Gilroy has a housing shortage and our low and middle-income households face historic rent burden. Undersupply of “Missing Middle” housing, or medium density housing near jobs and transit, is one of the key factors contributing to the displacement and rent burden of our residents. In Gilroy we have 75% of our land zoned for single family homes, 10% were small multifamily (2-4 units), and 12% were medium or large multifamily (5+ units). Our Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) are minimum mandated State standards and we should strive to reach higher than the minimum.
Thankfully millions of dollars in funding have poured into Gilroy to help our most vulnerable address their rent burden. Data from our housing element shows 21% of households are considered extremely low-income, making less than 30% of AMI. According to recent data provided by ABAG, 59.1% of Gilroy’s population in 2020 was Latinx, 28.0% was White, 9.1% was Asian, and 1.1% was African American. As we finalize the next Housing Element, we will need to examine the ways at which the 75% zoning can be the limiting factor as we work towards affordability, equity, and not continue to have communities that are segregated based on incomes and race.
SB9 allows duplexes on lots currently zoned for single family use only. If your lot is big enough you can split it, and then build up to two units on each of the lots. SB9 contains important protections against displacement of existing tenants. Duplexes contribute needed housing to the City of Gilroy’s housing stock and enhance housing opportunities. ADUs and junior ADUs are allowed on single-family, duplex and multifamily dwelling zoned properties that include a proposed or existing primary residential dwelling. Grant funding available too!
The consequences of failing to effectively and aggressively confront this crisis is hurting thousands of our residents, robbing future generations of the chance to call Gilroy home, stifling economic opportunities for workers and businesses, worsening poverty and homelessness, and undermining our environmental and climate objectives. State Housing Community Development (HCD) cautioned that jurisdictions with non-compliant Housing Elements will be ineligible for, or face delays in receiving, state funding. Jurisdictions would also be unable to use inconsistent zoning/general plan standards to deny affordable housing projects, and could be subject to additional legal ramifications and fines. HCD will review actions and inactions submitted in the Annual Progress Report by local jurisdictions and they will take action on jurisdictions that are inconsistent with their Housing Elements. HCD will respond to public complaints if a jurisdiction's actions are in violation with state law.
With the recent adoption of our City’s General Plan 2040, we as a community called for bold actions that include providing high density housing options, affordable housing for all, and continuing to promote cleaner modes of transportation. We encourage existing and proposed development to incorporate Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures such as car-sharing, transit passes, and unbundling of parking (requiring separate purchase or lease of a parking space) where such measures will result in a reduction in vehicle miles traveled, reduction of required amount of parking or an increase in the use of alternate transportation modes.
The adoption of an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance is an important ordinance that has been overlooked, and was included as an action item in our 2007 housing element, but never implemented. Then again in 2018 according to Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report “Affordable Housing: Density is Our Destiny” included a recommendation stating that “Gilroy (should) increase inclusionary housing requirements for the below market housing to at least 15% (of new dwelling units) by the end of 2019. That was never implemented.
Cities and counties subject to SB 35 streamlining provisions when proposed developments include ≥ 50% affordability. Gilroy is one of the jurisdictions that has insufficient progress toward their lower income RHNA (Very Low and Low income) and are therefore subject to the streamlined ministerial approval process (SB 35 (Chapter 366, Statutes of 2017) streamlining) for proposed developments with at least 50% affordability.
I am supportive of the staff's recommendation to City Council on October 17, 2022. Make a meaningful effort to get a draft submitted to HCD that won’t fail. We have many organizations that have provided public comment letters that stand with us getting this right the first time. Without a complete site inventory to analyze, transparency of pending projects being carried over, proof that some non-vacant sites are willing to build affordable housing; it's not a fair statement to say that rezoning is not needed yet. The final draft for approval will come before the newly elected City Council in early 2023. It’s time to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) and support candidates that are pro-housing, our future generations are counting on us.
In Gilroy, we have many examples of properties where we used to not require vehicle parking many decades ago, before a majority of zoning codes have been adopted that require more land to be developed for parking. With the recent implementation of Vehicles Mile Traveled we look towards increasing alternative options to the single occupant vehicle and creative solutions like those mentioned in our General Plan 2040 to continue to push us all forward.
In response to the pandemic and the closure of restaurants and small shops, local governments have allowed businesses to expand into on-site and street parking spaces to allow for safe outdoor dining and shopping. These new and more productive uses of parking spaces have shown us the way forward to create more inviting and sustainable neighborhoods, and allow small businesses to survive and in some cases thrive.
