San Jose Ca.Gov
File #: ROGC 24-676    Version: 1
Type: Rules Committee Reviews, Recommendations and Approvals Consent Status: Agenda Ready
File created: 8/27/2024 In control: City Clerk's Office
On agenda: 9/4/2024 Final action:
Title: Development Process and CEQA Improvements. (Mayor, Jimenez, and Davis)
Attachments: 1. Memorandum from Mayor, Jimenez, and Davis, 2. Workload Analysis, 3. Letter from the Public

...Title

Development Process and CEQA Improvements. (Mayor, Jimenez, and Davis)

...Recommendations

Direct the City Manager and the City Attorney to take the following actions:

1)  Prepare a presentation to the Community and Economic Development Committee (CED), to be heard no later than Q2 2025, that includes the following:

                     a)  A summary of findings from any previously collected stakeholder input regarding the CEQA environmental review process, along with peer city metrics for timing for key review elements and other relevant benchmarks.

                     b)  Overview and explanation of the CEQA process, including:

                                          i)  The procedures used for determining whether a project is exempt from CEQA, and whether San Jose’s process differs in a meaningful way from our municipal peers.

                                          ii)  A progress report regarding implementation of the recommendations from the 2022 audit of Environmental Review for New Development.

                                          iii)  Options or recommendations that could allow for more projects to be determined eligible for CEQA exemptions.

                     c)  Opportunities for the Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department (PBCE) to engage the City Attorney’s Office (CAO) to further streamline the CEQA process for projects, including reducing thresholds for impacts and standardizing mitigations for projects in our downtown and urban villages.

2)  Prepare a City Manager's Budget Addendum (MBA) in the next budget cycle with:

                     a)  An overview of workload and workflow in the context of the current cost recovery model.

                     b)  Recommendations for a phased increase in general funding to PBCE for work currently not included in the cost recovery model as implemented. Such work may regard, but is not limited to customer service, policy work, and city council inquiries.

[Continued from 8/14/2024 - Item C.2 (ROGC 24-659)]