Local News Round-Up September 3, 2013 HOT ISSUES

Non-Profits Join Forces to Oppose Campaign Spending Bill (SIA Cabinet Report) A large coalition of non-profit organizations that includes education groups has come together to protest legislation that would prohibit them from using public resources for campaign purposes.

WATER

Pérez Announces Inclusion of Salton Sea Funds in New Water Bond (Imperial Valley Press) Amendments have been made to the 2014 water bond legislation to include dedicated funds for the Salton Sea, State Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez has announced.

California Cities Pay Heavy Price for Clean Waterways (PublicCEO) In the financial world, it is said that cash is trash. For municipalities, trash amounts to a whole lot of cash: cash spent cleaning up the state’s waterways, that is. California cities are paying more than previously thought on efforts to keep the Golden State’s beaches, rivers, lakes, and creeks debris-free. The Natural Resources Defense Council recently released a report entitled “Waste in Our Waterways: Unveiling the Hidden Costs to Californians of Litter Clean-Up.”

Assembly Water Bond Proposal Amended into AB 1331 (Association of California Water Agencies) The Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee has introduced legislative language for a $6.5 billion water bond for the 2014 ballot. Assembly Bill 1331, as amended Aug. 26, would enact the Climate Change Response for Clean and Safe Drinking Water Act of 2014. The proposed bond is based on a framework developed by a working group of nine Assembly Democrats headed by Assembly Member Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood).

New Water Tunnel Route Sets Up Conservation Battle Over Delta Island (Sacramento Bee) The new route proposed for Gov. Jerry Brown's giant Delta water-diversion project may conflict with direction from California voters, who spent $35 million in 2001 to acquire part of the new route as permanent wildlife habitat.

Assembly, Senate Take Different Paths to Water Bond Rewrite (Sacramento Bee) Two bills that were heavily amended in recent weeks lay out different visions for how California should revise the water bond slated for the 2014 ballot. A version of Assembly Bill 1331 that was amended a week ago calls for rescinding the $11 billion water bond and replacing it with a $6.5 billion bond "to finance a climate change response for clean and safe drinking water."

North Coast Beer Boom Brings Water Issues (The Press Democrat) As it happens, the most significant product to come out of a brewery is not beer - it's the stuff that's left over after the beer is bottled and sent to the store. Making beer is a water-intensive business. For every gallon of beer produced, the brewery uses many gallons of water, usually in the range of 6- or 8-to-1. Some of that water winds up in bottles, cans and kegs; some of it is lost to steam and other parts of the process. What remains - more than half of the water that comes in at the start of the process - needs to go back out in the form of wastewater. And that's where the headaches begin.

Glendale Spends About $1.4 Million Each Year to Clean Waterways (Glendale News-Press) Glendale is roughly 20 miles from the ocean, but the city spends about $1.4 million a year to reduce litter that could pollute local waterways, according to a report issued by an environmental advocacy group this week.

LEGAL

City Eyes End of Appeal Fees (Half Moon Bay Review) Half Moon Bay leaders discussed possibly rescinding fees for appealing local projects as a way to lighten a paperwork logjam clogging the California Coastal Commission.

MICRA: Haven’t We Seen This All Before? (California Medical Association) For nearly four decades California trial attorneys have been trying to rewrite the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA).

Civil Suit Says Union Allies Harassed City Reformers (San Diego Union Tribune) A lawsuit filed recently against a police union, its law firm and an investigator by an Orange County councilman who says he was harassed because of his political views brings more attention to a widely reported incident with troubling implications.

REDEVELOPMENT

Folsom Mayor Steve Miklos Takes Aim at California Redevelopment Agency ‘Mess’ (El Dorado Hills Telegraph) Folsom Mayor Steve Miklos had some harsh words for the state, outlined some progress on the south of Highway 50 annexation and uncorked on booze-selling businesses on Sutter Street when he spoke recently to the Rotary Club of Folsom Lake.

Sacramento Wants Redevelopment Money for Twin Rivers Housing Project (Sacramento Business Journal) By early next year, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency hopes to be ready to apply for federal funding toward revamping a public housing project in the middle of an industrial area.

