June 13, 2006

SUBJECT:     Work Plan for the Study Issue “Transitioning from a Growth to a Steady-State City” and Budget Modification No. 28

REPORT IN BRIEF

The Study Issue “Transitioning from a Growth to a Steady-State City”, ranked No. 5 for the Department of Community Development in 2006 by the City Council, requires review and approval of a work plan to determine the extent and methodology of community outreach. This report presents two alternative community outreach procedures: the typical outreach process which could be undertaken without additional cost, and an expansive outreach process which would attempt to reach a very broad cross-section of the community. Staff recommends approval of a work plan which includes the expansive community outreach process (Attachment B), and a budget modification in the amount of $55,000 to provide the professional assistance necessary to successfully implement such a process.

BACKGROUND

At the December 2005 Study Issue Workshop, City Council ranked the Study Issue “Transitioning from a Growth to a Steady-State City” as number five for the Department of Community Development for 2006. The Study Issue paper (see Attachment A) calls for review of a work plan by City Council “in order to discuss effective methods of gaining community participation”. The proposed work plan is the subject of this report.

EXISTING POLICY

• 7.2B  Achieve a community in which citizens and businesses are actively involved in shaping the quality of life and participate in local community and government activities.

• 7.2C.1  Plan for and encourage an appropriate cross-section of the community when obtaining public input for policy decisions.

• 7.2C.4  Assure that citizens and organizations are actively involved in the identification of community needs and the development of solutions.

• 7.2E  Create a strong, positive community identity.

DISCUSSION

The Study Issue addresses the issue of growth and its potential impact on the economic vitality and quality of life in Sunnyvale. The intent of the Study Issue is to prescribe a “steady-state” or sustainable pattern of growth, wherein there is a constant balance among the various uses of land and upon the infrastructure and the public services that support them, so that there is no reduction in the quality of life or the City’s fiscal ability to provide quality public services. The product of the Study Issue will be a growth policy which may have a significant impact upon the Land Use and Transportation Element as well as other elements of the General Plan. The study must take into account the city’s regional role and the State-mandated requirements for a fair share allocation of growth in population and housing. The study must also reflect the desires and aspirations of Sunnyvale residents and businesses regarding the future of their city.

Essentially, the study calls for a long-range vision for the future of Sunnyvale. The work program must involve an outreach process to our residents and businesses. Staff seeks guidance from City Council regarding the extent and the methodology of the community outreach. Two alternatives are considered: (1) a typical community outreach process, which was assumed when the Study issue paper was prepared, or (2) expansive community outreach process which would require additional resources to implement.

Typical Community Outreach Process: The Study Issue paper anticipated a typical community outreach process which could be undertaken within existing budgeted resources. Such a process might consist of the following steps:

• Community Forums: Two community forums would be scheduled at different locations and times so as to maximize the opportunity for attendance. Invitations would be sent to all neighborhood and business groups in the city. The meetings would also be advertised on the City Website, KSUN, the Sun, and the Quarterly Report. The forums would be conducted by staff, who would begin the meetings with a presentation of past, present and projected data on population, jobs and physical development. The meeting would then be opened for informal discussion by the attendees regarding the desired future of the city. Staff would moderate and attempt to articulate consensus on the growth issues identified.

• Public Hearings: When staff has completed a final draft of the report, copies would be made available to the community through the normal channels (City website, library, One-Stop counter). Either or both the Commission and the Council might schedule Study Sessions to thoroughly explore the issues. Public hearings would be held by both the Planning Commission and the City Council before action was taken on the staff recommendation. The hearings would be noticed through the City website, the Sun, announcement at Council meetings, and KSUN; notices would be mailed to all neighborhood and business groups and to all those who attended the community forums.

As indicated in the work plan in Attachment C, the Study Issue with a typical community outreach effort could be completed by July, 2007.

Expansive Community Outreach Process: A more expansive outreach process would more aggressively seek to reach resident and business groups who do not normally participate in discussion of community issues, and would utilize an independent facilitator to conduct the community meetings. Expansive outreach would include the following steps:

• Development of Interactive Website: A City Vision website would be developed as a link to the City website. The site would contain past, present and projected data on population, jobs and physical development. It would include a calendar of events for community meetings, public hearings, etc.  It would also have an interactive feature which would allow residents and businesses to express their opinions and to respond to a poll or survey.

• Community Outreach Kit: A kit would be developed for City staff and for trained community volunteers to conduct more extensive outreach to community groups and businesses who do not normally attend City-sponsored meetings. The do-it-yourself kits would provide consistent format to hold discussions about the future of Sunnyvale and feed the results into the visioning process. The kits would contain a Power Point presentation, agendas and feedback forms.

