Council adopts FY25-26 department work plans; housing element, litigation and affordable-housing goal prompt public comment

The Lafayette City Council unanimously approved department work plans for fiscal year 2025–26 on June 9 after staff summarized priorities tied to the recently certified housing element and established city objectives.

City staff said department heads aligned projects with council priorities, noted remaining state-mandated implementation tasks, and recommended a midyear review in December to align work plans with the final adopted budget. The planning department’s work plan was described as “pruned down” with the main emphasis on completing the housing element implementation tasks; staff said they would return to the council if the Housing Action Coalition lawsuit requires substantial planning department work.

Public comments focused on the housing element and the work plan’s Goal 5 — a provision aiming to increase representation of underrepresented racial groups in the community. Peter Lingane, a resident, urged the council to remove Goal 5, arguing it would amount to unlawful “positive discrimination.” Other commenters echoed concerns about legal risk. Staff and other members of the public noted that the intent of Goal 5 is to confront patterns of segregation and that the housing element’s policies were adopted with input from housing advocates.

Why it matters: The work plans guide departmental workloads and resource allocation, and the housing element (and any ensuing litigation) could shift staff priorities and timelines. The council’s adoption of the plans sets the policy and staffing framework for the next fiscal year while preserving council options to reprioritize at midyear.

Staff comment and lawsuit timeline: Planning staff confirmed a lawsuit had been served. Council members asked staff to provide a timeline for when litigation work would become intensive and to return with updates when extra staff time is required. Staff agreed to provide a clearer legend for progress indicators in the housing element materials and to bring a cleaned-up status table back to the council.

Council action and vote: A motion to approve the department work plans as presented passed unanimously. Staff will add a December midyear review and return with any necessary amendments should litigation or unanticipated workloads arise.

Next steps: Planning staff will monitor the Housing Action Coalition litigation and notify council if the lawsuit requires reallocation of work plan tasks. Staff will bring updated legends and clarified tables for the housing element status to an upcoming meeting.