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<br /> will make possible the reduction of taxes for Redwood Shores and therefore re -
<br /> quires a revised Tax Rate Ordinance to be introduced to reflect this change .
<br /> After much discussion between Council , Staff , Jim Trout of the State Lands Divi -
<br /> sion , Lou Allen of the Attorney General ' s Office and Walter Cook , an attorney for
<br /> the State Lands Division , it was brought out that Council ' s concern was centered
<br /> around the fact that local government had been completely left out of the discus -
<br /> sions between Mobil Estates and the State of California involving the transfer of
<br /> lands in Redwood Shores . It was noted that the public hearing to be held on
<br /> Thursday , August 30 , 1973 at the Hilton Inn at the San Francisco Airport , did not
<br /> leave enough time to assess the precise impact of the situation , since the re -
<br /> ports from Mobil and the State Lands Division attachments had only been recently
<br /> received and were apparently incomplete in themselves without the value of hear -
<br /> ings . It was noted that the meetings between Mobil Estates and the State Lands
<br /> Division had evidently been going on for some time without Council , or Council as
<br /> Board of Directors of GID 1 -64 , Redwood Shores , being consulted in any manner to
<br /> these prior negotiations , on which a public hearing was now set for this week
<br /> before the State Land Commission . Council showed concern regarding the ambigui -
<br /> ties and future ramifications of the decisions purported to have been made , from
<br /> the scant information received several days previously , between the parties , i . e . ;
<br /> Mobil Estates receiving a quit- claim deed on the 23 -acre Phelps Slough bed within
<br /> the site of a proposed regional shopping center in Redwood Shores - Mobil Estates
<br /> giving the State 132 acres on the perimeter of Redwood Shores to provide public
<br /> access to the bayfront - Mobil giving the state 800 acres at the tip of Bair
<br /> Island , for a wildlife refuge , with the possibility of an additional 800 acres
<br /> after further study relating to its ultimate use , of which Go acres would be
<br /> donated to the state for wildlife uses .
<br /> It was suggested that the public hearing be postponed for 30 days in order that
<br /> this item could be put on a Council Agenda as a special subject and allow those
<br /> involved in the area an opportunity to be better informed and to collect input to
<br /> present to the public hearing now scheduled for two days from now , but this
<br /> appeared to be impossible , due to a time element , by the State Lands Division .
<br /> It was brought out that this situation and process was ironic in that the citi -
<br /> zens are assured at the local level by a State law , namely the Brown Act , of
<br /> open meetings and discussions with an advance notice , which the State encourages
<br /> and makes sure is followed through at the local level , but which would appear the
<br /> State itself does not pursue .
<br /> With respect to the issue , Council pointed out that they hoped Mobil Estates
<br /> (Redwood ) Limited did not feel that their perspective as the developer within the
<br /> area could in any way be equated with the perspective of the City Council or the
<br /> Council as Board of Directors of the District as while they may be totally and
<br /> exactly the same it was not the place for the developer ' s decision of what was
<br /> best for the District to take the place of the decisions of the elected officials
<br /> of the City .
<br /> Mr . Ron MacQuarrie , Redwood Shores Homeowners ' s Association ,
<br /> stated that as a local group they were not notified of any
<br /> proceedings or negotiations that had been going on and that
<br /> the scheduled public hearing to be held on August 30 , at
<br /> 10 : 00 a . m . , would present a problem for the homeowners to
<br /> have representation on this kind of a notice , primarily
<br /> because the Association consists of working people , and
<br /> he hoped that the public hearing would be postponed and
<br /> held in the local area. .
<br /> There being no further discussion or written communications , Councilman Norris moved
<br /> to introduce Ordinance accepting contribution of $ 56 , 974 from Mobil Oil Estates
<br /> (Redwood ) Limited for stated purposes and subject to specified conditions ; and
<br /> appropriating S27 , 274 and $29 , 700 of said sum from Unappropriated Balance of
<br /> Special Deposits Fund as Reserves for anticipated cancellation of Reclammation
<br /> Bond Taxes and Facilities Bonds Taxes , respectively , during Fiscal Year 1973 -1974
<br /> for Redwood City General Improvement District No . 1 -64 , and ;
<br /> Ordinance fixing the amount of money to be raised by taxation upon the taxable
<br /> property within the City of Redwood City as revenue to carry on the various
<br /> departments of said City for the Fiscal Year 1973 -1974 , to pay the bonded in-
<br /> debtedness of said City falling due and becoming payable during said Fiscal Year
<br /> together with the interest thereon , to maintain the Public Library of said City
<br /> during said Fiscal Year , to provide funds for the Retirement Plan , to provide
<br /> funds for Parking District No . 1 , to provide funds for General Improvement Dis -
<br /> trict No . 1 -64 , and fixing and levying the tax rate therefor , seconded by Council -
<br /> man Rhodes and carried on roll call vote .
<br /> Mayor Keckley ordered a five minute recess at 10 : 01 p . m .
<br /> 8 /27/73
<br /> Reg . Mtg .
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