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Jack Balch encouraged City Council to support the staffs recommendation and to include extensive public outreach, information sessions, and to include the information on the City's website. Zarina Kiziloglu encouraged City Council to provide housing for all income levels and to help solve the climate change, transportation, economic, and housing crises. Valerie Arkin encouraged City Council to re-evaluate staff's recommendation to use the Planning Commission instead of appointing a task force for the Housing Element process. Nancy Allen encouraged City Council to aggressively challenge the RHNA numbers and assumptions, encouraged the use of the City Council as the strategic lead instead of the Planning Commission, encouraged exploring the pros and cons of requiring developers to build 100% affordable housing units on high-density sites, and encouraged City Council to re-evaluate continuing approval of above- moderate housing upzones before 2023. Mayor Thorne closed public comment. Councilmember Narum expressed her support for using the Planning Commission as the lead body but feels the City Council needs to be heavily involved. She encouraged the development of a process to identify two Planning Commission alternates so they can participate in the process from the beginning. She agrees with the key planning considerations but would like to add a consideration that the City will try to distribute the RHNA housing units throughout Pleasanton. She encourages a robust communication and outreach plan and asked staff to develop a website to provide information to residents. She motioned to accept the proposed scope of work and schedules reflected in the report adding a key planning consideration to distribute RHNA housing as much as possible throughout the City and to direct staff to proceed with the RFP for consulting services. Councilmember Pentin seconded the motion. He would like to see shared heavy lifting by the Housing Commission and the Planning Commission. He encouraged City Council to be creative in finding ways to meet the housing numbers for Pleasanton's workforce including working with regional partners throughout the state. He would like to see staff, the Planning Commission, and City Council work with the HCD and ABAG over methodology and the impact COVID-19 may have on the planning cycle and try to develop some meaningful change. He clarified his friendly amendment was to ensure the Housing Commission will do the heavy lifting alongside the Planning Commission. Councilmember Narum accepted the friendly amendment. Councilmember Testa requested the motion be separated. She encouraged City Council to stop approving projects that do not meet RHNA requirements. She also commented she does not believe the state has a housing crisis but believes it has an affordability crisis. She believes the methodology has done a disservice and believes special interests have had far too strong a voice in the process. She reported there will be an effort to revisit the RHNA numbers and evaluate its accuracy. Lastly, she encouraged City Council to take a stronger lead in the process. In response to Councilmember Brown's inquiry, Councilmember Narum clarified she would like the City Council to be heavily involved but allow the Planning Commission to take the lead role. Councilmember Brown would like to see City Council suggested holding transition of the lead role to the Planning Commission until after the election. Councilmember Narum agreed identifying people for the Planning Commission should be done after the election. Councilmember Brown would like to see the program stay in the hands of City Council. She suggested considering an amendment to the ordinance to allow for two alternates to be as seamless as possible. She encouraged strong public outreach and widespread public information. City Council Minutes Page 6 of 7 September 15, 2020