Good afternoon, everyone.

Welcome to the October 15th, 2025, Planning Commission, meeting.

We are expecting one more commissioner, so we will wait at least a few minutes to uh give them an opportunity to jump on it.

Okay.

Welcome everyone to the October 15th planning commission meeting.

Um let's do roll call.

Commissioner Josie Ahrens.

Here.

Commissioner Owen Lee.

Here.

Commissioner Alex Randolph.

Here.

Commissioner Maurice Robb.

Here.

You vice chair and Natalie Sandoval.

Here.

You have a quorum.

Great.

Um do we have a director's report?

No director's report today.

Uh informational report.

No information reports today.

Any committee reports?

No committee reports.

I believe your next committee meeting will be ZUC, zoning update committee in next week.

I'll say a couple of weeks, but I can't remember the date off the top of my head.

Okay, it's next week.

Next week.

Yeah.

Uh any commission matters.

And this is for the commission to raise any questions or um discussion items.

Thank you.

Wanted to check in on the item I requested last week about having standardized staff reports for uh major variances related to alcohol permits.

I thought you were gonna check in on another question that I was prepared to answer.

I do have another item.

Excellent.

Well, on the reports, you know, we believe what we're doing is standardize and when you this body will consider the case that came in front of you at the last meeting at some point in the future, that wasn't continued to a date certain, so it'll come back when it comes back.

And there will be discussion at that time about the ways in which we believe our reports the the way we conduct our analysis is standardized, but that the requirements and the findings in different places aren't necessarily um the same.

They might be different or the conditions might be different in different places.

Um or discussion at the time that that report comes back to you where you raise the issue, if that's acceptable.

Thank you.

Right.

So my understanding is our strategic planning team is working on some responses.

Uh I was hoping I'd have a response for you today, but I didn't see anything come through.

Uh so we will hope for a response maybe at our next meeting.

I'm seeing a nod from the deputy director.

Uh, but they are working on responses.

My understanding is they're working with other departments.

Um HCD, that's housing community development at the city of Oakland, as well as talking to the state.

So I believe that's why it's taken a moment or two in order to come back to you and respond to your your questions.

Thank you so much.

Please pass along my thanks to planning and HCD staff.

I know this is an extra task on top of their work, but my intention is to to make things easier for all of us in the long run, and I appreciate their time and effort right now.

I will pass that along.

Thank you.

Yeah, to follow on the uh liquor license application process.

Would that hearing once we see that application coming back be the appropriate time to have a conversation about potential or process for zoning changes around criteria or would that have to be a separate meeting?

Yeah, that's a really good question.

You often hear us, you've been here long enough to hear us say please don't try to change policy with a case, right?

Uh and so while it is true that cases which are analyzed against existing policy are separate from the establishment of policy.