League News

Present: Assemblymember Berman, (Ellen Kamei (staff member) (Jai Bhari intern, Harker Academy)

League members:

LWVPA (Palo Alto): Mary O’Kicki, Lisa Ratner, Ellen Smith
LWVLAMV (Los Altos/Mt.View): Gary Hedden, Lisa McLain, Merrian Nevin, Ellen Wheeler
LWVSSMC(S.SanMateo County) Lisa Conrad
LWVCS (CupertinoSunnyvale) Elaine Manley
LWVCSMC (North and Central San Mateo County) Anne Kuchins

Question 1: Money Bail Reform

Currently, release pending trial is based on an arrestee’s capacity to post money bail. Do you support legislative changes to a risk-assessment based system, so that release is contingent on preventing violence in the community, rather the arrestee’s finances?

Yes. Voted for AB 42. Was pleased that Senator Hertzberg made SB10 a two-year bill and hopes that Governor Brown’s engagement will give the boost to make needed improvements and get the bill passed. Noted that the Assembly tends to be more conservative than the Senate these days.

Question 2: CEQA Reform

What is your view regarding the use of CEQA to delay affordable housing projects? While recent legislative changes have streamlined the CEQA process for in-fill projects, do you think other legislative changes to CEQA are needed?

Does support SB 35. Believes CEQA is critically important, has very positive environmental and transparency benefits, but is also subject to abuse that has stopped some worthy projects. Introduced AB 1404, which would have provided CEQA exemption only in unincorporated urban in-fill situations, such as in the North Fair Oaks section of Redwood City, but it died in Senate Appropriations. Has reintroduced this as AB 1804, picking up where he left off in the form passed in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, applicable to  housing and mixed use.

Says last year’s housing bills were only a down payment, will keep an eye on SB 827, 828 as they evolve.

Question 3: Sea Level Rise

We need a regional, coordinated effort of several state agencies. And since the threat is swift in terms of typical infrastructure projects, we need to coordinate now. What is the path forward to assure continuity of infrastructure as we approach 2050 and beyond? What can be done legislatively?

This is a critically important “slow-moving emergency.” AB 184 was his first bill, building on efforts by his predecessor Rich Gordon to establish a statewide planning for sea level rise database, which had barely begun before hitting its sunset clause. Sought to make it a permanent project, but had to accept a sunset clause with a 5-year extension. Currently UC Berkeley’s Climate Readiness Institute is supporting the implementation of the database. A report is due soon, and there could be administrative actions based on possible recommendations from the report. This is a good example of cooperation between academia and government, could also spur coordination among authorities.

Question 4: Local League Question(s) about issue(s) of particular local concern.

Given time limits and the fact that Assemblymember Berman is chair of Select Committees on the Census and the Master Plan for Higher Education in California, which are of interest to us, we chose to combine this question with #5.

OPTIONAL Question 5:

What other major issues do you think the legislature must deal with in 2018? What are your personal priorities?

Census

Newly appointed chair of Assembly Select Committee on the 2020 Census. (Also Chair of the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee.) California currently receives about $76 billion in federal moneys – or $1958 per resident – per year. A correct count of all residents, as required by the Constitution, is essential for California to get its proportional share of funds and seats in Congress. CA now has 53 seats in the House; population projections show one seat may be at risk to be taken away if the population is undercounted.

Worried about counting the immigrant community, whether documented or not. Referred to a story in the San Jose Mercury where an immigrant family moved between attempts by a census worker to contact them. With the ICE crackdown, we have been telling people if the “government” comes to the door, don’t answer – and now we will want them to open the door.

We need early and better funding and coordination. The budget has an allocation of $40.3 million, and the state will seek another $40 million from philanthropic sources. Also hope to use non-profits for outreach to “hard to count” communities. (Lisa Ratner noted that the League at the local and county council level could do public education and outreach on this issue and Assemblymember Berman indicated that could be part of the nonprofit effort.) The Senate may also set up a Select Committee, and Secretary of State Padilla is monitoring what can be done. Estimates are that CA was undercounted by 1.5 percent in 2010, but the state’s investment was down because of the economic downturn.

