CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: December 14, 2016
PREPARED BY: Leslie Little, Asst. City Manager/Community Development; Tiffany Brown, Associate Planner/Community Development
APPROVED BY: Steve Rymer, City Manager
Title
CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY (HSR) UPDATE
END
RECOMMENDATION(S)
RECOMMENDATION
Receive documents and correspondence.
BODY
COUNCIL PRIORITIES, GOALS & STRATEGIES:
Ongoing Priorities
Enhancing public safety
Protecting the environment
Preserving and cultivating public trust
Supporting youth
Maintaining fiscal responsibility
2016 Focus Areas
Planning Our Community
Developing Our Community
Enhancing Our Services
Improving Our Communication
Participating in Regional Issues
REPORT NARRATIVE:
This report has been prepared to provide an update regarding activities related to the California High Speed Rail Authority (HSR) to ensure the City Council and community remain informed including correspondence to and from the City of Morgan Hill and HSR. There are three significant communications which have occurred since the last City Council HSR update on November 16, 2016:
1) The preparation and transmittal to HSR of City of Morgan Hill Supplemental EIR Scoping comments, prepared with a combination of community feedback and inputs from Morgan Hill consultants and teammates (attached).
2) Letter from HSR dated November 23, 2016, requesting Permission/Permit to Enter onto City of Morgan Hill properties to conduct environmental testing including pedestrian biological and cultural resource surveys, visual inspections, geotechnical investigations, and soil and ground water samplings. They may also survey and include photos of biological resources or buildings, including collection of plant materials required to provide information necessary to inform the environmental review process (attached).
3) Letter to Mayor Steve Tate dated November 30, 2016, providing answers to Morgan Hill's most frequently asked questions, identifying HSR's decision to advance two preferred alignments which include the a) Westside 101 alignment and b) Downtown Morgan Hill Berm alignment (attached).
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Collaborate
The City of Morgan Hill has actively constructed a local HSR information site on the City's web page, collaborated to host public meetings in Morgan Hill with HSR staff, and linked residents and businesses with data and information developed by the HSR in support of the City Council's commitment to community engagement. The last report and update of the HSR planning process occurred at the November 16, 2016, City Council meeting, at which the public was invited to share concerns and contribute questions and concerns to pass to the HSR development team, and to study and evaluate as part of its on-going planning and environmental review processes.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:
There is no alternative action. This report and the documents attached are for information only, and the item has been placed on the agenda to allow the community and City Council the opportunity to comment.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION ACTIONS:
The last report and update of the HSR planning process occurred at the November 16, 2016, City Council meeting, at which the public was invited to share concerns and contribute questions and concerns to pass to the HSR development team, to study and evaluate as part of its on-going planning and environmental review processes.
FISCAL AND RESOURCE IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act):
Not a Project
LINKS/ATTACHMENTS:
1. Letter to HSR from City of Morgan Hill; Supplemental Environmental Scoping Comments
2. Letter from HSR to City of Morgan Hill Requesting Right to Enter and Test City Property
3. Letter from HSR to City of Morgan Hill Responding to Morgan Hill Frequently Asked Questions