Thankfully there isn’t a lot going on this week.

Planning Commission: A Church needs a CUP to keep doing what it is already doing; PC gets the first crack at the Pedestrian Master Plan

At Planning Commission, the commissioners will consider a (very pretty looking) renovation and expansion of Christ Lutheran Church and School on Victoria Street. I’m sure there is valid technical reason for this to come before the Planning Commission, but really? The conditional use permit, so the Agenda Report claims, is required to approve the addition’s use as a school (hello, it already is a school) and to approve the height of the gym (which isn’t changing). Sigh. There has to be a more efficient way to do this.

The other item on the PC’s agenda is much more interesting — the commissioners get the first crack at the Pedestrian Master Plan, which has been rattling around the Active Transportation Committee and Public Works department for what feels like several years. The “plan”, which feels more like a set of policies, is a bit of a bear to read and digest. Honestly I find the edits to the Circulation Element far more interesting; it’s not every day you get to crack open the General Plan, and there are a lot of good changes in here.

City Council gets a mid-year budget update and a (potentially) premature staffing request

At the City Council we will get a mid-year budget update at the study session. Two things jump out to me on quick read: first, our sales tax returns appear to be down year over year, even though (like property taxes) those should be buoyed by our persistent inflation and reasonably strong economic activity. That’s a bit worrisome, especially since our property tax returns are likely to be relatively flat this year and next year given that the housing market has seized up and our Measure K development has yet to manifest:

Also noteworthy: the staff is looking to convert a handful of part-time positions to full time, and Development Services would like to add a new position: a “Planning and Sustainable Development Manager,” to the tune of $170k+ a year. While you’d be forgiven for assuming this has something to do with the City’s love for all things “Green”, you’d be wrong: digging into the job particulars makes it clear this is an administrative position to manage the in-lieu fees generated by the (not yet passed) inclusionary housing ordinance.

So it begins.

I have a bad feeling this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to administrative overhang resulting from our affordable housing policies. Woooo.