Council Meetings > 2006 > 2006April > Reports > LRA 06-002

April 11, 2006

 

 

 

SUBJECT:  Convene the Onizuka Air Force Station Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) to: Approve the LRA bylaws; select LRA officers; select the LRA executive committee; authorize staff to apply for an Office of Economic Adjustment community base reuse planning grant; and approve the Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) bylaws and select two LRA members to serve on the CAC

 

 

REPORT IN BRIEF

Staff recommends that City Council, serving as the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) for Onizuka Air Force Station (AFS), take the following action:

1) Approve the LRA bylaws;

2) Select a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for the LRA;

3) Select members of the LRA executive committee;

4) Approve submission of a community base reuse grant proposal not to exceed $500,000 to the Office of Economic Adjustment and authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute the necessary grant agreement and expend received grant funds; and

5) Approve the Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) bylaws and select two LRA members to serve on the CAC.

The LRA is responsible for preparing a Reuse Plan, the primary planning document for base redevelopment, and will establish a taskforce known as the Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) to provide input to the LRA during the reuse planning process.

 

BACKGROUND

On May 16, 2005 the Secretary of Defense published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congressional Defense Committees and the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission a list of military installations that the Secretary of Defense recommended for closure or realignment. Onizuka AFS was included in the list of military installations recommended for closure and the recommended closures have since been confirmed.

 

On January 10, 2006 the Sunnyvale City Council unanimously approved Resolution 200-06 requesting the Department of Defense (DOD), through the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), recognize and designate the City of Sunnyvale as the LRA for Onizuka AFS.  Staff mailed a letter of request and a certified copy of the resolution to OEA for consideration on January 30, 2006 (Attachment A).  DOD formally recognized the City of Sunnyvale as the LRA on April 6, 2006 (Attachment B).

 

While serving as the LRA Sunnyvale City Council will fulfill a number of important responsibilities.  The LRA serves as the primary community point of contact for all matters relating to closure of Onizuka AFS, conducts outreach efforts and designs a comprehensive plan for reuse of the property, culminating in a redevelopment plan.

 

EXISTING POLICY

Legislative Management Sub-Element, Goal 7.3C: Participate in intergovernmental activities, including national, state and regional groups, as a means to represent the City’s interests, influence policy and legislation, and enhance awareness.

 

DISCUSSION

Development of the Reuse Plan for Onizuka AFS will proceed according to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) reuse planning timelines and requirements and will take several years.  City staff has already undertaken significant pre-planning efforts and will continue to keep Council and the community informed throughout the process.  Serving as the Onizuka LRA, Sunnyvale City Council will need to take a number of initial steps to start the reuse planning process.

 

I. Bylaws

Staff recommends the Onizuka LRA consider approving the proposed LRA bylaws (Attachment C).  The proposed bylaws establish clear operating rules and duties and set forth the process of appointing members to the CAC (a taskforce to advise the LRA).  The Onizuka LRA shall be the body responsible for all reuse planning activities, including development of the Reuse Plan and, if necessary, implementation of the redevelopment plan for Onizuka AFS.

 

II. LRA Officers

Once the proposed LRA bylaws are approved, the LRA should select a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.  Duties of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the LRA are described in detail in the proposed LRA bylaws (Attachment C).  A summary of the duties is as follows:

1) The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the members;

2) The Vice-Chairperson, in the absence of the Chairperson, shall perform the duties of the Chairperson; and

3) The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall serve on the Onizuka LRA executive committee.

III. LRA Executive Committee

In addition to selecting officers of the LRA staff recommends selecting the membership of the executive committee.  According to the proposed LRA bylaws (Attachment C), the Onizuka LRA may choose to discharge some of its functions through an executive committee.  The executive committee shall consist of three members, including the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson and one other member selected by the members of the Onizuka LRA.  The primary tasks of the LRA’s executive committee are identified below:

1) To manage the administrative matters of the Onizuka LRA’s operation;

2) To appoint members to Taskforces (i.e. the Citizen’s Advisory Committee);

3) To develop and propose to the Onizuka LRA changes in the Onizuka LRA’s policies and programs; and

4) To prepare, with staff assistance, periodic and annual budgets and reports which shall be presented to the Onizuka LRA for approval. 

IV. OEA Grant Proposal

Since the closure of Onizuka AFS has been confirmed, the City of Sunnyvale has expended considerable pre-planning efforts to initiate a process which assists the U.S. Air Force in meeting its objectives as established by the BRAC process, meets established standards of the federal government, and meets community expectations.  The City of Sunnyvale, serving as the Onizuka LRA, is eligible to apply for OEA grant funding for community base reuse planning.

 

While the closure of Onizuka AFS presents a significant opportunity for Sunnyvale’s community and economic development, the reuse planning process will require significant additional resources at a time when the City continues to recover from the effects of the economic recession of 2001 that significantly impacted the Silicon Valley region.  Following the established BRAC process and established standards of the federal government necessitates thorough reuse planning efforts.  Due to the scope of the reuse planning process, staff recommends that the City of Sunnyvale apply for OEA grant assistance toward community base reuse planning.

 

The Reuse Plan developed by the LRA will serve as a guide for the Air Force’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which will include the DOD Record of Decision (ROD) describing how Onizuka AFS will be transferred.  Preparation of the EIS by the U.S. Air Force is dependent upon establishing alternative reuse scenarios (including identification of a preferred land use strategy) for Onizuka AFS.  This project will, by analyzing the impact of various constraints, lead to a series of proposed reuse strategies which can be supported by the community and meet established federal, state and local guidelines and policies.  In order to complete the required work, the City of Sunnyvale through the LRA, proposes to fulfill the guidelines and policies in the following manner:

 

  • Phase 1 – Conducting Preliminary Property Analysis, Public Outreach and Selecting Reuse Alternatives
  • Phase 2 – Completing the Reuse Plan and Homeless Assistance Submission
  • Phase 3 – Implementing a Reuse Strategy following the DOD ROD  

Due to the scope of the reuse planning process and with Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) encouragement, the City of Sunnyvale at this time is proposing to apply for OEA grant assistance for Phase 1.  Phases 2 and 3 will be defined in future grant request Reports to Council.

