The Gilroy City Council on Monday is scheduled to discuss
proposed changes to a countywide habitat plan and whether to adopt
a new election ethics ordinance that would call for complete
disclosure of campaign contributions.
GILROY – The Gilroy City Council on Monday is scheduled to discuss proposed changes to a countywide habitat plan and whether to adopt a new election ethics ordinance that would call for complete disclosure of campaign contributions.
Among the proposed changes to the 50-year Santa Clara Valley Habitat Conservation plan are a $281 million reduction in costs and the elimination of fees for private development that doesn’t threaten any of the 19 species protected by the plan.
The plan’s current price tag stands at $941 million, habitat plan Program Manager Ken Schreiber said. More than 8,000 acres could be cut from the plan, which currently would cover more than 50,000 acres, mostly in South County.
The Council opted out of the plan March 28, only to rejoin May 16.
Some Council members will also get their first look Monday at a new election ethics ordinance draft, crafted by the city’s Open Government Commission comprised of Mayor Al Pinheiro and Councilmen Peter Leroe-Munoz and Dion Bracco.
If approved, the ordinance would prohibit contributions from anonymous donors. Currently, candidates do not have to reveal names of donors for contributions less than $100.
A pre-Election Night candidate forum could also be approved, allowing candidates a chance to answer “last-minute questions” in the finals few days before polling places open, Leroe-Munoz said.