Without Redevelopment, Affordable Housing Projects Dwindle (Sacramento Business Journal) An improving market — and increased cooperation by local governments — makes it easier for builders to put up market-rate housing these days. But in a post-redevelopment world, affordable housing is a different story. And builders, advocates and government officials said the way out isn’t clear.

PENSIONS / EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

Santa Clara County, Union Reach Tentative Deal (San Jose Mercury News) Santa Clara County has reached a tentative agreement with its largest union whose members, including public safety dispatchers and health care workers, had threatened to strike last week.

CITY ORDINANCES

El Cajon City Council Passes Controversial Alcohol Ordinance (PublicCEO) Over 200 people filled the El Cajon council chambers and spilled into the hallway at Tuesday night’s Council meeting. Up for debate was the East San Diego County city’s alcohol sales ordinance. On one side of the aisle, several members of the community and business owners expressed their frustration with the number of public drunks, stating that it impedes business and quality of life within the community. Meanwhile, critics of the ordinance believe it will be bad for business and decimate small-scale liquor stores.

E-Cigarettes have Cities, Businesses Pondering Actions (Los Angeles Times) E-cigarettes, a trendy alternative to smoking, are legal and little studied, but their use is being curbed in some places, just in case.

Council Eyes Ban on Leaf Blowers (Sonoma Index-Tribune) A proposed leaf blower ban, the future of the Sonoma Developmental Center, an annual report on the efforts of the Tourism Improvement District and a minor increase in garbage collection rates inside city limits are the major agenda items for the Sonoma City Council’s Labor Day-delayed meeting on Wednesday.

Arcata City Council to Vote on Plastic Bag Ban: Affordable Housing, Historic Review Procedures Also on Tap (Eureka Times-Standard) The Arcata City Council on Wednesday will vote on an ordinance that would ban the use of plastic bags at large stores in an effort to promote the use of reusable bags.

Eureka City Council to Introduce Proposed Motel Ordinance: Officials Say Goal is to Reduce Number of Call for Services (Eureka Times-Standard) Eureka hotels and motels that generate an excessive number of calls for service to the police and fire departments may soon be fined and required to provide 24-hour onsite security. A proposed motel ordinance that would penalize establishments with an exorbitant number of crime- related calls will be introduced during Tuesday's Eureka City Council meeting.

CITY PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

Calif. Assembly Select Committee Pursues Revitalizing Established California Communities (California Newswire) On Wednesday, Assemblyman Ken Cooley chaired the first hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Community and Neighborhood Development. The ten member, bi-partisan committee heard from policy and administrative experts who spoke about the impacts of suburban sprawl on our metropolitan areas, and funding needs to help revitalize our aging communities.

Council Vote Could Lure Big-Box Stores to Meadowview (Sacramento Bee) Sacramento's recent decision to ease restrictions on big-box stores did more than put the city back in the mix for future Wal-Mart and Target stores. The politically charged City Council vote last month appears to have rejuvenated the city's efforts to build Delta Shores, a community of 5,000 housing units with a regional shopping center long planned for empty land along Interstate 5 near the Meadowview neighborhood.

Planning Commission Tasked With Exploring Charter City (The Daily Independent Ridgecrest) Ridgecrest’s planning commission was asked Tuesday to explore whether the city should move to become a charter city or remain in its current status. City Planner Matthew Alexander laid out the task facing the planning commission. “The mayor, with the concurrence of the city manager, has requested that the planning commission make a recommendation as to whether or not the city council should pursue Ridgecrest becoming a charter city,” Alexander said. Alexander said 30 years ago, the number of charter cities could be counted on both hands. Since then, the number has grown to include 121 cities that have adopted their own charter.

