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Ms. Hosterman felt there was a little overlap from one option to the next in the staff report. She wanted to have the West Las Positas interchange removed from the General Plan as soon as possible. She asked staff what was the fastest way to do that. There are residents who have been involved in this process for years. She realized there are varying mounts of money attached to different options; however, she felt the benefit to the residents in that part of town in terms of their peace of mind after all these years outweighs any costs. Mr. Brozosky felt a citizens' initiative was the way. Signatures could be collected in a couple of months. Ms. McKeehan said the question is whether that would be something that could be easily challenged. The quickest time frame identified in the staff report is Option 3. Mayor Pico was looking for other less traditional options that could accomplish the same objective of not building the West Las Positas interchange. He wanted some way the people of Pleasanton could vote to decide that issue once and for all. He asked if there were an action Council could take that would be subject to referendum that would eliminate or stop the construction of the West Las Positas interchange? The 1996 General Plan includes a one year period for people to collect signatures to referend any decision of the Council. If Council decided to keep the interchange in the General Plan, would that be a subject of referendum? If that were defeated, would it stop the interchange from being built? He realized that was a double negative, but he wanted to get a vote of the people to get the interchange off the General Plan. Mr. Roush responded that the West Las Positas interchange is currently a part of the General Plan, so what Council would be doing would be to reaffirm what is in the General Plan. If that were deemed to be a legislative action, it would be subject to referendum. If the referendum were upheld, then the interchange would be taken out of the General Plan. The question that occurs then is whether the General Plan would become internally inconsistent. In a way, that would be the same as if Council removed the interchange without making the other changes to the General Plan to keep it internally consistent. Mayor Pico was searching for options. He asked what would happen if Cotmcil kept the interchange in the General Plan, but prohibited any City funds from being used to construct the interchange and then had it ratified by the voters? That would not be a modification to the General Plan but only funding of(or failure to fund) an element of the General Plan. Ms. McKeehan said if that were approved, staff would be back in the position of bring traffic reports and models that included the interchange because it was still in the General Plan. It would mean the interchange was there until a private source of funding was available. On the other hand, Council may want to look at alternative packages to be reviewed that would solve the circulation problems in town, assuming the West Las Positas interchange is not being funded. Mayor Pico pointed out that there could also be a General Plan amendment, taking all the time necessary to do it and the EIR, and eliminate the interchange from the General Plan. In the meantime, there could be some additional comfort to those in the community who are strongly opposed to that interchange. Pleasanton City Council 21 03/18/03 Minutes