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As Mayor Thome prepared to open the public hearing, Mr. Lowell explained that Councilmember Olson has a conflict of interest in that he owns a home which is now his primary residence that is adjacent to the Plan area. While this requires that he recuse himself from participating in the decision making process tonight, the Political Reform Act and regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission do recognize that he is still entitled to certain First Amendment rights. As noted earlier, Councilmember Olson has submitted his name and wishes to speak as a private citizen only regarding this topic. When called, he will reenter the Council Chamber, address the Council and then leave the Chamber again before the Council continues with its deliberations. Mayor Thorne opened the item for public comment. Ame Olson said he has reviewed the Preliminary Draft Plan and acknowledged the time and consideration of the Task Force in preparing the document. He encouraged the Council to move forward with evaluating all of the alternatives presented and to authorize the City Manager to approve the amendment to the Professional Services Agreement. He reminded the Council and public that this is still a preliminary stage and that no specific project or number of units is being approved at this time. Herb Ritter, Task Force Co-Chair, thanked staff and all members of the Task Force for their work on what is an undeniably challenging topic. He stated that the Task Force has spent the last 29 months holding many interesting discussions, most of which included conflicting opinions and desires, through a very respectful process. He read the Vision Statement and said he felt the Task Force balanced the needs, desires and wishes of the public with responsible planning for the future of the East Side. He said he looked forward to the public outreach meetings that are to come and thanked the Council for the opportunity to participate in this process. Sandra Yamaoda stated that while she applauds much of the development that has occurred over the last 25 years in Pleasanton, the suggestion that a plan calling for the development of 1,300 homes on land that is not at suitable for development is beyond comprehension. She cited specific concerns related to water and schools and said that the plan would seem to favor diminishing the quality of life for existing residents simply to enrich it for those who do not yet live here. She also cited traffic concerns specifically related to Stanley Boulevard, Valley Avenue and Santa Rita Road and said she could think of no mitigation that would not adversely affect businesses and residents along those same thoroughfares. She said the focus should be on what is best for Pleasanton as opposed to predicating the number of homes on the cost of infrastructure. She also reminded the Mayor of his promise to put the plan that ultimately comes forward before the voters and asked that he keep his word. Pat Costanzo, Task Force member representing Kewitt Properties, thanked staff and the Task Force for over two years of diligent work. He said the Base Plan represents a comprehensive and well-planned mixed-use community with an average residential density of 6 units per acre, which is very representative of the average density seen throughout the rest of Pleasanton. He said the Plan also creates a number of significant benefits including $100 million in infrastructure comprised of roads and streets, extension of the Iron Horse Trail down to Stanley Boulevard, parks and a new school. He noted that approximately 60% of the proposed school's capacity would actually serve the surrounding community, alleviating some of the demand on existing schools. He said that both Kewitt and the Task Force look forward to working with the community throughout this process and encouraged the Council to offer its support in moving the Plan forward. Councilmember Brown returned a document she had inadvertently taken when meeting with Mr. Costanza earlier in the day. Paul White, Kewitt Properties' real estate division, stated that Kewitt has 70 years of general contracting experience in the Bay Area and is privileged enough to have worked on a number of regionally significant projects. Kewitt purchased its 50-acre property in 1969 and, after realizing that a heavy industrial use is no longer the right use for the site, has spent the last 11 years working with the City Council Minutes Page 8 of 18 Dec 16, 2014