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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 172-10TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL 7 FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT DATE: MARCH 15,2010 CMR:172:10 REPORT TYPE: CONSENT SUBJECT: Approval of Change of High Speed Rail Subcommittee from Ad Hoc Committee to Standing Committee RECOMlVIENDATION Staff recommends that Council approve the change of the City Council High Speed Rail Subcommittee from an Ad Hoc Committee to a Standing Committee. DISCUSSION On March 2, 2009, the City Council directed the Mayor to establish an Ad Hoc City Council High Speed Train Subcommittee to represent Palo Alto in meetings with other Peninsula cities, regional agencies, and the California High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) working meetings with City staff. The Subcommittee began with three members and was expanded to four members in late 2009. Current members include Mayor Burt and Council Members Klein (chair), Price and Shepherd. On May 18,2009, the City Council adopted Guiding Principles to provide direction to the City's High Speed Rail Ad Hoc Committee. The Ad Hoc Committee has been working closely with the Peninsula Cities Consortium (PCC) to develop public outreach and education efforts, monitor, and evaluate High Speed Rail (HSR) activities, and to explore urban design solutions that consider community values for the HSR project. The Ad Hoc Subcommittee has been meeting regularly since March and has now scheduled meetings on a bi-weekly basis in order to stay informed and monitor High Speed Rail (HSR) activities. The HSR project is a complex, protracted multi-year (and potentially permanent) project that will require continued oversight and evaluation by the Subcommittee for the foreseeable future. Since Ad Hoc Committees are defined as being of short duration, it is appropriate to transition the Ad Hoc HSR Subcommittee to a new Standing Committee of the City CounciL For more related information, see agenda item #8 included in this packet for the HSR monthly update. CMR: Page 1 of2 POLICY IMPLICATIONS The recommendations in this report are consistent with existing Council Procedures and Council policy direction as stated in the Guiding Principles related to the California High Speed Rail Project. RESOURCE IMPACT Because of the importance of this project and the need for the City to be responsive to new information released by the HSRA, staff will be preparing a budget proposal for the FY 2010- 2011 operating budget that will document the direct staff costs and non-salary expenses that will be required to support the City Council and HSR Standing Committee oversight activities. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The recommendations in this report do not constitute a project requiring environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act. ATTACHMENTS A. GuidingPrinciples PREPARED BY: GA ELI NS APPROVED BY: CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: CMR: Page 2 of2 ATTACHMENT A City Council High Speed Rail Subcommittee Guiding Principles Adopted May 18, 2009 The City Council High Speed Rail Subcommittee, consisting of four members, is designated by the City Council to represent the City in public in meetings with community groups and stakeholders, when speaking to other public agencies, when providing written correspondence in advocating for legislation related to high speed rail. The Subcommittee will have the authority to speak on behalf of the City Council at hearings on short notice when full City Council discussion at a regularly scheduled Council meeting is not feasible. In such cases the Subcommittee should be guided by broad principles that are consistent with existing City Comprehensive Plan and adopted City Council policies. In order to ensure consistency with existing City Council positions and policies, the Subcommittee will be guided by the following principles: • The City is supportive of efforts to improve accountability and effective governance of high speed rail planning and operations. • The City advocates advancing economic feasibility analysis and project financing options by High Speed Rail Governing Body to implement selected alternatives. • The Ad Hoc committee will work with peninsula cities coalition to draft Memorandum of Understanding with Caltrain and HSRA and return to full Council for review and approval. • The City understands the opportunity to apply for Federal stimulus funding but is concerned that enough time is allowed for appropriate analysis, public process, and decision making. • The City recognizes that High Speed Rail, if done correctly, has the potential to minimize adverse impacts and be beneficial to the community. • While acknowledging that the current direction for the San Jose to San Francisco High Speed Train project is to use the Caltrain right~of-way as the for the high speed rail corridor between San Jose and San Francisco, the City is open to and could support alternative alignments. • The Ad Hoc Committee will be guided by the City of Palo Alto Scoping Comments for the California High Speed Rail Authority'S San Francisco to San Jose High Speed Train (HST) Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIRlEIS). • The City supports Caltrain electrification and improved commuter rail services between San Francisco and San Jose. The City supports evaluation of operating conditions along the Caltrain right-of-way that would be conducive to a hiib speed rail intercity connection in San Jose, with improved Caltrain commuter rail service between San Jose and San Francisco. • The City is supportive of exploring creative urban design and use of context­ sensitive design processes that consider community values in collaborative community-sensitive planning and for the high speed rail project. • The Subcommittee shall provide monthly reports to the Council on the activities of the Peninsula cities Consortium. • The Subcommittee will meet regularly with community leaders and stakeholders to inform and involve the larger Palo Alto community in the planning, review, oversight and decision-making for the San Francisco to San Jose HST project.