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BACKGROUND <br /> On November 6, 2007, the Council adopted Ordinance No. 1961, approving the <br /> application of James Tong, Charter Properties (Oak Grove Development) for a planned <br /> unit development (PUD) plan for a residential and open space project (PUD -33). This <br /> project would create 51 custom home sites and designate the remaining approximately <br /> 500 -acre area for permanent open space with a regional trail and staging area. The <br /> project would be located on a 562 -acre site located in the Southeast Hills, near the <br /> present terminus of Hearst Drive, south of Vintage Hills and Grey Eagle Estates, and <br /> east of Kottinger Ranch. <br /> On December 5, 2007, the proponents of the referendum submitted to the City Clerk a <br /> petition containing 5,225 signatures. The petition was then delivered to the Alameda <br /> County Registrar of Voters (ROV) for signature verification. On January 11, 2007, the <br /> City received from the ROV the attached Certificate of Petition.' As prescribed by law, if <br /> the petition is found sufficient, the elections official shall certify the results of the <br /> examination to the Council at its next regular meeting. Accordingly, the City Clerk, as <br /> the City's election official, was prepared to certify the results to the Council at its January <br /> 15, 2008 meeting. <br /> However, before certification could take place, the property owners commenced litigation <br /> and prevented the City Clerk from certifying the results to the Council. Following court <br /> hearings and appeals, on Dec. 15, 2009, the City received a court order allowing the City <br /> Clerk to certify the referendum petition, and directing the City either to repeal Ordinance <br /> No. 1961, or submit it to the voters, as required by the Elections Code. <br /> DISCUSSION <br /> The City Clerk, as the City's elections official, is presenting to the Council the <br /> Certification of Petition (attached) at this meeting, the Council's next regular meeting <br /> following receipt of the court order. <br /> As provided in Elections Code §9241, once the elections official certifies the sufficiency <br /> of the number of signatures for a referendum petition, the Council accepts that <br /> certification, and then the Council must either: <br /> (a) repeal the ordinance against which the referendum petition has been filed; or <br /> (b) submit the ordinance to the voters at the next regular municipal election <br /> occurring not less than 88 days after the order of the Council, or at a special <br /> election called for the purpose not less than 88 days after the order of the <br /> Council. The ordinance shall not be effective until a majority of the persons <br /> voting on the ordinance vote in favor of it. <br /> Based on the random sample examination allowed by Elections Code §9115, the ROV determined that <br /> the petition contained 408 valid signatures of qualified registered Pleasanton voters. Based on the <br /> random sampling formula allowed by the Secretary of State, 408 valid signatures represents 115% of the <br /> total number of signatures needed to qualify the referendum petition. <br /> Page 2 of 6 <br />