Master Plan for Higher Education

“Love these bigger efforts” – more than “just” bills. The promise of the Master Plan 58 years ago was access to affordable high-quality public higher education for every CA high school student who qualified. Has produced a quality workforce and much innovation, but now while we have quality, we have gotten away from access and affordability. Population has doubled; students are far more diverse; many more are meeting the A-G requirements- and the Master Plan has not really been updated.

A main reason is that it can’t be done in a year or two, which has been the planning horizon in the Assembly. It’s easy to kill efforts if you go too fast. Really glad that now he can plan (voters willing) on spending 12 years in the Assembly, thanks to term limit reform. You can take 8 or 10 years to develop something properly. A major goal would be to educate more students faster, with less debt, so students can make the life choices they actually want, rather than on the basis of how much money they can earn to pay off debt.

Five hearings have been scheduled for 2017-18 (2 in Sacramento, one at San Jose State, one in Fresno, and one in Southern California). This will be a listening process. So far the turnout has been good. People appreciate the deliberate pace and that there are no preconceived ideas. “You are less likely to drill a hole in the boat if you are on the boat – so get people on board!”

Note: There are tabs on his website for both the Census Committee and the Master Plan.

Other

Housing – see comments to Questions 1.

Youth/student suicide prevention – Wants to identify the best online training for school staff and students, and provide funding to make it available to all schools. Supports providing funding for voluntary training for health care professionals. A press release is available on his website with more information.

His AB1957 would streamline access to social services such as CalFresh, CalWORKs, allowing  use of e-mail or texting rather than requiring postal mail and maximize technological efficiency while making information secure. Provide service in multiple languages, cooperate with non-profits such as Second Harvest, Western Center on Law and Poverty

Elections – Loves being chair of this committee! Especially concerned with secure voting systems, including security of electronic voter files.  Joint hearings with Senate Elections Committee on cybersecurity will be held on March 7th to hear from registrars and other experts. Also wants to revise ballot format to be more user friendly, easier to understand (e.g., making it clear when you can vote for more than one person for city council). Los Angeles is working on a new plan. Committee can survey best practices to scale up. Videos are available on his website.

City Council Goals Work Plan Midcycle Update

On February 13, following significant public interest, the Council added a new item to their work plan: review and possible update of the Downtown Precise Plan. In multiple council meetings, members of the public have expressed concerns about increasing office space in downtown with limited or no pedestrian-oriented ground floor frontage, preservation of historic buildings, walkability, urban design, and connection to Moffett Boulevard. The Council had not previously included reviewing the Downtown Precise Plan among its priorities for the 2-year cycle. The Council retained other significant work plan items, including a “visioning” for the Terra Bella area to potentially allow significant housing development.

East Whisman Precise Plan – Land Use Policy Topics

In a February 27 study session, the Council provided high-level direction on the development of the East Whisman Precise Plan, which would allow potentially up to 5,000 new housing units and 2.3 million square feet of office space. The boundaries of the precise plan area, roughly, are Highway 101 to the north, N Whisman Road to the west, E Middlefield Rd to SR 237 and Central Expressway to the south, and the Sunnyvale border to the east. The Council broadly agreed on the proposed urban design for the area, with a height limit of 8 stories and greater density around the Middlefield light rail station. The Council also supported a goal of 20% affordable housing units and a policy mechanism that would link jobs growth to housing.

Modifications to Membership Criteria for City Advisory Bodies

On February 27, the Council approved modifications to the membership criteria for the City Advisory Bodies not established by the Charter. The changes allow any Mountain View resident to serve on non-Charter advisory bodies regardless of immigration status. Members of the Environmental Planning Commission, Library Board, and Parks and Recreation Commission, as well as the Rental Housing Committee, are still required to be “qualified electors” (registered voters). The Council also established a two-year pilot program that would allow City employees to serve on non-Charter advisory bodies when there are no conflicts between the employee’s work responsibility and the purview of the advisory body.