With the recent adoption of Gilroy’s General Plan 2040, we called for bold actions that included continuing to promote cleaner modes of transportation. We encourage existing and proposed developments to incorporate Transportation Demand Management measures such as car-sharing, transit passes, and unbundling of parking. We have planned for projects and have the resources in 2022 to make them successful, but it’s “political will” that keeps getting in the way. Recently, the City of Gilroy, VTA, and Transportation Agency for Monterey County signed an MOU for rail improvements of the Monterey County Rail Extension Project to include Bay Area CalTrain service connection to Salinas. Gilroy, like Salinas, is building future public transportation options within our Downtowns.
The goals and policies of our General Plan 2040 address a variety of topics, including multimodal transportation, complete streets, pedestrian facilities, bikeways, public transit, vehicular transportation, parking, and goods movement. Consider Transit in Planning and Development Proposals Coordinate with VTA on advance planning projects and development proposals that may have implications for public transit and consider the VTA’s Transit Sustainability Policy/Service Design Guidelines. Coordinate with VTA on the planning of new transit routes within Gilroy and maintain a strong relationship with VTA management to ensure continued cooperation. Our entire Zoning Code is currently being updated to reflect the values of our General Plan 2040 and should be coming to the City Council for adoption soon. By eliminating arbitrary parking minimums and allowing in-lieu fees we can prevent the wasteful overproduction of parking spaces, reduce car dependency, and carbon emissions. It will encourage greater transit usage and more housing and business growth near transit, helping to create revitalized and pedestrian-friendly commercial corridors and our Downtown. This would not prohibit property owners from building on-site parking. Rather, it gives them the flexibility to decide on their own how much on-site parking to provide, instead of requiring compliance with a one-size-fits-all mandate.
Parking lots, especially empty ones, do nothing for us at the local level to be able to maximize our collection of property taxes and a mixed-use project will generate significant property and sales tax. When transit riders shift their modes in getting to transit by walk/bike/ride- share/carpool, they will visit and spend money locally. We are creating more walkable/bikeable places to live that don't require you to own a car while providing much needed housing for our graduating high school seniors, teachers, city employees, and college grads to come home to.
On-site parking reduces the housing supply by taking up space that could otherwise be used for additional apartments. Providing on-site parking is also very expensive, costing $30,000 to $75,000 per space to build. This cost is passed on to renters and home buyers, regardless of whether they own a car. In fact, in a recent study by Santa Clara University, researchers found that the cost of garage parking to renter households is approximately $1,700 per year, or an additional 17% of a housing unit’s rent.
Lastly, we are actively embracing, advancing ideas, and projects that promote the concept of free-range people in the City of Gilroy. We advocate for building and planning that considers future generations as well as current residents who don’t own cars. We are a Recreation Destination and Complete Streets community by resolution. Advancing mobility options reflects what we are teaching the youth in our community through Safe Routes to School and why we are nationally recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists, as well as recognized by the World Health Organization as an Age-Friendly Community.
Since my last housing post in May 2021, Gilroy has made strides to plan and promote housing opportunities for our workforce that are typically more affordable. This is needed more now than ever before! The State recently released new income guidelines, a household of one whose income is $92,250 is considered low income and eligible for “affordable” housing. The same is true for a household of four who earns $131,750. This is many of us. We’ve reached a boiling point where we need to be taking advantage of the many tools before us.
You can build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on any residential property in the city, you can build duplexes on single family home lots, staff's work plan includes developing an inclusionary housing ordinance which is a policy that exists in many cities that requires a percentage of affordable homes in each development, and the Draft Gilroy Housing Element (Gilroy’s 8 Year Housing Plan) is well underway. This plan will guide residential development and policy decisions during the next Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Housing Element cycle for 2023-2031. The DRAFT will be released soon for public comment. This next RHNA cycle’s housing assignment is going to take some creativity on housing production, and that includes small projects to big ones. We can't grow or consider ourselves equitable and diversified in housing type when 75% of our land is zoned for single family homes. This may have worked in the past, but now that these homes are out of reach for most families, we need to course correct. We can continue to create a diversified housing stock to meet the needs of our residents. It has already been mentioned in meetings that we need to look at missing middle housing (this translates to rental opportunities, duplexes, triplexes, and four-plexes, a technical way for saying smaller homes that are more naturally affordable).
