If you care about the future of Monterey County, you should plan on attending the Monterey County Board of Supervisors’ meeting tomorrow, when the Board will consider action on the Monterey County General Plan. It looks to me like you’d better be at the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers in Salinas at 9:00 a.m., if you want to be sure not to miss the action, and your opportunity to speak out.

As a recap, you’ll probably remember that the Board began a “General Plan Update” process in 1999. That’s eight years ago, now, and the Board is working on what amounts to the “fifth version” of a new General Plan. You’ll also probably remember that the current General Plan was adopted in 1982, about 25 years ago. You’ll also probably remember that the General Plan Update process, thus far, has cost the taxpayers something like $8 million dollars. You’ll also probably remember that two competing ballot measures were on the ballot in June, and that one of them (the Board plan) was very pro-development, while the other (the “Community Plan”) was much more restrictive, directing new growth to existing urban areas, and discouraging growth on ag land and in rural areas where growth costs more and creates more environmental harm.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about what’s on the Board’s agenda, and what may be the next step in Monterey County. But remember, if you care about the land use future of Monterey County, the Board meeting tomorrow is a “must attend” event!

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

Monterey County Website
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/

Agenda, December 11, 2007 Board Meeting
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/cttb/
agenda20071211.htm

Supplemental Agenda, December 11, 2008 Board Meeting
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/cttb/
suppagenda20071211.htm

Before talking about Monterey County, let me give a “heads up” to residents of the City of Santa Cruz. Tonight, the Santa Cruz City Council will consider a proposed housing development on Frederick Street that could have major impacts on the Frederick Street Park. If you care, be there!

Last June, in Monterey County, two competing General Plan ballot measures were considered by the voters. Neither passed. On November 6th, after long consideration (some would say eight years of consideration) the Board of Supervisors forged a compromise plan, and gave what they called a “final direction” on key General Plan issues, incorporating policies that would help direct growth to existing urban areas, and prevent future sprawl and the loss of ag land.

Today, according to the Board’s “Supplemental” agenda, the Board will “revisit” that “final direction.” If the Board were to change that direction now, once again giving in to the development interests that have been driving the General Plan Update process, another round of litigation and ballot battles is almost inevitable. That won’t happen if Supervisor Lou Calcagno and Supervisor Dave Potter just maintain the position they took on November 6th. Why, though, was this reconsideration kind of “sneaked” onto the Supplemental Agenda at the last moment? The staff report doesn’t make it clear. So be suspicious.

As I said once already, if you care, be there!

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors’ meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers, 168 West Alisal Street in Salinas. The Santa Cruz City Council meeting begins at 7:00 p.m., at the Santa Cruz City Hall, located at 809 Center Street, Santa Cruz.

Monterey County Website
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/

Agenda, December 11, 2007 Board Meeting
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/cttb/
agenda20071211.htm

Supplemental Agenda, December 11, 2008 Board Meeting
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/cttb/
suppagenda20071211.htm

City of Santa Cruz Website
http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/

The California Coastal Commission oversees implementation of the land use policies contained in the California Coastal Act. Since 1972, protection of our coast has been one of the highest priorities of the people of this state. No comparable set of policies exist for non-coastal areas. We have no statewide system to protect farmland, for instance. And no statewide system that provides consistent protection to important non-coastal natural resources.

If you’ve ever had an occasion to participate in a Coastal Commission hearing (and have also had experience with a more typical local government hearing on land use), you’ll almost certainly agree with me that the professionalism of the Coastal Commission staff, and the conduct of the deliberative process before the Commission, set a real “gold standard” that all governments should aspire to.

Luckily, you can now see the California Coastal Commission in action, without leaving the comfort of your computer screen. Incidentally, if you think that maintaining the quality of the work done by the Coastal Commission is important, you might communicate that to Governor Schwarzenegger, and to Senators Maldonado, Denham, and Simitian, and to Assembly Members Laird, Caballero, and Blakeslee. Cuts to the Coastal Commission budget are being seriously considered.

