Los Gatos Municipal Code Div. 1 Generally

Pursuant to Government Code section 36503.5, general municipal elections in the Town shall be held on the day of the statewide general election.

(Code 1968, § 2-3.4)

(a) Findings. The Town Council hereby finds and determines that processing the nomination papers of candidates for elected Town office requires significant time of the Town Clerk and staff to receive the nomination papers when tendered for filing, evaluate compliance with requirements of the California Elections Code and verify the signatures and voter registration and eligibility of the candidate and the voters proposing a candidate. Twenty-five dollars ($25.00) is proportionate to the actual cost to the Town of Los Gatos of performing these tasks.

(b) Fee. Any candidate for the elected offices of the Town of Los Gatos (Town Council Member, Treasurer and Town Clerk), shall pay [the filing fee] to the Town Clerk at the time of filing nomination papers with the Town Clerk.

(Ord. No. 1898, § I, 4-20-92)

The officials of the Town set out in this section shall, before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, be included under a master bond to the Town, which shall conform to the provisions of the Government Code of the State relating to bonds of public officials. The master bond shall be executed by a surety company authorized to do business in the State and the premiums upon master bond shall be paid by the Town out of its general fund.

The limits of coverage limits are as follows. The deductible is $5,000.00 per occurrence.

Public employee dishonesty .....$1,000,000.00

Forgery or alteration .....1,000,000.00

Theft, disappearance and destruction .....1,000,000.00

The Town Council shall approve the master bond and when approved the master bond shall be filed with the Town Clerk.

(Code 1968, § 2-4; Ord. No. 1760, § 1, 9-6-88; Ord. No. 1932, § I, 3-1-93; Ord. No. 2032, § I, 7-21-97)

State Law reference— Bonds for town officials, Gov. Code §§ 36518—36521.

(a) Resolutions or orders for the payment of compensation for all appointive officers and employees of the Town shall be adopted or made only at a regular meeting of the Town Council.

(b) Department heads shall certify or approve departmental payrolls or attendance records for employees in their departments. The Town Manager will certify or approve payroll or attendance of the department heads. The Mayor or, in the Mayor's absence, the Vice-Mayor shall certify or approve payrolls or attendance records of all Council-appointed employees and other elected officials of the Town.

(c) Salaries and wages of appointive officers and employees of the Town shall be paid by payroll warrants issued in accordance with the time schedule established by resolution of the Town Council.

(d) Payroll warrants need not be audited by the Town Council prior to payment. Payrolls shall be presented to the Town Council for ratification and approval at the first regular meeting after delivery of the payroll warrants.

(Code 1968, § 2-5; Ord. No. 1780, § 1, 1-23-89; Ord. No. 2142, § I, 5-2-05)

(a) Signing check-warrants. The Finance Director shall sign all check-warrants drawn on the Town Treasury. The Town Treasurer, or appointed deputy, shall countersign all check-warrants drawn on the Town Treasury. In the absence of the Finance Director, the Town Manager or Assistant Town Manager are authorized to sign check-warrants as prescribed herein. If the Town Treasurer or the Treasurer's appointed deputy does not sign check-warrants within the prescribed time limits established by Town Council resolution, the Town Mayor or Vice-Mayor may review and sign check-warrants.

(b) Town bank accounts. All Town bank accounts will have any of the following two (2) signatories. Any two (2) of the following are required to process checks/warrants:

(1) Town Treasurer;

(2) Finance Director;

(3) Mayor.

(c) Delegation of investment function. The Council is responsible for the delegation of authority and responsibility for investments. The Council's delegate for investments shall annually provide an updated investment policy. The primary goal of the policy shall be the safekeeping of the Town's deposits and investments. In addition, the policy shall:

(1) Reflect that the Town will deposit no more than the exempted amount set forth in Government Code section 53638 in any financial institution unless the net worth of the institution at the time of the individual deposit exceeds the Town's deposit in accordance with Government Code section 53638.

(2) Limit consolidation of the Town's investments or deposits to no more than ten (10) percent of the Town's entire portfolio (except the Local Agency Investment Fund [L.A.I.F.], which can be higher).

(3) Establish criteria for evaluating the minimum financial strength of banks and savings and loans eligible for Town deposits and criteria for evaluating the minimum investment grade for securities eligible for Town investments.

(d) Acceptance of conveyances. The Town Engineer may accept on behalf of the Town any conveyance of an interest in real property and execute instruments of acceptance, including certificates of acceptance under the provisions of Government Code section 27281.

(e) Signing standard development contracts. The Town Manager may sign, on behalf of the Town, standard development, improvement and dedication contracts when such contracts are connected with conditions on land development, imposed in land division or zoning proceedings.

(f) Signing written agreements. The Town Council may authorize the Town Manager to sign, on behalf of the Town, specific written agreements.

(Code 1968, § 2-7; Ord. No. 1744, § 1, 3-7-88; Ord. No. 1965, § I, 1-18-94; Ord. No. 2080, § I, 2-20-01)

Copies of all contracts and agreements are to be filed with the Town Clerk including all contracts and agreements regarding the safekeeping of Town money. This shall include all contracts or subsequent agreements for any deposit or investment.

(Code 1968, § 2-71; Ord. No. 1744, § 1, 3-7-88)

The authority granted to the Town Council pursuant to section 36510 of the Government Code is hereby delegated to the Town Manager, who is authorized to select, appoint, supervise, and compensate as the Town Manager deems necessary within the ranges authorized by the Town Council, the Town Clerk and Town Treasurer. This delegation shall supercede any and all prior actions taken by the Town Council regarding the establishment, responsibilities, selection and compensation of the Town Treasurer, Town Clerk and Clerk Administrator.

(Code 1968, § 2-10.1; Ord. No. 2170, § I, 11-17-2008)