One legislative item that my office recently had added to a future agenda is Modular Transitional Housing for what’s known as the “Challenge Grant from Santa Clara County”. It’s grant funding available for modular units to be used for transitional housing on city owned properties. There will be another round of Project HomeKey funding that can be used in conjunction with this grant. With the traditional shelter model phasing out for future developments, the modular transitional housing concept has full time wrap-around services for the residents and provides needed privacy for families experiencing homelessness.
The City of Gilroy declared the month of May by city resolution as Affordable Housing Month. In the City of Gilroy, I call upon all members of our community to support housing solutions that are affordable for our workforce, our seniors, youth and special needs populations, and to recognize the successful efforts of the City of Gilroy and its dedicated partners who seek to improve access to housing opportunities in Gilroy and our neighboring communities.
Affordable Housing Month encourages all citizens, legislators, and advocates to collaborate in finding viable, creative solutions to the current housing crisis by reviewing all housing policies and processes in order to meaningfully increase housing opportunities throughout the City of Gilroy.
The culture of "no" and the "status quo" have got to go. A simple (piece of paper) endorsement of the Community Plan To End Homeless by City Resolution last year (which was fought against and denied several times by the majority of the City Council initially https://youtu.be/p6vrc3ecf9k?t=5435), has already made an impact for the residents of Gilroy in ending homelessness. We had left free crucial dollars behind because we didn't have a seat at the table regionally. I'm proud to say that today we do. We will be able to use the $1.3 million Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) to fund program services and our hard working Community Based Organizations. This will allow our Housing Trust Fund (HTF) to stop being depleted and build back up and to do more good work.
SB9 was recently signed into law and allows duplexes on lots currently zoned for single family use only. If your lot is big enough you can split it, and then build up to two units on each of the lots. SB9 contains important protections against displacement of existing tenants. City of Gilroy has many examples of properties where we used to do this many decades ago before 75% of our city became zoned for single family homes. Duplexes contribute needed housing opportunities for our families and friends in the City of Gilroy. ADUs and junior ADUs are allowed on single-family, duplex and multifamily dwelling zoned properties that include a proposed or existing primary residential dwelling. Grant funding available too! https://www.calhfa.ca.gov/homeownership/programs/termsheet-adu.pdf
Example scenarios like, a family owns a single family home on a larger lot, and they choose to split the lot into two. They build a duplex on the newly split-portion and they keep the existing single family home on the other portion, as well as build an ADU behind the existing home. Now they have options as they raise their family, and can sell either/or property at their discretion.
In 2022, the Area Median Income (AMI) for a four-person household in for Santa Clara County, as defined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) was $168,500. Based on this, the following are the income limits for the 5 affordable housing categories (family of four):
• Extremely Low Income (ELI) 0–30% AMI $0– $50,550
• Very Low Income (VLI) 31–50% AMI $50,551–$84,250
• Low Income (LI) 51–80% AMI $84,251– $131,750
• Moderate Income 81–120% AMI $131,751- $202,200
• Above Moderate- Above 120% AMI $202,201 +
Above is an updated chart that shows our progress as of April 1, 2021 to meet our RHNA numbers. You can see that we continue to be unbalanced in our categories. At the June 21, 2021 City Council meeting, we decided to not appeal our 2023-2031 RHNA allocation.
Cities and counties subject to SB 35 streamlining provisions when proposed developments include ≥ 50% affordability. Gilroy is one of the jurisdictions that has insufficient progress toward their lower income RHNA (Very Low and Low income) and are therefore subject to the streamlined ministerial approval process (SB 35 (Chapter 366, Statutes of 2017) streamlining) for proposed developments with at least 50% affordability.
The State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) reinforced the fact that they no longer consider the Housing Element Update to be a paper exercise, but instead a contract between jurisdictions and the state on housing commitments for eight-and-a-half years. To this end, HCD’s new Housing Accountability Unit will be monitoring implementation and will hold jurisdictions to the commitments laid out in the Housing Element’s plan. HCD detailed how they will not accept the rationale that the lack of subsidies for affordable housing development is an insurmountable impediment to fulfilling housing commitments. Instead, they advised jurisdictions to find ways to spur development through land use reforms and additional financing mechanisms. These might include adopting a strong local density bonus program, an inclusionary housing ordinance with a robust in-lieu fee structure, or other impact fees as a mechanism to support affordable housing development. HCD also recommended looking into ways of lowering costs by deferring or waiving fees and taxes.
