Plan Bay Area Links Local Aspirations With Goals for a Strong Economy, Healthy Environment and Social Equity

At a packed joint meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), officials voted last night to approve a draft long-range guide to the Bay Area’s transportation, jobs and housing.

The “Preferred Land Use and Transportation Investment Strategy” is a key milestone in developing the final Plan Bay Area, which is due for adoption in April 2013. MTC also voted to approve the “One Bay Area Grants” (OBAG) program, and ABAG approved a draft housing allocation methodology for Bay Area cities.

“We’ve heard over and over that the public’s top priorities are preserving the Bay Area’s high quality of life and each community’s unique characteristics,” said Ken Kirkey, ABAG planning director. “Plan Bay Area will achieve these goals by strengthening the connection between housing, jobs and transportation, by growing jobs and the economy, and by ensuring stewardship of our region’s spectacular scenic and natural resources.”

ABAG President and Napa County Supervisor Mark Luce added that “these actions signify the strides we are making toward adopting a long range plan that links local aspirations with goals for a strong economy, healthy environment, and social equity.”

The Preferred Land Use and Transportation Investment Strategy approved last night by MTC and ABAG steers Plan Bay Area to promote compact, mixed-use development that combines both residential and commercial uses and is located close to public transit, jobs, schools, shopping, parks, recreation and other amenities.

The approved One Bay Area Grants initiative is an incentive-based program designed to stimulate the production of housing in areas well-served by transportation, particularly public transit. It uses federal transportation dollars to reward jurisdictions that accept housing allocations through the state’s Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) process and that actually produce housing.

When completed, Plan Bay Area will be the region’s 25-year blueprint for transportation, housing and land use policies and investments. California’s Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375, Steinberg) requires that each of the state’s 18 Metropolitan Planning Organizations – and in the Bay Area specifically MTC and ABAG – develop a long-range plan to reduce per-capita greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. The Bay Area is required to reduce emissions by 7 percent by 2020 and by 15 percent by 2035. SB 375 also requires Plan Bay Area to include a strategy to house by 2035 all of the Bay Area’s projected 25-year population growth, without displacing current low-income residents.

The Preferred Land Use and Transportation Investment Strategy will comprise the Plan Bay Area project alternative to be evaluated as part of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In December 2012, the agencies expect to release the draft Plan Bay Area and EIR, which will be followed by public hearings throughout the region. MTC and ABAG are due to adopt the final Plan Bay Area and certify the final EIR in April 2013.

In a separate action, ABAG voted last night to approve a draft Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) methodology. The methodology will be used to meet state requirements to include sufficient affordable housing for the Bay Area’s projected population growth, so that people won’t have to commute to their jobs from homes outside the Bay Area.

ABAG will take final action on the RHNA methodology at its July meeting.

MTC is the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area’s transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency. ABAG is the council of governments and regional planning agency for the nine counties and 101 cities and towns of the San Francisco Bay region.

For more information on the One Bay Area Plan, visit www.OneBayArea.org.

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Below is the email sent out detailing the results of the recent election for the Clean Water Initiative, in which property owners could cast their vote and mail-in their ballots.

The entire process cost approximately $1.43 million, the largest portion of which was $444,092.40 spent on campaigning, labeled as “educational outreach” by county staff, as well as $346,800 on printing and mailing the ballots. Almost $435,000 was spent on analysis, research, the Engineer’s Report and action plan prior to the election.

The result is each city, the county and the County Flood Control District will have to determine how to pay for the requirements for complying with the new clean water regulations.

From: Don Freitas

To:

Contra County County Board of Supervisors

City/Town Mayors

City/Town Councilmembers

City/Town Managers

Contra Costa Clean Water Program Management Committee Members & Alternates

Cities/County Attorneys’ Association Ad Hoc Committee

Cities/County Engineering Advisory Committee

SCI Consulting Group, Inc. and sub-consultants

Media

Dear Interested Parties:

The purpose of this email is to inform you of the final election results for the “2012 Community Clean Water Initiative”. Contrary to recent press articles, Monday, May 7^th has always been designated as the deadline to receive this information. Passage of the Initiative required fifty percent (50%) plus one of those casting a vote which included all property owners in Contra Costa County. The results are as follows:

Mailed Ballots                –  339,586

Received Valid Ballots  –  100,768

“Yes” Ballots   –     40,924

“No”  Ballots    –    59,844

Invalid Ballots                 –       1,355

Based on the aforementioned results, the Initiative failed by approximately a 60% to a 40% margin. As was stated many times during this process,  the defeat of the Initiative does NOT negate the need for all twenty-one affected jurisdictions in Contra Costa County from the regulatory mandates of the Federal Clean Water Act and California’s Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act. Each entity needs to immediately determine how the necessary funding will now be generated in order to implement the regulatory mandates or be found to be in noncompliance and subject to fines which could run into the thousands or millions of dollars.

The election results can and will be interpreted in many ways, but suffice it to say, the methodology outlined in the voter approved 1996 Proposition 218 ( California Constitution XIII ) had great challenges even though the Program followed its provisions religiously. Courts in California have said the legal nexus between urban runoff and property is valid, but the requirements of Proposition 218 became suspect in the voter’s mind and the press. It’s very easy for the press to condemn actions of local government; but rarely if ever, do they suggest valid alternatives. The election result has worsened local government’s ability to finance Federal and/or State mandates when it is done with no local financing. If the general fund becomes the only alternative to finance the regulatory mandates than the public debate will be simplified between “clean water vs. hiring police officers and other vital community services.”