Modifications to the Below Market Rate (BMR) Affordable Housing Program

In September 2017, the Council discussed a variety of affordable housing policy issues in a wide-ranging study session. Based on direction provided at that time, the Council approved several changes to the BMR Affordable Housing Program on February 13. The modifications require that 15% of new market-rate rental housing and 10% of new market-rate ownership housing must be affordable. Developers will be allowed to propose “alternative mitigations,” which means that they are allowed to propose other ways to satisfy the affordable housing requirement. For example, with Council approval, developers could pay a fee in-lieu of providing onsite (inclusionary) affordable units in their project, provide offsite affordable units, dedicate land to the City for a separate affordable housing project, or offer some other alternative.

Downtown Economic Vitality Program

The Downtown Economic Vitality Program is a two phase effort that includes a variety of initiatives to support downtown businesses. The first phase, to be implemented later this year, supports existing businesses by offering discounted parking permits to retail (non-restaurant) businesses, providing assistance for retail businesses through the planning and building permitting process, and offering business resource workshops on issues like ADA compliance. The second phase, which will be implemented early next year, is designed to attract new businesses by expediting the permitting process, exploring incentives for retail businesses, and creating a new brand for downtown Mountain View. The Council approved this program on February 27.

Appointment of City Clerk

Following Lorrie Brewer’s retirement in December 2017, the Council initiated a search for a City Clerk and, on February 27, appointed Lisa Natusch. Ms. Natusch has served as Deputy City Clerk in the City of Sunnyvale for the past nine years.

— Lucas Ramirez, Observer

Date: February 12, 2018
Present: Senator Hill via telephone, Lisa A. Chung, District Representative

League members:

LWVSSMC (S. San Mateo County): Ann Draper
LWVLAMV (Los Altos/Mt.View):  Merrian Nevin
LWVCS (Cupertino/Sunnyvale): Serge Rudaz
LWVCSMC (North and Central San Mateo County):Anne Kuchins
LWVPA (Palo Alto): Mary O’Kicki

Question 1:  Money Bail Reform

Currently, release pending trial is based on an arrestee’s capacity to post money bail. Do you support legislative changes to a risk-assessment based system, so that release is contingent on preventing violence in the community, rather the arrestee’s finances?

(H) Answer: “Absolutely, I voted for SB 10, Senator Herzberg’s bill; it passed 26-11. Now it’s sitting in the appropriations committee of the Assembly. Money bail has proved to be so discriminatory.   When we talk about recidivism and prison having a revolving door, the money bail system is part of the reason for that. It is so sad. I strongly, strongly support it. It’s time to end this predatory system and solve it.”

As an aside, Hill added that the smaller bondsmen have gone after Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D- Van Nuys) as the author of the legislation.

Question 2: CEQA Reform

What is your view regarding the use of CEQA to delay affordable housing projects? While recent legislative changes have streamlined the CEQA process for in-fill projects, do you think other legislative changes to CEQA are needed?

(H) Answer: Sen. Hill said he learned some things a couple of years ago when he co-authored SB 122 which tried to make some changes with CEQA to streamline the process. The problems with CEQA, he said, are not about good environmental quality review and attention to policies to protect communities.

The problem is that CEQA has been hijacked by organized labor, by some environmental groups, and by communities and neighborhoods who engage in what many call NIMBY-ism (not in my backyard). By hijacking CEQA, people are able to extort what they want, or to delay projects through lawsuits.

Streamlining the CEQA approach for affordable housing is an area where forward movement can be made, he added. It’s an approach that requires timely resolutions to objections and lawsuits – as long as the current protections in place are included with any proposed legislation.  He observed that many groups don’t want to see the CEQA process streamlined because it takes away their power of time and delay.  “Affordable housing is just one segment of those projects that have been delayed and can’t be delayed in the future. So I support the streamlining of CEQA as long as we maintain the protections that are included in it, and we can do that.”

