Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening everyone and welcome to the San Jose County Planning Commission. Today is 01/15/2026. We welcome I'd like to start off by a few reminders. Please silence your cell phones. During the public hearings, we're happy to accept any comments on the projects, but we ask that you avoid repetition. During a long hearing, it's okay to say that you agree with the previous speakers rather than to report what has already been said. May we have a roll call, please? Commissioner Bercato? Here. Commissioner Kettles? Here. Commissioner Campos? Here. Commissioner Huff?

Here.

And commissioner Zipser?

Here.

That the record reflect that the commissioners present are here. The ones that are not present are not. I can just for the record, commissioner Chima, Morad, Sibala, Willerup are not here this evening. I wasn't sure if you know, because there was some that might not have showed up.

So

thank you for that. Number two, may you please join me for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Citizens Forum. The Citizens Forum is a time for the public to speak on issues that are not on tonight's agenda.

However, the Commission cannot take action on these items. Are there any members of the public that would like to speak on any issue that is not on tonight's agenda? Seeing none, we'll move on to our agenda. Next is minutes. Is there a motion to approve the minutes from the previous meeting?

Move to approve the minutes from 11/20/2025. I will second that.

Thank you. We have

a motion

or second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Oppose? Motion passes.

Can I

Do we have a do we need a roll call for that? I'm sorry. Was second for Keto?

Yes.

Yes. Thank you. Correspondence. Director Fadas, do we have any correspondence? We have none this evening. Thank you. Conflicts of interest. Do any of the, commissioners have any conflicts to declare this evening on any items on the agenda? Hearing none. Thank you.

We have a public hearing this evening. We have no consent items on tonight's agenda. Other matters, we have a general plan consistency finding for Santa Claus County 2026 through 2030 capital improvement plan, CIP. Staff report, please. Good evening, commissioners. This evening, we're joined with by

Theresa Vanderveen with, General Services Agency, and she's gonna go over, this 2026 to 2030, I believe, is the the year range of the county's capital improvement project.

Okay. Good evening. My name is Theresa Vanderveen, and I am with the General Services Agency. I'm the senior capital facilities manager. With me in the audience today is Al Valencia. He's the assistant director for GSA in case you have any really difficult questions. He'll be there. We'd like to start off with just talking thank you for meeting to discuss the capital improvement plan. Appreciate your time. Like to start off with just quick introduction.

The capital improvement plan, is a tool that we use to plan for future large expenses that the county may have, make decisions about, the direction of services being provided, needs of the community. And it lists things like potential financing and estimated project costs, but the capital improvement plan is not an approval to proceed with any project plans and specifications or the funding of those specific projects. It's simply a plan at planning tool. All of the projects must come before the board of supervisors, individually for specific funding and approval, and they also must go through any environmental actions that they individually need to go through to cross that bridge. We do have an annual requirement of updating the CIP.

It's stated in our Stanislaus County code and also in government code that prior to adoption of that annual revision, the CIP needs to be referred to the planning agency for review with consistency. So that's where we are tonight. Just wanna highlight that since last year, since this was before the commission last year, several projects have been completed. There have been multiple road rehabilitations by public works. I know out in Grayson, I've driven on those roads.

The whole community of Grayson has had some repaving, and it's really nice for that community. Grayson has also had a new playground structure put in. That's the top picture there. The Leroy Fitzsimons playground there in Grayson. There's been several bridges, and roadwork that's been done by Public Works.

Again, sidewalks. Bonita Pool was completed. That's the middle bigger picture there on the screen. That opened, I believe, in August. We've completed some HVAC repairs, major HVAC replacements, given some love to our existing facilities to continue services to the community, and several other projects there, libraries, parks, ensuring continuous operation and recreation opportunities for the community.

