HomeMy WebLinkAbout17 LEGISLATIVE UPDATES 07-17-07- ~ " Agenda Item 17
'~~~ ~~, ~ AGENDA REPORT Reviewed:
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`~:~ r ~`=~' City Manager
Finance Director N/A
MEETING DATE: JULY 17, 2007
TO: WILLIAM A. HUSTON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: CITY CLERK'S OFFICE
SUBJECT: LEGISLATIVE REPORTS
SUMMARY:
At the request of the Council, staff has prepared a draft letter in opposition to SB375.
• SB375 (Steinberg). Transportation planning: travel demand models: preferred
growth scenarios: environmental review.
Staff is continuing to monitor the following legislative items and will report back to
Council:
^ ACA9 (Devore). Property taxation: Department of Transportation real property
• HR2447. Energy & Environmental Block Grant
RECOMMENDATION:
Pleasure of the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.
Maria R. Huizar
Chief Deputy City Clerk
July 18, 2007
Senator Darrell Steinberg
State Capitol Building, Room 4035
Sacramento, CA 95814
SUBJECT: SB 375 (STEINBERG) -LETTER OF OPPOSITION
Dear Senator Steinberg:
On behalf of the City of Tustin, I wish to express our opposition to Senate Bill 375.
SB 375 would require regional transportation planning agencies to include preferred
growth scenarios in their regional transportation plans and would offer incentives to
implement the scenarios.
Although SB 375 would not supersede local land use authority, it would require federal
and state funded projects to be consistent with the applicable regional transportation
plan beginning in 2009. Because of local government dependence on outside funding
sources, this consistency requirement would effectively mandate local jurisdictions to
comply with the preferred growth scenario.
SB 375 also would streamline the environmental review process for projects when the
local jurisdiction's general plan conforms to the preferred growth scenario or when a
project can be declared a "Sustainable Communities' Project." The effectiveness of
these proposed changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) are
questionable because many projects may not satisfy the prerequisites needed to take
advantage of the streamlined provisions.
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has adopted a voluntary
regional growth scenario called Compass Blueprint that includes a program called the
2% Strategy. This voluntary program encourages local governments to plan for
sustainable growth and improve mobility and livability by offering free planning services
through selected demonstration projects within the region.
Senator Darrell Steinberg
July 10, 2007
Page 2
The City of Tustin is concerned about mandatory regional planning efforts because they
potentially interfere with local community planning and may conflict with existing State
mandates.
For example, State housing element law requires local jurisdictions to identify sites to
accommodate their housing need as identified by the Regional Housing Needs
Assessment (RHNA). All of these housing sites may not be consistent with the land use
plan under a preferred growth scenario. If SB 375 were adopted, jurisdictions may be
ineligible to receive transportation funding while attempting to meet their affordable
housing goals.
Although the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is a worthy goal, the imposition of
additional restrictions on local land use planning does not acceptably address this goal.
Local governments need more funding tools, rather than additional state mandates, to
encourage the development of sustainable and livable communities and to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
For these reasons, the City of Tustin opposes Senate Bill 375.
Sincerely,
Lou Bone
Mayor
cc: Senator Ackerman
Assembly Member DeVore
Assembly Member Duvall
Assembly Member Solorio
Assembly Member Spitzer
Assembly Member Van Tran
Assembly Member Walters
Stacey Sullivan, Consultant, Assembly Local Government Committee
Hugh Bower, Chief Consultant, Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee
Lawrence Lingbloom, Chief Consultant, Assembly Natural Resources Committee
Genevieve Morelos, League of California Cities
C:\Documents and Settings\mhuizar\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK25\SB 375 Position Letter.doc
Senator Darrell Steinberg
July 10, 2007
Page 3
bcc: Tustin City Council
William A. Huston
Lisa Woolery
Scott Reekstin
C:\Documents and Settings\mhuizar\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK25\SB 375 Position Letter.doc