Donald P. Freitas

Project Manager

Contra Costa Clean Water Program

BART customers will be able to get to the world famous Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco on Sunday, May 20, 2012, because the transit agency will open early and run additional long trains. The race is celebrating its 101th anniversary this year. All BART stations will open early with service starting at approximately 5 am Sunday so racers can get to the race well before Bay to Breakers begins at the new, early start time of 7 am. Trains running before 8 am will run at 20-minute intervals.
Download the special schedule (.pdf) for Bay to Breakers service.
Embarcadero & Montgomery Street Both Convenient
Because the Bay to Breakers race attracts thousands of runners and spectators, BART encourages riders originating from Peninsula and San Francisco stations to get off at Montgomery Street Station. Riders coming from the East Bay should use the Embarcadero Station. Both stations are just a short distance from Howard and Spear Streets, the starting point of the race.

More Tips for Runners
Runners can save themselves time and trouble by getting a Clipper card in advance of race day to pay their  fare. Those who do are reminded to be sure to load enough cash on the card to pay for a round trip fare. Clipper cards are available at transit ticket offices, through ticket vending machines in SFMTA stations and at most Walgreens and other retail locations. BART Ticket Vending Machines will allow you to add cash value to your Clipper card, but do not vend the cards.

Wet or damaged BART tickets will not work in fare gates, so runners who keep a round-trip ticket in their pockets while running seven miles may be disappointed when they try to get home. BART suggests that runners who don’t have a Clipper card should buy two one-way tickets: one ticket before heading to the race and the other before catching the train home instead of buying a single round-trip ticket.

BART reminds runners that shoes and proper attire are required on BART despite the “anything goes” attitude of the famous race. A reminder that there is no eating or drinking in the stations or on the trains so BART officials ask that runners do their pre-race carbo-loading before arriving at the stations. BART will not permit bicycles on the early Bay to Breakers trains that run prior to 8 am.

WHAT: The Antioch Salvation Army, serving all of East Contra Costa County, will host its first spaghetti dinner fundraiser event. Tickets are $12, and proceeds will go to The Salvation Army’s after-school program

For the last 12 years, The Salvation Army has been operating an after-school program called the TRY (Teaching to Redirect Youth) Club in Antioch. The program has been established to improve literacy skills, basic math memorization, computer literacy, and assisting students with homework.

Last year, more than 1000 children attended the after-school program.

Tickets can be purchased at the Antioch Salvation Army, or call (925) 778-0808, ext. 17, for more information.

WHERE: 620 East Tregallas Road, Antioch

WHEN: Saturday, May 19, 2012, 5:00 p.m.

CONTACT: Lt. Alexander Williams (925) 778-0808 ext. 17 (office)

Tickets for the Contra Costa County Fair are on sale now. Purchase your admission tickets, carnival ride wristbands, and family fun passes before the Fair begins and save money! You can also save time and money by purchasing your Fair tickets online.

Advanced ticket sales are taking place now through May 30 at the Fairgrounds. For big savings, we’re offering “Money Saving Mondays!” where you can stop by the Fair Office and purchase a Family Fun Pass for only $20. The Family Fun Pass includes four adult admission passes for only $20, which is a savings of $12. This special is only available at the Fair Office on Mondays from now until the Fair.

Buy your admission tickets before May 30 and get discounts on adult, senior and children’s admission tickets; as well as carnival ride wristbands. Or, purchase an on-line Fair package, which includes two adult admission tickets and two ride wristbands, for only $44 – a savings of $12.

Advanced sale tickets can be purchased at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch, on-line at www.ContraCostaFair.com, or at your nearby Walgreens.

After May 30, admission for the Fair is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $5 for children, and free to children under the age of five.

This year’s Contra Costa County Fair is May 31 – June 3. Gates open at noon on Thursday and Friday, and at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday. Gates close each day at 11 pm.

The Contra Costa County Fairgrounds is located at 1201 West 10^th Street, Antioch, CA 94509. For directions, event details or general information, visit www.ContraCostaFair.com or call the Fair Office at (925) 757-4400.

The St. Ignatius of Antioch Church Music Series continues with a Spring Concert on Saturday, June 9th, 7:30 p.m.  at 3351 Contra Loma Blvd.

Harmony – an acclaimed women’s vocal ensemble of Rossmoor, with Meriel Ennik as Artistic Director, will be performing a varied program of choral music ranging from classical to Broadway. A free will offering will be taken. There is plenty of free parking and a reception follows the one hour concert.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla Executive Director of Restore the Delta (RTD) responded this week to the release of the Delta Stewardship Council’s Draft Plan:

“Joe Grindstaff, with the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC), says the Delta Plan recommends new conveyance as a way to improve water quality.  Without a water quality analysis that examines how eliminating fresh water flows from entering the Delta will affect water quality, this draft of the Delta Plan is as incomplete as the last draft.  The Delta Stewardship Council must build its plan on a cost benefit analysis, a public trust analysis, a water quality analysis, and a flow analysis, and until it does so, its planning will remain incomplete.

“By indicating that new conveyance and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) will be favored by the Delta Stewardship Council, Joe Grindstaff has undermined the intent of the legislation that created the DSC. The DSC was given the charge to make its determination regarding the BDCP after members of the public appealed the merits of the plan to the DSC.  But apparently, such appeals will not carry much weight if the decision has already been made.  From a Delta perspective, the fix is in.”

“The Delta Plan fails to call for levee improvements at the highest standard as called for by the Delta Protection Commission, and last week by the Army Corps of Engineers.  They are adhering to a lower levee safety standard as put forth by the Department of Water Resources.  The Delta Stewardship Council is therefore failing in its mission to protect the Delta as a place.”