Important Central Coast items are being heard by the Commission at the meeting that begins today and ends Friday. You can get more information, and a link to the Coastal Commission’s live webcast service below.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

California Coastal Commission Website
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/

Agenda, Coastal Commission Meeting
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/mtgcurr.html

Coastal Commission Live Webcast
http://www.cal-span.org/State_Webcast/
CCC/stream_index.htm

Land use policies have a determinative effect on our economic, environmental, and social equity future. And if you agree that land use decisions, and particularly land use policy decisions, are important, it’s important for you to become personally involved. The public debate and discussion that is the first step in the democratic decision-making process won’t respond to the concerns and interests of the public unless the public is actually engaged in the debate and discussion. If you’re a frequent listener to the Land Use Report, you’ve heard this before.

You’ve also heard that both transportation and water policy issues are so closely linked to land use policy issues that they really form a kind of “triumvirate” of what I call “land use policy.” If you accept the premise that your personal involvement in land use policy issues is critically important, you’ll have to extend your interest and engagement beyond the land use debates that take place in front of city councils and county boards of supervisors, as important as those debates are. You’ll have to start following transportation and water policy issues as well.

In Monterey County, the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (or TAMC) has just initiated a public decision-making process involving almost a billion dollars of taxpayer money, and proposing major new transportation projects that would have significant land use effects. You can get more information on the KUSP website.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

The Transportation Agency For Monterey County (TAMC) Website
http://www.tamcmonterey.org/

At its December 5, 2007 meeting, TAMC proposed a sales tax that would cost taxpayers $980 million, and that would fund a long list of projects with significant land use policy implications. More information is available below:

• Monterey Herald Article
  http://www.montereyherald.com/search/
  ci_7638796?nclick_check=1
  
  
• Agenda, December 5, 2007 Meeting
  http://www.tamcmonterey.org/committees/
  tamc/meetings/2007/dec/TAMC_Agenda_Dec07.pdf
  
  
• To get the details of the TAMC investment plan, you may need to contact the TAMC staff

In Santa Cruz County, interested persons should “tune in” to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (usually just called the “Transportation Commission”). In Santa Cruz County, too, efforts are being made to gain voter approval of a sales tax increase to fund new transportation projects with land use policy implications. You can get more information on the Transportation Commission website -
http://www.sccrtc.org/

Land use and transportation and water policy all form a kind of “triumvirate” of what I call “land use policy.” I highlighted the importance of transportation policy yesterday, and specifically referenced a proposed Monterey County ballot measure that would increase the sales tax to raise almost a billion dollars. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission may shortly be proposing something similar in Santa Cruz County. The time for active engagement on transportation issues has definitely arrived.

The same is true with respect to water policy. In Santa Cruz County, efforts to build a regional desalination plant for the City of Santa Cruz and the Soquel Creek Water District are moving slowly ahead. In Monterey County, efforts to develop a new water supply for the Monterey Peninsula run the gamut from proposals for a gigantic desal plant at Moss Landing to a more environmentally friendly proposal that would be based somewhere in the Marina area.

Residents of both Monterey County and Santa Cruz County should be turning their attention to the Pajaro Valley, where a long developing groundwater overdraft crisis has reached a critical point. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, established by the State Legislature to address groundwater problems, is currently unable to solve the problem, because of decisions that have put the continued existence of the agency in jeopardy. Check out the transcript of today’s Land Use Report for references to more information.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

PVWMA Website
http://www.pvwma.dst.ca.us/

Good Times Article on the PVWMA crisis
http://www.gtweekly.com/112107/
when-the-levee-breaks

The Santa Cruz Sentinel Article on the PVWMA crisis, December 7, 2007
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/

The Monterey Bay Conservancy Website has links to a number of stimulating items relating to water policy in the Pajaro Valley
http://www.pogonip.org/