IN THIS ISSUE: June 27, 2008
Issue #25-2008
Page 2: League Seeks Session Ideas for 2009 Planners Institute
Page 3: Wildomar Becomes a City on July 1
Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee, or Ask League Leg Staff
BILL FOR MORE INFILL, TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, RAILROAD
GRADE CROSSINGS AND COUNTY ROADS GOES TO GOVERNOR
Legislation that fast-tracks additional allocations of bond funding authorized under Propositions
1C and 1B (2006), was approved by the Assembly and sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on
Thursday, June 26. AB 1252 (Caballero) provides an additional $150 million for infill infrastructure
and transit-oriented development (TOD) programs initiated through Prop. 1C. This allocation was
requested by the Administration in response to the heavy demand for these funds at the local
level. For more, see Page 2.
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SAVE THE DATE FOR AIR QUALITY WORKSHOPS
City officials will soon have a chance to weigh in on the future of the state’s air quality. The
California Air Resources Board (ARB) is holding three public workshops in July in preparation for
drafting a “scoping plan” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as required by AB 32, the Global
Warming Solutions Act of 2006. For more, see Page 2.
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GOVERNOR’S OFFICE ISSUES TECHNICAL GUIDANCE ON CEQA
AND CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION
Local government officials and their planning staff have a new resource to help address climate
change. The Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) recently published a new
technical advisory on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and climate change.
For more, see Page 2. 2
‘AB 1252’ Continued from Page 1…
The FY 2007-08 budget provided $240 million for the Infill Infrastructure Fund and $95 million for
Transit-Oriented Development, but the volume of applications exceeded those amounts four-fold.
AB 1252 provides an additional $100 million for infill infrastructure projects and another $50
million for TOD.
As part of the Senate deliberations, an additional $150 million allocation in Prop. 1B funds was
added to the measure, with $63 million allocated for railroad grade crossing improvements and
$87 million for county roads.
The League has a support position on this measure and is urging the Governor’s signature.
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‘Air Quality Workshops’ Continued from Page 1…
The workshop dates and locations are:
July 8 – South Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond Bar
July 14 – Fresno City Hall, Fresno
July 17 – California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters, Sacramento
ARB is scheduled to consider the scoping plan in November 2008. For more information about
the workshops and the draft scoping plan, visit www.arb.ca.gov, click on the “Events” tab and
select “Workshops Only.”
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‘Technical Guidance’ Continued from Page 1…
The emerging role of CEQA in addressing climate change and greenhouse gas emissions has
been the subject of much discussion and debate in recent months. To assist professional
planners, land use officials, and CEQA practitioners, OPR has provided this advisory containing
informal guidance for public agencies as they address the issue of climate change in their CEQA
documents.
The advisory provides OPR's perspective on the issue and precedes the development of draft
implementing regulations for CEQA, in accordance with SB 97 (2006). It was produced in
collaboration with the California Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection
Agency and the California Air Resources Board.
To view the technical advisory or for more information, please visit the OPR Web site,
www.opr.ca.gov.
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League Seeks Session Ideas for 2009 Planners Institute
The League is accepting proposals for educational topics and speakers for the 2009 League of
California Cities Planners Institute.
The conference is set for March 25-27, 2009 in Anaheim. Each year, the event hosts 800-900
planning department directors, planning commissioners, city engineers, city managers and
elected officials.
Educational topic suggestions should:
• Relate to what is new and critical for the future of local planning
• Draw a wide audience; and
• Stimulate action and further discussion
Topic suggestions which include sales, commercialism or product promotion of any kind will not
be considered. 3
Preferred speaker qualifications include:
• At least five years of public presentation experience.
• At least two years of experience related to working in or presenting on the topic of the
proposal; and
• More than two successful speaking engagements to large audiences at a regional or
state level in the past two years.
Suggested speakers who pose a conflict of interest with the subject or business area must
disclose such information in the speaker bio submitted, and may not be considered.
The deadline to submit session and speaker proposals is noon on Monday, July 21, 2008. To
submit a proposal, download the Call for Education Session Ideas (www.cacities.org/events) form
from the League’s Web site, fill it out completely, and e-mail it to education@cacitites.org.
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Wildomar Becomes a City on July 1
On July 1, California will gain a new city. Wildomar, a community in Riverside County, officially
incorporates that day, becoming the state’s 479th city. Murietta was the last city to incorporate in
the county and did so in 1991. The total population in Wildomar on July 1 is estimated to be
30,965.
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Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee, or Ask League Leg Staff
Visit (and bookmark!) the League’s Legislative Resources Web page
(www.cacities.org/legresources). You’ll find a roster and contact information for the League’s
legislative staff; the online Bill Search program, background materials on lobbying your
legislators, and more.