Davis Loosening Reins on Infill Development? (Sacramento Business Journal) A new condominium project has the go-ahead for downtown Davis, but one observer said the discussion preceding the City Council vote approving it could prove a hopeful sign for the future. Brian Jacks, a commercial real estate broker listing a building near the site of the condo project, said he thinks the vote could reflect at least a willingness by the city to consider a project on its merits. “My takeaway is this decision confirmed the City Council is moving to consider modifications to zoning in the best interests of infill development,” Jacks said.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Years After California OK’d $1.2 Billion for New Jails, Not One Has Yet Been Completed (Sacramento Bee) Recognizing that California counties were fast running out of space to lock up offenders, state lawmakers authorized $1.2 billion for jail construction in 2007. Since then, demand for county jail space has spiked due to a 2011 California law that redirected lower- level offenders to counties rather than state prisons. But six years after the state approved $1.2 billion for jails, not a single county has finished construction – and only five have started building new cells.

Cities Call for Changes in AB 109 Administration (Tehachapi News) Assembly Bill 109, otherwise known as "prison realignment," has impacted communities like Tehachapi in a very negative way, according to Councilman and retired corrections professional Ed Grimes. At the City Council meeting Aug. 19, Grimes said the statistics he acquired from the Tehachapi Police Department report around 9,000 incidents between January and August 2012, and more than 18,000 through the same eight months in 2013.

San Jose Mayor, Councilman Air Ideas for More Cops (Contra Costa Times) Amid growing concerns about crime and a depleted police force, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Councilman Sam Liccardo on Thursday proposed the city develop a plan to put 200 more cops on the streets in four years.

BANKRUPTCY

Judge Gives San Bernardino Bankruptcy Protection, then Takes Aim at Pension Fund (AllGov California) “I don't think anyone in this courtroom seriously thought the city was anything but insolvent,” Judge Meredith Jury said Wednesday in granting San Bernardino bankruptcy protection, and then set her sights on the city’s largest creditor, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). “If CalPERS gets all the money they want, under what they say is their statutory right, who isn't going to get paid? All the employees? How is that going to help CalPERS?” she said. And thus the stage was set for a showdown between bondholders, pensioners and the city over who gets the table scraps left one year after San Bernardino declared itself broke, with a budget deficit of $45.8 million. Other cities facing bankruptcy, like Stockton and Detroit, are watching to see how the conflict plays out.

San Bernardino Eligible for Bankruptcy Protection, Rules Bankruptcy Judge (PublicCEO) For over a year, CalPERS has waged a legal battle against representatives from the City of San Bernardino over the city’s pending declaration of bankruptcy. After a court ruling on Wednesday, it is apparent that CalPERS has lost the first round. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Jury declared that there were no apparent alternatives than for the city other than to declare bankruptcy and undergo a dissolution of assets.

NEW LEGISLATION

New Law Allows State Controller to Set Fiscal Guidelines for Local Agencies (PublicCEO) AB 1248, Assemblyman Ken Cooley’s (D-Rancho Cordova) transparency bill, was signed into law by Governor Brown on Wednesday. The law requires the state controller to sit down with local agencies in order to develop control measures and auditing practices in an effort to prevent accounting errors and fraud.

LEGISLATURE

CEQA, Redevelopment Bills Continue to Move through Legislature (California Planning & Development Report) As the California legislative session winds down, both CEQA reform and the revival of redevelopment appear headed to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. Both bills are being carried by Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. They both passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee last Friday. The redevelopment bill – SB 1, virtually unchanged since last spring -- passed 12-5, presumably on a party-line vote. The CEQA bill – SB 731, the subject of endless wrangling in August – passed 17-0.

HEALTH CARE

California has Nation’s 10th Highest Medically Uninsured Rate (Sacramento Bee) With the new federal medical insurance program on the verge of implementation, California has the largest number of medically uninsured residents of any state, but its percentage of uninsured is only 10th highest, according to a new Census Bureau report.

Affordable Care Act: Are You Covered? (Sacramento Bee) Californians beginning Oct. 1 can start enrolling for health coverage next year on the new state insurance marketplace called Covered California. The federal health care law becomes operational three months later on Jan. 1. That’s when most people must have health insurance or face a fine. Most of the roughly 31 million Californians with job-based, individual or government coverage probably have nothing to worry about. But if you’re unsure – or among the uninsured – we’ve prepared a guide to bring you up to speed.