 

Following the established BRAC process and standards of the federal government for BRAC of Onizuka AFS will result in significant costs to the City of Sunnyvale.  Staff recommends the LRA authorize staff to submit a grant proposal not to exceed $500,000 to OEA for Phase 1 of the community base reuse planning associated with Onizuka AFS.  Staff anticipates a detailed Onizuka AFS BRAC Capital Improvement Project (CIP) sheet and budget modification Report to Council (RTC) with specific project cost estimates and OEA grant funding information will be delivered to Council in summer 2006.

 

V. CAC Bylaws

The overall approach of the LRA as it pursues the reuse planning process will be to keep the public informed and solicit input in order to develop a Reuse Plan that reflects community desires.  The LRA will form a taskforce known as the Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) to provide advice during development of the Reuse Plan.  The CAC will represent the interests of diverse stakeholders in the community and region with an interest in the redevelopment of Onizuka AFS and will be established for the duration of the reuse planning process.  Based on DOD recommendations, CAC taskforces are most effective with 9-15 members.  Members of the CAC are to be appointed by the executive committee of the LRA.

 

Staff has proposed the following list of recommended stakeholder groups to be appointed to the CAC based on best practices of other Cities and DOD guidelines:

 

  • 2 Members of the Onizuka LRA
  • 1 Santa Clara County Supervisor
  • 1 Mountain View City Councilmember
  • 1 Homeless Assistance Provider Representative
  • 2 Sunnyvale Business Representatives (chosen from the following organizations)
    • Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce
    • Silicon Valley Leadership Group
    • Moffett Business Park Association
    • Joint Venture Silicon Valley
  • 1 Representative of Organized Labor (Onizuka AFS has a Local 2090)
  • 2 Representatives of Sunnyvale Education (chosen from the following organizations)
    • Sunnyvale School District
    • Cupertino Union School District
    • Santa Clara Unified School District
    • Fremont Union High School District
    • Foothill-De Anza Community College District
    • West Valley-Mission Community College District
  • 5 At-large Members (Sunnyvale residency is required)

Staff recommends the LRA approve the list of proposed stakeholder groups and the proposed CAC bylaws (Attachment D).  Once approved, staff will solicit interest from the various stakeholder groups and Sunnyvale residents, identify prospective candidates and submit a list of candidates to the executive committee for final appointment to the CAC.  Staff further recommends the LRA select two representatives to serve on the CAC.

 

FISCAL IMPACT

Sunnyvale is currently funding BRAC pre-planning efforts using the remaining balance of the California National Emergency Grant for BRAC secured by staff on July 1, 2005 in the amount of $100,000.  The California National Emergency Grant is set to expire on June 30, 2006 (unless the expiration date is otherwise modified) and as of February 20, 2006 there was $74,430 remaining.

 

Staff anticipates a detailed Onizuka AFS BRAC Capital Improvement Project (CIP) sheet and budget modification Report to Council (RTC) with specific project cost estimates and OEA grant funding information will be delivered to Council in summer 2006.  Following the established BRAC process and standards of the federal government for BRAC of Onizuka AFS will result in significant costs to the City of Sunnyvale.

 

PUBLIC CONTACT

Public contact was made through posting of the Council agenda in public places, on the City’s web page, and the publication of the general business/public hearing items in the San Jose Mercury News.

 

ALTERNATIVES

1. Approve the LRA bylaws.

2. Select a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for the LRA.

3. Select members of the LRA executive committee.

4. Approve submission of a community base reuse grant proposal not to exceed $500,000 to the Office of Economic Adjustment and authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute the necessary grant agreement and expend received grant funds.

5. Approve the CAC bylaws and select two members of the LRA to serve on the CAC.

6. Modify and approve the LRA bylaws.

7. Modify and approve the CAC bylaws and select two members of the LRA to serve on the CAC.

8. Do not approve the LRA bylaws.

9. Do not select a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for the LRA.

10. Do not select members of the LRA executive committee.

11. Reject submission of the community base reuse planning grant proposal or require the execution of the grant agreement to come back to Council.

12. Do not approve the CAC bylaws and select two embers of the LRA to serve on the CAC.

13. Other action as directed by Council.

 

STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends Alternatives 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 as follows:

1. Approve the LRA bylaws.

2. Select a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for the LRA.

3. Select members of the LRA executive committee.

4. Approve submission of a community base reuse grant proposal not to exceed $500,000 to the Office of Economic Adjustment and authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute the necessary grant agreement and expend received grant funds.

5. Approve the CAC bylaws and select two members of the LRA to serve on the CAC.

 

 

Reviewed by:

Robert Walker, Assistant City Manager

Prepared by: Coryn Campbell, Neighborhood and Community Resources Manager

 

 

Approved by:

Amy Chan

City Manager

 

Attachments

A. Letter of request and a certified copy of the Resolution 200-06 requesting designation as the LRA for Onizuka AFS (.pdf)

B. Letter received from DOD formally recognizing City of Sunnyvale as the LRA for Onizuka AFS (.pdf)

C. Proposed bylaws for the Onizuka LRA (.doc)

D. Proposed bylaws for the Onizuka CAC (Taskforce of the LRA) (.doc)
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