CC 05-11-2021 (Joint Special Meeting)
APPROVED MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL, PLANNING COMMISSION,
AND HOUSING COMMISSION
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
SPECIAL MEETING
At 6:15 p.m. Mayor Darcy Paul called the Special City Council meeting to order. This was
a teleconference meeting with no physical location.
ROLL CALL
City Councilmembers Present: Mayor Darcy Paul, Vice Mayor Liang Chao, and
Councilmembers Kitty Moore, Hung Wei, and Jon Robert Willey. Absent: None.
Planning Commission members Present: Chair R “Ray” Wang, Vice Chair Steven Scharf
and Commission members Muni Madhdhipatla and Vikram Saxena. Absent: Commission
member Sanjiv Kapil.
Housing Commission members Present: Chair Connie Cunningham, Vice Chair Tessa
Parish, and Commission members Sue Bose (6:20), Govind Tatachari, and Siva Gandikota
(8:20). Absent: None.
All Councilmembers and Commission members teleconferenced for the meeting.
In open session, Mayor Paul reported out on the Special Closed Session Meeting held at
5:15 p.m. on May 11, 2021:
1. Subject: Public Employee Performance Evaluation. (Government Code Section
54957(b)). Title: City Manager
No reportable action was taken.
STUDY SESSION
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City Council, Planning Commission,
and Housing Commission Minutes May 11, 2021
1. Subject: Special joint study session meeting with City Council, Planning Commission,
and Housing Commission on the Housing Element update.
Recommended Action: That the City Council, Planning Commission, and Housing
Commission receive the report and provide input to staff.
Written communications for this item included a consultant presentation and emails to
Council and Commission members.
Community Development Director Ben Fu introduced the item.
Housing Manager Piu Ghosh provided a summary and introduced Paul Peninger and
Joshua Abrams, Principals at Baird + Driskell Community Planning, who gave a
presentation.
Councilmembers and Commission members asked questions and made comments.
Mayor Paul opened the public comment period and the following people spoke.
Jennifer Griffin was concerned that regional agencies were being influenced by funding
sources supporting high density housing bills.
Mayor Paul closed the public comment period.
Council recessed from 8:17 p.m. to 8:23 p.m.
Councilmembers and Commission members continued to ask questions and make
comments.
The City Council, Planning Commission, and Housing Commission received the report
and provided the following input to staff
provide information on Southern California cities with recent housing element
updates that are in‐compliance
look at having a sliding scale for impact fees based on proposed housing
affordability (ex: ELI to market rate)
look at which sites would be good affordable housing sites and work with non‐
profits to develop
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City Council, Planning Commission,
and Housing Commission Minutes May 11, 2021
upzone R1 to R2 along arterial streets and areas with access to transportation
look at developing multi‐family apartments along main corridors along existing
bus routes
look at adding conditions on major projects to require or incentivize developers to
build within three to five years from project approval
other cities/areas facing same challenges of conflicts when affordable housing
meets market‐based housing
tiny homes offer good value for the money to put more units in to help achieve
goal and to keep costs to a lower limit
economically difficult to support taller and denser developments with limited
land inventory and feasibility limitations to build up due to construction costs
concerned about sewage capacity and infrastructure; need environmental analysis
for infrastructure
concerns with meeting the funding necessary to provide the amount of affordable
housing development required by RHNA. Estimated required funding is
approximately two billion dollars.
look at removing the General Plan requirement stating that residential and
mixed‐use zoned properties in non‐Housing Element sites require a Conditional
Use Permit for residential development
look at addressing units for residents with disabilities
working in good faith to try to make the best product possible, achieve good
outcomes, in a way that is pragmatic and sustainable
ADJOURNMENT
At 9:32 p.m., Mayor Paul adjourned the meeting.
_____________________________
Kirsten Squarcia, City Clerk