There are several new projects that are coming into the CIP for recommendation for the next five year plan that we have. For public works, they have repair of the Del Puerto Canyon Road, many bridge repairs, repavements, intersection signals, electric vehicle charging station projects, which GSA also has those to keep up with the mandates that we have from the state for local government fleets to have a certain number of electric vehicles. We have got a sidewalk project for public works, Morgan Morgan Road generator. For GSA, we've got again the electric vehicles, some parking lot maintenance, library improvements, again, HVAC replacements that need to happen. These are thirty year old HVACs that we're replacing on that project.

So they're definitely at the end of their useful life. A canine training center and several other projects there as well. Five parks improvements at the end. Our total CIP is made up of a 128 projects split between public works 84 and GSA's 44. A total 1,070,000,000.00 possible.

Again, they're not all funded. They're not all approved at all, but they're in various stages. This is the plan that we're presenting as a potential over the next five years to the county board of supervisors. If you have any questions, I'm willing to answer now. Otherwise, I'll hand it over to Christie for the recommendations.

On these projects, out of this 1,700,000,000.0, how much funding is there available currently for that?

So it's different between public works. They had about I'm thinking of the pie charts that they submitted. They have about, I believe, 75% of theirs was funded from various sources. I know they draw from a lot and Measure L and they've got some federal funding sources and whatnot. For GSA, it's closer to 80%, 85% that is funded. That we have it's not funded, but we have a funding strategy at least for the projects. I

have two questions. One is out of curiosity. Do you have a do you know what the CIP total project total was dollar value ten years ago?

Ten years ago, I do not.

Or five. I'm curious what the what the inflationary impact is. I I should have asked this at

the time. I'm sorry. Yeah. No. I'd have to look it up and get back to you.

And the second one was just what's the square footage of the the public safety center with the $28,000,000 HVAC replacement? Yeah. I I don't know where that building is. I should

Oh, yeah. So the Public Safety Center, it's actually one of the buildings out there, PSC West. It's the one of the oldest ones out there that has five housing pods. And I don't know. Each housing pod is probably, like, 30,000 square feet, would you say? So it's probably it's close to

It's really over a 100 square feet in size. 100,000.

100,000 square over a 100,000 square feet in size.

Yeah. Got it. Yeah.

That's Yes.

That's the jail, basically?

Yeah. It's the oldest jail facility building out there.

Mhmm. Alright.

It's located on Crows Landing And Service.

Yeah. Okay. Got it. Because there was a major expansion four years ago, five years ago?

Correct. Correct. And, so that built more maximum security housing, some medical housing as well. And then after that, the reentry and, enhanced alternatives to training is called React Center, which is more of a step down, facility that's trying to, reduce recidivism and get that's more of a step out facility.

Any idea what the present cost was for that?

Yeah. React, that was 40,000,000 about. The maximum housing units was I believe another 80 was 80,000,000. It's a bigger project. And with that, there was a new intake and release that was about 20,000,000.

Maybe

we'll just

finish the presentation, and we can have Al come up if he has any other details on your questions.

The other thing that I, I had a question on was so the the sheets that you showed, I have an attachment a. Total cost at the bottom says 51,000,000, and then the total new cost, 27,000,000. This is in addition to the previous?

Those are new projects only.

Okay.

So Not

the whole CFE, just the

new projects.

So, basically, 1,000,000,000 is the is the previously scheduled stuff only 75 or whatever is the is the

New ones.

New ones. Okay. Alright. Okay. Thank you.

Okay. So just finishing off the presentation why we're bringing this to the planning commission this evening. There's a requirement in California government code that the CIP, the list of projects become be found in conformity with our general plan, which needs to be brought to the planning commission. And we are only going to be evaluating the new projects projects because, it's a rolling five year CIP. So every year now we're bringing you only the new projects because the old projects have already been found to be in conformance.

