Council Briefs Council Briefs (October 29, 2004)

Development of Graham Reservoir delayed

The city council will solicit more bids to build infrastructure for the 8-million gallon underground reservoir currently being dug at Graham Middle School.

Several companies said it would take at least $12.3 million to build the tank, pumps and pipelines for the reservoir, a more than 40-percent increase from the city's estimated cost.

City staff attributed the lack of competitive bids to contractors being unusually busy with other projects this summer. To encourage more participation from contractors, the project will be divided into three components: reservoir tank, pump station and off-site pipeline.

The original estimated completion date for the reservoir was April 2006, but because of the need for re-bidding, the construction schedule will be delayed by four months. The playing fields above the reservoir should still be ready by September 2006, as previously estimated.
City hires firm to recruit retailer

The council authorized a $51,000 contract with a San Francisco firm to recruit a retail tenant for the ground floor of the city's new parking garage. Sedway Group/CBRE will begin looking for a retailer next spring to fill the 14,000-square-foot space at Bryant and California Streets.

Council members, who have indicated support in the past for a grocer or drug store at the space, asked how the rent from such a use would compare to the fair-market value of the space.

"We don't need a 20,000-square-foot restaurant," said Council member Greg Perry. "But we do need to know what we're trading off."

Sedway Group/CBRE was selected from among three local firms on the basis of an application and presentation to a selection panel.
Code enforcement improvements

The council heard a presentation from City Attorney Mike Martello about successful changes to the city's code enforcement laws since 1998. Specifically, the city has taken steps to make it easier for residents to find the right department to complain about code violations.

Martello cited the "broken window theory" as the reason for the change. According to the theory, one broken window or other "quality-of-life" crime can lead to numerous other problems such as more broken windows, graffiti or abandoned buildings, and a decrease in property values.

Martello said that although complaints made by neighbors are taken seriously, he said that sometimes there are clashes between residents. Code enforcement officers are not responsible to resolve disputes unless there is an obvious violation, added Martello.

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