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DISCUSSION: SUMMARY OF PUBLIC INPUT TO DATE <br />As noted in the introduction, the Housing Element process launched in May, including <br />substantial effort to engage the public and solicit input on the update process, as well as <br />to understand key issues, concerns and community preferences around housing in <br />Pleasanton. Staff has prepared an initial summary of outreach completed to date as <br />information to the City Council, including the results of the June 24 Community Meeting, <br />Stakeholder Meetings, and the Communitywide Survey conducted on-line from late June <br />through mid-August. Each of these is summarized below, and presented in full in <br />Attachments 4, 5 and 6, respectively. These results will also be presented to the Housing <br />Commission on September 16, and Planning Commission on September 21. <br />Community Meeting, June 24, 2021 <br />An initial community meeting led by City staff was held on June 24 with the intent to <br />introduce the Housing Element Update to the community, provide an opportunity for early <br />input, and learn about initial concerns and ideas related to housing in Pleasanton. The <br />meeting was held via Zoom and included several breakout rooms to gain direct feedback <br />from the attendees in a smaller group setting. A complete meeting summary can be found <br />in Attachment 4. <br />Stakeholder Meetings, August 10, August 12, and August 24, 2021 <br />Stakeholder group meetings are intended to give the City greater insight into the highest <br />priority considerations for the Housing Element update from the perspective of various <br />stakeholders, and to better understand local challenges and opportunities that may not be <br />effectively gathered in a larger group setting. Two stakeholder group meetings, led by the <br />professional services team, were conducted in August: one with housing developers and <br />one with housing and community services providers. The meeting was held via Zoom and <br />included breakout rooms for the service provider group to allow for smaller group <br />discussion. The developers group highlighted some of the aspects they felt added <br />difficulty to the process of building in Pleasanton, including City review procedures <br />(particularly the PUD process), City and other outside agency fees, and challenges <br />securing labor, as well as the cost of materials. The service providers input focused on <br />the significant needs of many of Pleasanton's populations, and specific housing needs of <br />certain populations (like seniors, those experiencing homelessness, and those with <br />developmental disabilities). <br />Staff also attended and presented to local institutions and businesses at the Chamber of <br />Commerce's Economic Development & Government Relations (EDGR) meeting on <br />August 24. The general consensus of comments indicated that local businesses are <br />having a difficult time recruiting employees and young professionals recently out of <br />college or just entering their fields due to the lack of housing affordable to entry level <br />workers. In addition, many members commented on the need to focus on workforce <br />housing (such as smaller units) to meet the needs of local employees and create more <br />housing opportunities "affordable by design". A complete meeting summary can be found <br />in Attachment 5. <br />Page 9 of 11 <br />