And so attachment a, summarizes those projects both for public works and also for planning or sorry, for GFA and along with the policies that we believe are consistent with that project that project is implementing in our general plan. There is also, in the safety or sorry, in the circulation element requirement, the public works projects in the CIP come, and be found to be in conformance. So there's a dual layer of, requiring that conformance finding. So, we were looking at finding it in conformance with our circulation element. It's implementing the goal to provide and maintain a transportation system for the movement of people and goods.

Also conservation and open space, providing for recreational needs of county residents, improving air quality, and our land use element, ensuring that we are providing an effective level of public services, and that we're promoting and protecting a healthy living environment. And finally, a goal in the safety element that we want to be providing adequate fire and share of protection services. So these are the various goals that we did find the new projects to be consistent with the general plan. And with that, we are just asking that the planning commission consider the consistency and find the proposed activities, projects, and acquisitions as described in the twenty twenty six, twenty thirty CIP project list, for both general services agency and public works to be consistent with the various goals, policies, and implementation measures that are defined, that are outlined in our general plan, and therefore considered to be in conformance and consistent with the general plan. That concludes our presentation, but we can have Al come up and and any other questions that you guys have.

We have public works here

too for any questions on their projects. Any further questions from the any commissioners?

Okay. Good. Good.

Hearing none, then we'll come back for a recommendation. Are any of the commissioners ready to make a recommendation to our staff?

I would I'll make a motion that we adopt staff's recommendation to find the proposed activities, projects, and acquisitions described in the 2026, 2030 CIP projects list for both GSA and public works are consistent with the goals, policies, and implementation measures as defined in the general plan and are considered to be in conformance and consistent with the general plan. Also would, as part of that motion find that the other, items described in two and three in the memo, are part of that motion.

We have a motion. Is there a second?

A second.

We have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes. Thank you. Next on our agenda is election of the chair and vice chair for the 2026 calendar year.

I can I can lead us off in that that conversation? So second meeting of January is when the bylaws say that we appoint our new chair and our and our vice chair. So currently, we have our chair as commissioner Morad, and our vice chair is commissioner Campo. Normally, would so ultimately, the decision is up to the planning commission as to who they want to appoint for both the chair and the vice chair. But staff usually gives kind of a rundown based on tenure on the planning commission for those who have not yet served in either capacity. And the typical procedure is that the vice chair would then move up into the chair, but it is our understanding that commissioner Campo would actually not want to

be considered for chair. Neil and I discussed it, and we're gonna make it work. Okay. Yeah. We're gonna go ahead and make it work. If if I'm not able to meet some of the meetings, then he'll cover, and then we'll cover for each other. I think we're we're gonna try to make it work.

Okay. So just kind of based on tenure and current position, staff would be recommending that the vice chair, commissioner Campo, be made the chair. And the next tenured commissioner would then be commissioner Campo sorry, commissioner Callis, who would step into the vice chair role. Tenure beyond that would then fall to commissioner Ciballo, commissioners Huff, commissioner Burketto, and commissioner Chima. Ultimately, the decision is that of the planning commission. So we would be looking looking for for a a a

motion and a second for chair and vice chair. Planning

Whole motion.

Staff's recommendation.

So our recommendation would be that commissioner Campo become the chair and that commissioner Callis become the vice chair.

Yes. All in one motion. Thank you. We have a motion. Is there a second?

I second.

We have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Oppose? Motion passes. Thank you. Gonna Okay. Make this Great.

I'm sorry.

Who was the second?

Me. Okay.

So item c, we have assignment of nuisance abatement hearing board members. Who was previously on that? Who held that position?

So currently, we have our nuisance abatement board members, our commissioner Callis and commissioner Willerup. And our alternate was commissioner Mori, who's no longer with us. This is an appointment, so it does fall to the chair to no longer on the planning commission. Commissioner Mori is termed out.

Will entertain volunteers.

Put me on it.

Okay. Thank you. Great. We're gonna go ahead and and that taken care of. K. Do we

need Well, we we need we need three. We need two and an and an alternate. Oh, I see. Okay.

