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7.A Page 61 Plan. As the legislative body responsible for approving the proposed New General Plan, it is the City Council's responsibility under CEQA to also decide whether or not to certify the EIR. Under the City's Environmental Review guidelines and the California Government Code requirements relating to the preparation and adoption of general plans, the Planning Commission is required to review and make recommendations to the City Council with regard to these actions. The purpose of the EIR is to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the proposed project (i.e., the New General Plan) and a reasonable range of alternatives to the proposed project; to identify mitigation measures to mitigate those effects to the extent feasible; and to identify the environmentally preferred alternative. It is up to the City• Council to determine whether the proposed project or one of the alternatives would best meet the City's objectives for the project while minimizing to the extent feasible the project's potentially significant environmental effects. The City Council is not required to select the alternative that would result in the fewest or least severe environmental impacts, because that alternative may not adequately achieve the City's objectives for the project. If the environmentally preferred alternative does not adequately achieve the City's objectives for the project, the City Council may consider that alternative to be infeasible. It is the role of the City Council to balance the benefits and potential environmental effects of the project and each alternative, taking into consideration the extent to which each one achieves the City's objectives for the project, and select a final project for approval. Staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommend the certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report for the New General Plan and Adoption of the New General Plan to the City Council. Pamela Thompson, City Attorney gave a brief overview on her work regarding whether or not there were any conflicts of interest with regard to this issue and the members of the Commission. Genevieve Sharrow, Hogle-Ireland, gave an overview of the changes to the General Plan. Lisa Brownfield, Hog le-lreland continued with the following PowerPoint: General Plan Revisions OBJECTIVE: • Review Changes to General Plan post-November 23, 2009 meeting • Receive Questions and Comments Revision Origins: • November 23, 2009 Council or Commission Comments • Comments on the EIR • Mitigation Measures Identified in the EIR that affect General Plan text • Commission and Public Comments • CA HCD Comments • City Staff/General Plan team November 23, 2009 Comments: Page 2 of 12