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The public hearing was opened <br /> <br /> Patricia Belding, 7703 Highland Oaks Drive, expressed the support of the <br />Citizens for a Caring Community for the revised housing element that has been worked <br />out. They are all aware that it has taken much work, rework, comment, analysis, and <br />patience on the part of staff and housing advocates as well as Commissions and <br />Committees to get to this place. The Housing Element Committee and staff worked hard <br />on previous drafts for almost 2 years, but still were not able to resolve some key <br />questions. The election of November 2002 regarding using some of the Bemai Property <br />for affordable housing settled that specific issue, but created community divisions. The <br />Citizens for a Caring Community is pleased to see the Council committing the City to <br />considering the whole city housing map and coming up with some flexible and feasible <br />plans for the next three years. Citizens for a Caring Community has put before the <br />Council some details that might be needed to the Housing Element. These new <br />programs, 19.3 and 19.4, are taken from the April 3, 2003 letter from the Department of <br />Housing and Community Development notifying the City of the Department's <br />conditional certification of Pleasanton's revised Housing Element. They request and <br />hope that the Council will incorporate these additional monitoring reporting and remedial <br />programs. The Council's formal adoption of these new programs actions which HCD is <br />requiring of the City as conditions for its certification will leave no doubt as to <br />Pleasanton's commitment to meeting the housing needs of the community. It will also <br />add specificity to the monitoring timetable making Pleasanton's plans for providing <br />affordable housing more effective. She asked for Council approval of the Revised <br />Housing Element with these additional programs. <br /> <br /> Kurt Wiest, 1594 Loganberry Way, Housing Commissioner Chairperson, said <br />their action and discussion of the Housing Element Update is a matter of record, referring <br />to the minutes of the December 19, 2002 meeting. Essentially their major concern was <br />the production goals especially as they relate to low and very low income households. <br />They believe that those production goals stated in the Housing Element Update are <br />unrealistic, given the housing cap constraints and the urban growth boundary constraints. <br />He would like to encourage Council in adopting the Housing Element Update that they <br />consider some specific mechanisms to ensure that there is going to be monitoring of the <br />goals that are being established; insuring there are frequent reports on the City's progress <br />in meeting the goals that are there; insuring the information on those periodic updates on <br />goals is conveyed to the various commissions and other individuals that are involved with <br />the progress of this. We have set these goals and want to make sure these goals are met. <br /> <br /> Ms. Ayala asked if the Housing Commission discussions have covered the fact <br />that the State mandate is unfunded? This is one of the stumbling blocks of what the City <br />is working with and it did not look like the State was going to be coming up with any sort <br />of extra money in the near future. <br /> <br /> Mr. Wiest said they were aware of the unfunded mandates. They understand this <br />and there is also talk of the possibility of lawsuits. Every city in the state that comes up <br /> <br />Pleasanton City Council 15 04/15/03 <br />Minutes <br /> <br /> <br />