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Sai <br /> burr'LtM lMt6AL MRII MDAL <br /> Subject FW: EPSP Provided to the City Council <br /> After Distribution of Packet <br /> From: Matt Sullivan [mailto:mjs7882©gmail.com] Date Y/ ✓ -- € <br /> Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2015 12:40 PM <br /> To: Mayor and City Council; Nelson Fialho <br /> Dear Mayor, Council, and Nelson, <br /> I wanted to send you my thoughts on your options tonight related to the EPSP. While I fully support having the <br /> voter's weigh in on this process before you take any action, I believe it is unnecessary. In my 20 years of <br /> participating in Pleasanton civic affairs as a citizen activist, City Councilmember, Planning Commissioner, and <br /> member of various city committees, I have never seen such an outpouring of public opposition to any plan or <br /> project that has come forward. The sheer numbers from the public over a series of community and City Council <br /> meetings in opposition to the EPSP is staggering and portends the outcome of any election on this subject. Why <br /> waste the taxpayer's money on a special election and force your constituents to spend an enormous amount of <br /> time and money on an election campaign when you already know the answer to the question? Do everyone a <br /> favor and stop the EPSP and EIR now—at least until (if and when)the drought situation improves and the next <br /> RHNA numbers are known. <br /> Regarding the characterization in the"Drought Rationale" of the staff report as something that will be "declared <br /> over" in the future and allow the EPSP to proceed, have you considered that due to the effects of climate change <br /> this may be the new normal? Even if we have one rainy year and Zone 7 declares that the "thought is over" it <br /> will not be the end of the problem. As a state we are over-stressing our water resources and our continued <br /> heedless development will do nothing but make the problem worse. Delta tunnels that siphon water to <br /> agribusiness in the San Joaquin Valley and environmentally destructive, energy intensive, and costly <br /> desalination projects are short-term stop-gap measures at best, and just digs the hole deeper. Our General Plan <br /> is full of sustainability polices when it comes to water use—now is the time to take this seriously. <br /> Based on an improving economy, we may be faced with new requirements for rezoning properties to meet our <br /> next RHNA mandates. The East Side should be preserved for this eventuality and not lost so that property <br /> owners and developers can maximize their profits now on a single-family home development. Your concern <br /> should be the long term planning needs of Pleasanton, not the short term financial benefits to the growth <br /> coalition in town that seems to call the shots.In addition, completing the East Side Task Force process to get a <br /> recommendation is meaningless. The Task Force is dominated by east side property owners, developers, and <br /> pro-development factions. The residents on the task force have been marginalized and their concerns have been <br /> dismissed. The process is a farce. Any recommendation will reflect what the pro-development majority wants, <br /> and will be tailored for the most palatable outcome for an election. Finally, if you do decide to send the <br /> question to the voters now, you need to provide more information for any of the ballot statements now proposed <br /> by staff. The proposed language is innocuous and does not reflect the gravity of the decision. Numbers of <br /> units and commerciallindustrial square footage—even is expressed as a range—is vitally important to ensure the <br /> voters understand the potential impacts of the project. This needs to be reflected in the ballot question itself, <br /> and further elaborated in the City Attorney's Impartial Analysis, if your intention is to provide the voters the <br /> necessary information to make an informed decision. <br /> Thank you for the opportunity to provide input. <br /> Matt Sullivan Pleasanton Resident <br /> 1 <br />