09-15-2022 - Minutes - HEAB
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
HOUSING ELEMENT ADVISORY
BOARD REPORT
MINUTES OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT ADVISORY BOARD
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
The Housing Element Advisory Board of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on
September 15, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., via teleconference.
This meeting was conducted utilizing teleconferencing and electronic means consistent with
Government Code Section 54953, as Amended by Assembly Bill 361, in response to the state
of emergency relating to COVID-19 and enabling teleconferencing accommodations by
suspending or waiving specified provisions in the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code §
54950 et seq.). Consistent with AB 361 and Town of Los Gatos Resolution 2021 -044 this
meeting was not physically open to the public and the Advisory Board Member s were
teleconferencing from remote locations. Members of the public were able to participate in
the meeting by joining the Zoom webinar (log in information provided below).
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Melanie Hanssen; Vice Chair Kathryn Janoff; Council Member Maria Ristow;
Board Member Todd Jarvis; Board Member Joseph Mannina; Board Member Adam Mayer;
Board Member Rob Moore; Board Member Steven Piasecki; Board Member Ryan Rosenberg;
and Board Member Emily Thomas.
Absent: Council Member Marico Sayoc and Board Member Randi Chen.
Staff present: Jennifer Armer; Joel Paulson; Jocelyn Shoopman; Erin Walters; and Gabrielle
Whelan.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – August 18, 2022
MOTION: Motion by Board Member Moore to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Board Member Jarvis.
VOTE: Motion passed 9-0. Board Member Thomas absent during this vote.
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DISCUSSION ITEMS
2. Receive Public Comments on the Initial Public Review Draft 2023-2031 Housing Element.
Presentation by Erin Walters.
Housing Element Advisory Board (HEAB) member’s comments and questions:
1. Does staff have input on whether our document should include a column which states
the likely number of units to be built, similar to what other municipalities have provided
in their Housing Element;
2. Should the HEAB be providing staff with suggested edits to the draft Initial Public Review
Housing Element this evening; and
3. Are there implications to submitting the Housing Element late or not making the
deadline as provided by the Department of Housing and Community Development
(HCD).
Opened Public Comment.
Mitch Vinciguerra
- A field representative for the Carpenters Union Local 405. Labor standards should be
included in any Housing Element to make sure the developers are paying area standard
wages so the skilled people building these projects can afford to live in our local
communities;
- Local hiring also ensures that the money generated by the new developments stays in
the community in the form of sales and property tax revenue ;
- Another standard in the Housing Element should be healthcare. Workers are reliant on
emergency rooms, taxing an overburdened system; and
- Another standard should be the use of apprentices. Apprentice programs are a proven
escalator to the middle class.
Susan Burnett
- Concerned with the comments provided in the Addendum Report, stating that the 45
units proposed in the Downtown Area is only two percent of the Regional Housing
Needs Assessment requirements. With the new units potentially utilizing objective
standards, very little parking will be required, further adding to congestion; and
- The Downtown is not an appropriate place to put in more residents.
Board Member Emily Thomas joined the meeting at 7:22 p.m. during the Open Public
Comment portion of the meeting.
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Brian Handy
- Worried about how close the housing locations are to major roadways and freeways in
terms of the health impacts; and
- How will the privacy of existing homes and backyards be protected if multi -story
buildings are developed.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 7:41 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
September 15, 2022, meeting.
/s/Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development