Follow-up Question:  Do you support SB 827 and SB 828? *

(H)Answer. Sen. Hill said he understood that Senator Weiner’s legislation had been seen by some cities as draconian and taking away local control of land-use decisions.  He said he hasn’t read the bill in detail. He added that, generally, when trying to get bills passed, legislators start with what is optimum, then sometimes they go beyond that, knowing that it will be amended and generally changed from what was authored.  So legislators aim to get the optimum idea they started with that way. Some areas [of those Wiener bills] may go too far. At the end of the day, with amendments, it may move the ball forward on housing. He observed that many cities haven’t been doing much on their own. Millbrae added [only] ten units of affordable housing in the last ten years. Is this [SB 827 & SB 828] the right bill?  Hill said it was too early for him to have an opinion because of the expected changes, but he was certainly supportive of the concept. “I’ve learned that some cities are more comfortable with Sacramento creating mandates around affordable housing,” he said. “It’s very hard to be on the city council and vote for affordable housing when the community members are against it. If Sacramento mandates certain things be done, it’s easier for city councils.”

Question 3: Sea Level Rise

We need a regional, coordinated effort of several state agencies. And since the threat is swift in terms of typical infrastructure projects, we need to coordinate now. What is the path forward to assure continuity of infrastructure as we approach 2050 and beyond? What can be done legislatively?

(H)Answer: We’ve done a number of things over the last couple of years to try and move toward a more thoughtful and regional planning approach. Some examples include the CA Climate Adaption Strategy; the CA Ocean Conservancy funding of some projects; Measure AA [passed June 2016 – $12 parcel tax,] which provides the resources on a regional basis to come together on pollution, habitat and restoration [for the San Francisco Bay].

The Bay Area Resilient by Design is to address climate change and earthquake impacts. And the Bay Conservation & Development Commission, Coastal Conservancy, the San Francisco Estuary Institute are all doing things. Are we doing enough? No.

Sen. Hill likened the reason for not doing enough to planning for safety. “It’s hard to be planning for safety concerns that are twenty or thirty years down the road when other things are in the forefront.” The same can be said of sea level rise. When will it get attention? When water hits your tail pipe as you’re driving along the highway, he joked.  It’s important for everyone to keep funding going and to allow for action on a regional basis. We have not done enough to develop one agency to enable us to move forward.

Key partnerships are being built. But, we are still in the formative stage of developing a regional entity that can oversee it and manage it and build the infrastructure that’s necessary to protect. Our goal is to make sure concern over sea level rise doesn’t slip to the back burner. Sen. Hill added that he didn’t think it will slip because “We’re seeing more evidence of sea level rise and climate change impacts, every day.” We’re not doing enough. 

Question 4: What can be done about our shortage of low to moderate income affordable housing? How can the discrepancy between cities that are working hard to meet their state mandated requirements and others that are doing little to nothing be addressed? 

(H)Answer: Sen. Hill mentioned a recent poll that was conducted that showed that people are very supportive of housing as long as it doesn’t affect traffic congestion and congestion in their communities.  Sen. Hill doesn’t see how you can add housing without adding traffic. And he added, that’s what the local governments are dealing with. And, that’s why you have Senator Weiner’s proposed bills, SB 827 and 828. In the City of Brisbane, Sen. Hill said, the city had originally proposed no housing in the area called the Baylands project. But, it is a perfect location for transit-centered development because Caltrain runs right through it. The city thought large-scale housing would change the character of their city. Now, they’re talking about having 2,000 to 2,200 units. There are opportunities – some through state and legislation. Sen. Hill said as the state takes a more active role, the local governments are seeing that they need to take action.  For a City Council member, it can be hard to vote for more housing when it’s going to impact the communities. There’s a fear factor that people have around affordable housing coming into their city or neighborhood, that Sen. Hill saw when he was on San Mateo City Council. The State has to lead and give incentives and use the carrot-and-stick approach to make sure that they move forward with the affordable housing that communities need.  Residents should look for more legislation to come to create more housing and the ability for schools to use excess land for teacher housing and workforce housing. Legislatively, SB 2, a bill authored by Senator Toni Atkins (D, District 39) last year will now provides $300 million a year for housing. Two obstacles to affordable housing in communities – fear [from community members] that City Council must face and money [to build housing] as well.

