CC 2023-07-25_12b Supplemental 1
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: Jessica Matson, Legislative & Information Services Director/City Clerk
SUBJECT: Supplemental Information
Agenda Item 12.b. – July 25, 2023 City Council Meeting
Discussion and Consideration of Support for the Regional Housing
and Infrastructure Plan
DATE: July 25, 2023
Attached is correspondence received for the above reference item.
cc: City Manager
Assistant City Manager
Community Development Director
City Attorney
City Clerk
City Website and Public Review Binder
Enc
From: betty winholtz <
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2023 12:05 PM
To: Caren Ray Russom <crayrussom@arroyogrande.org>; Kristen Barneich
<kbarneich@arroyogrande.org>; Lan George <lgeorge@arroyogrande.org>; Jim Guthrie
<jguthrie@arroyogrande.org>; Kate Secrest <ksecrest@arroyogrande.org>
Subject: agenda item 12b
Dear City Council:
As a former city council member in Morro Bay 2002-2010, I understand
that pressures and rules on city governments have changed, and to a
large extent not for the better in terms of maintaining our Cities'
individuality and local control. The most notable are the housing mandates
from the State.
To that end, I want to express my concerns about your agenda item #14,
Regional Housing & Infrastructure Plan or HIP. This presentation was
made to the Morro Bay City Council at the end of June. I want to share the
comments I made then with you.
This document is a game changer.
As you listen to this presentation, you will hear phrases like "accelerate"
housing of all types, "resilient infrastructure" projects, and "regional
conditions;" however, you won't hear phrases like community identity,
citizen input, and local prioritization.
The document says stakeholders have agreed to this plan. Who are the
stakeholders? City/county staffs, builders, developers, chambers of
commerce, REACH, and maybe some of you, elected officials. However,
not we who live, vote, pay taxes and fees here, regular people.
Who prepared this plan?
ECONorthwest (Seattle): "Our staff are top-notch: seasoned economists,
savvy analysts, creative policy wonks, exceptional evaluators, talented
communicators."
BKF Engineers (Redwood City): Vision: "be the most sought-after and
valued consulting firm for clients and employees by virtue of our
reputation and work culture."
Koble Collaborative (SLO): "We facilitate complex conversations by forging
strong partnerships built on trust, communication, and reciprocity."
This report is built on the assumption that "the housing, infrastructure and
economic challenges that the region [County] faces are larger than any
one entity can solve alone." Specifically, what? How are we not handling
those challenges now? How does it make it less of a challenge to align
[mimic] our housing elements; how is it less challenging for consultants
and other government agencies to direct what Grover builds? Every city in
the nation has challenges. Every City in the County has challenges. Let our
individual cities not become suburbs of SLO or SLO County.
The document states that what is proposed is "voluntary." Yet, HIP wants
to be a factor in future "grant programming cycles" through SLOCOG who
distributes money to the County and 7 cities within the County.
This is not a "receive and file" presentation. City Councils are
asked to "comment and seek general support of regional
collaboration moving forward." City Councils are being asked for a
"recommitment" to letting HIP take charge. The "SLOCOG Board of
Directors will consider adoption of the HIP on August 2, 2023."
I strongly urge you to not recommit to this document as is. The
agreement makes the City of Arroyo Grande dependent on outside values,
outside economic standards, directs our housing program, and turns us
generic. I believe in County cooperation. Your City already partners with
the other city governments through SLOCOG, APCD, WRAC, and other
programs. However, I don't believe in being co-opted. In fact, some of
the details of the HIP won't be finished until July, so you are being
asked to approved something you haven't seen in its completion.
At the least, suggest some modifying language. Has your planning
commission seen this document? You are not alone in your concern.
Atascadero raised questions at its council meeting last week.
Thank you for your time,
Betty Winholtz