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eventually making its way to the Planning Commission and City Council and then that decision <br /> subsequently subjected to a vote of the people. This would be an advisory test of whether or not the <br /> process should continue. If the answers were affirmative, the second part would be for the planning <br /> process to proceed with hearings on the specific plan and EIR, certification of the EIR and then that <br /> certification would be subject to ratification by the voters at some point in the future. Alternatively, the <br /> Council could elect to place only the second part on the ballot. However, without a specific plan or <br /> certified EIR that could not occur until sometime in 2016. <br /> Councilmember Pentin requested further clarification on the Mayor's intent. He agreed that the process <br /> should stop because of the drought and that other issues such as traffic and schools or whether the <br /> modeling used by the EIR is valid can and will be addressed over time. Having said that, he felt the <br /> Task Force should be allowed to complete its work. <br /> Mayor Thorne said he was thinking along the lines of halting the process, pending an advisory vote and <br /> perhaps until the start of the next RHNA cycle in 2022. <br /> Vice Mayor Brown said that RHNA was a driving force for the east side when she served on the Task <br /> Force in 2012. She reminded everyone that the city has approved zoning for 1,800 housing units that <br /> will likely be coming forward and thought that banking this land on the east side could be a bid benefit <br /> in terms of planned progress. <br /> Councilmember Pentin acknowledged the point but reminded her that there could be unintended <br /> consequences to that approach. As has been mentioned, "no plan" can result in applications for <br /> industrial projects coming forward which would preclude that land from being used to meet future <br /> RHNA requirements. During the last round of rezonings staff and the Council worked diligently to <br /> spread that impact throughout the city. There is a finite amount of land in town and in 2022 if that <br /> bankable land is lost, the housing will have to be accommodated elsewhere, likely in areas that have <br /> already been asked to share that burden. <br /> Councilmember Narum asked what the ballot language for an advisory vote might look like. <br /> Mr. Fialho said staff was not in a position to craft that tonight. However, if it were the direction of the <br /> Council to place something on the November ballot then staff would return at a June meeting with <br /> language to consider. He cautioned that they are a bit late to the process and most of the editing of the <br /> ballot question would have to occur by the second meeting in June. <br /> Mayor Thorne asked whether they could allow the Task Force to complete its process during this time. <br /> Both Councilmembers Narum and Pentin indicated their support. <br /> Mr. Fialho confirmed. He stated that staff did devise an additional option which is not reflected in the <br /> staff report but is somewhat of a hybrid of Option 2a and 2b. Under this option, the Council would adopt <br /> a resolution requesting that the Task Force finalize its recommendation, which staff has suggested <br /> could likely occur within 1 or 2 meetings, but to pause any further action on the specific plan and EIR <br /> and agree that voter ratification would be required of any plan if later adopted. The latter could be <br /> based on certain metrics that would be used to determine at what point it would be appropriate to <br /> resume the process and these could include the drought, RHNA or other conditions. As currently <br /> proposed, the process could not resume until the Governor declared an end to the drought, Zone 7 <br /> confirmed its access to sufficient water supplies and the Council determined that drought conservation <br /> strategies were no longer required. <br /> Councilmember Pentin read some of staffs proposed language, which was updated earlier that day: <br /> "...as determined by the statewide voluntary and mandatory drought declarations by the Governor's <br /> office as well as regional water supply conditions, as determined by Zone 7 and the City of Pleasanton, <br /> which result in the elimination of locally declared drought conditions and conservation stages." <br /> City Council Minutes Page 13 of 15 May 19, 2015 <br />