Follow-up question: What do you think of the California Association of Realtors ballot proposition that would allow seniors to transfer their Prop 13 tax basis to a new home in any county in CA?

(H) Answer: Sen. Hill said, “It’s a wonderful option,” and added, the Governor wasn’t crazy about it – because he thinks there’ll be a drop in property tax revenue. But Sen. Hill thinks seniors are being forced out of their area when they sell their home to downsize because of property tax increases if they move within the state. It’s a good idea and will probably pass, Sen. Hill said.

Question 5: What other major issues do you think the legislature must deal with in 2018? What are your personal priorities?

(H)Answer: A major issue the legislature must tackle is reforming the tax structure in CA.  The State is too dependent upon personal and corporate tax income. This isn’t sustainable. “We have 1% contributing 50% of the revenue to the state of CA.” When there is a downturn in the economy and no one is selling, the tax revenue falls dramatically. In the first month of the downturn in 2008, tax revenue fell 28%.

I’d like to see CA lower its corporate and personal tax rate and instead tax more services and/or increase the tax on services such as haircuts. Many other states do this. Taxes on services provide a more sustainable stream of revenue than a personal tax rate.

The State has built up a rainy day fund of reserves on about $20 billion which is great. But, it would be nice to find a long-term, sustainable solution.

Senator Hill has many priorities that he is currently working on which include those listed below.

SB 823: Consumer Credit Reports. Security Freezes

Senator Hill introduced SB 823 in January 2018 which will allow Californians to freeze and unfreeze their credit free of charge. The idea that a credit company, such as Equifax,  which experienced a data breach resulting in consumers being more vulnerable to identity theft and fraud, would then charge consumers to both freeze and unfreeze his or her credit to make it secure is offensive to Senator Hill. The credit companies profit from collecting, storing and then sharing sensitive information about consumers. Therefore, he believes, consumers should not have to pay them to keep that data secure. Currently, consumers can be charged up to $10 by each credit company to have their credit frozen, then $10 by each company again to have it unfrozen when legitimate access to that data is needed.  The bill will also allow Californians to request a credit freeze online, instead of by mail. And, the bill would enable Californians to make a single request to one company to have their credit frozen and it will be frozen at all three major credit companies instead of having to make three separate requests. The bill was co-authored by six other legislative members. A fact sheet about this bill can be found here.

http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd13.senate.ca.gov/files/sb_823_credit_report_freeze_factsheet.pdf

SB 1028: Public utilities: rates: federal tax law changes

Senator Hill introduced SB 1028 in February 2018. The legislation, if passed, will require privately owned utility companies to pass on tax benefits, which they will receive as a result of the recent federal tax changes, to ratepayers within 90 days of when the benefits can be reasonably determined. The savings are to be in the form of a rate reduction. Senator Hill stated that the tax savings for private utility companies will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars and these savings should be passed to the ratepayer. He noted that any investments into infrastructure or disaster prevention should be decided and approved by the CPUC as usual and not paid for by monies from a tax savings, which should be returned to the ratepayers. A fact sheet for SB 1028 can be found here: http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd13.senate.ca.gov/files/sb1028_fact_sheet.pdf

SB 819: Electrical Corporations: rates

Senator Hill introduced SB 819 in January 2018. The legislation, if passed, will not allow electrical corporations to recover costs incurred for negligence. Sen. Hill said wildfires have really been a problem. When the $12 billion bill comes [the estimated insurance claims from last year’s wild fires] it has to get paid. And at the end of the day, if the utility is found negligent and guilty, Hill said, what the utilities want to do is be able to pass on the cost to the ratepayers. But if the fires are found to be from negligence, poor management, poor maintenance or poor judgment, he does not want electrical corporations to pass on the cost to rate payers. He acknowledged it could throw PG&E into bankruptcy. Are they almost too big to succeed? They did learn from the fire in San Bruno. They now have a very safe and reliable gas system.  A fact sheet for SB 819 can be found here: http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd13.senate.ca.gov/files/sb819_factsheet_1-3-18.pdf

SB-1106 Young adults: deferred entry of judgment pilot program.