Fresno County Faces Big Budget Blow as Obamacare Arrives (Fresno Bee) The 2010 federal health-care overhaul is designed to make coverage available to millions of uninsured Americans, but part of California's strategy to implement the law could inflict a major budget blow on Fresno County. It's a hit that could reach $7 million in the current fiscal year, and -- under one scenario -- more than triple that amount in the next one, which starts July 1, 2014. Fresno County officials are hoping to cut a special deal with the state to soften the blow.

CITY ADMINISTRATION

What Does Stockton Want in its Next City Manager? (Stockton Record) Bill Mathis, the headhunter hired to track down Stockton's next city manager, has his work cut out for him. He's charged with finding a miracle worker willing to move his - or her - family to Stockton and lead a city clawing its way out of bankruptcy while battling street crime and convincing residents to raise their own taxes.

HOUSING

Foes of Maybell Development Shift Focus From Project Site (Palo Alto Online) Palo Alto's most controversial housing development of the moment would occupy a nondescript orchard site in the Green Acres neighborhood, but the escalating battle over the proposal has already spilled over to just about every section of the city.

Walnut Creek Round-Table Discussion on City’s Housing Needs Wednesday (Contra Costa Times) The city is holding a round-table meeting 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4 to discuss the city's housing needs. This is part of the city's update of its Housing Element, a state-required document that identifies a community's needs, resources, constraints and opportunities for providing housing. This next housing element update will cover 2015-2022.

Norwalk to Approve Affordable Housing Zone Changes (Los Angeles Wave) The City Council is expected to meet in a special session Thursday for final action on a zone change for two sites, one on Studebaker Road and the other on Pioneer Boulevard, designated for possible affordable rental units.

EMINENT DOMAIN

Eminent Domain Plan May Have Spooked Investors (San Francisco Chronicle) Just days after Richmond became the first city in the country to use the threat of eminent domain to obtain underwater mortgages, Wall Street spurned its efforts to refinance its highly rated municipal bonds, an unusual snub that cost the city nearly $4 million in lost savings.

Richmond’s Eminent Domain Plan is a Ploy for Profit, Critics Say (Los Angeles Times) In a new legal challenge, financial industry opponents of the city of Richmond's plan to seize underwater home loans call the gambit a disguised attempt to profit at the expense of everyday investors.

REVENUE & TAXATION / FINANCE

Council Appears Ready to Pass Budget with $4.1 Million Extra (Gazettes) Long Beach’s City Council and top management appear to be ready to pass the Fiscal 2014 city budget at the next council meeting on Sept. 3 — especially after an announcement that they have an additional $4.1 million to spend.

Stanislaus County’s Fiscal Health on the Mend (Modesto Bee) A proposed final budget for Stanislaus County released Friday shows the county is in slightly better fiscal health than it was 2½ months ago, when the preliminary budget was approved, and proposes to add 13 positions to the county work force.

IN OTHER CITY NEWS

Montebello to Re-Create Committee to Advise on Proposed Cultural Arts Center (Whittier Daily News) For the last four years, the effort to build a Cultural Arts Center has bogged down, but now City Council members are ready to get the project moving again. Last week, the City Council voted to re-create a blue-ribbon committee to provide advice on the center that would be built on the Taylor Rancho property, located at 737 Montebello Blvd.

Recycling Center Receives Award from California Resource and Recovery Association (Our Weekly Los Angeles) The city of Lancaster received an award from the California Resource and Recovery Association (CRRA) for “Most Outstanding Household Hazardous Waste/Universal Waste and E-Waste Program of 2013,” recognizing the city’s 24-hour recycling center.

Turlock Authorizes New Green Building Financing Program (Turlock City News) A new program will allow local businesses to more easily finance energy efficiency upgrades, and soon residents will be able to take advantage of the program, too. The Turlock City Council recently approved Property Assessed Clean Energy lending in the City of Turlock, allowing property owners to make green upgrades and pay off the loan via an annual assessment on their property tax bills.