I'm happy to continue

this to continue to serve

the Okay. Thank you. And that's we'll need an alternate then.

Yes. I know that commissioner Willarep in the past has been very open to to being on that board. So he's not here, but it's the folks here. I know.

It's just Paul. So we're going to go ahead and make them,

So currently, we have again, we have three. We have two sitting members and an alternate. The sitting members are commissioner Zipser, commissioner Morad, and then the alternate is is commissioner Campo. Okay. Any volunteers?

What what what's the general plan?

This is for the General Plan Update Committee. So this

And and and that committee meets at least every quarter?

It it depends. So last year, we had a pretty heavy year because we had a lot of general plan housing element updates. We had the truck parking, item that was there. So there was some constant meeting. We try to reserve the first Thursday from three to five is the hour in which the general plan committee meets. Coming up this year, we do have an update to the county safety element and environmental justice. So we do anticipate that we're gonna have some meetings of the general plan update committee. But we never quite know what we're gonna have because issues come up throughout the year.

So is it customary that the chair serve or not necessarily?

It it is not customary. And for many years, we've kept where it just becomes a rolling. And those who were there the the the past year just kind of roll over while they're still on the commission. So it's it's it's varied. But I think, like, commissioner Zipser and commissioner Morad have served on the general plan update committee

for few years. Consistent. I mean, if that's okay with you

Well, I don't know. Can I say

I believe you can because you're continuing on by the bylaws? You're you're a member of this commission until a new appointment comes to your seat and then we can always bring back and

ahead and reappoint somebody there. And if we need to then I'll remain as an alternate if that's acceptable to the to the commission. And then once we have a full board then we can go ahead and bring this back again if necessary. Okay. Okay. Great. Thank you. Thank you very much. Yeah. Let Carmen know. She wasn't here? No. She's back on there.

I I don't think she'll mind. Okay.

So I guess we have a report from the planning director? Yeah. Just a couple of items to

report out since you guys last met. The Board of Supervisors has taken some actions on some items that the Planning Commission gave recommendations on. So on December 9, the board conducted a public hearing and approved the Planning Commission's recommendation to approve the six cycle housing element update and the six cycle housing element implementation. On December 16, they conducted the public hearing and approved the Planning Commission's recommendation of approval of the Highway Commercial Plan development general plan amendment. And they conducted the public hearing and approved the Planning Commission's recommendation of approval for the rezone and parcel map application for the Power Play project. They also approved reappointment of commissioner Huff to the planning commission. So welcome for another four years. Glad to

have

you. January 6, the board conducted a public hearing and approved the planning commission's recommendation of approval of the parcel map variance and Williamson act cancellation of the silver revocable trust. They also approved appointment of commissioner Chima to the Planning Commission. I have reached out to commissioner Chima, and he felt bad about not being here today. But as you all know, when you Is that Casey? Yes. Okay. Yes.

I okay.

Yeah. He had some prior life commitments before he got appointed that he needed to that he needed to deal with. So January 13, this last Tuesday, the board adopted the recommendation decision of the nuisance abatement hearing board regarding the properties 1347 East, sorry, North Carpenter Road and the property at 859 North Kenwood Avenue in Turlock. So those were both considered by the board and and the they adopted the nuisance abatement hearing board's recommendation. Miscellaneous and on the horizon, we will not have a meeting on February 5.

On February 19, we do look to to present to you two use permits, one in the Houston area and one in the Turlock area, and one development standard amendment and time extension in the Denier area. And my final report out is I'm very happy to report that on December 31, the state housing and community development department provided notice that the six cycle housing element of the county's general general plan had been certified. So it was a wonderful way to end the year.

Good job. Yes.

That concludes my my report. Great.

Thank you very much. Okay. And are there any other matters from any other commissioners? Great. Thank you. Well, we're gonna go ahead and adjourn. Thank you. That was Thank you. That was easy.