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IN THIS ISSUE: July 3, 2008
Issue #26-2008
Page 3: U.S. Senate Considers Funding for Water, Energy Efficiency
Save the Date for Air Quality Workshops in July
Page 4: Sustainable Cities Feature: Yountville Turns Wastewater to Grape Water
Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee, or Ask League Leg Staff
SB 375 NEGOTIATIONS PROGRESS
SB 375 is a bill authored by Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) that seeks to minimize the
greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from cars and light trucks by linking transportation funding to a
compact development pattern. The League has been very concerned with some of the language
in the bill that seems to conflict with the land use authority of cities and counties.
For more, see Page 2.
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DRACONIAN BILL WOULD SADDLE CITIES WITH MANDATED COSTS
League Needs Letters of Opposition on AB 2716, ‘Paid Sick Leave’ Bill
A bill that would force employers to provide paid sick leave to part-time employees is making its
way through the Senate. The League of California Cities is working to defeat AB 2716 (Ma)
because cities’ policies on paid sick leave can vary widely based on the needs of the local
government. For more, see Page 2.
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U.S. CONGRESS MOVES FORWARD WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
FUNDING PROGRAM
The U.S. House passed legislation last week that would reauthorize a grant program which
supports state and local law enforcement efforts by providing grants for drug task forces,
community crime prevention programs and substance abuse treatment and prosecution
initiatives. The bill provides $1 billion annually for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance
Grant Program (Byrne/JAG) through FY 2012. For more, see Page 3. 2
‘SB 375 Negotiations’ Continued from Page 1…
In recent weeks, however, negotiations on SB 375 have been very productive. Sen. Steinberg
has personally led the negotiations and has invited several critical parties to the table, including
developers, local agencies, environmentalists and housing advocates to review the bill and
negotiate a conceptual framework. League staff is optimistic that deal points and even some
language will be available to be shared by the end of the month.
Some of the ideas being discussed are:
Mandatory Growth Designations to be Removed. Sen. Steinberg has committed to
striking the provision that required transportation funds to be allocated according to a
specified development pattern. (This was one of the League’s biggest issues with the
bill). Information related to environmental resources would still be gathered and
considered as part of the planning process.
GHG Goal Set Through Collaborative Process. Regional targets for reduced carbon
from cars and light trucks would be set through a collaborative process between the State
Air Resources Board (ARB), the regional transportation planning agency, and local
governments. ARB would not be charged with oversight authority over plan details.
New CEQA. To the extent that a specific project is consistent with a regional plan to
reduce greenhouse gases, it would be entitled to California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) benefits that would minimize the need to study the cumulative, alternative and
growth-inducing analysis of GHG emissions and other the cumulative and growth
inducing of impacts related to regional traffic. Project specific impacts, however, would
still need to be including within the environmental review.
Eight-Year RHNA; More Coordinated Regional Planning. The timeline for the
Regional Housing Needs Assessment could be extended to eight years to align with two
cycles of the regional transportation plan in order to assure that the same assumptions
are used for distributing housing numbers and transportation dollars.
These represent significant improvements to the bill. It appears that a framework is emerging that
can address the needs of all the stakeholders (with the caveat, of course, that nothing has been
finalized). League staff estimates that bill language that reflects these concepts should start
circulating within the next two to three weeks, subject to the agreement of all of those who are at
the table.
League Advises Cities Delay Taking a Position
The League is aware that several cities may have been contacted recently by a coalition of
opponents. The League is maintaining its oppose-unless-amended position and is prepared to
follow through with that position if negotiations break down. Negotiations have been productive
enough that League staff recommends that cities which are thinking about taking a position on SB
375 consider delaying that decision until new language is printed.
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‘Paid Sick Leave Bill’ Continued from Page 1…
The bill mandates that all California employers – including public employers – provide paid sick
leave for any employee who works seven or more days in a calendar year. The days shall accrue
at a rate of no less than one hour for every 30 hours worked. The bill does not apply to
employees in the construction industry covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) if the
agreement expressly waives the requirements of the article in clear and unambiguous terms. In
other words, if a city’s current CBA does not have any of the mandated language to exempt the
local agency, the city must adhere to the bill or to comply, or it must change its current CBA.
The author has identified more than 6 million workers who have not provided paid sick leave;
however, the author has not cited a single city or county as a culprit or as an abuser of the current
system. Local agencies have some of the most stringent rules covering paid sick leave.
3
AB 2716 passed out of the Senate Labor Committee last week. The League is working with all
public and private agencies to defeat the bill when it reaches Senate Appropriations, tentatively
set for July 14. The California Chamber of Commerce will rally its individual chambers in a
collaborative effort with local cities.
