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<br />Mr. Sullivan noted that the benefits for this project were wanted and needed by the <br />community. He asked staff if it believed the way in which this deal was structured and if there <br />are mitigations in place, make this a reasonable risk to take for City funds to deliver a project of <br />this magnitude. <br />Mr. Bocian said there are mitigations in place that make this a reasonable risk to take. <br />Staff believes this project has been reviewed from many different angles, and what is being <br />presented this evening is a project that has the minimum amount of risk to the City. He <br />reminded Council that BRIDGE has a significant amount of risk in this project and is obligated to <br />pay the Certificates of Deposits. He believed the risk factors could be accessed in many <br />different ways, but one of the ways to look at is the City has a low income housing fee that has <br />been collected from developers in town for the purpose of trying to provide a level of <br />affordability. The City is using the money that it has received towards this specific project. Staff <br />believes it is an adequate use of this money and provides a need and service that is not <br />currently available. He believed this project rounded off the entire continuum of care that the <br />City has on the affordability level in town. <br />Mr. Sullivan asked if the project crate red and the City lost its entire investment would the <br />Affordable Housing In-Lieu Fee cover it? <br />Mr. Bocian said yes accept for the property itself. The biggest risk is that the City could <br />potentially lose the property, which is not cash to the City but a significant asset to the City. <br />Staff would do whatever it could to step in and avoid this situation. <br />With this agreement, Mr. Sullivan asked if staff believed the City had sufficient leverage <br />with the way in which the facility is operated from an economical or financial standpoint to keep <br />it whole over time as well as leverage or influence as to the quality of the project? <br />Mr. Bocian said yes. The project has been designed so that the City has an operational <br />interest. The project has also been specifically designed so that the City is not the Owner and <br />Operator and making the day-to-day decisions; the City is clearly a major step removed from it. <br />The City is entitled to receive all of the reports the owner receives and is allowed every <br />opportunity to meet with the operator and make suggestions and recommendations to the <br />operator. Staff believes the agreements set up a solid partnership that has formed and continue <br />for many years in the future. <br />Mr. Fialho said the relationship the City has with the Owner and the Operator is similar to <br />what has been done with two existing projects in the City, the Promenade and Ridge View <br />Commons where the concept of a subordination is in place and staff reviews on an annual basis <br />its income statements and has some input and insight into the operations of these facilities, <br />which are successful. <br />In response to an inquiry by Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Bocian said it is staff's opinion that <br />BRIDGE and Eskaton Properties are adequate companies that have demonstrated success and <br />are perfect for this project. <br />Ms. McGovern was excited about this project. She believed this project is part of the <br />City's debt ratio because if there where any default on the Certificates of Participation, the City <br />would step forward and save the project. She wanted to return the $2.49 million loan to the <br />Lower Income Housing Fund to be utilized for another project. She asked if there could be as <br />much as $800,000 projected to be surplus? <br />Pleasanton City Council 10 08/16/05 <br />Minutes <br />