HCD cautioned that jurisdictions with non-compliant Housing Elements will be ineligible for, or face delays in receiving, state funding. Jurisdictions would also be unable to use inconsistent zoning/general plan standards to deny affordable housing projects, and could be subject to additional legal ramifications and fines. HCD will review actions and inactions submitted in the Annual Progress Report by local jurisdictions and they will take action on jurisdictions that are inconsistent with their Housing Elements. HCD will also respond to public complaints if a jurisdiction's actions are in violation with state law.
Click on the video link above to watch the March 30th Community Workshop. A few highlights that came out of it are no surprise to what our community has needed for decades and will finally get.
Highlights-
-38% of our population of 59,520 is 24 years old or less.
-16,608 housing units 60.5% owner occupied 39.5% renters
-$101,600 median household income for Gilroy.
-Max affordable purchase price $303,000 and median home price $1,000,000
Poll from Meeting
Top 3 Focus Programs:
#1-Inclusionary Units, #2-Build to a Higher Density, #3-Provide Access to Low Cost Pre-Designed ADU’s
Top 3 Housing Issues:
#1-Difficult to Pay Rent, Mortgage, Down Payment, #2-Insufficient Housing Supply, #3-Homelessness
To my council colleagues, city staff, and the public I am very excited to be a part of the many changes coming to Gilroy this year. I will continue to bring the views of my constituents to these meetings, as well as my own. We have many policies and practices that will continue to be updated to 2022 standards that come along with the adoption of our General Plan 2040. Legislating policy in house often doesn't require budget allocations, and many of the best practices are already open sourced. Continuing from 2021, our entire Zoning Ordinance will be amended to meet the standards of our general plan, and I look forward to being a part of that process.
With the 2021-2022 legislative work plan already established, the Gilroy City Council will dive right into many items that need to be completed in 2022. Once the new city council is seated after the November 2022 election, a new legislative work plan will be established. Staff reported a $4.6 million general fund surplus due to stimulus funding such as CARES Act, along with sales tax and property tax that came in better than previously projected. We have many opportunities through public and private partnerships coming before the Council in 2022. I’m very confident that staff will continue to find grant funding opportunities that directly benefit all of our residents. The opportunities for furthering our economic development continues with a hillside adventure/water surf park proposal around Gilroy Gardens, Sharks ice arena at the sports park, and gourmet alley in Downtown. These proposals form the recreation triangle and further our recreation community designation by city resolution. Redevelopment and new construction will create additional hotels, housing, jobs, restaurants, and shopping experiences.
I’d like to find some common ground when it comes to homelessness, affordable housing, climate action, technology implementation, and most important our human capital or our employees. Many of these issues we can’t solve alone, and we need to leverage partnerships that currently exist as well as be flexible when it comes to new ones. Many organizations have a for-profit and non-profit side of their business structure. The non-profit side can obtain grant funding for the city and are often more in touch with grant funding opportunities in places where we aren’t. Thank you to all of our current city staff who have persevered through some of the most challenging times in their careers during the pandemic. You are a key part to our success as a city.
This year, my prime focus is to continue Gilroy’s growth into the 21st century. Building upon the relationships I’ve made, legislative items in our work plan, and introduction of new items are just some of the things I have planned. We will focus on our Zoning Ordinance (Bike Parking, Noise Impacting Residentially Zoned Properties), Safe Storage of Firearms, Tobacco Prevention, Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, Housing Element 2023-2031, In-Lieu Fees/Nexus Studies, Parking Management/Enforcement, Community Plan to End Homelessness, Climate Action Benchmarks/REACH Codes, Safe Parking Program, RV Towing Policy, Wage Theft, Minimum Wage, and State Legislative Bills.
All of these legislative changes will make Gilroy more livable for all, and the path forward is clear to me. It will require everyone’s voices to be heard during public comment, focused work from my student interns, and I’ll be here to guide you through it.
We reached the end of the first year of my Student Internship Program, and I am incredibly proud of what they have accomplished. The work they do is essential to my platform, and I could not do it without them. From the OP-Ed’s they write to defend the defenseless, hold the powerful accountable, and attend meetings on behalf of my office. They are all maturing to make this community a better place. Young people are essential to our civic discourse, and I am proud to have my students lead the charge.