• Quarterly Report Insert: An insert would be included in the Fall Quarterly Report to provide information about the visioning program, an invitation to the Vision Festival, past/present/projected data about the city, and a mail-back survey (and referral to a web-based survey online) to solicit individual input to the visioning process.

• Vision Festival: A Saturday festival would be scheduled in the Fall to provide an opportunity for the community to participate in a “hands on” way in the visioning process. There would be an open house, booths and displays, and a scheduled discussion period where professional facilitators would stimulate and lead a discussion which seeks to build a consensus vision for the future. The large group could be divided into smaller groups to flesh out ideas. Professional facilitators would be utilized because of their experience and skill in developing concensus with large groups and because they might be viewed by the community to be more neutral and independent than staff facilitators.

• Public Hearings: When staff had completed a final draft of the report, copies would be made available to the community through the normal channels (City website, library, One-Stop counter). Public hearings would be held by both the Planning Commission and the City Council before action was taken on the staff recommendation. The hearings would be noticed through the City website, the Sun, announcement at Council meetings, and KSUN; notices would be mailed to all neighborhood and business groups and to all those who attended the outreach sessions and the Vision Festival.

The expansive community outreach process would require the assistance of professionals experienced in such programs. The consultants would design the community outreach kit and train the volunteer leaders, design the Vision Festival and prepare the presentation materials, serve as third-party facilitators of the large and small groups, and prepare a summary report for a cost not to exceed $55,000. Staff established this not-to-exceed cost estimate after discussion with consultants who specialize in such processes. As shown in the work plan in Attachment B, the expansive approach, although more intensive, could be completed within the same schedule as the typical outreach process, by July 2007.

FISCAL IMPACT

If City Council chooses to utilize the normal community outreach process, there will be no fiscal impact in undertaking the Study Issue because 365 hours of staff time are already budgeted in the Community Development Department and the Office of the City Attorney.

If City Council chooses to proceed with the expansive community outreach process, a budget modification in the amount of $55,000 will be required. Staff proposes to fund this with one time cost savings due to job vacancies from the Neighborhood Preservation Program of the Department of Community Development.  The transfer of these unexpended funds will not impact the Council adopted service level for the Neighborhood Preservation Program for FY 2005/2006.  The fiscal impact to the General Fund will be cost neutral.

Conclusion

City Council is asked to review and give direction on the proposed work program for the Study Issue “Transitioning from a Growth to a Steady-State City” in order to determine the desired extent and methodology of community outreach. Two alternatives are presented. The typical community outreach alternative can be undertaken within the existing budget in accordance with the Study Issue paper. The expansive community outreach process, which would provide much more encouragement and many more opportunities for residents and businesses to participate, would require a budget modification in the amount of $55,000.

PUBLIC CONTACT

Public Contact was made through posting of the Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, posting of the agenda and report on the City’s web page, and the availability of the report in the Library and City Clerk’s Office.

ALTERNATIVES

1.               Approve the work plan with the expansive community outreach process (Attachment B) and adopt Budget Modification No. 28.

2.               Approve the work plan with the typical community outreach process (Attachment C).

3.               Direct staff to undertake a modified community outreach process as determined by City Council and adopt a revised Budget Modification No. 28, if necessary.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends Alternative 1: Approve the work plan with the expansive community outreach process and adopt Budget Modification No. 28.  A policy for growth has often been controversial in surrounding cities. The result is often a ballot initiative which, by its very nature, tends to be narrowly focused and often negative. A community visioning process, in contrast, can take into account both the positive and negative aspects of growth, and can lead to a growth policy which not only determines if the city should grow, but also how it should grow.

Staff believes that in order to be legitimate and long-lasting, the vision for the future of Sunnyvale must be developed by the widest possible range of residents and businesses. An aggressive and expansive outreach process will encourage participation by groups and individuals who do not usually involve themselves in public affairs.

Staff anticipates that the results of this Study Issue will lead to revisions of one or more elements of the General Plan. Staff is considering possible modifications to the General Plan structure which might include the creation of a new overarching element -- The Community Vision -- to establish the context upon which each of the functional elements of the General Plan would be based. The use of the expansive community outreach process in undertaking this Study Issue would provide the Council and the staff the opportunity to test the validity and value of such possible restructuring of the Sunnyvale General Plan.

Prepared by:

Robert Paternoster

Director of Community Development

Reviewed by:

Mary Bradley

Director of Finance

Approved by:

Amy Chan

City Manager

Attachments

A.       Study Issue Paper, Transitioning from a Growth to a Steady-State City (.pdf)

B.       Study Issue Work Plan With Expansive Community Outreach Transitioning from a Growth to a Steady-State City (.pdf)

C.       Study Issue Work Plan With Typical Community Outreach Transitioning from a Growth to a Steady-State City (.pdf)