Policy Watch: Week of 1/30

County of Santa Clara

Special hearing on hate crimes

The Committee will convene a special meeting on issues related to hate crimes in light of the 2016 Presidential election, and determine the next steps for developing a hate crimes communication and services plan. The hearing will have panel presentations on public safety, civil rights, race and religion, education, and LGBTQ issues. The panels will be followed by a public comment period, and then the hearing will conclude with a discussion by the Committee and the Hate Crimes Hearing Body.

Public entity:  Santa Clara County Children, Seniors, and Families Committee

Date/time/location item will be heard:  January 31, 2017, 6:30pm, Board of Supervisors’ Chambers

Link to item: Not yet posted

Link to agenda: http://sccgov.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=8710

City of San Jose

Council priority setting session

At this session, Council will vote on and rank its policy priorities for the next 6 to 12 months.

Council will consider approving removal of eight completed priorities from the Council Priority list, approving new items for the Council Priority list, and ranking items on Council Priority list.

Public entity:   San Jose City Council

Date/time/location item will be heard Tuesday, Feb 7, 2017, 1:30 PM, Council Chambers

Link to item:    n/a

Link to agenda:  http://sanjose.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?event_id=5ba45224-cca6-4fd7-93fa-b62a4c45302d

 

Adopt Downtown High-Rise Incentive with apprentice hire

Adopt the schedule of Parkland Fees for the Downtown High-Rise Incentive Program with the added requirement that encourages developers to utilize apprentices on these projects and to advertise subcontracts for these projects on certain places.

Where:  San Jose City Council

When:  Tuesday, Feb 7, 2017, 1:30 PM, Council Chambers

Link to memo:    http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2670&meta_id=614590

Link to reso: http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2670&meta_id=614654

Link to agenda: http://sanjose.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?event_id=5ba45224-cca6-4fd7-93fa-b62a4c45302d

 

Proposed amendments to ARO regarding banking provisions and registries

Council will consider accepting the audit of the Apartment Rent Ordinance as recommended by the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee on December 8, 2016.

Memo from Mayor and CM Jones recommends maintaining the banking provision approved by Council in April 2016, including a solution for tenants and landlords as part of the rent registry, and maintaining the rent registry approved by Council.

Memo from CM Rocha recommends eliminating the banking provisions in the final ordinance, and bringing back an item for Council consideration that would expand the rent control program to all duplexes that could potentially be covered by it.

Memo from CMs Khamis, Diep, and Davis recommends developing and implementing a unit registry rather than a rent registry and to include annual outreach to renters of units subject to the ARO.

Where:  San Jose City Council

When:  Tues. Jan. 31, 2017, 1:30pm, Council Chambers

Link to memo:    http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=51&event_id=2669&meta_id=612495

Link to sup memo:    http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2669&meta_id=612886

Link to Khamis, Diep, Davis memo: http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2669&meta_id=614648

Link to Rocha memo:  http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2669&meta_id=614658

Link to Liccardo, Jones memo:    http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2669&meta_id=614660

Link to agenda:    http://sanjose.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=51&event_id=2669

 

Issuing $15M commercial paper note for Convention Center lighting and ceiling upgrades project 

Council will vote to approve the issuance of commercial paper notes pursuant to provide financing for the Exhibit Hall Project in an amount not to exceed $15 million. Approval both by the City of San Jose Financing Authority Board and by two-thirds majority approval by the City Council, will allow the issuance of commercial paper notes to finance lighting and ceiling improvements at the Convention Center’s exhibit hall.

Staff has identified $21.13 million in total project costs. Offsetting the need for funds to cover all of these costs is $6.1 million in the CCFD Revenue Fund that was previously budgeted for the Exhibit Hall Project. In order to provide financing to enable construction of the Exhibit Hall Project, staff recommends that the City Council and the Authority Board authorize the issuance of CP Notes in an amount not to exceed $15 million. It is projected that the CP Notes, if authorized, would be repaid over a period of seven (7) years.

Where:  San Jose City Council

When: Tues. Jan. 31, 2017, 1:30pm, Council Chambers

Link to memo:   http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2669&meta_id=612684

Link to agenda:  http://sanjose.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?event_id=e7ac4e81-64c7-400a-883c-5fa9eb7f8c7c

 

City of Palo Alto

Discussing Stanford’s 2018 General Use Permit Application, including concerns and impacts to address in formal comment letter

City Council will be receiving and discussing a presentation regarding Stanford University’s proposal for an updated General Use Permit (GUP) from Santa Clara County. No action is recommended. The City Council will have the opportunity to review and provide direction regarding a formal comment letter from the City to the County on March 6, 2017.