Senator Hill introduced SB 1106 in February 2018. It extends and expands the pilot program to keep juvenile offenders in juvenile facilities after they turn 18 if they only have one or two years left so that they can stay in the programs that are supporting and/or helping them. Before, the minute they turned 18, they were thrown into the county jail with hardened criminals, Sen. Hill said.  Now, they can stay in the juvenile facility – separated from minors – and finish their programs. The pilot program has shown tremendous success, and he wants to expand it to other counties. It is very similar to the idea of bail reform. This is the way to help. Text of bill can be found here: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1106

Cannabis Use

SB 1273:  Vehicle: Marijuana.

Senator Hill introduced SB 1273 in February 2018. The bill mirrors the current legislation regarding underage drinking and driving. It provides for zero tolerance of driving while under the influence of cannabis for those under the age of 21; a positive test for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol results in a suspended license. An exception is provided for individuals who are using prescription marijuana.

Also, the bill, for DUIs, provides for law enforcement to record the drug(s) and/ or alcohol that are present.  Sen. Hill said we need good data to determine when someone is impaired if using a combination of these drugs.

The text of the bill can be found here: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1273

*SB 827 as introduced, Wiener

This bill would require a local government, if requested, to grant a development proponent of a transit-rich housing project a bonus if that development meets specified planning standards.

*SB 828, as introduced, Wiener

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would, among other things, require the Department of Housing and Community Development to take certain actions relating to unmet housing needs, including completing a comprehensive assessment on unmet need for each region and including the results of the assessment in regional allocations for the next housing element cycle.

Los Altos City Council – February 2018

February 13, 2018

The City Council met jointly by request with the Public Arts Commission to resolve questions after the meeting of November 14, 2017, when City Council didn’t adopt Public Arts Master Plan, only received it.

The commission chair stated that the committee wanted to know the reasons for non-adoption and no amendments or recommendations offered in November. The commission feels they had made slow, but continual progress in improving public art in the city.

Although every council member liked parts of the plan, most agreed that they didn’t adopt the plan because of funding issues. The council has too many funding priorities, and they didn’t want to commit to a part-time staff who focused only on public art needs. Most didn’t want 1% and 2% fees on developers which would support the plan. Council members agreed on non-profit organization concepts to foster the public art plan, offered by Chris Jordan, City Manager, but disagreed on particulars.

Council member Mary Prochnow said she was disappointed that an educated community like Los Altos would only look at cost and not the spiritual aspect of public art for a community. She compared the city to Columbus, Indiana, a city smaller than Los Altos with no more resources, but buildings by I.M. Pei and other celebrated architects. She felt that a 1% fee to developers was not a problem in Los Altos.

Public speaker, Joe Eyre, Los Altos Community Foundation, speaking as private resident, referenced the Downtown Vision, still to be resolved, of which a goal is to have a unique and enjoyable time when downtown.  The plan expects to cost $30 million-$100 million to implement, and some of that money could answer the funding obstacle for the City Council.

The City Council directed the Public Arts Commission to review and discuss items from the plan that could be implemented soon and bring the suggestions back to the council.

City Council did not approve a new logo design, several of which were presented by Davis Designs. They asked the staff to continue design development with further input from the community.

February 27, 2018

The City Council approved completion of the final part of University Avenue improvement for pedestrian and school safety. The crosswalk improvement changes at W. Edith and University Avenues, part of a plan first considered in 2016, saved $7,254 to the final cost of the entire project which reverts to the Capital Improvement Project funds.

