Santa Rosa City Council, Feb 23rd Agenda

Next Tuesday’s Santa Rosa City Council meeting will begin a series of four meetings in which the Council will hear “Housing Series” Reports they asked be prepared and delivered to them in time for their 2016-2017 budget deliberations.

February 23, 2016 City Council Meeting: 

• Housing Program Options and Funding: revenues that can be redirected and /or adjusted for housing projects.
• Planning Process Improvement Action Plan: process improvements specific to the development review process.

April 19, 2016 City Council Meeting: 

• Alternative Housing Programs: specification of new housing programs that emphasize inclusionary housing and stimulus of market rate housing. 
• Assessment of Santa Rosa by Brokers, Builders, Employers: result of outreach seeking input that could spur development.

May 17, 2016 City Council Meeting:

• Housing Incentives and Production: Specific regulatory reforms and financial incentives for stimulating housing development.

July 12, 2016 City Council Meeting: 

• Economic Development Initiatives: actions to build upon and/or enhance existing strategies related to housing. 
• Implementation: Council actions initiating implementation of preferred reforms, programs and housing funding sources.

Next Tuesday, in Agenda Items 15.2 and 15.3 (late in the meeting), Housing and Community Services Director David Gouin and David Guhin, Planning and Economic Development Interim Director, will present two reports aimed at providing the Council with options to strengthen the City’s ability to operate homeless programs and provide affordable housing. 

The options from Housing and Community Services include:

·       Sustain existing level of General Fund support for the City’s homeless and housing programs.

·       Develop a set of regulatory and financial incentives to offset Housing Impact Fees, charged to rental housing projects and consider increasing the Housing Impact Fees (within the limits set forth in the Nexus Study) to encourage on-site production of affordable rental housing units.

·        Following completion of a Commercial Linkage Fee Nexus Study, consider imposing the fee at a level deemed not to inhibit desired commercial development.

·        Seek voter approval of a tax measure supporting housing programs and homeless services.

·        Consider short-term General Fund investments in housing programs and planning services to stimulate housing production and economic development.

·        Consider increase housing program funding using an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) or similar tax increment mechanisms.

The options from Planning and Economic Development include:

·        Process improvements designed to improve customer experience.

·        Increase transparency, and ease permitting and entitlement procedures to encourage business and housing development.

Roseland Annexation News at Los Cien Meeting today

At the Los Cien meeting today in the Roseland Village Community Center, county and city officials provided reports on developing projects of interest to the over 200 attendees.  Santa Rosa’s annexation of Roseland was the centerpiece of the presentations, with Board of Supervisors Chair Efren Carrillo and Assistant City Manager Chuck Regalia delivering updates on their activities and status.  

Chuck began by outlining the process of the annexation, and the details of the City’s request for a multi-year finance partnership with the County to address the huge infrastructure and operational costs anticipated.  Efren then offered a preview of a response which would be provided to the City in “early-to-mid March”.  It was a commitment that the County will (underline indicates County offer):

·      Share one-time costs and ongoing costs for ten years.  City indicated costs were $1.3 million in start-up costs, and $1.1 million/year for ten years to close the gap between revenue received and operating costs.  Apparent agreement.

·      Fund $6.62 million in road improvements, and share costs and partner with the City in the pursuit of outside funding for street lighting and street completions.  City asked for $1.8 million for ten years.  City and County are $11-$12 million apart.

·      Complete current projects in Southwest Santa Rosa.

·      Complete Roseland Creek Community Park.  City asked for $3 million to acquire the middle section of the park, and Efren indicated that the County was interested in that purchase.  City asked for $1 million to improve the north section, and $4 million to improve the south section.  Neither were mentioned by the County.  City asked for $800,000/year for ten years.  County did not mention ongoing payments.  City and County are $13 million apart.

·      Complete 7 miles of Class I bike trail between Joe Rodota Trail and Colgan Creek Trail.

·      Maintain Joe Rodota Trail.

·      Complete Roseland Village.

