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Page 1 of 3 Item #3 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT July 16, 2024 City Manager TITLE: RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON THE PROCESS AND TIMELINE TO EXPLORE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PLEASANTON AS A CHARTER CITY SUMMARY Receive an update on the process and timeline for exploring the establishment of Pleasanton as a charter city. RECOMMENDATION Receive an update on the process and timeline to explore the establishment of Pleasanton as a charter city. BACKGROUND At the May 7, 2024 City Council meeting, Vice Mayor Testa introduced a request under the Matters Initiated portion of the agenda to explore creation of a charter for the City of Pleasanton. By majority consensus, the City Council agreed to receive more information from staff about the process. The Pleasanton City Council Rules of Procedure state that under the Matters Initiated process, a majority of the City Council may request staff to provide information, perform studies, or undertake other administrative functions or develop information for City Council action at a future meeting. If the requested action is routine in nature, the City Manager will direct staff to proceed. However, if the request cannot be accomplished within the approved budget or City Council priorities, or if it will involve substantial staff resources, the City Manager will report to the City Council. As the process by which Pleasanton could become a charter city is not routine in nature, and will require significant staff resources and an extensive process to analyze and implement, this report provides a high-level overview of the process and timeline to advance this matter. Please note that staff has not yet completed a thorough analysis of the specific benefits that transitioning to a charter city could offer Pleasanton as compared to a general law city. DISCUSSION California has two types of cities: charter and general law. Pleasanton is currently a general law city, and is subject to the state’s general law on all matters, regardless of whether the subject concerns a "municipal affair." By contrast, charter cities operate under a governing document (a charter) that is written specifically for the City. Charter cities have authority over “municipal affairs," which could include, but are not limited to, municipal election matters, land use and zoning decisions, and finance and taxation. Charter cities have traditionally only been subject to conflicting provisions in the state or federal constitutions and state and federal laws on matters of statewide concern Page 26 of 782