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Mayor Hosterman asked and Mr. Bocian confirmed that the existing members of the task force would be permitted to stay on if they wish. Councilmember Thorne asked if that would include Councilmember McGovern. City Manager Fialho said yes, though the Council would have to amend the makeup to confer her spot from elected representative to at large community member. Mayor Hosterman opened the public hearing. Christine Steiner, task force member and former Housing Commissioner, said this is an amazing opportunity. As the City's representative on the Alameda County Housing Authority, she has gone through a similar process with Arroyo Vista in Dublin. She said the task force has been a wonderful experience and estimated that most members would like to continue on and see their investment through to fruition. She urged the Council to approve the staff recommendation and allow the project to move forward with the flexibility that Option 2 has to offer. Tim Hunt, President of Pleasanton Gardens Board of Directors, said he was very pleased to see this unanimously approved by the Housing Commission and task force. He said Option 2 is a rare opportunity to provide the community with a project that will provide 50 or more years of accessible, energy efficient units dedicated to its senior residents. He said MidPen has done an excellent job in reaching out to and identifying the physical and social needs of Pleasanton Gardens residents. He noted that the land and buildings of Pleasanton Gardens are owned free and clear, which allows them to donate both these and the accompanying Section 8 vouchers, to this wonderful opportunity. Dolores Bengtson thanked Mr. Bocian and staff for herding this project over the last 8 years, Mr. Fialho for taking a personal interest in the project, and Councilmember McGovern for her excellent work in helping them to find areas of agreement. She urged the Council to support the staff recommendation, which provides the flexibility needed to create a truly wonderful project moving forward. She said the Parks and Recreation Commission would likely come to Council with a proposal to create a community garden in Kottinger Park and asked for their support in dovetailing it with the design of this project. Kurt Kummer, Parks and Recreation Commissioner and task force member, said the Commission has always understood that the park and this project go hand in hand and that they have requested the community garden idea be placed on their next agenda. He said he is personally pleased to see this move forward and urged the Council to support the staff recommendation. David Stark, task force member serving as representative to the Housing Commission and Pleasanton Gardens Board of Directors, said there is a lot of concern among certain parts of the community about the process and how long it takes to get things done in Pleasanton. In this instance however, the longer process allowed the City to purchase additional land that provides greater options for site design and creates a stronger buffer between neighbors and the ultimate project, and allowed Pleasanton Gardens to pay off its mortgage thereby providing much greater flexibility in what can be done with the property. He said that by partnering with the City, Pleasanton Gardens has an opportunity to preserve an important portion of the City's affordable housing by contributing its own land and Section 8 vouchers. The project will also serve to replace what are some very inefficient and inaccessiole units, increase the amount of City owned and controlled affordable housing, and provides neighbors with certainty regarding the future of the site. He urged a unanimous vote for Option 2, which would be a wonderful legacy for this City Council. Mayor Hosterman closed the public hearing. City Council Minutes Page 5 of 12 October 16,2012