Chuck responded with the City’s thanks for the County’s commitments, and said they were looking forward to the written proposal and continued talks.

Additionally, Caryl Hart and her staff detailed the progress that the County Parks Department is making developing the Moorland Community Park (Andy’s Unity Park), and indicated that it could be open in less than a year.

City Council Agrees on Goals for 2016

Greetings!

Responding to ideas proposed by each of the Council members, the Santa Rosa City Council agreed today on five Tier One Goals for 2016. At an all-day workshop in the Round Barn Hilton Hotel, the results were homelessness services; housing development citywide (including affordable, workforce and market-rate) and rent stabilization; Roseland annexation and implementation; preparing for medical marijuana cultivation;  and infrastructure and deferred maintenance planning. They also agreed that a couple of others currently underway: downtown reunification; and development of an emergency preparedness strategy, including vulnerable targets.

Among a variety of Tier Two Goals, they highlighted SMART Train connections and introduction, ensuring long-term revenue stability (Measure O & P), Southeast Greenway, rental inspection, and community impact reports.

City Board Vacancies

Council Member Erin Carlstrom is seeking volunteers interested in serving on the following Boards to fill current vacancies with terms expiring December 31, 2016: 

Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Board (One At-Large Position) 

The City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board (BPAB) provides guidance in the preparation of the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan by identifying pedestrian and bicycle projects and advising on the priority of those projects. The Board meets on the third Thursday of approximately every other month from 4 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the City Hall Annex in Conference Room 7A/B, 90 Santa Rosa Avenue. 

Board of Community Services (One At-Large Position) 

The City’s Board of Community Services reviews City recreational and cultural policies, facilities and programs and advises the City Council on their adequacy and effectiveness, assists the Director of Recreation and Parks in the formulation of rules and regulations for the use of City parks and recreational facilities, and promotes and coordinates arts and cultural activities within the City of Santa Rosa. The Board meetings on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. at the Finely Community Center. 

For more information regarding the City’s boards, commissions and committees and to apply online, please visit: http://srcity.org/government/boards/Page... or call (707) 543-3015. Applicants must be registered voters of the City of Santa Rosa. Interested persons are encouraged to apply by 5:30 p.m., Monday, February 22, 2016.

Board of Supervisors Community Hospital Development Civic Engagement

Greetings!

For those who missed the discussion on the development of the Chanate Community Hospital site at the Board of Supervisors yesterday morning, here is a link to the video: Chanate Community Hospital Development.

Santa Rosa City Council Agenda, February 2nd

Greetings!

Much thanks to our friend, Anne Seeley, of Concerned Citizens For Santa Rosa:

Friends:   

There is a 1PM Study Session

3.1 Reimagining CityBus   There has been an extensive study of services provided, many meetings with stakeholders, and now a report to Council members.  There is extensive information appended to the agenda, but I wasn't able to add the link.  See srcity.org, click on Government, then on Agendas/Videos and you can select the 2/2/16 agenda.

3.2 Background and information on the legal non-conforming land use and current status on code complaints regarding the Bodean asphalt plant operations.  Recently 2 sound tests corroborated neighborhood complaints about Bodean's excessive noise in their operations.  From the newspaper article I recall, they promised to take action on this.

4PM meeting

Proclamations and Presentations

6.1 Proclamation - Black History Month

6.2 Proclamation - Redwood Empire Chinese Association

Report

14.1 Introduction to Plan Bay Area.  This regional planning effort by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) undergoes regular updating and this item is to update the Council. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=h&oq=h&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8 Plan Bay Area

Public Hearings

15.1 Fiscal year 2016/17 Public Hearing on Budget Priorities

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4225283&GUID=3CDE6D58-4900-4D2A-880C-C60605453F1A Budget Priorities

Upcoming Meetings:

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4223432&GUID=8A80577E-B7E5-4A3D-9E97-FE51D8AEAFFD Upcoming meetings

See you there!

Anne

Anne Seeley

aeseeley@sonic.net

526-3925

484-8722 (cell)