DATE: July 20, 2021
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director & Director of Public Works
SUBJECT
Title
Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Rincon Consultants in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $599,565 to Prepare General Plan Updates and Amendments Related to the Housing Element, Climate Action Plan, Environmental Justice and the Safety Element and Related Environmental Analysis
End
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Rincon Consultants to prepare General Plan updates and amendments related to the Housing Element, Climate Action Plan, Environmental Justice and Safety Element and related environmental analysis.
End
SUMMARY
Every eight years, the State Department of Housing and Community Development projects the housing need at varying income levels throughout the State. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) is responsible for allocating those housing units, which is referred to as the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), throughout the nine-county Bay Area. In May 2021, ABAG released the Draft Regional Housing Allocation Plan, and a total of 4,624 units were allocated to Hayward. In conjunction with the release and allocation of the RHNA, State Law requires local jurisdictions to update their Housing Elements to meet various statutory requirements in addition to showing adequate sites to accommodate the RHNA. Further, State Law requires an update to the Safety Element and that issues of Environmental Justice be addressed with this Housing Element Update.
This Housing Element, Safety Element and Environmental Justice Update effort is being combined with an update of the Climate Action Plan because issues of housing, environmental justice, safety and hazard planning and climate change are inextricably linked. Staff believes that conducting outreach and planning for all of these efforts simultaneously will result in a more comprehensive and holistic approach to these issues. Further, combining these efforts will result in cost and time efficiencies related to outreach, environmental analysis and adoption and implementation efforts.
Staff from the Planning, Housing and Environmental Services divisions have recommended selection of Rincon Consultants to lead this effort. The updated Housing Element is due to the State by January 31, 2023.
The total project budget is $720,000, with approximately $600,000 funded through a Local Early Action Planning grant provided by the State Department of Housing and Community Development ($425,000 grant), and with funds from the Public Works Department ($175,000). This budget also includes a contingency funded by both the Public Works and Development Services Departments.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report
Attachment II Resolution
Attachment III Rincon Consultants Proposal