1 BENICIA CITY COUNCIL
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
Benicia City Hall, Council Chambers
250 East L Street, Benicia, CA 94510
November 14, 2023
5:00 PM
1. Accessing The Meeting
How to Participate in the Meeting:
1) Attend in person at Council Chambers
2) Cable T.V. Broadcast - Check with your cable provider for your local government broadcast channel.
3) Livestream online at www.ci.benicia.ca.us/agendas.
4) Zoom Meeting (link below)
The public may view and participate (via computer or phone) link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88508047557?pwd=cHRsZlBrYlphU3pkODcycytmcFR2UT09 • If prompted for a password, enter 449303.
• Use participant option to “raise hand” during the public comment period for the item you wish to speak on. Please note, your electronic device must have microphone capability. Once unmuted, you will have up to 5 minutes to speak.
Dial in with phone:
Before the start of the item you wish to comment on, call any of the numbers below. If one is busy, try the next one.
1 669 900 9128
1 346 248 7799
1 253 215 8782
1 646 558 8656
1 301 715 8592
1 312 626 6799
• Enter the meeting ID number: 885 0804 7557 *please note this is an updated ID number*. 2 • Enter password: 449303
• When prompted for a Participant ID, press #.
• Press *9 on your phone to “raise your hand” when the Mayor calls for public comment during the item you wish to speak on. Once unmuted, you will have up to 5 minutes to speak.
As a courtesy, and technology permitting, members of the public may participate remotely and provide public comment via Zoom. Please be advised that those participating in the meeting remotely via Zoom do so at their own risk. Council meetings will not be cancelled due to technical difficulties.
Any member of the public who needs accommodations should email City Clerk Lisa Wolfe at [email protected], who will use her best efforts to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety
2. Call Special Meeting To Order
3. Convene Open Session
4. Roll Call
5. Pledge Of Allegience
6. Reference To The Fundamental Rights Of The Public
The fundamental rights of each member of the public can be found in the municipal code posted on the City’s website and on a plaque that is posted at the entrance to this meeting per section 4.04.030 of the City of Benicia’s Open Government Ordinance.
7. Adoption Of The Agenda
8. Opportunity For Public Comments
How to Submit Public Comments for this City Council meeting:
Besides appearing in person and offering public comments, members of the public may provide public comment via Zoom, or to the City Clerk by email at [email protected]. Any comment submitted to the City Clerk should indicate to which item of the agenda the comment relates. Specific information follows:
- Comments received by 2:00 pm on the day of the meeting will be electronically forwarded to the City Council and posted on the City’s website.
- Comments received after 2:00 pm, but before the start time of the meeting will be electronically forwarded to the City Council but will not be posted on the City’s website. 3 9. Written Comment
10. Public Comment
11. Business Item
11.A - STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE WORKSHOP
As part of the path forward for addressing the City’s structural deficit, the City is updating its Strategic Plan and developing a Resiliency Plan.
Recommendation:
Provide feedback and direction on the draft elements of the Strategic Plan.
Staff Report - Strategic Plan Update Workshop
11.B - ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE HOUSING ELEMENT OF THE BENICIA GENERAL PLAN (Community Development Director)
Every eight years, each California city and county must update the Housing Element of their General Plan in accordance with the requirements of State Law. The City of Benicia adopted the Housing Element on January 24, 2023, submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review, and received comments on April 4, 2023. In its review letter HCD identified areas for additional information needed, including the Sites Inventory (Realistic Capacity, Non-Vacant Sites Analysis and Environmental Constraints) and Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH).
The Subsequent Draft Housing Element, which was released on August 2, 2023, includes various clarifications and minor revisions to the Housing Element’s analysis and programs. Concerning the sites inventory, HCD scrutinized non-vacant sites as to whether the Housing Element demonstrates feasibility for development during the eight-year planning cycle. Based on HCD’s comments, some additional details, and clarifications were made to the site exhibits and some nonvacant sites were removed.
Removal of these sites does not change the conclusions of the Housing Element nor the City’s ability to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).
