City Council and Planning Commission Joint Special Study Session Minutes August 29, 2022
City of Gilroy
City Council and Planning Commission Joint Special Study Session Minutes August 29, 2022
1. OPENING
1.1. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 6:02 PM by Mayor Marie Blankley
1. Pledge of Allegiance
Council Member Armendariz led the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. City Clerk's Report on Posting the Agenda
City Clerk Pham reported on the posting of the agenda.
Attendee Name Title Status
Marie Blankley Mayor Present
Rebeca Armendariz Council Member Present
Dion Bracco Council Member Present
Zach Hilton Council Member Absent
Peter Leroe-Muñoz Mayor Pro Tempore Absent
Carol Marques Council Member Present
Fred Tovar Council Member Present
Manny Bhandal Planning Commission Chair Present
Annedore Kushner Planning Commission Vice Chair Present John Doyle Planning Commissioner Absent
Stefanie Elle Planning Commissioner Present
Adriana Leongardt Planning Commissioner Present
Joan Lewis Planning Commissioner Present
Adilene Jezabel Moreno Planning Commissioner Present
2. PUBLIC COMMENT BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS NOT ON THE
AGENDA BUT WITHIN THE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OF THE CITY
COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION
Mayor Blankley opened public comment.
There being no speakers, Mayor Blankley closed public comment.
3. STUDY SESSION
3.1. Housing Element Update Study Session
Customer Service Manager McCormick introduced Dan Wery, Principal Community Planner from Michael Baker International, who provided the presentation and responded to Council Member and Planning Commissioner questions.
Mayor Blankley opened part one of public comment.
Giovanni Ottolini requested Council and Planning Commission to adopt labor standards that any proposed future developments pay fair standard
City Council and Planning Commission Joint Special Study Session Minutes August 29, 2022
carpenter livable wages, healthcare coverage, and commitment to hire local carpenters, including apprentices.
James Suner commented that the City’s process is one of the difficulties of getting projects up and running for development.
Vanessa Ashford commented about how the City zoned areas, RHNA numbers, livable wages, and Section 8 housing.
Amalia Lopez commented that she is worried that she does not qualify for low income housing.
Lucy Navarro commented that the definition of affordable is not affordable for many of the residents within Gilroy and brought forth an issue between residents and the Glen Loma Ranch Development.
Ron Kirkish commented that parking must be part of housing element.
Jan Guffey commented on the unhoused in Gilroy and stated that essential workers that work in Gilroy need housing here as well.
Jane Barr commended City's work on housing element and reiterated Mr.
Wery’s statement on specific plans.
David Almeida commented he would like to see a vision of enabling small developers in downtown area neighborhoods.
Jan Bernstein Chargin reiterated the statement that affordable housing in Gilroy is not affordable and that the City has to be deliberate about getting very low income and special needs housing built.
There being no further speakers, Mayor Blankley closed public comment.
Council and Planning Commissioners continued asking questions to Mr. Wery and staff.
Mayor Blankley opened part two of public comment.
Bill O’Connor commented stated the City has more than enough above- moderate housing and should not take any more applications for same.
There being no further speakers, Mayor Blankley closed public comment.
4. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:48 PM by Mayor Blankley.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and regularly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Gilroy.
Thai Nam Pham, CMC, CPMC
City Clerk