On November 28, 2016, Stanford University submitted an application to Santa Clara County for a major modification of their current General Use Permit (GUP). If approved, the updated GUP would govern land use and development on the Stanford campus, which is located in unincorporated Santa Clara County, starting in 2018. At this evening’s meeting, representatives of Stanford University have agreed to present their proposal to the City Council and answer questions from the Council. An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be required prior to County approval of the University’s proposal, and the County has issued a Notice of Preparation.

County staff has granted the City’s request for additional time to comment on the scope of the EIR, and the City Council will discuss a draft comment letter at their meeting on March 6, 2017. The comment letter is expected to address issues of potential concern, including at a minimum:

  • Traffic and transportation issues affecting the campus and its surroundings, including:
    • linkages to local and regional bicycle and pedestrian facilities,
    • opportunities for enhanced and consolidated transit (including shuttle) services,
    • additional peak hour traffic congestion/delays anticipated and the effectiveness of Stanford’s “no net trips” policy
    • potential lengthening of the peak hours
    • spill over parking in Palo Alto neighborhoods
    • impacts on safe routes to schools
  • Public service needs associated with the anticipated growth in housing, students, faculty, and staff including impacts on recreational facilities, fire services, and more
  • Impacts on local schools from the addition of housing and school age population
  • Storm water detention and potential for increasing or decreasing the risk of downstream flooding
  • The ability to assess potential impacts on historic resources, the urban canopy, and aesthetics generally without specificity on building locations and other site changes
  • The desire for the County to assume a share of the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the next housing cycle if significant development (non-residential and residential) is approved adjacent to the City boundaries.

Where: Palo Alto City Council

When: February 6, 2017, 5:30pm

Link to item: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=55676

Link to agenda: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/55702

 

VTA

Awarding $80M paratransit contract to MV Transportation 

In accordance with federal regulations, VTA provides Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit services to persons who are unable to independently access or navigate VTA’s bus or light rail system due to a physical, visual, or cognitive disability. VTA’s responsibility to provide ADA paratransit service has been outsourced since 1993.

An RFP to replace the previous paratransit provider, Outreach & Escort, Inc., was released in Sept. 2016. Five responses were revised, of the five, MV Transportation was ranked the highest in the review process.  MV has been VTA’s interim service provider for all Paratransit services since November 3, 2016, when a Federal investigation of Outreach forced VTA to find an alternative provider.

Rec: Authorize the General Manager to execute a four year contract with MV Transportation (MV) in the amount of $79,875,047 to provide VTA’s ACCESS Paratransit Services.

 

Where: Santa Clara VTA Board of Directors

When:  Feb. 2, 2017, 5:30 pm

Link to agenda packet: http://vtaorgcontent.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Site_Content/bod_020217_packet.pdf

 

Changing paratransit payment policies to mandate pre-payment & block delinquent users from scheduling rides 

VTA Access Paratransit fares are set in accordance with federal ADA paratransit regulations. Fares for standard paratransit next day to three day in advance trips within the paratransit service area are $4 per trip, or double the fixed route non-discounted adult fare of $2 per trip. Fares for premium same-day, open-return, second vehicle, and up to one mile beyond service area trips are four times the standard paratransit fare, or $16 per trip. The VTA Paratransit Rider’s Guide that governs paratransit practices allowed the contractor to deduct appropriate fares automatically from client accounts as each trip was taken. The past practice allowed customers to reach a negative account balance of $20.

VTA has transferred all fare account balances from the former contractor (Outreach) to the VTA. The client account transfers included almost 1,200 negative account balances, with 368 exceeding the $20 negative account balance threshold. Due to this, VTA is adopting a new practice that would eliminate this negative account balance practice.

Effective July 1, 2017, all paratransit customers with negative account balances will be not be able to schedule additional trips until they deposit funds into their accounts, bringing them to a positive balance to pay for the trips they schedule. Customers with positive account balances will only be allowed to schedule trips that they can pay for with the amount of money in their account.

To ease the transition of the change in practice, VTA will communicate this change with VTA ACCESS Paratransit clients throughout the month of January and February when clients make reservations. Communications will include direct mailing to all active clients with direct calls to those with negative balances. The paratransit phone lines will have a script reminding customers of this change if they are placed on hold.

Where: Santa Clara VTA Board of Directors

When:  Feb. 2, 2017, 5:30 pm

Link to agenda packet: http://vtaorgcontent.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Site_Content/bod_020217_packet.pdf

 

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