Housing and Human Services Commission

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes - Final Housing and Human Services Commission Wednesday, November 16, 2016 7:00 PM Council Chambers, City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Special Meeting CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Kwok called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Vice Chair Kwok led the salute to the flag. ROLL CALL Present: 4 - Vice Chair Minjung Kwok Commissioner Diana Gilbert Commissioner Joshua Grossman Commissioner Narendra Pathak Absent: 2 - Chair Patti Evans Commissioner Elinor Stetson Chair Patti Evans (excused absence) Commissioner Elinor Stetson (excused absence) Council Liaison Jim Griffith (present) ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None. CONSENT CALENDAR 1.A 16-1050 Approve the Housing and Human Services Commission Meeting Minutes of October 19, 2016 Vice Chair Kwok asked if anyone wanted to pull the item on the consent calendar for discussion. No one did. Vice Chair Kwok asked for a motion. MOTION: Commissioner Pathak moved and Commissioner Gilbert seconded the motion to Approve the Housing and Human Services Commission Minutes of October 19, 2016 as submitted. City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final November 16, 2016 Commission The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 4 - Vice Chair Kwok Commissioner Gilbert Commissioner Grossman Commissioner Pathak No: 0 Absent: 2 - Chair Evans Commissioner Stetson PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS 2 16-0858 Make Required Findings and Recommendation Regarding Conversion Impact Report for Blue Bonnet Mobile Home Park, Located at 617 E. Evelyn Avenue in Sunnyvale Housing Officer Suzanne Isé provided the staff report and noted that Community Development Director Trudi Ryan, City Attorney John Nagel, the applicant's representatives, Josh Vrotsos of Dividend Homes and his attorney Margaret Nanda, and the City's relocation specialists, David Richman and Debbie Martinez of Autotemp, Inc., were also available to answer questions. Interpretative services were provided via headsets by interpreters in Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese for residents of the mobile home park. Vice Chair Kwok opened the public hearing at 7:26 p.m. The following members of the public spoke and shared various concerns regarding the park closure, the CIR, the appraisals, and related issues: Will Constantine, Attorney representing the Blue Bonnet Mobile Home Park Residents' Association, referred to concerns raised in a comment letter he had submitted. Nga Freeman, 16-year resident of Blue Bonnet and sole provider to two daughters and her mother, expressed concern about having to uproot her family. Pin Li expressed concern about moving into another mobile home park and possibly facing the same situation in the future, and noted that the ordinance was outdated because it was wiritten before all the tech companies (e.g. LinkedIn, Apple) moved into Sunnyvale and made the housing prices go up. Lai Khou (through a translator) expressed concern and frustration about the appraised value that he received City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final November 16, 2016 Commission because he is not able to find a comparable mobile home in the area at that price. Mary Lou Clark shared that she had planned to live out her retirement years in her mobile home, which is her only asset, and now it will be gone and she will have to apply for state assistance. Vincent Swerkes, 21-year park resident, acknowledged the right of the park owner to sell it, but felt that the appraisal that he received is low because his home is an older model, and that makes it difficult to find an adequate replacement home. Natalie Swerkes, real estate professional, expressed concern that the amounts being offered to the residents was not enough for them to find other affordable housing in Sunnyvale. Jing Lin (through a translator) shared that she and her parents were the last family to purchase a mobile home in the park, and that, before buying, she asked the park owner if the park would be sold, and they told her that it wouldn't. She also added that if she had to move out of this area, it could cost her one or both of her jobs. Vice Chair Kwok closed the public hearing at 7:49 p.m. Staff suggested that the applicant could respond to some of the questions raised by the public and/or commissioners. Divident Homes Director of Land Acquisition Josh Vrotsos spoke briefly and responded to some of the questions raised. After some discussion and questions of staff and the City Attorney, Vice Chair Kwok asked for a motion. MOTION: Commissioner Gilbert moved and Commissioner Pathak seconded the motion to recommend to City Council Alternative 1: Find that preparation, noticing, and distribution of the CIR has been done in compliance with SMC Chapter 19.72, that the CIR includes adequate information and options, and that it takes adequate measures to address the adverse social and economic impacts on displaced residents and mobile home owners of a mobile home park conversion; and approve the CIR as attached to the report. The motion failed by the following vote: Yes: 2 - Commissioner Gilbert Commissioner Pathak No: 2 - Vice Chair Kwok Commissioner Grossman Absent: 2 - Chair Evans Commissioner Stetson City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final November 16, 2016 Commission Commissioner Grossman explained that he had dissented because he did not feel that either the ordinance or the CIR adequately addressed how the adverse social and economic impacts on the displaced residents and mobile home owners would be mitigated. Vice Chair Kwok noted that she agreed with Commissioner Grossman. Vice Chair Kwok asked if there was another motion. 