FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
1 SPECIAL AGENDA ITEM #5
MEETING DATE
PREPARED FOR
PREPARED BY
SUBJECT
January 10, 2024
Mayor and Town Council
Heather Abrams, Town Manager
Adopt a Resolution Dissolving and Terminating the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Council adopt the attached resolution and thank the former committee members for their volunteer service.
BACKGROUND
The Affordable Housing Committee (“AHAC”) was formed in 2008 to “…discuss affordable housing issues and to advise the Town Council, Town staff and the Planning Commission on related matters.” The original resolution establishing the AHAC is attached.
DISCUSSION
At the time when the committee was formed, approximately 16 years ago, the AHAC was made up of experts in the affordable housing field who were also Fairfax residents. Since then, the composition of the AHAC has changed and the needs of the Town have evolved. Maintaining the committee is not required and does not appear beneficial at this time.
Typically, affordable housing topics are handled by the Planning Commission. The Housing Element contains important affordable housing requirements and programs. The AHAC met with the Housing Element consultant early on. Fairfax’s 2023-2031 Housing Element has been recommended by the Planning Commission and then adopted by Council, and this did not necessitate input from the AHAC in recent years. If needed, the Council could consider reconstituting the AHAC for the next Housing Element cycle in approximately eight years. (Please note that other Town volunteers are needed. The Planning Commission currently has one opening and has struggled to maintain a quorum. In the near future, the Commission will need a new member, or the Council may need to consider reducing the Commission from its current seven seats to five seats).
There is currently one member on the AHAC, without professional experience in the field. The Town has been recruiting for this committee, but there has been only one application, which would not provide a quorum for the committee to meet. No Fairfax residents with professional experience have applied. The Committee has not met since November 2021 and the likelihood of having a quorum to meet in the next year is low.
2 Staff conducted a survey of Marin Managers and found that no other jurisdictions in Marin have an appointed AHAC. (Please note that there is a private group in Mill Valley that calls themselves the Affordable Housing Committee).
Town Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
Sausalito -
Tiburon -
Larkspur -
Corte Madera -
San Anselmo -
Ross -
Fairfax 1
Belvedere -
Mill Valley -
San Rafael -
Novato -
Marin County -
Total of 12 jurisdictions 1
Staff recommends thanking and terminating inactive committees in order to maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of the Town. The full Council always has the power to create a new committee, if the need arises.
FISCAL IMPACT
None identified; small savings in staff time to recruit, process, and renew AHAC members.
ATTACHMENT
A. Resolution 2555 Establishing the Affordable Housing Committee B. Proposed Resolution
RESOLUTION NO. 2555-A
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE
TOWN OF FAIRFAX ESTABLISHING THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Whereas, the Fairfax Town Council has determined that providing affordable housing in the Town of Fairfax is critical to ensuring social and economic diversity; and Whereas, the Fairfax Town Council has worked diligently to update the Housing Element of the General Plan; and
Whereas, the Town has had the assistance of the Planning Commission in developing a "Mixed Use Overlay Zone" to be a,1plied to identified commercial sites to allow more flexibility in zoning to make the creation of affordable units possible; and Whereas, the Town has a number of citizens who have extensive professional experience in the area of affordable housing who could provide valuable input in shaping the Town's affordable housing policies; and
Whereas, the Town Council recognizes the need for sound policymaking in affordable housing and finds that an Affordable Housing Advisory Committee will help to address that need.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Fairfax Town Council does hereby establish an Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to advise the Council on matters relating to affordable housing in Fairfax;
The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee shall consist of at least three citizens who reside within Fairfax and two Council Members; and
Membership on the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee shall be approved by the Fairfax Town Council from applications submitted by interested Fairfax residents. The Town Clerk shall publish a notice announcing the availability of positions on the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee whenever a vacancy becomes available; and
Members of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee shall serve four year terms; and The Committee, through the Town Clerk, shall provide notice of its meetings in accordance with the Brown Act; shall keep action minutes of its meetings, and such minutes shall be kept on file with the Town as a public record;
The Town of Fairfax shall provide such services and space as reasonably necessary to effectuate the orderly meetings and purposes of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee; Said Committee shall meet as frequently as the scope of its work shall require with meetings called by the Chair of the Committee;
Said Committee shall be chaired by the Town's representative to the Marin County Affordable Housing Task Force; and
The purpose of said Committee will be to discuss affordable housing issues and to advise the Town Council, Town staff and the Planning Commission on related matters.
ATTACHMENT A
The foregoing Resolution 2555 was duly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the 2nd day of July, 2008, by the following vote:
AYES: Bragman, Brandborg, Maggiore, Tremaine, Weinsoff
NOES: None
ryAnn Mag ~, Mayor
Attest:
ATTACHMENT B
RESOLUTION 24-__
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX
DISSOLVING AND TERMINATING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, the Town Council first established the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (“AHAC”) in 2008 pursuant to Resolution 2555-A; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the AHAC is to “…discuss affordable housing issues and to advise the Town Council, Town staff and the Planning Commission on related matters”; and WHEREAS, the Committee has met on an as-needed basis; and WHEREAS, currently there is only one member of the AHAC; and WHEREAS, the Committee has not met since 2021, during which it met five times to provide input to the current Housing Element Update; and
WHEREAS, there is no need for the Committee to meet until the next the next Housing Element Update Cycle, which will be in 2031; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax as follows:
1. All of the members of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, past and present, are thanked for their dedicated service to the Town; and
2. The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee is hereby dissolved and terminated.
The foregoing resolution was adopted at a regular meeting of the Fairfax Town Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the __ day of ______ 2024, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
__________________________________
Barbara Coler, Mayor
Attest: _____________________________
Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk