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Home My WebLink AboutCS Senate Bill 2 Planning Grants Program____________________________________________________________________________________ FOR CITY CLERK ONLY Council Meeting: 09/16/2019 Disposition: Resolution 14725 Agenda Item No: 4.d Meeting Date: September 16, 2019 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Department: Community Development Prepared by: Paul A. Jensen, (EG) Community Development Director City Manager Approval: ______________ TOPIC: SENATE BILL 2 PLANNING GRANTS PROGRAM SUBJECT: RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZING APPLICATION FOR, AND RECEIPT OF, SB 2 PLANNING GRANTS PROGRAM FUNDS, CASE NO. P19-004 RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a resolution endorsing and authorizing staff to apply for and receive Senate Bill 2 Planning Grants. BACKGROUND: On April 15, 2019, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 14656 endorsing and authorizing the filing of applications for the Senate Bill 2 (SB2) Planning Grants Program (PGP), through which the City of San Rafael has been allocated $310,000. On July 10, 2019, the California Housing & Community Development Department (HCD) amended their SB2 PGP Program Guidelines. These amendments included requiring authorizing resolutions—like Resolution No. 14656—to include the following specific elements: • Recitation that the City shall be subject to the terms and conditions specified in the “Standard Agreement” with HCD and the SB2 PGP Guidelines, and • Signature of the Mayor (in additional to the City Clerk). As a result of these amendments, a new resolution—supplemental to Resolution No. 14656— that includes these elements is required in order for approval of the City’s SB2 PGP application. ANALYSIS: As part of our PGP application, Staff has identified five (5) projects to effectively use these funds to facilitate future housing development in the identified SB2 Priority Policy Areas: 1. Inclusionary Study. The City of San Rafael is partnering with the County of Marin and five (5) other Marin Jurisdictions on a collaborative SB2 Inclusionary Zoning Study and Housing Mitigation and Commercial Linkage Fees grant project. The proposed Inclusionary Study will analyze and recommend new and/or improved inclusionary policies regarding inclusionary fees, affordable housing impact fees, jobs-housing linkage fees and commercial linkage fees for participating towns, cities, and County of Marin. SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2 2. SB35 Objective Design and Development Standards toolbox and manual. Staff has been working on the development of an objective design and development standards toolbox and manual. Staff recently completed draft “objective design and development standards” to comply with the SB 35 law. These draft standards have been reviewed by the City’s Design Review Board and will require the review of the Planning Commission and adoption by the City Council. Once approved the City will hire a consultant to help develop an easy-to-use public manual outlining these new standards and including detailed design illustrations. 3. By-Right Affordable Housing Overlay Zone. The City will use SB2 funds to develop a ‘by-right’ zoning process and overlay zone for the review and approval of affordable housing development projects located within the HR-1 (High Density Residential) Zoning District. The intent is to streamline the review of such projects, which will significantly reduce soft costs and the process timing for developers/applicants. As part of this project, the City will work with Homeward Bound of Marin, which provides services and housing for the homeless community. Homeward Bound is planning to redevelop its current emergency housing shelter. The project would include a new, larger emergency housing shelter, 32 residential units (single-room occupancy), as well as administrative offices. This project will serve as a pilot project for the affordable “by-right” processing. 4. Online Permit Guide. Staff will develop an online portal which will guide residents and contractors through a customized application checklist of steps and forms required for their specific project. This guide will service two functions. First, it will help add transparency to permitting requirements and expedite the time it takes to complete an application. Second, this project will help begin mapping existing Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement processes to identify opportunities for automation and streamlining as part of the Permit Management System described below. 5. Permit Management System. Staff will build out a series of innovative enhancements to our permitting and approvals process that will make housing and mixed-use development easier. This project will develop a web-based permit management system to streamline approvals for Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement Division projects. The permit management system will be used for core operations such as tracking applications, code enforcement cases, coordinating plan reviews, recording fees, issuing violations and fines, and scheduling inspections. Key Functionality of this system will include: online permit process for applicants, automated permit issuance, platform-based solution with an open developer API, and AI-driven reporting and insights. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. The Senate Bill 2 Planning Grants Program does not require a local financial commitment or “match” from local jurisdictions requesting grant funds. City staff time required for processing the grant applications and administering/managing the projects funded by the grant would be absorbed as part of the staff workload and would have no impact on the City’s General Fund. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt a resolution endorsing and authorizing staff to apply for and receive Senate Bill 2 Planning Grants. ATTACHMENT: 1. Resolution 1 RESOLUTION NO. 14725 RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZING APPLICATION FOR, AND RECEIPT OF, SB 2 PLANNING GRANTS PROGRAM FUNDS, CASE NO. P19-004 The City Council of the City of San Rafael finds and determines that: WHEREAS, the State of California, Department of Housing and Community Development (Department) has issued a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) dated March 28, 2019, for its Planning Grants Program (PGP); and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Rafael adopted Resolution No.14656 endorsing and authorizing the filing of a project application for the PGP program to accelerate the production of housing and will submit a 2019 PGP grant application as described in the Planning Grants Program NOFA and SB 2 Planning Grants Program Guidelines released by the Department for the PGP Program; and WHEREAS, the Department is authorized to provide up to $123 million under the SB 2 Planning Grants Program from the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund for assistance to Counties (as described in Health and Safety Code section 50470 et seq. (Chapter 364, Statutes of 2017 (SB 2)) related to the PGP Program; and WHEREAS, given the current housing crisis and the City’s goals and policies that strongly encourage housing for all income levels, the SB 2 Planning Grants Program is timely. Further, the Program does not require a “local match” or financial commitment that would impact the City’s General Fund or Special General Plan Fund #218; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council resolves as follows: 1) City staff is hereby authorized and directed to apply for and submit to the Department the 2019 Planning Grants Program application in the amount of $310,000. 2) In connection with the PGP grant, if the application is approved by the Department, the City Manager is authorized to enter into, execute, and deliver a State of California Agreement (Standard Agreement) for the amount of $310,000, and any and all other documents required or deemed necessary or appropriate to evidence and secure the PGP grant, the City’s obligations related thereto, and all amendments thereto (collectively, the “PGP Grant Documents”). 3) The City shall be subject to the terms and conditions as specified in the Standard Agreement, the SB 2 Planning Grants Program Guidelines, and any applicable PGP guidelines published by the Department. Funds are to be used for allowable expenditures as specifically identified in the Standard Agreement. The application in full is incorporated as part of the Standard Agreement. Any and all activities funded, information provided, and timelines represented in the application will be enforceable through the executed Standard Agreement. The City Council hereby agrees that the City will use the funds for eligible uses in the manner presented in the application as approved by the Department and in accordance with the Planning Grants NOFA, the Planning Grants Program Guidelines, and 2019 Planning Grants Program 2 Application. 4) The City Manager is authorized to execute the City of San Rafael Planning Grants Program application, the PGP Grant Documents, and any amendments thereto, on behalf of the City as required by the Department for receipt of the PGP Grant. I, LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held on the 16th day of September 2019 by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Councilmembers: Colin, Gamblin & Mayor Phillips NOES: Councilmembers: None ABSENT: Councilmembers: Bushey and McCullough GARY PHILLIPS, Mayor LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk