
"This city was established ... as a 'minimum government' city," the letter states.
But Hobbs pointed out that the city planner was the last salaried staff member to be employed and that hire was made during Rosemary Pierce's tenure as city manager. Carolyn Lehr took over that position two years ago and has not hired any new staff.
The citizens group also questioned the city's budgeting $33,000 this year for a review of the general plan.
"An annual updating by city staff would have been sufficient," the letter states.
Hobbs said the general-plan review is being done largely in-house and is mandated under a new state law.
The letter also addresses what the authors say was misinformation published in a city newsletter.
"We want to know why staff is misleading residents by stating that the city receives only $25,000 in property tax revenues when this year's budget indicates that the city expects over $150,000," the citizens group asks.
Lehr has said the city does expect to receive just $25,000 in property taxes in 1995-96, and the other monies referred to in the budget come from the state. At last week's meeting, Hobbs said the City Council hasn't raised property taxes in eight years.
"The gist of the newsletter was to demonstrate how little of your property tax money goes to the city," Hobbs added.
Two paragraphs of the three-page, single-spaced letter are devoted to the city's involvement in the pending sale of the Claravale Guernsey Farm on Bicknell Road (see related story, page 11). Owner Kenneth Peake is trying to find a buyer for two acres of his three-acre parcel, and while the letter states that the city is in a "headlong rush to sign a letter of intent to purchase this property and business" and questions the liability issues involved, Hobbs said at the meeting that the city is merely considering an option to purchase.
"Many citizens have written us in support of the city's attempt to hold the farm until a foundation can raise money [to purchase it]," Hobbs added.
Former city manager Pierce questioned the dairy farm's value to the community.
"When [Peake] is out of the picture," Pierce told the council, "the charm of the place will be gone. You'll just have a barn and some cows."
Pierce is one of the letter's approximately two dozen authors. Others include Joel Gambord, owner of the John Steinbeck house, who ran into trouble last September when he removed rotting wood from the structure that the city deemed to be of historic value; and Bruce and Jan Bergman, whom the City Council denied permission to fill in a seven-foot ditch on their property.
Gambord and the Bergmans were part of a standing-room only crowd at last week's meeting; some audience members were forced to stand outside and observe the proceedings through the door or the window of the council chambers.
In her comments, Hobbs noted that Monte Sereno's Site and Architectural Committee is reviewing new information regarding the Bergman's ditch. But Bruce Bergman told the council that he felt the council's original decision was an overly rigid interpretation of the town code.
Bergman's sentiments were echoed by Bart Kingham, whom the council denied a variance to add a room to his house for his mother. The addition would have brought the square footage of Kingham's house above 3,000, the maximum allowed under city zoning laws.
Jim Rubinitz, a member of the citizen's group, asked that the council reagendize the issue of the letter for its Feb. 20 meeting so that his group would have the chance to address Hobbs' responses. The council unanimously agreed to do so.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, February 14, 1996.
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