Modesto City Council Watch

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Modesto Council members today are scheduled to consider:

Approving a Stanislaus Countywide growth plan calling for housing densities as reflected in general plans already established by the county and its nine cities. If approved by the other agencies, the countywide Blueprint would be joined with other documents produced by the eight counties throughout the San Joaquin Valley. All envision higher housing densities except for San Joaquin County, which has yet to adopt a countywide plan, and Stanislaus, whose leaders remain skeptical about state-mandated greenhouse gas reduction.

Setting an asking price for land at 800 E. Morris Ave., where the red-brick John Muir schoolhouse-turned-community center stood before an arsonist destroyed the landmark building and stored antiques in October 2007. Terms of the sale will be discussed in a closed-door session.

Adjusting the city's Redevelopment Agency budget to reflect higher loan repayments for buildings, state requirements for education funds and lower revenue than initially projected. The council's Finance Committee recommends cutting $1.2 million, including reducing a requested subsidy of $6.18 million by $930,000 for affordable apartments to be built north of Ninth Street and Carver Road.

Hiring Delta Wireless of Stockton to repair the city's 250 mobile and 611 portable two-way radios, for an estimated $120,000 per year.

Paying HSBC Mortgage Services $155,000 for a vacant house on land needed to renovate a sewage pump station at the southeast corner of Nightingale Drive and Honey Creek Road. Its pump burns out about every other year because of inadequate ventilation.

Selling land acquired to build the overcrossing of railroad tracks at Needham Street and Kansas Avenue, which opened five years ago. The parcel at 1517 10th St. has been appraised at $463,000; an owner of adjacent property is interested in buying it.

Naming Councilwoman Kristin Olsen as vice mayor for 2009.

Appointing Councilwoman Janice Keating to represent Modesto on a committee recently created to select governing board members of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

Reappointing to various panels the following volunteers: Planning Commission, Tom Berglund; Board of Zoning Adjustment, Ted Brandvold, Amy Neumann and Henry Pollard; Board of Building Appeals, Bruce Norris; Citizens Housing and Community Development Committee, Carolina Bernal, Dana Culbertson, Charles Chituras and Michael Pratt; Community Qualities Forum, Carol Dolan and Kirk Stockham; Culture Commission, Alice Ingham Richards; Downtown Improvement District, Eric Benson and Andrew Mendlin; Equal Opportunity-Disability Commission, Harinder Grewal; Golf Courses Advisory Committee, Jeannie McDonald and Richard Laurenz; Housing Rehabilitation Loan Committee, Veronna Simril; Landmark Preservation Commission, Dolores Niemi; Local Cable Programming Committee, Chris Murphy; Solid Waste Advisory Committee, Jim Patton; Tuolumne River Regional Park Citizens Advisory Committee, Margaret Leaman and Mary Grogan; Citizen's Redevelopment Advisory Committee, Pat Gillum, Tammy Maisetti, Michael Pratt, Tom Slater and Michael Navarro.

-- Garth Stapley