The Sunnyvale Sun

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A basic issue stumps the city council during budget debate

Talks stall over differences on bathroom facilities in ball park

By JASON GOLDMAN-HALL

Late into the night of June 20, the Sunnyvale City Council voted to approve the budget for the 2006 and 2007 fiscal year.

Twice.

The only contention in the budget discussion involved the building of bathrooms at San Antonio Park. According to Councilman Chris Moylan--an assistant coach with the Serra Little League--the lack of bathrooms at the field results in groups of children urinating on fences between games.

Councilman Tony Spitaleri motioned to approve the $239 million budget and include the bathroom construction, and Moylan seconded it. But before a vote was taken, Councilman John Howe motioned to separate the bathroom modification from the budget and vote on the rest of the budget, appropriations and expenditures separately.

Councilman Otto Lee seconded the motion, so it went to a vote ahead of Spitaleri's original motion to approve the budget with modifications.

Moylan and Spitaleri both said they felt a separate motion and vote was unnecessary because they could vote on both the budget

and modifications together, and therefore voted against Howe's amendment in favor of addressing the budget as a whole.

Howe's motion succeeded with only Moylan and Spitaleri voting against it.

But it didn't end there.

With the budget adopted--for the first time at least--the council then discussed the bathroom modifications, and it was revealed the city had been working with a neighboring school to let players use the bathrooms during games.

If no agreement is reached by the end of the year, the council said it would work with the school district to fund new bathrooms with money from the General Fund Service Level Set-Aside.

"Our preference is to do it the cheap way, but if we can't do it the cheap way, we'll do it the expensive way, but the point is that we do it," Moylan said.

The modifications were accepted on another 5-2 vote, this time with Howe and Swegles dissenting.

Even though the entire meeting is a matter of public record--broadcast on KSUN and recorded in official minutes--Howe said he wanted to point out for the record that Spitaleri and Moylan had "voted against the budget."

Spitaleri defended his actions, and said he was simply voting against an amendment and planned to approve the budget.

Howe then asked the budget be brought up for a second vote so the council could vote again.

It was voted on again, and all council members voted unanimously to approve the budget, with the modifications approved in a separate motion.

"I'd much rather have the council adopt the budget on a unanimous vote than have it be 5-2," Howe said.