My work making the City Council accountable was a first, with a publicly available voting record for the City Council, so that we can all see how your council member voted on issues that matter to you. You can find this on my website at www.zachhilton.com located under the legislative section. In addition, you can try and change the law as you see fit. For the first time in Gilroy history my office created a program called “Their Ought to Be a Law”, where residents have the opportunity to get involved with the legislative process. The Gilroy City Council should not be cloaked in an aura of secrecy, it should be a matter of public participation. Residents don’t feel a sense of community and belonging if they perceive members of the City Council as an exclusive club. We commit to offering transparent paths to leadership positions, along with inviting and seeking different perspectives.
The progress and accomplishments of my office are available on my website (www.zachhilton.com) under the biography section. My office added 8 legislative items to our City Council work plan for FY22 & FY23, along with making history with the first City Facilities Flag Flying Policy, resolution recognizing June as Pride LGBTQ+ Month, and raising the Pride Flag over Gilroy City Hall. Multiple town halls were hosted via Zoom covering topics from digital divide, wildfire preparation, fireworks safety, and other generally open topics. There were numerous press releases and Op-Eds issued and published to keep the public in the loop. There was endless support and testimonies on many important state legislative bills that decreased the cost and time of much needed affordable housing (SB8, SB9, SB10, AB1401, AB602), work on the digital divide (SB28), both increased transparency and participation in government meetings by changing the Brown Act to allow for virtual testimony and translation services (AB361 and AB339). Last but certainly not least, there was endless support for the investment of hybrid Gilroy City Council meetings that will stream LIVE via Facebook/Zoom and provide Spanish translation from my office.
We wrote a joint letter, which was a call to action on the digital divide and sent it to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). That prompted a meeting with several CPUC commissioners focusing on bringing quality broadband to the Ochoa Camp in Gilroy. We introduced, and the Gilroy City Council endorsed, the Community Plan to End Homelessness by resolution. This gave us a seat at the table regionally to end homelessness, obtain funding, and regular meetings between the City Administrator, Office of Supportive Housing, Destination Home and more. This in return brought the city $623,913 dollars that we had left on the table with the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) Plan Consortium Agreement with the County of Santa Clara County.
Gilroy City Council committee assignments have a regional participation, and my position as Director for Silicon Valley Clean Energy allowed me to bring the City Chrysalis’s Electric Bike Program to Gilroy. City Chrysalis was implemented as a six-month proof of concept. The goal was to demonstrate the intersectional benefits of investing in electric bikes (e-bikes), and supportive infrastructure by extension. The project attempted to decrease vehicle miles traveled (VMT), reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, save participants money, improve physical health, and address unsafe conditions for cyclists in the City. It is now a model program that showed health benefits that we weren't looking for, and there are plans to progress this model into Public Health. We worked with the developer at Kern Cottages to be the first housing development in Gilroy to incorporate Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures and provide pre-loaded Clipper Transit cards to every residence. We attended many more regional and local meetings representing an elected office from Gilroy, and in my absence, my student interns would take my place in these meetings. I attended every opportunity I got in order to gain professional development and training through both webinars, and in-person training.
I became a member of CivicWell (formerly Local Government Commission), which will be able to provide technical assistance and resources for legislation. They have an annual conference which I will be attending as a Gilroy representative. The 30th Annual Yosemite Policymakers Conference brings together over 100 mayors, city council members, county supervisors, city managers, and other high-level department heads in the breathtaking beauty of Yosemite National Park. This innovative three-day gathering is designed to support local elected officials with tools and partnership opportunities to implement innovative solutions to our most pressing community challenges.
CivicWell works to build livable communities and local leadership by connecting leaders through innovative programs and network opportunities, advancing policies through participation at the local and state level, and implementing solutions as a technical assistance provider and advisor to local jurisdictions. With roots in California and a national reputation, CivicWell offers inspiration, information, and partnership for local and regional champions dedicated to building thriving communities that integrate civic engagement with environmental, social, and economic priorities. For over 35 years, LGC has connected cutting-edge leaders from across the nation. Together we are advancing transformative policies and implementing innovative solutions for sustainable communities.
On behalf of my office, my student interns, and my family, I am excited for the challenges that 2022 has to offer. There are still many things to be addressed, and I am taking them head on. Through the power of public participation, I am confident that 2022 can be one of the best years that Gilroy has ever had. Thank you.