In response to public comment on the Subsequent Draft Housing Element, a Revised Subsequent Draft was released on August 17, 2023, that clarifies the analysis of AFFH. Further comment was received on the Revised Subsequent Draft; as a result, three new programs were added to address the distribution of lower income housing and support housing mobility. The Revisions to Subsequent Draft were released on October 10, 2023. On October 24, 2023, the City received additional requests from HCD to modify Programs 2.04, 2.05, and 2.06 (Attachment 6). Staff prepared the requested revisions, the Adoption Draft, dated November 2023 (provided as Attachment 7 in clean copy, or as markup in 4 Attachment 8). The Adoption Draft is the subject of this hearing and represents all proposed amendments to the adopted Housing Element.
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on November 2, 2023, and recommended that the City Council adopt the amendments to the Housing Element of the General Plan.
Recommendation:
Conduct the public hearing and take the following actions:
1. Move to adopt a Resolution (Attachment 1) adopting amendments to the Housing Element of the General Plan; and
2. Move to adopt a Resolution (Attachment 2) self-certifying compliance with State housing laws for OBAG-3 grant.
Staff Report - Adoption - Amendments - Housing Element - Benicia General Plan
1. Resolution - Amendments - 2023-2031 Housing Element - Benicia General Plan
2. Resolution - Regulations to Certify Compliance - State Housing Laws - OBAG-3 Grant
3. Planning Commission Staff Report (without attachments), November 2, 2023
4. Resolution No. 23-9 (PC) (without exhibits)
5. HCD Review Letter, April 4, 2023
6. HCD Review Letter, October 24, 2023
7. Benicia Housing Element Adoption Draft November 2023 (Clean)
8. Benicia Housing Element Adoption Draft November 2023 (Mark-Up)
12. Adjournment (9:30 P.M.)
5 Public Participation
The Benicia City Council and its Boards and Commissions welcome public participation.
Pursuant to the Brown Act, each public agency must provide the public with an opportunity to speak on any matter within the subject matter jurisdiction of the agency and which is not on the agency's agenda for that meeting. The City Council allows speakers to speak on non-agendized matters under public comment, and on agendized items at the time the agenda item is addressed at the meeting. Comments are limited to no more than five minutes per speaker. By law, no action may be taken on any item raised during the public comment period although informational answers to questions may be given and matters may be referred to staff for placement on a future agenda of the City Council.
Should you have material you wish to enter into the record, please submit it to the City Manager.
Disabled Access or Special Needs
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and to accommodate any special needs, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact Kim Imboden, the ADA Coordinator, at (707) 746-4200. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting.
Meeting Procedures
All items listed on this agenda are for Council discussion and/or action. In accordance with the Brown Act, each item is listed and includes, where appropriate, further description of the item and/or a recommended action. The posting of a recommended action does not limit, or necessarily indicate, what action may be taken by the City Council.
Pursuant to Government Code Section 65009, if you challenge a decision of the City Council in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing. You may also be limited by the ninety (90) day statute of limitations in which to challenge in court certain administrative decisions and orders (Code of Civil Procedure 1094.6) to file and serve a petition for administrative writ of mandate challenging any final City decisions regarding planning or zoning.
The decision of the City Council is final as of the date of its decision unless judicial review is initiated pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedures Section 1094.5. Any such petition for judicial review is subject to the provisions of California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.6.
Public Records
The agenda packet for this meeting is available at the City Manager's Office and the Benicia Public Library during regular working hours. To the extent feasible, the packet is also available on the City's web page at www.ci.benicia.ca.us under the heading "Agendas and Minutes." Public records related to an open session agenda item that are distributed after the agenda packet is prepared are available before the meeting at the 6 City Manager's Office located at 250 East L Street, Benicia, or at the meeting held in the Council Chambers.
If you wish to submit written information on an agenda item, please submit to the City Clerk as soon as possible so that it may be distributed to the City Council. A complete proceeding of each meeting is also recorded and available through the City Clerk’s Office.
Contact Your Council Members
If you would like to contact the Mayor or a Council Member, please call the number listed below to leave a voicemail message.
Mayor Young: 707-746-4213
Vice Mayor Scott: 707-746-4213
Council Member Birdseye: 707-746-4213
Council Member Campbell: 707-746-4213
Council Member Macenski: 707-746-4213