CALLED TO ORDER:  7:05 @ Gilroy Public Library

Minutes from December 11, 2018-posted on GGS website

TREASURER’S REPORT:
Carolyn reported on contributions and expenses since last meeting and gave the current bank balance. She also stated that she had filed the Semi-annual FPPC 460 report.

OLD BUSINESS: 
High speed rail meeting in Morgan Hill March 5 Governor Newsom announced only building Bakersfield to Merced line.  Electrifying Caltrain is in the works.

NEW BUSINESS: 

1. Review of Economic Development Report:

Everyone should read the December 17, 2018 council meeting packet which can be found on the city website. Carolyn will monitor and keep us updated. Once we know how the City plans to use it in relation to the General Plan, we will rally.  Please see GGS’s concerns in the following items discussed at tonight’s meeting:

General Plan is critical as it is the document from which all other city plans are derived. Things like police and fire response times, building heights and acceptable traffic levels are set by the General Plan.

General Plan Advisory Committee should be asked to study the Economic Development Report and make suggestions.  Then there should be public input. 

City Planning Department needs to be monitored as General Plan 

The General Plan progress should be monitored as some policies from the 20/20 General Plan have been eliminated without GPAC discussion.  

Lowering the levels of traffic service in the Tenth Street bridge area could lead to developers not being required to widen the bridge in the future.  This would save the developer money but leave Gilroy residents with a traffic nightmare.

Residential growth is increasing, but service levels such as police, fire are staying flat, creating a service gap.

Gilroy has a jobs/housing imbalance, more housing than jobs.

The city needs someone to work on finding willing sellers for conservation easements for Ag Mitigation as well as working to find businesses to come to Gilroy.

2. GGS Organizational Structure

Walt Glines will meet with Connie to discuss possibly writing e-newsletters for GGS to keep the community informed of our concerns.

We discussed electing a new executive board, but agreed all was working well for now.

We will keep meetings at every other month and will call emergency meetings as needed. We discussed having meetings on Saturdays or earlier in the day. Sunrise fire station has a free meeting room, but it is not centrally located.  The police station is free as well so Connie will look into meeting there in April 9 or April 16.

We decided to each call two people to encourage them to attend the April meeting.  Connie will assign people to call to the members attending tonight’s meeting.  Connie will send out a save the date email and will include two important items that we will be discussing. People are crisis driven so they need to have a specific purpose for attending.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Planning Commission: Tom Fischer is chair again this year.

Approved 103 agricultural acres south of truck stop on Bolsa Road to be rezoned from open space to industrial commercial. There is no development proposed at this time.

Downtown:  Council retreat is focused on specific plans.  The city continues to reject businesses that don’t fit in with current zoning and policies.  

City Council should receive reports on a regular basis from all commissions so they are informed.

Meeting Adjourned: 8:55 P.M.

Minutes Respectfully Submitted by Dana Wolfe, GGS Secretary