Planning Commission Meeting

MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, January 24, 2017 4:00 PM AFTERNOON SESSION ONLY 580 PACIFIC STREET, COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Commissioners Present: Fletcher, Millich, Davis, Dawson, Latasa, Reed, Widmar Commissioners Absent: None Staff Members Present: Chief of Planning Engineering & Environmental Comp Cole, Principal Planner Caraker, Housing and Property Manager Marvin, Recording Secretary Leinen CALL TO ORDER Chair Fletcher called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm. CONSENT ITEMS Commissioner Reed made a motion to approve the Consent Items with amendments to the minutes. Commissioner Widmar seconded the motion. On a motion by Commissioner Reed, seconded by Commissioner Widmar, and carried by the following vote, the Planning Commission approved the CONSENT ITEMS with amendments to the minutes: AYES: 7 COMMISSIONERS: Fletcher, Millich, Davis, Dawson, Latasa, Reed, Widmar NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None RECUSED: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None Approval of Minutes 1. December 13, 2016 ACTION: Approved as amended. Commissioner Dawson requested that the word “has” be changed to “have” and the spelling of “desalination” be corrected in the third paragraph of page four. He also requested that the word “was” be changed to “were” in the seventh paragraph of page four. ***End of Consent Agenda*** PUBLIC COMMENTS Judy Karas, Monterey resident, said there is an urgent need for assistance for homeless people in the community and she hopes the Planning Commission and City will make this a top priority.  Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, January 24, 2017 PUBLIC APPEARANCE 2. Receive Report on Substantial Amendment to Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Action Plan for Community Development Block Grant Program and Budget and Provide Comments (Exempt from CEQA Article 19, Section 15301, Class 1, 15306, Class 6 and 15326, Class 26 and Exempt from NEPA Guidelines 24 CFR Part 58) ACTION: Received report on Substantial Amendment to fiscal year 2016-2017 Action Plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and Budget and provided comments. Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions Rick Marvin presented the Agenda Report and answered Commissioners’ questions. Kimberly Cole was also present and answered Commissioners’ questions. In response to Commissioner Dawson’s question regarding the Planning Commission meeting of January 10, 2017 referred to in the Substantial Amendment document, Mr. Marvin said that the date will be corrected to January 24, 2017. Vice Chair Millich thanked Mr. Marvin for his thorough report. He noted that the Substantial Amendment included an incorrect date, a typo and a misspelling and requested that they be corrected. Vice Chair Millich also requested clarification on the acronyms used in the report and suggested that an alphabetical be index be created due to the large number of acronyms used. In response Vice Chair Millich’s comments, Mr. Marvin said that he is unable to change the Action Plan because it is a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) template, but that he can add an acronym index to the Substantial Amendment. Public Comments Judy Karas thanked the Planning Commission for their thorough review of the agenda report. Ms. Karas spoke about the proposed improvements to Montecito Park and said that these neighborhood improvements should be funded through the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) and that the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money should be used for top priority projects that HUD deals with. Jay Fagan, project coordinator for the Veterans Transition Center, thanked the City of Monterey and Mr. Marvin for their assistance. Mr. Fagan said construction of the Center is ahead of schedule and a grand opening is scheduled for April 1, 2017. He also said the Center will continue its long-standing relationship with the police department, fire department, and community partners to identify all homeless persons in Monterey identifying as veterans. Kelly Keen, Gathering for Women volunteer, spoke about the importance of getting homeless women, especially those between 77 and 87 years of age, indoors and off the streets. Ms. Keen asked if TOT funds could be used for Montecito Park improvements and said that Monterey could certainly use a facility for the homeless. Mr. Marvin responded to public comments and said one of the challenges the City faces is spending the funding received within one year and identifying projects that are far enough along to provide funding. He also said that CDBG rules limit the amount of funding that can be spent on community services and that the City is currently working to identify future housing projects. Regarding Montecito Park, Mr. Marvin said CDBG funds will be used to supplement Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) funding. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 24, 2017 2  Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Commissioner Comments In response to Chair Fletcher’s question, Mr. Marvin said the main limitation on providing funding to existing services is working within HUD’s cap on funding. He also said the City will be in a better position to provide more public services next year due to increased program income that will increase the cap. Commissioner Widmar asked whether revolving loan funds could be used to fund a project, such as a homeless shelter, that does not have to be designed, built, and funded within a one year time frame. Mr. Marvin said revolving loan finds cannot be used for future year’s projects. Commissioner Latasa thanked Mr. Marvin for the thorough report. Ms. Caraker said the City has begun outreach to the service community for next year’s Action Plan. She said a Notice of Funding Availability is being circulated and that a public meeting will be held for any public agency interested in funding on Friday, January 27, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS Commissioner Reed requested that there only be an afternoon session of the Planning Commission on February 14, 2017. Commissioner Davis said he will not be present for the meeting. Commissioner Latasa spoke about global warming and rising sea levels and asked if the City has a program in place to address potential flooding. Ms. Cole said the City has been working on a Local Coastal Program (LCP) update and a key issue of the LCP is sea level rise and future adaptation strategies. Ms. Caraker added that the LCP will also identify trigger points in relation to implementation strategies. Vice Chair Millich asked about the status of emergency shelter overlay zoning. Ms. Caraker said the Planning Commission’s recommendation to apply the overlay to the C3 district was tabled by the City Council, and that they gave feedback directing the Planning Commission to consider a new recommendation looking at a variety of commercial and industrial areas. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS 3. Planning Office Update  Update received.  Ms. Caraker said the League of California Cities will be holding its Planning Commissioner Academy on March 1 through March 3, 2017 in Los Angeles. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:06 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Elizabeth Caraker, AICP Chair Principal Planner Planning Commission Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 24, 2017 3