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subdivide legal parcels as of January provided that subdivision is for 10 or fewer units. He <br /> presented a letter to the Council, asked for the Council not to place the Initiative on the ballot <br /> and asked study be done. <br /> Lee Fulton said one thing said over and over is that Oak Grove is the result of exhaustive <br /> negotiations with communities. Vintage Hills and Gray Eagle were never included in any <br /> negotiations, but with three owners of Kottinger Ranch Homeowner Association and the <br /> developer. He personally requested to be included in negotiations early on, without success. He <br /> urged the Council not to make the illogical conclusion that since 5,000 voters signed the <br /> Initiative, the rest of the voters must not be for it. <br /> John Chapman, Greenbelt Alliance, said they had some debate on the issue, do not feel <br /> supportive of the Initiative, they are supportive of the fact more protection is needed for hillsides <br /> and believes the process should be public and involve City staff and experts. He believes the <br /> Initiative is vague and simplistic and clumsy, said the answer is to do it as a City process to <br /> come up with a good Initiative that is tight or better than the one proposed. Also, they are very <br /> uncomfortable with housing caps, does not believe in planning by housing caps particularly <br /> when it involves a transit-oriented development which is important for climate change and <br /> reducing congestion and believes that if the City comes up with a good Initiative, their <br /> organization would support it. <br /> Marty lnderbitzen supported the Council studying the matter for 30 days and asking staff to <br /> prepare a report according to the Elections Code, believes it is not the intended consequences <br /> of the proposed initiative that anyone is concerned about, but the unintended consequences. He <br /> said staff did an excellent job outlining many policies and goals in the General Plan that speak <br /> to hillside protection, and while no specific ordinance has come forward, the Council has a <br /> process of PUD ordinances that is specific to each property. In each case, the Council has <br /> reviewed individual plans and those properties are well-protected and asked for the process not <br /> to be abandoned. <br /> Mayor Hosterman closed public comment. <br /> Councilmember McGovern supported the 30-day study and for directing staff to prepare a report <br /> on the effects of the Initiative. She said when the Initiative is put on the ballot, she confirmed the <br /> City Attorney could provide an impartial analysis of the Initiative which could include information <br /> regarding fiscal impacts within the 500 word limitation. She questioned and confirmed that if he <br /> could provide this when information is brought back under Item C so the Council could review it. <br /> She confirmed with the majority of the Council that there was not support for placing the <br /> Initiative on the ballot without additional information, and there was support for Item C; to direct <br /> staff to make a report on the effects of the Initiative measure, and she confirmed with the City <br /> Manager that there was adequate direction as to what the report should entail. <br /> Councilmember Cook-Kallio believed there was also a third choice, a competing Initiative or <br /> ordinance on the ballot that is more deliberative. She is frustrated by this being characterized as <br /> divisive, did not believe anyone was being malicious, she respects the activism but was <br /> bothered by the lack of deliberation when doing an Initiative and it looked as if it was cut and <br /> pasted from the Pleasanton Ridgeline Initiative, and she felt this was a bad way of making laws. <br /> She would like analysis on how this may affect Staples Ranch or Hacienda or affordable <br /> housing. She also would like to see all properties affected by the Initiative, the fiscal impact of <br /> this, she would like to see an ordinance crafted by the first part of August, but in the absence of <br /> this, she would like an Initiative on the ballot that includes all stakeholders. <br /> City Council Minutes 14 May 20, 2008 <br />