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The Dublin City Council is set to continue its discussion Tuesday on Mayor and City Council term limits and whether to place the possible measure on the spring or fall ballot. Dublin staff plans to present six different options city leadership could take regarding the issue, as well as accompanying research and verbiage choices.
City Council has shown interest in amending its current term limits policies, which were originally approved by voters in 1996, for the past several months. Although the Dublin council has unanimously agreed the term limits need amending, there have been lengthy discussions as to when and how these should be implemented.
During council meetings in June and August of this year, Dublin city staff were directed to prepare information on the possible ballot measure for a March 5 special election.
“Because of the expressed desires at the June 6 meeting and August 15 study session, staff has brought back various options for the City Council’s consideration regarding potential amendments to the term limits ordinance,” Dublin staff said in the meeting report. “As a reminder, any amendments to the term limits ordinance require voter approval.”
“Given the various viewpoints and our research on measures that amend term limits, staff has produced six different options for the City Council’s consideration,” they added.
Adding any measures to the special election in March would incur additional expenses on the city.
While the exact cost is unknown, city staff estimates that it would cost taxpayers around $244,328 – $314,136 based on data from the Registrar of Voters. On top of that estimate, there would be an additional $5,000 in printing related costs, city staff said in the agenda report.
Because Dublin is already holding a municipal election in November 2024, the cost associated with placing the measures on this ballot would be much less, staff added.
The City Council had also directed staff during its June 6 and Aug. 15 meetings to present a proposed ballot measure to amend the city’s Open Space Initiative (OSI) of 2014 in order to allow development along the proposed Dublin Boulevard extension between Dublin and Livermore and no more than 1,200 feet north of Interstate 580.
However, city staff noted in their agenda report that they would not be presenting ballot language for the council’s consideration regarding the OSI on Tuesday due to the property owner’s request for additional time for outreach and planning for a ballot measure.
The 180-acre parcel of unincorporated land bordering Livermore and Dublin is referred to in the report as the Crosby property.
“Following the Study Session, Staff, as directed by the City Council, consulted with the owner of the Crosby property (Crosby),” they said. “Crosby conferred with various professionals and informed the City that Crosby desires to proceed with planning for an election in November 2024.”
“Crosby indicated that it desires more time for community and stakeholder engagement and outreach, including discussions with the City of Livermore, and that a discussion about ballot placement at tonight’s meeting is premature and unnecessary,” the report reads.
Livermore and Dublin officials have expressed differing views about how the land should be used. Although both cities are on board with the planned Dublin Boulevard extension, Dublin is looking to pursue commercial development in the area around it while Livermore wants to preserve the land as open space.
Last month, Dublin City Manager Linda Smith addressed many of the major concerns regarding the development and outlined Dublin’s goals for the land in an open letter to the city of Livermore.
“The City of Dublin, like the City of Livermore, has great interest in seeing Dublin Boulevard extended to North Canyons Parkway. This is an expensive and needed improvement for the cities, and it will also serve the region by relieving I-580,” said Smith. “The Crosby property from east to west is nearly 3,000 feet. Dublin is certain that implementing a 200-foot-wide view corridor can easily be addressed through continued discussions between Dublin and Livermore.”
“Both cities can do what they want, but Dublin thinks there is some value in working together (to) honor the vision for protecting and preserving Doolan Canyon, wildlife habitat and open space, reducing barriers for transportation, particularly the traffic burdens our residents face by being forced to take I-580,” added Smith.
That same month, the city of Livermore approved conducting a resident survey on how to proceed with the land.
While a potential ballot measure related to the Crosby property is on hold for now, the six proposed term limit measures are set to be discussed during the council meeting set for Tuesday (Nov. 7) at 7 p.m. The complete meeting agenda is available here.
