Fort Ord Reuse Authority Bill Goes to Senate Committee, Calls Needed This Week

According to existing state law, the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) was “established to prepare, adopt, finance and implement a plan for the future use and development of the territory occupied by the Ford Ord military base.” FORA is slated to sunset on June 30, 2014, but State Assembly member Bill Monning’s Assembly Bill 1614 would extend the sunset date for FORA by another 10 years, until 2025. This may seem like a simple extension; however a lot has happened politically, economically and otherwise that greatly impacts the Fort Ord area and the feasibility of extension. Calls are needed to Committee members this week.

Interestingly, prior to the bill being sent to the Senate, it had not been reviewed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee because legislators didn’t view the bill as having any state mandate. However, upon further review, LandWatch and others believe that the bill should have gone before the Appropriations Committee because the language of the bill would require FORA to develop, approve and submit a transition plan to the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission and that State requirement comes with a cost.

Please urge Committee members to vote to send this bill back to the Assembly for review by the Appropriations Committee for the cost of this mandated program. Download our factsheet with talking points (1.33M PDF file)

Additionally, LandWatch Monterey County opposes AB 1614 unless four issues are addressed. First, the FORA Plan, adopted in 1997, should be updated at least every ten years beginning in 2014 to account for new laws, changing land use patterns and economic conditions. Second, instead of planning for future road capacity needs, a focus on the infrastructure and land uses that address urban blight should be a requirement of the plan revisions. Third, the appeal process and associated fees of $5000 are excessive and deny the public a right to petition their government; therefore, LandWatch supports eliminating the fees. Finally, with a Plan that hasn’t been updated in 15 years and policies that aren’t consistently followed, LandWatch supports improved enforcement of an Updated FORA Plan.

AB 1614 (116K PDF file) will be heard on Wednesday, June 13th by the Senate Committee on Government and Finance in Sacramento. LandWatch needs your help! To assist with this effort, contact each member of the Committee asking them to send AB 1614 to Appropriations and support adding the four conditions to AB 1614.

It is helpful if you contact each committee member prior to the Committee hearing date.

Talking Points:

• Provide your name and city of residence
  
  
• Encourage Senators to send the bill to Appropriations
  
  
• State that you’ll only support AB 1614 with the following four conditions (also outlined above)
  
  
  1. The FORA Plan, adopted in 1997, should be updated at least every ten years beginning in 2014 to account for new laws, changing land use patterns and economic conditions.
     
     
  2. A focus on the infrastructure and land uses that address urban blight should be a requirement of the plan revisions.
     
     
  3. The appeal process and associated fees of $5000 are excessive and deny the public a right to petition their government; therefore the fees should be eliminated.
     
     
  4. The Plan is 15 years old, Base Reuse Policies haven’t consistently been followed, and improved enforcement of an Updated FORA Plan is needed.

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posted 06.06.12