A mis colegas del consejo, al personal de la ciudad y al público en general, estoy muy emocionado de ser parte de muchos de los cambios que vienen para Gilroy este año, seguiré aportando las opiniones de mis electores a estas reuniones, así como las mías. Tenemos muchas políticas y prácticas que continuarán actualizándose a los estándares del 2022 que vienen en conjunto a la adopción de nuestro Plan General 2040. A menudo, legislar políticas internas no requiere asignaciones presupuestarias, y muchas de las mejores prácticas ya son de código abierto. Siguiendo con el 2021, toda nuestra Ordenanza de Zonificación será enmendada para cumplir con los estándares de nuestro plan general, y espero ser parte de ese proceso.
Con el plan de trabajo legislativo 2021-2022 ya establecido, el Concejo de la Ciudad de Gilroy trabajará directamente en muchos puntos que deben completarse en 2022. Una vez que el nuevo consejo de la ciudad se siente después de las elecciones de noviembre de 2022, se establecerá un nuevo plan de trabajo legislativo. El personal reportó un superávit del fondo general de $ 4.6 millones debido a fondos de estímulo como CARES Act, junto con el impuesto a las ventas y el impuesto a la propiedad que resultó mejor de lo proyectado anteriormente. Tenemos muchas oportunidades a través de asociaciones públicas y privadas que se presentarán ante el Consejo en 2022. Estoy muy seguro de que el personal continuará encontrando oportunidades de financiamiento de subvenciones que beneficien directamente a todos nuestros residentes.
Me gustaría encontrar un terreno común cuando se trata de personas sin hogar, vivienda asequible, acción climática, implementación de tecnología y, lo más importante, nuestro capital humano o nuestros empleados. Muchos de estos problemas no podemos resolverlos solos, y necesitamos aprovechar las alianzas que existen actualmente, así como ser flexibles cuando se trata de nuevas asociaciones. Muchas organizaciones tienen un lado con fines de lucro y sin fines de lucro en su estructura comercial. La parte sin fines de lucro puede obtener fondos de subvenciones para la ciudad y, a menudo, están más en contacto con las oportunidades de financiamiento de subvenciones en lugares donde no estamos. Este año, mi enfoque principal es continuar el crecimiento de Gilroy en el siglo 21, sobre la base de las relaciones que he establecido, los informes legislativos en nuestro plan de trabajo y la introducción de nuevos elementos son solo algunas de las cosas que he planeado. Nos centraremos en nuestra Ordenanza de Zonificación (Estacionamiento de Bicicletas, Ruido que Afecta a las Propiedades Residencialmente Zonificadas), Almacenamiento Seguro de Armas de Fuego, Prevención del Tabaco, Ordenanza de Vivienda Inclusiva, Elemento de Vivienda 2023-2031, Tarifas En Lugar / Estudios de Nexo, Administración / Aplicación de Estacionamiento, Plan Comunitario para Poner Fin a la Falta de Vivienda, Puntos de Referencia de Acción Climática / Códigos REACH, Programa de Estacionamiento Seguro, Política de Remolque de RV, Robo de Salarios, Salario Mínimo y Proyectos de Ley Legislativas Estatales.
Todos estos cambios legislativos harán que Gilroy sea más habitable para todos, y para mí el camino a seguir está claro. Esto requiere que las voces de todos sean escuchadas durante el comentario público, el trabajo enfocado de mis estudiantes internos, y estaré aquí para guiarlos en él.
Llegamos al final del primer año de mi Programa de Pasantías Estudiantiles, y estoy increíblemente orgulloso de lo que han logrado. El trabajo que hacen es esencial para mi plataforma, y no podría hacerlo sin ellos. Desde el OP-Ed's ellos escriben para defender a los indefensos, responsabilizan a los poderosos y asisten a reuniones en nombre de mi oficina. Todos están madurando para hacer de esta comunidad un lugar mejor. Los jóvenes son esenciales para nuestro discurso cívico, y estoy orgulloso de que mis estudiantes lideren la carga.
Mi trabajo para hacer que el Concejo Municipal rinda cuentas fue el primero, con un registro de votación disponible públicamente para el Concejo Municipal, para que todos podamos ver cómo votó su miembro del consejo sobre temas que le importan. Puede encontrar esto en mi sitio web en www.zachhilton.com ubicado en la sección legislativa. Además, puede intentar cambiar la ley como mejor le parezca. Comencé el programa "Debería haber una ley", el primero en la historia de Gilroy. El Ayuntamiento de Gilroy no debe estar envuelto en un aura de secreto, debe ser una cuestión de participación pública. Los residentes no sienten un sentido de comunidad y pertenencia si perciben a los miembros del Ayuntamiento como un club exclusivo. Nos comprometemos a ofrecer caminos transfronterizos a posiciones de liderazgo, junto con invitar y buscar diferentes perspectivas.
