Ross planning director details housing-element tasks, costs and compliance risks

Planning Director Roberta Feliciano briefed the council on the town’s sixth-cycle housing element (2023–2031), emphasizing state deadlines, required code amendments and the potential penalties for failing to secure certification from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

Feliciano outlined the housing element’s components — site inventory, capacity assessments for each site, constraints analysis, fair housing review and an action program — and the tasks remaining to obtain HCD certification. Staff noted that amendments were posted April 11 and will return to council on May 6 for formal action before resubmittal to HCD.

She said jurisdictions that do not adopt a certified housing element risk decertification, loss of access to state funding, litigation and court remedies including possible imposition of development approvals or fines. Staff reported that to date the town has spent more than $400,000 on consultants for housing-element work and that the draft FY25 includes $30,000 for temporary planning support and $75,000 for consultant technical work on zoning amendments and program actions.

Council members asked staff to break out housing-element costs and legal fees programmatically so the town can track cumulative spending and clearly communicate the financial burden of compliance to residents. Staff said they would provide more detailed line-item tracking and continue to seek grants where available (SB2 and LEAP reimbursements were described as partially offsetting consultant costs).