The Council heard the amendments offered for the Accessory Structure Zoning Code which must be completed to further consider applications for accessory structures in the city residential areas, previously discussed in June 2017. The amendments clarify and improve site standards for detached accessory structures – regulations which were previously scattered in zoning code sections. The main provisions are for structures’ size and height, as well as appropriate relationship to adjacent properties. Discussion proceeded pro and con by council members and six public speakers, especially concerning lots that are unusual or non-conforming sites that already exist. One speaker suggested a task force to study the amendments and bring recommendations. The council voted 4/1 to approve the proposed Accessory Structure Zoning Code changes. A final reading and vote is tentatively scheduled for March 13, 2018.

The City Council discussed amendments to Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) regulations to streamline design and incorporate State legislation that governs the creation of ADU to provide more affordable housing units in Los Altos, previously discussed May 2017. The decision is to implement four amendments of the Housing Element Program regulations to facilitate the development and to consider reducing the minimum lot size requirements – some lots in Los Altos are not quite 10,000 square feet.

Council and public comment discussion concerned details of the amendments. It was noted that the city is out of compliance right now and ADU could be built without following any amended regulations. Council member, Jan Pepper, moved to introduce and waive further reading of the proposal with the following changes: take out the item about the size of the residential lot; the maximum size of unattached structure remains at 800 square feet, not including parking structure or basement; the maximum size of attached structure be 1200 square feet or under 50% of primary structure size; remove the deed restrictions for occupancy as stated in the amendments. Council voted 3/2 for the motion. A final reading and vote is tentatively scheduled for March 13, 2018.

— Claire Noonan, Observer

MVLA Board Meeting 2/5/18

The board approved putting a bond measure on the June 5, 2018 ballot at a $295M maximum principle amount, raising an average of $18M annually until approximately 2039, at a tax rate estimated to be $30 per $100,000 of appraised property value.   The board approved contracts with Kramer Project Development Company to continue managing the district’s construction program and projects through June 30, 2018, and Quattrocchi Kwok Architects for architectural services for the two new classroom buildings, one at MVHS and one at LAHS.

The board heard a report on the Skills Program at LAHS, which provides special skills classes for students needing extra help to be successful in A-G courses* throughout 4 years of high school (about 10% of students).  They also heard a report on the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE), which is a nine-week Spanish language parent education program for over 100 MVLA and MV Whisman parents to provide families with knowledge to help their children reach their full potential.  The program was held in the spring of 2017 for the first time and will be repeated in the spring of 2018, with a new level 2 program for parents who participated last year.

The board accepted the final annual report of the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee for Measure A.  $45.9M was spent, including $39.3M in bond funds, and $6.6M developer fees, routine restricted maintenance funds, building funds, State Prop 39 energy funds, and bond fund interest.  The Measure A program is now complete.  The committee certified that the district is in compliance with the requirements of the state constitution and that Measure A bond funds were used for the purposes specified in the ballot language.

* The A-G / College Entrance Requirements are a sequence of high school courses that students must complete (with a grade of C or better) to be minimally eligible for admission to the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU).