El progreso y los logros de mi oficina están disponibles en mi sitio web bajo la sección de biografía. Mi oficina agregó 8 elementos legislativos a nuestro plan de trabajo del Concejo Municipal para el año fiscal 22 y EL AÑO FISCAL 23, junto con hacer historia con la primera Política de Vuelo de la Bandera de las Instalaciones de la Ciudad, la resolución que reconoce junio como el Mes del Orgullo LGBTQ + y el izamiento de la Bandera del Orgullo sobre Gilroy City Hall. Se organizaron múltiples ayuntamientos a través de Zoom que cubrieron temas de la brecha digital, la preparación de incendios forestales, la seguridad de los fuegos artificiales y otros temas generalmente abiertos. Hubo numerosos comunicados de prensa y artículos de opinión emitidos y publicados para mantener al público en el loop. Hubo un sinfín de apoyos y testimonios sobre muchos proyectos de ley estatales importantes que disminuyeron el costo y el tiempo de la vivienda asequible muy necesaria el trabajo sobre la brecha digital, tanto aumentaron la transparencia como la participación en las reuniones gubernamentales al cambiar la Ley Brown para permitir el testimonio virtual y los servicios de traducción. Por último, pero ciertamente no menos importante, hubo un apoyo interminable para la inversión de reuniones híbridas del Concejo Municipal de Gilroy que se transmitirán EN VIVO a través de Facebook / Zoom y que tendrán traducción al español desde mi oficina.
Escribimos una carta conjunta, que era un llamado a la acción sobre la brecha digital y la enviamos a la Comisión de Servicios Públicos de California (CPUC). Eso provocó una reunión con varios comisionados de la CPUC que se centraron en llevar banda ancha de calidad al campamento de Ochoa en Gilroy. Presentamos, y el Concejo Municipal de Gilroy respaldó, el Plan Comunitario para Poner Fin a la Falta de Vivienda por resolución. Esto nos dio un asiento en la mesa a nivel regional para poner fin a la falta de vivienda, obtener fondos y reuniones regulares entre el Administrador de la Ciudad, la Oficina de Vivienda de Apoyo, Destination Home y más. Esto a cambio trajo a la ciudad $ 623,913 dólares que habíamos dejado sobre la mesa con el Acuerdo de Consorcio del Plan de Asignación De Vivienda Local Permanente (PLHA) con el Condado del Condado de Santa Clara.
Las asignaciones del comité del Concejo Municipal de Gilroy tienen una participación regional, y mi posición como director de Energía Limpia de Silicon Valley me permitió llevar el Programa de Bicicletas Eléctricas de la Ciudad de Chrysalis a Gilroy. City Chrysalis se implementó como una prueba de concepto de seis meses. El objetivo era demostrar los beneficios interseccionales de invertir en bicicletas eléctricas (e-bikes) e infraestructura de apoyo por extensión. El proyecto intentó disminuir las millas recorridas por los vehículos (VMT), reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero (GEI), ahorrar dinero a los participantes, mejorar la salud física y abordar las condiciones inseguras para los ciclistas en la Ciudad. Este es un programa modelo que mostró beneficios para la salud que no estábamos buscando, y hay planes para incluir este modelo en Salud Pública. Trabajamos con el desarrollador en Kern Cottages para ser el primer desarrollo de viviendas en Gilroy en incorporar medidas de Gestión de la Demanda de Transporte (TDM) y proporcionar tarjetas de tránsito Clipper pre-loaded a cada residencia. Asistimos a muchas más reuniones regionales y locales representando a una oficina electa de Gilroy, y en mi ausencia, mis estudiantes internos tomarían mi lugar en estas reuniones. Asistí a todas las oportunidades que tuve para obtener desarrollo profesional y capacitación a través de seminarios web y capacitación en persona.
Me convertí en miembro de CivicWell (anteriormente Comisión de Gobierno Local), que podrá proporcionar asistencia técnica y recursos para la legislación. Tienen una conferencia anual a la que asistiré como representante de Gilroy La 30ª Conferencia Anual de Legisladores de Yosemite reúne a más de 100 alcaldes, miembros del consejo de la ciudad, supervisores del condado, administradores de la ciudad y otros jefes de departamento de alto nivel en la impresionante belleza del Parque Nacional de Yosemite. Esta innovadora reunión de tres días está diseñada para apoyar a los funcionarios electos locales con herramientas y oportunidades de asociación para implementar soluciones innovadoras a nuestros desafíos comunitarios más apremiantes.