City officials are urged to work with their staff to calculate cost impacts to their cities, and send
letters of opposition on this bill. To view the League’s letter, visit www.cacities.org/billsearch and
plug in AB 2716 into the search function.
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‘Law Enforcement Program Funding’ Continued from Page 1…
House and Senate Judiciary Committee leaders will now begin discussions on the measure with
the aim of producing a bill for the President’s signature before Congress breaks for its month-long
August recess.
The House Appropriations Committee also approved its FY 2009 Commerce-Justice-Science
appropriations bill. This bill contains $550 million for the Byrne/JAG program, which is $380
million more than the amount enacted for the program last year. It also included $627 million for
the Citizens Options for Public Safety (COPS) program, which is $40 million more than was
enacted for the program last year.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the FY 2009 Commerce-Justice
Science appropriations measure, which includes $581 million for the Byrne/JAG program and
$600 million for COPS.
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U.S. Senate Considers Funding for Energy, Water Efficiency
The House Appropriations Committee approved last week its version of a bill which would assist
local governments to develop and implement a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy to help
the nation meet its energy and climate protection goals.
The FY 2009 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which includes $295 million for the Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), was authorized at $2 billion annually for five
years in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (PL 110-140).
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water will consider its version of the
spending measure on July 8. Cities are urged to contact U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein to urge
support for full funding for EECBG in the bill.
The League has posted a draft letter on its Web site that cities can consider using, along with the
letter the League is sending to the Senator this week on this issue. Links to the letters are posted
in this story on the “Federal Priorities” page of the League’s Web site, www.cacities.org.
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Save the Date for Air Quality Workshops in July
This month, city officials will have a chance to weigh in on the future of the state’s air quality. The
California Air Resources Board (ARB) is holding three public workshops in July in preparation for
drafting a “scoping plan” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as required by AB 32, the Global
Warming Solutions Act of 2006.
The workshop dates and locations are:
July 8 – South Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond Bar
July 14 – Fresno City Hall, Fresno
July 17 – California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters, Sacramento
4
ARB is scheduled to consider the scoping plan in November 2008. For more information about
the workshops and the draft scoping plan, visit www.arb.ca.gov, click on the “Events” tab and
select “Workshops Only.”
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Sustainable Cities Feature: Yountville Turns Wastewater to Grape Water
What do the wineries of Chimney Rock, Clos du Val and Stags Leap have in common with
Vintners’ Golf Club and the California Veterans Home of Yountville? All are irrigated using
recycled wastewater from Yountville’s residents, businesses and the Veterans Home.
Using sedimentation and filtration process, the sewage from the city’s 3,300 residents and
businesses is essentially cleaned, removing all the solids. It’s a chemical-free process except for
sodium hypo-chloride (bleach) used at the end to disinfect. From flush to finish, on average it
takes just 24 hours to turn the city’s waste into usable water. Reclaimed water is treated to meet
federal and state standards and can be used for irrigation. Although it’s safe enough to drink, it’s
not being used for drinking or tap water.
By recycling wastewater, Yountville helps keep the treated water from running into the local
creeks and river system. Water from wells and local reservoirs can be preserved by not pumping
water out of the ground. When vineyards pump water from the wells they lower the aquifer. This
is an especially critical issue with California’s current drought. Customers of the reclaimed water
save money because they don’t have to pump water to irrigate.
Council Member Steven Rosa, the city’s former waste water supervisor, believes reclaiming water
is vitally important. “You are freeing up tap water for people instead of watering the fields.”
Yountville’s reclaimed water has become such a valuable commodity locally that Robert Mondavi
and Silverado wineries are very interested in tapping into the pipeline that delivers the product to
the other customers. Rosa says he expects this to happen in the next two years.
Currently, Yountville reclaims 45-60 percent of the city’s sewage water. The city is working on
expanding its storage capacity and is in the process of reviewing its plant modernization plan.
The goal is to have a “zero discharge” system in place to be able to reclaim all wastewater in the
next three years.
Yountville has been recycling water for nearly three decades. The small Napa County city began
recycling water when the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented new water
treatment standards in the 1970s. Today, the other four cities in Napa County (American Canyon,
Calistoga, Napa and St. Helena) also treat their wastewater as well as some local businesses
such as the Meadowood Resort and St. Helena Hospital.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee, or Ask League Leg Staff
Visit (and bookmark!) the League’s Legislative Resources Web page
(www.cacities.org/legresources). You’ll find a roster and contact information for the League’s
legislative staff; the online Bill Search program, background materials on lobbying your
legislators, and more.
_____________________________________________________________________________