$1 • Friday, December 21, 2018 • Vol. 124, No. 51 • morganhilltimes.com • Serving Morgan Hill since 1894
LOCAL SCENE Value the Youth The annual Morgan Hill Values Youth event will take place 8:30am to 12pm Jan. 26 at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road. The event is free. All youth, parents/guardians and adults who work with the youth in the community are invited to attend. The event is designed to help youth and families effectively utilize the Developmental Assets in order to empower the youth. For more information and to register, visit mhyouthconference.com.
Count the Homeless
History at the House
From 10 to 11:30am the first Saturday of every month, the Morgan Hill Historical Society invites the community to the Hiram Morgan Hill House at Villa Mira Monte, 17860 Monterey Road, for “History at the House.” Attendees are encouraged to share their knowledge of local history and landscapes during the ongoing monthly conversation. The event is open to the public and free.
Walk for fitness
BACKSTAGE PREP Getting ready for the show backstage at Martin Murphy’s Dec. 15 production of “Snoopy, the Musical”
are Alexander Beckner playing Snoopy and Brianna Monteymayor.
Martin Murphy sings MIDDLE SCHOOL’S INAUGURAL STAGE PRODUCTION A HIT Staff report MORGAN HILL
Martin Murphy Middle School students presented two performances of “Snoopy, the Musical” Dec. 15 at Live Oak High School. Students had been rehearsing with their director, April Gaylord, to put on the school’s inaugural full-length musical. Eighth grader Alexander Beckner played Snoopy, and classmate Madeline Johnson played Peppermint Patty.
Scott Hinrichs
The Morgan Hill Walking Group for Fitness meets for daily walks six days a week. Monday through Friday, the group walks from 6 to 7pm. On Saturdays, walks are from 9 to 10:30am. The group meets at the Morgan Hill Center parking lot at Hale and West Main avenues. The group walks at a moderate pace, rain or shine, yearround. Everyone is welcome, including pet dogs.
Scott Hinrichs
The 2019 annual “Point-inTime” Homeless Census and Survey will take place in Morgan Hill, 4:30 to 10am Jan. 29, and city staff is looking for volunteers. Pointin-Time Count data are the primary data used for federal funding allocations and national estimates of homelessness. The numbers reported by your community are used by the US Interagency Council on Homelessness and all federal departments including Housing and Education. Count numbers are also most often cited by local strategic plans, state, county and city government and the media. To register to volunteer, visit https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/SantaClara-PIT-2019.
ENCORE The cast of the Dec. 15 production.
City to spend $3M on ag land AGREEMENT HINGES ON CITY FINDING TRUSTEE FOR PROPERTY Jaqueline McCool Reporter
In a resolution two years in the making, the Morgan Hill City Council has moved forward with the purchase of 33 acres of land in the Southeast Quadrant from Chiala Farms. However, it remains to be seen if the city can find a trust or steward to take care of the site
and enforce an open space easement on the property. The land is on what is called the Fountain Oaks Ranch and will cost the city $3 million from the city’s Agriculture and Open Space Preservation Fund. Originally expected to be land used for agricultural mitigation if the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) had approved the annexation of 60 acres near Tennant and Murphy avenues, the property will now solely and forever be used to preserve agricultural land. LAFCO denied a
motion to approve the annexation Dec. 5 with a 5-2 vote, despite Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman's motion hinging on the city’s purchase of the Chialas’ 33 acres. The commissioners passed the staff report denying the annexation, 4-3, with Commissioner Rob Rennie voting against approval of the report for the second vote. Following the fivehour LAFCO meeting last Wednesday, Morgan Hill city staff and Mayor Steve Tate headed to the council meeting,
where the City Council unanimously approved the purchase of the Fountain Oaks property, to the East of Hill Road and North of Maple Avenue. Despite the council’s unanimous approval, the decision did not come without disagreement between the council, the Open Space Authority, the county and the Santa Clara Valley Land Trust. The original land purchase was supposed to be 68 acres, partially funded through grants from the county and the High Speed Rail Authority. Those grants were not approved. The city’s
staff report describes the fallout: “Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the county, the authority, and the city’s team, the state’s concerns about the high cost of the [agricultural conservation easement] have resulted in the grant funds being unavailable.” The city then worked with the property owner— the Chiala family— to identify land the city could purchase on its own through the Agriculture and Open Space Preservation Fund. ➝ Purchase, 10