16-0858 Make Required Findings and Recommendation Regarding Conversion Impact Report for Blue Bonnet Mobile Home Park, Located at 617 E. Evelyn Avenue in Sunnyvale MOTION: Commissioner Grossman moved and Vice Chair Kwok seconded the motion to recommend to Council Alternative 2: Find that preparation, noticing, and distribution of the CIR has been done in compliance with SMC Chapter 19.72, that the CIR includes adequate information and options, and that it takes adequate measures to address the adverse social and economic impacts on displaced residents and mobile home owners of a mobile home park conversion; and conditionally approve the CIR with the condition that the applicant add a more detailed description of how the relocation assistance described in the CIR will ensure that all the residents will be able to obtain adequate housing before the park is closed. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 2 - Vice Chair Kwok Commissioner Grossman No: 1 - Commissioner Gilbert Absent: 2 - Chair Evans Commissioner Stetson Abstain: 1 - Commissioner Pathak Commissioner Pathak explained that he abstained because he was confident that the staff analysis of the CIR was throrough and Commissioner Gilbert noted that she dissented because she felt that the CIR met all the requirements in the Ordinance. City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final November 16, 2016 Commission Vice Chair Kwok agreed to hear agenda item 4 before agenda item 3 to accommodate the members of the public present. STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES 4 16-1051 Review and Rank Study Issues Housing Officer Suzanne Isé provided the staff report. She explained staff's recommendations and noted that staff will be recommending to Council that they consider an overall strategy to address and prioritize affordable housing and other housing-related concerns during their January 2017 strategic planning session. Vice Chair Kwok opened the public hearing at 9:08 p.m. The following members of the public spoke in support of several study issues: Director of Dispute Resolution Programs at Project Sentinel, Sandra DeLateur, recommended that the commission support study issue CDD 17-06, and noted that a study would help identify various ways to structure a rent stabilization program. She also noted that her agency can share information on different ways to administer such a program, such as use of mediation and other options. Eugenia Marino, Sandra Skolnik, Judy Paylick, Tim Kerr, Jo Ann Luck, Drew Eckhardt, Ron Banks, Cathy Close, and Joyce Loewy spoke in support of study issue CDD 17-03, and shared concerns regarding mobile home park rents. Vice Chair Kwok closed the public hearing at 9:40 p.m. After a short staff report on each study issue the commissioners agreed to first decide if any should be deferred or dropped, and then rank the rest. CDD 17-03: Rent Stabilization for Mobile Home Parks. The commissioners agreed not to drop or defer this study issue. CDD 17-05: Consider Revising Certain Requirements of Sunnyvale Municipal Code Chapter 19.72: Mobile Home Park Conversions The commissioners agreed not to drop or defer this study issue. CDD 17-06: Explore Introduction of a Rent Stabilization Ordinance The commissioners agreed not to drop or defer this study issue. CDD 17-07: Review and Consider Increasing the Below Market Rate (BMR) City of Sunnyvale Page 5 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final November 16, 2016 Commission Ownership Housing Requirement (Chapter 19.67 of the Municipal Code) The commissioners agreed not to drop or defer this study issue. The commissioners ranked the study issues as follows: Individual Commissioner Ranking Study Issue # Kwok Gilbert Grossman Pathak Totals Final Ranking CDD 17-03 1 1 1 1 4 1 CDD 17-06 4 2 2 2 10 2 CDD 17-07 2 4 3 3 12 3 CDD 17-05 3 3 4 4 14 4 Vice Chair Kwok added a recommendation that Council consider adding an additional detail to the study on BMR housing requirements: to possibly create a tiered requirement, so that larger projects have to provide a greater percentage of BMR homes than smaller projects, because it is more feasible for a larger project to provide them. Vice Chair Kwok asked for a motion to accept the ranking. MOTION: Commissioner Grossman moved and Commissioner Pathak seconded the motion to accept the ranking order of the study issues as shown above, with the additional recommendation regarding study issue CDD 17-07. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 4 - Vice Chair Kwok Commissioner Gilbert Commissioner Grossman Commissioner Pathak No: 0 Absent: 2 - Chair Evans Commissioner Stetson 3 16-1054 Review Draft Requests for Proposals for FY 2017-18 and FY 2018-19 CDBG Human Services Grants and FY 2017-18 CDBG/HOME Housing and Capital Projects Funding Housing Officer Suzanne Isé provided the staff report. Vice Chair Kwok opened the public hearing at 10:17 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 6 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final November 16, 2016 Commission Jo Ann Luck suggested that staff use more visual aids during presentations to help visual learners, such as using the overhead screens in the room. Vice Chair Kwok closed the public hearing at 10:19 p.m. Commissioner Kwok suggested that the examples of certain agencies provided in Attachment H to the RFP be omitted, so as not to discourage other agencies from applying. Other commissioners were not opposed to that change. Staff agreed to make that change. NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS -Commissioner Comments Commissioner Gilbert noted that Vice Chair Kwok did a great job chairing this meeting. Vice Chair Kwok mentioned the email from Chair Evans to the commissioners regarding the all-commission meeting that Vice Chair Kwok and Chair Evans attended, and thanked staff and the other commissioners for their support. -Staff Comments Staff reminded the commissioners that there was no meeting in December and noted that the next meeting was scheduled for January 25, 2017. Commissioners present said they did not have any conflicts with that date. ADJOURNMENT Vice Chair Kwok adjourned the meeting at 10:22 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 7