Sally Ahnger, Observer

Mountain View’s residential population could grow more than 40% by 2030. With this as a backdrop, the Environmental Sustainability Task Force 2 (ESTF-2) hosted a “Public Input Forum” on January 31, 2018 for community members to share their ideas for a sustainable Mountain View. Participants brainstormed and shared their vision for what they want the future of the City to look like, and ideas for how to get there.
There were 86 participants ranging in age from nine to more than 70 years old, with about half having lived in Mountain View for more than ten years and quite a number for more than 40 years. From newcomers to those who have been here decades, a common feeling shared was that Mountain View is unique, beloved, and a place people want to stay, so creating a sustainable future mattered greatly to everyone. The participants were a passionate, engaged group, with overwhelmingly positive ideas and attitudes for how they envision the City.
After welcoming and providing background information to the participants, ESTF-2 facilitators then guided the audience through an exercise to envision what they want Mountain View to look like in 2030. A series of breakouts followed: ten groups, each with 6-10 participants, organized by topic. Each group brainstormed ideas around their topic, facilitated by a member of ESTF-2, and wrote their best ideas on a flip chart. Participants then walked around to each group’s chart and put dots next to ideas they liked the best.
The three ideas that received the most dots were “walkable, connected, green spaces,” “public transportation improvements,” and “zero waste.” Other popular ideas centered on housing (dense, affordable, zero carbon), land use (mixed-use developments, more trails), sustainable living (local food production, sharing resources), and transportation (more electric vehicles, better bike lanes). Similar themes appeared across groups, proving that residents are keenly aware of the interconnected nature of environmental and overall community sustainability.
With the community eager for ways to stay involved, the ESTF-2 is already planning another community event in April tied to Earth Day.

A separate topic came up informally: many people are unsure what programs the city offers, and it is clear that education and outreach are needed and desired.

The League forum “Campers and RVs in Our City” featured three speakers from the community, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

Tom Myers, Executive Director of Community Services Agency (CSA), indicated that the distance between the “haves” and the “have-nots” in our community is getting wider. A few years ago, CSA would typically serve 3000 people/year and now they are on track to serve 10,000 people/year. CSA serves anyone who is living in poverty, not just the homeless.

Our local housing crisis is getting national attention as evidenced by recent coverage by CBS This Morning and the PBS Newshour.

When people lose their apartment or home, they have three choices: become homeless, move away or “get creative.” There are now more than 300 vehicles

(RVs, campers, trailers, cars) serving as residences on the streets of Mountain View.

In 2017, CSA added a full time staff member to reach out to vehicle dwellers. Over 20 people are now getting help through CSA.

Sgt. Wahed Magee, Neighborhood Officer at Mountain View Police Department (MVPD), said the MVPD received daily calls/emails with concerns about RVs. 90% of “neighborhood and event services” time is now focused on homelessness. Public safety is always the police department’s top priority.

The MVPD balances compassion and enforcement. If the MVPD can see that a person is getting help, then the person will not be arrested for minor infractions of the city code. Officers are conscious of the fact that these vehicles are people’s homes. The MVPD collaborates closely with CSA to connect people in need with community services. A close relationship with Palo Alto Review/Recovery (PAR) Court also helps direct offenders to help, rather than the criminal justice system.

That said, criminal activity does occur within these dwellings. Officer Magee related his own experience with finding drugs in two RV homes.

Kimberly Thomas, Assistant o the Mountain View City Manager, spoke about the city’s approach to vehicle dwellers and the housing crisis.

The number of homeless people living in Mountain View has increased dramatically over the last several years — from 139 people in 2013 to 416 people in 2017.

The city has committed one million dollars to address the rise in homelessness. This money is funding a three-pronged approach:

• Short-term initiatives to help people currently living in vehicles and connect them to services
• Long-term strategies to address the housing crisis, with an emphasis on increasing extremely low income affordable housing
• A full-time community outreach police officer

More information on the city’s response can be found at http://www.mountainview.gov/homeless

The evening ended with questions from the audience.

Ms. Thomas fielded several questions about additional ordinances and permitting for RVs. She indicated this topic would be discussed again at the March 6, 2018 Mountain View City Council meeting as the city continues to explore options.

In response to a question about the role of “big tech” in the housing crisis, Mr. Myers said it’s tempting to point fingers but housing is a structural problem going back decades. In the last 20 years only two units of housing have been created for every five jobs created. Several local technology firms support CSA financially.

Finally, an audience member offered to share his perspective as someone who had lived in a vehicle on the streets of Mountain View for several years. While he appreciated the city of Mountain View for generally taking a hands-off approach to vehicle dwellers, he indicated many “good people” did suffer from harassment and judgment. He appealed to the audience’s common humanity in dealing with the issue of homelessness.

— Prepared by League member Beth Hondl