Publication Date: Friday, March 25, 2005
News Digest
News Digest
(March 25, 2005)
Council opposed VTA sales-tax measure
The Palo Alto City Council voted to oppose a half-cent increase in the county's sales tax rate on Monday night. That's because the funds raised would primarily be used to help the Valley Transportation Authority extend BART into San Jose, not local projects.
"Our message is pretty simple -- we do need our share of any transit dollars and we need them on a timely basis," Councilwoman Yoriko Kishimoto said.
The VTA board will discuss its future plans, including the sales tax increase proposal, at a meeting on April 22.
The council's vote was unanimous. "I never thought I would sit here in my official capacity and say that I would not support additional funding for transit," said Councilwoman Dena Mossar, a former VTA board member.
The council voted instead to support a "traffic relief bill," carried by state Senator and former Palo Alto mayor Joe Simitian, which would add $5 to annual vehicle registration fees for county car-owners. It would raise a projected $56 million over eight years.
The funds would be spent in a "geographically equitable manner," according to the city's official resolution.
-- Bill D'Agostino
Sheep owners won't go to mediation until late April
Because of scheduling issues, the owners of sheep that graze in Palo Alto's Bol Park will not meet with city mediators until late April. The meeting was originally scheduled for this week.
The city is trying to mediate a dispute between the owners, Brian Null and Julie Dawson, and a resident who complained about the sheep. Technically, such barnyard animals are barred from public parks by city rules, but the city might wave the rule if the neighbors and the owners can agree.
Meanwhile, the city has set up an e-mail address babablacksheep@cityofpaloalto.org to take responses to the controversy. As of Wednesday morning, the city had received 31 e-mails to the address, Assistant City Manager Emily Harrison said.
-- Bill D'Agostino
Train hits unoccupied car at Charleston
A northbound commuter train demolished an unoccupied black Volkswagen Jetta about 7 a.m. Wednesday morning at the Charleston Avenue grade crossing. The two occupants escaped safely before the crash.
Palo Alto emergency dispatchers and witnesses said the Jetta was eastbound and was apparently struck and disabled on the tracks by another car prior to getting smashed by the train.
Fire officials were sent to the scene about 40 minutes later when fuel was reported leaking from the car. The car's occupants were not identified.
One passerby reported it as a "horrible accident," but officials indicated it just looked that way.
-- Jay Thorwaldson
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