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A progress report at this week’s Pleasanton City Council meeting includes staff’s recent efforts and developments on updating the city’s Housing Element process, and outlines what officials call “a very robust outreach program” with the community. The update will be received during the council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, starting 7 p.m.
While continuing to advance with the city’s 6th cycle Housing Element, which covers an eight-year period from 2023 to 2031, officials are also putting together a “Public Participation Plan” (PPP). Although public outreach is required by law, “the state does not dictate exactly how that outreach should occur,” community development director Ellen Clark told the Weekly.
“The city has outlined a very robust outreach program, which you see reflected in the (PPP), including a variety of ways for the public and stakeholders to be engaged,” Clark said.
With “an approach that’s intended to be broad and inclusive,” the city will use mailers, print media and in-person events, social media, as well as both public and smaller stakeholder meetings to connect with the broader community about progress on the 6th cycle regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) process.
According to the update, three community-wide meetings early in the project are recommended “to allow for feedback and insight into the highest priority considerations,” and at least two stakeholder meetings with representatives for housing-related interests such as nonprofits, community service providers and market-rate and affordable housing builders.
Staff are also planning “reports or presentations to additional commissions and committees outside of the Housing Commission and Planning Commission”, as well as to groups like the Board of Realtors and at the Pleasanton Senior Center.
Strategies like signs and a booth at the Farmers Market may also be used, in addition to signs and electronic displays at City Hall, the Public Library, and Senior Center.
Clark said “significant efforts” have been made for community engagement during prior Housing Element cycles, “and this round will be no exception — and perhaps even more extensive than past years, particularly given the challenges of our large Regional Housing Need Allocation.”
“The need to involve and inform the community in the process is more important than ever, and we aimed for that to be reflected in the scope of the PPP,” Clark added.
A recently launched website will serve as the primary access point for residents to learn more about the Housing Element update and future meetings, and subscribe to updates on the project. The user-friendly site also includes project documents and a page of frequently asked questions.
This month, the Association of Bay Area Governments and Metropolitan Transportation Commission are expected to start issuing draft RHNA allocations and “specify the procedure and timeframe for the mandated local jurisdiction review and appeal process, before the RHNA is finalized later this year,” according to staff.
The city plans to appeal the draft RHNA allocation based on concerns about the methodology used, but will use the most recently published estimate as a working number in the meantime.
The final RHNA allocation will be issued later this year, which staff said should provide “sufficient time for the city to make any needed adjustments to the sites inventory or other components of the Housing Element.”
Though not finalized yet, the city’s draft RHNA allocation is currently 5,965 housing units, broken into various categories of affordability.
To learn more about the Housing Element update, visit www.pleasantonhousingelement.com.
In other business
* To pay for needed repairs and maintenance on geologic hazard infrastructure, properties in all four of Pleasanton’s Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts (GHADs) are poised to have a 2% annual assessment levied on them for the upcoming tax year 2021-22. The special district’s Board of Directors — a position dually held by the council — will convene to discuss the item during their annual meeting on Tuesday night, just before the council opens their regular meeting.
GHADs are formed “to prevent, mitigate, abatement or control a geologic hazard within the district” such as a landslide, land subsidence, soil erosion “or other movement of land,” according to a staff report. Land movement or damage due to an earthquake is specially exempted from coverage, however. Pleasanton’s districts are all located on the west side of Foothill Road: Laurel Creek Estates, Moller Ranch, Lemoine Ranch Estates, and Oak Tree Farm.
When GHADs are formed, the areas unsuitable for housing or other structures within the boundary are set aside as open space. Developers are then obligated to “construct infrastructure designed to lessen the likelihood that earth movement will occur or to minimize damage to developed areas should earth movement occur.”
Slope stabilization measures such as drainage ditches, pipe networks, and hillside armoring are often among the types of infrastructure that are built.
GHADs also serve as property assessment districts which fund annual activities like monitoring geologic and storm drainage infrastructure, and repairs on infrastructure. Geographic boundaries define each district, which receives funding through annual tax assessments from each property within its limits.
Engineers reported a laundry list of work for each district including cleaning debris from inlets and drainage ditches, repairing manhole structures, stabilizing slopes, trimming vegetation, and performing erosion control and routine maintenance.
A public hearing for the board to hear comments about the proposed assessments is scheduled to take place on June 15.
* The council will also waive and adopt a second reading of an ordinance to add a voluntary $1,000 contribution limit for candidates running for city office, and decrease the voluntary campaign expenditure limit to $24,000 for city council candidates and $30,000 for mayoral candidates.
Last month the council voted, 3-2, to establish the limits, with supporting council members citing concerns about the influence of money in politics. Councilmembers Kathy Narum and Jack Balch voted against the ordinance, arguing in part that candidates could be hindered in reaching out to voters.
* Final adoption of the city’s two-year work plan is also expected on Tuesday. After two separate meetings, the council recently wrapped up discussion on dozens of items ranging from adding cricket fields to restarting the East Pleasanton Specific Plan. The item is listed on the consent agenda, which are items considered routine in nature and usually voted on by the council as one motion.
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