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The Pleasanton City Council is set to discuss bringing back $10,000 in funding to the Leadership Pleasanton program for the next two years while city staff continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the program during Tuesday’s council meeting.
Hosted by the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, the leadership program was developed to identify and help develop community leaders from different sectors within the community, according to the staff report.
“Over time, the city has benefited from its support of Leadership Pleasanton, as all program participants have developed expanded community connections and awareness, and additionally many of the program participants have become future city commission and committee members and/or board members and volunteers for local community-based organizations,” the staff report states.
Over the years, the city has supported the program through a direct $10,000 sponsorship annually as well as with city staff time to conduct several of the monthly sessions. But that funding had recently stopped coming in due to the pandemic.
However, now that things are more or less back to normal city staff are looking to continue providing the $10,000 in annual financial support — but this time staff are asking the council to allocate the money for the next two fiscal years instead of just the one.
That’s because as the city is in the midst of commencing a citywide strategic plan process, which will look to replace the longstanding two-year process for identifying and prioritizing public projects with a five-year strategic planning framework, staff want to evaluate how the leadership program will fit within that new framework.
According to the staff report, they want to possibly look at alternative programs that will continue to directly inform residents about the city’s government and community, depending on how the council discussion goes on Tuesday.
The reason being that the current leadership program — while open to all — works on a first-come first-serve basis and is only available during working, daytime hours at a cost of $950 making it, “infeasible for most residents who might otherwise be interested in attending.”
“Through the Council’s discussion of this item, there may be interest in exploring other models to engage residents and commercial partners in the community,” according to the staff report. “If that is the case, staff will receive that feedback and incorporate it into the strategic planning process with a goal of creating civic engagement and education options that have fewer barriers to participation.”
The City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday (March 7). The full agenda can be accessed here.
In other business
* City staff will be asking the council to approve two final purchase agreements that would finalize all traffic mitigation plans and proceedings to carry out the construction of a Costco in Pleasanton.
Pleasanton’s first-ever Costco store would be part of the city’s Johnson Drive Economic Development Zone (JDEDZ) project, a project aiming to redevelop approximately 40 acres of land fronting Johnson Drive, near Stoneridge Drive and Interstate 680.
Costco is a landowner within the project area and is looking to construct a new store on the property. The project has been underway for nearly a decade in a public process that included an opposition measure that lost at the ballot box, two lawsuits and years worth of city review and council hearings.
Costco and the city received a favorable ruling from the state appellate court over the final lawsuit last year.
The project includes public street improvements to reduce the impact of traffic from the new land-uses. In 2018, the city agreed to reimburse a portion of the design and construction costs with traffic impact fees and a portion of the sales tax revenues generated by the proposed Costco store, with Costco fronting a portion of the overall roadwork costs — in addition to its own share.
As part of the consent calendar, which are items that are routine in nature and are usually approved without discussion, the council will be approving the last two out of 10 right-of-way purchase agreements — the negotiated purchase price for the two properties combined, including estimated title insurance and escrow fees, totals $229,762.
“These final two purchase agreements complete the city’s obligation to acquire the right- of-way needed for the JDEDZ Project traffic mitigation measures,” the staff report states. “Assuming City Council approves staff’s recommendations, when these two final transactions are complete and the grant deeds recorded, in accordance with the terms of the 2018 agreement, staff will prepare an invoice for 50% of the total cost of acquiring the needed right-of-way for the JDEDZ Street Improvements and submit it to Costco requesting its required reimbursement payment.”
Apart from seeking approval to finalize the last two purchase agreements, staff will be asking the council to transfer $190,000 from the Dublin Freeway Reimbursement Reserve fund, to the JDEDZ ROW and Miscellaneous Project fund, to fully fund the purchase of the right-of-way as well as provide the ability to pay for other minor miscellaneous expenses.
According to the staff report, construction of the traffic mitigation measures is ongoing and is tracking well with the amount budgeted for the work.
“The most recent project schedule prepared by the general contractor shows completion in November 2023,” the staff report states. “However, recent developments with PG&E regarding its availability to accomplish the planned relocation of its utilities to be outside of the widened Johnson Drive roadway may delay other project work and extend the completion date.
* The council is set to receive a presentation about diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the Pleasanton Library’s programs, services and collections.
According to the staff report, the presentation will include insight into how these practices shape the different library services.
“One of the five values that frames the Library and Recreation Department is Inclusiveness,” the staff report states. “This includes welcoming all members of the community and providing programming, materials and services that reflect the unique and varied perspectives of the Pleasanton community and the world.”
According to the report, the library has enhanced these programs, services and collections by implementing new tools, metrics and program planning techniques.
