Laserfiche WebLink
Ms. Decker stated that staff had received various questions regarding the project and <br />wished to answer them for the benefit of all the Commissioners. <br />Ms. Decker then addressed the question of how the program interfaced with the school <br />system and whether it was specifically endorsed by the Pleasanton Unified School <br />District (PUSD). When staff discussed this with PUSD, the District responded that while <br />business brochures for extra-curricular activities are made available to families, it was not <br />specifically endorsed by the District and that businesses operated independently of the <br />District. <br />Ms. Decker also addressed what school sites the applicant had been transporting children <br />from in Pleasanton to his facility prior to the City's cease letter to the applicant that he <br />cease operations pending a decision on the conditional use permit. The school sites were <br />was Lydiksen Elementary School, Hearst Elementary School, Valley View Elementary <br />School, and Pleasanton Middle School. She added that at Valley View Elementary <br />School, there was an adult from the school to the van provided by teaching staff from <br />PUSD. She noted that staff was questioned regarding the pickup location by the van and <br />that if that was slightly off school property, which introduced liability issues. She noted <br />that the District and the applicant were addressing that issue. <br />Ms. Decker noted that the question of how the children were being picked up had been <br />addressed thoroughly in the staff report; the van could transport up to 14 children and an <br />employee's sports utility vehicle was capable of transporting up to seven children and <br />would be driven by a private party. The condition of approval stating that parents would <br />sign the children into and out of the facility originated from the Planning Commission's <br />specific desire to have children escorted by a supervising adult; however, it did not <br />address transportation. <br />Ms. Decker noted that staff had received two letters from Barbara Bobincheck, the <br />Licensing Program Manager from the Department of Social Services (DSS), one stating <br />that the facility needed a child daycare license, and another, superseding the first letter, <br />stating that they did not need a daycare license. The policy was faxed to staff, outlining <br />how the policy can be exempted for recreational facilities for children who did not need <br />supervision in any way, as detailed in the staff report. The letter indicated that the <br />policies were originally crafted for boys' and girls' clubs within neighborhoods for <br />children who are old enough to come and go freely and not for a use such as this or for <br />tutoring facilities. Ms. Decker addressed the issue of the exemption with <br />Ms. Bobincheck, who stated that the City was not required to acknowledge the policy, <br />which is not State law; the policy states that children must be free to come and go at any <br />age. Ms. Bobincheck noted that this use would be considered a daycare unless a waiver <br />were provided, as included in the packet but clarified that the City was not obligated to <br />agree. Ms. Decker indicated that upon further conversations she had with the Department <br />of Social Services, the applicant-composed waiver indicates that the State requires the <br />facility to essentially allow afive-year-old to leave the facility on his/her own as part of <br />"come and go freely," even if that appears unreasonable and even if parents are called <br />informing them that the child does not want to participate in the program. <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, February 13, 2008 Page 18 of 42 <br />