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Ms. Dennis asked if Council would see the brief it is being asked to support. <br /> <br /> Mr. Roush replied there is a draft and the final brief would be submitted next week. The <br />complaint alleges the initiative rendered the County general plan internally inconsistent, <br />therefore the initiative should be set aside. It also alleges the initiative is an improper use of the <br />initiative power and a violation of state planning law, it interferes with vested rights, etc. The <br />amicus brief will address the planning issues. <br /> <br />Mr. Campbell asked if it helped the case to add cities to the brief?. <br /> <br /> Mr. Roush believed the purpose of an amicus brief was to inform the judge heating the <br />case, that there is a broader impact of the case than just the city that is a party to the litigation. <br />The more cities who support an amicus brief, the more impact the case will have. It is difficult <br />to ascertain how a judge would view the current situation. <br /> <br /> Mayor Pico asked if it was normal that a brief was not available for review before the <br />Council authorized its support? <br /> <br /> Mr. Roush said it would be unusual for a brief to be available at the time the staff report <br />is prepared. Normally a synopsis of the case is provided from the city asking for support or from <br />the League of California Cities. In this case, he felt the attorney who is writing the brief was <br />able to specifically identify the issues to be addressed. <br /> <br /> Ms. Dennis referred to the fact that the litigation, if successful, would set aside the entire <br />initiative, and asked if the amicus brief would ask Council to endorse all parts of the initiative, <br />including the County's remedies on meeting state mandated housing requirements, land fill <br />issues, quarry issues, etc. <br /> <br /> Mr. Roush explained that the brief would say that those elements of the initiative are <br />consistent with the existing County general plan, do not violate state planning law, do not <br />interfere with vested rights, etc. He was not certain it is an endorsement, per se, of those <br />policies; it merely says they are valid provisions. <br /> <br />Mr. Campbell asked how Pleasanton would benefit from this. <br /> <br /> Mr. Roush said if Council joins in the brief, it would be saying it supports a measure the <br />voters approved. Staff has not been asked to do an analysis of Measure D in terms of what the <br />benefits or burdens are to the City. When the measure was before the voters last summer, <br />Council majority did not ask staff to prepare an analysis. He did not believe staff could <br />determine at this time the full implications of the measure on Pleasanton. <br /> <br /> Jon Harvey, 3790 Smallwood Court, stated that Measure D passed by 56,412 votes in <br />Alameda County; in Pleasanton by 1,252 and Livermore by 551. It failed by 54 in Dublin. He <br />presented several questions to help Council deliberate: Is this a question of loyalty? If so, to <br />whom? Plaintiff, County, or the voters of Pleasanton? Is it a legal issue? If so, do you <br />understand the law and the case well enough to render a legal opinion? Mr. Harvey had <br /> <br />Pleasanton City Council 10 05/15/01 <br />Minutes <br /> <br /> <br />