Pressing Issues for the City Council Tonight

Judging by the long list of agenda items, tonight's meeting of the Milpitas City Council could be an interesting one.

Several issues that have drawn significant public attention lately are back on the agenda for further discussion tonight.

Here are a few of the highlights, and be sure to check back on Milpitas Patch for our coverage of the meeting over the next couple of days.

• Pay Raise for the City Manager: The Council will vote on a 2 percent cost of living adjustment for City Manager Tom Williams that will reportedly be calculated retroactively, going back two and a half years.
• Are City Security Records Open to the Public? What is and what isn't disclosable as a public record has been in Milpitas - particularly for Councilmember Debbie Giordano, who after being to key card records and video surveillance of the activities of Mayor Jose Esteves and Councilmember Armando Gomez by City Attorney Mike Ogaz. In light of Giordano's suit, City Attorney Ogaz has prepared a memorandum for the Council to review tonight that spells out the fact that, while key card records and video surveillance are technically items of public record, they are not disclosable, since they are classified as records to be used only for "law enforcement purposes."
• Review of the Firefighters' Local 1699 Dental Fund: Several discrepancies in the firefighters' City-sponsored dental fund were allegedly uncovered by an independent accounting firm hired by the City recently, including the fact that the fund's managers have not complied with proper accounting procedures, and no tax forms have been completed since 2004.
• Review of the Parks Master Plan: The City Council will review the budget and proposed renovations for the City's many public parks.
• Receive the December Report on Odor Control: It's no secret that for quite some time, thanks to the city's close proximity to the Newby Island Landfill. Tonight, a report on odor control and public complaints during the month of December will be heard by the City Council.
• Mayor to Recommend New Appointees for City Planning Commission: After last month, Mayor Esteves is due to appoint two new members of the commission, to replace both Tiernan and Commissioner Noella Tabladillo, whose term expired at the end of 2011.
• Referendum Against City Ordinance on Campaign Finance Reform: A group of citizens led by Ed Riffle have acquired a few thousand signatures on a petition asking the City to overturn its Campaign Finance Reform ordinance introduced in September and approved in October. The ordinance imposes a number of guidelines for council members and their interactions with civilians. Among these guidelines are campaign contributions limits and spending ceilings for elections, and a requirement for council members to disclose any financial or personal relationships or conflicts with anyone doing business with the City. Riffle and his supporters say the ordinance "seeks to punish those who dare to criticize or challenge the City Council," and "unfairly allows people who are simply trying to exercise their freedom of speech to be ensnared by a requirement to register with the city government. "
• Newby Island Landfill Expansion: The City is considering voting to allow the maximum height of the landfill to be raised to 245 feet, thereby expanding the capacity of the landfill to be able to hold 15.12 million cubic feet of waste. The City has not yet heard an Environmental Impact Report on the potential expansion.

Meetings of the Milpitas City Council are open to the public. The public session begins at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at , 455 E. Calaveras Blvd. For more information, visit the City website.