CivicWell trabaja para construir comunidades habitables y liderazgo local, conectando a los líderes a través de programas innovadores y oportunidades de red, promoviendo políticas a través de la participación a nivel local y estatal, e implementando soluciones como proveedor de asistencia técnica y asesor de jurisdicciones locales. Con raíces en California y una reputación nacional, LGC ofrece inspiración, información y asociación para campeones locales y regionales dedicados a construir comunidades prósperas que integran el compromiso cívico con las prioridades ambientales, sociales y económicas. Durante más de 35 años, CivicWell ha conectado a líderes de vanguardia de todo el país. Juntos estamos promoviendo políticas transformadoras e implementando soluciones innovadoras para comunidades sostenibles.
En nombre de mi personal, mis estudiantes internos y mi familia, estoy emocionado por los desafíos que 2022 tiene para ofrecer. Todavía hay muchas cosas que abordar, y las estoy tomando de frente. A través del poder de la participación pública, confío en que 2022 puede ser uno de los mejores años que Gilroy haya tenido. Gracias.
You've probably heard by now the fear messaging that proponents of a land use ballot initiative are trying to fill your heads with. Something like developers are going to tear down the homes next to you, build multi-story/multi-unit buildings, and (of course the loudest of them all) demolishing homes on your block. Their main objective is anti-development, when we should be focusing on creative ways for housing all generations, and breaking down barriers to renters and home ownership. (As of 2/18/2022- With only 100K signatures collected and 1 million needed by June 2022, the California NIMBY Land Use Ballot Initiative which would gut fair and affordable housing laws, as well as environmental and other land-use laws, is officially dead for at least the next two years according to a press release from the proponents of the ballot initiative.)
It's another Southern California based organization that has promoted anti-development measures in the past. This ballot initiative was reviewed by the California League of Cities (if that's the organization you follow for advocacy) and they chose to not take a position because of the unintended consequences. Organizations that supportSB9 and SB10 are Silicon Valley Leadership Group, SV@Home, Bay Area Council, Local Government Commission, Santa Clara County Association of Realtors (SCCAOR), California Association of Realtors, Cal Chamber, and the Santa Clara County Democratic Party.
SB9 isn't going to drastically change the way you see single family neighborhoods in Gilroy. It's an important law that will continue to break down barriers that exists to renters and home ownership. SB9 allows duplexes on lots currently zoned for single family use only. If your lot is big enough you can split it, and then build up to two units on each of the lots. SB9 contains important protections against displacement of existing tenants. City of Gilroy has many examples of properties where we used to do this many decades ago before 75% of our city became zoned for single family homes. You can use Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) state law and place one of those units on your lot too. The City of Gilroy has established objective design standards for SB9, that went through a public hearing and City Council approval in December 2021.
SB9 is using existing land, allowing residents to age in place, supplement their income, provide generational wealth, and add some modest density. It won’t place anymore stress on parking or infrastructure because it’s infill and we have room. It’s the same as if large homes and lots were to have a huge family living in it. All school districts around us could use the enrollment numbers since they are experiencing declining enrollment and closing schools. Established parks can handle an increase and so can the roads. My neighbor is planning to utilize SB9 to build a duplex and build an ADU on their property. They want to age in the neighborhood that they raised their kids in, and one that’s walkable/bikeable to all services around us. They don’t need all the space on their property any longer.
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According to a study out of the UC Berkeley Terner Center, they created a breakdown of the possible single family lots in Gilroy that would be available to use SB9. In Gilroy we have 11,700 single family homes. 11,600 are eligible for SB9, but only 1,100 of those lots would be feasible new units that could come on the market. SB 9 is smart growth that promotes infill and not sprawl, all while utilizing the current infrastructure that we have.
As you may know, California has a statewide housing shortage of nearly 3.5 million homes. Low and middle income households face historic rent burden in Gilroy, and the problem worsens by the day as middle-income households move into naturally affordable housing previously occupied by low-income renters. This is forcing these households to move further away from their jobs, and in some cases, onto the streets. Undersupply of “Missing Middle” housing, or medium density housing near jobs and transit, is one of the key factors contributing to the displacement and rent burden of Californians across the state.
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