Every County has a LAFCO, meaning a Local Agency Formation Commission. These little-known agencies play a very significant role in how communities grow. No city can annex and develop new territory unless LAFCO gives it the go ahead. No service district can expand, or even provide services outside its boundaries, unless the Local Agency Formation Commission has decided that this is appropriate. Later on this year, it’s expected that the Santa Cruz County LAFCO will be dealing with a proposal that the City of Santa Cruz provide extraterritorial water service to the UCSC Campus, to allow the University to construct over 3,000,000 square feet of new buildings, on about 370 currently undeveloped acres. I have been following those proceedings closely, on behalf of the Community Water Coalition, which is represented by the law firm with which I am associated.

If you would like to see a LAFCO in action, though, you don’t have to wait. The Monterey County LAFCO meets this afternoon, starting at 4:00 o’clock, in the Monterey County Board of Supervisors’ Chambers in Salinas. Some new members will be seated, and the Commission is going to consider amending some of its most basic policies, governing the future growth of cities and districts. You can get links to the relevant materials on the KUSP website. Just click on the Land Use Report icon and track down the transcript of today’s Land Use Report.

More Information:

Gary Patton writes a daily blog, “Two Worlds / 365”
http://www.gapatton.net

Santa Cruz County LAFCO Website
http://www.santacruzlafco.org/

Monterey County LAFCO Website
http://www.monterey.lafco.ca.gov/

Today’s Agenda, Monterey County LAFCO –
http://www.monterey.lafco.ca.gov/2011/042511
%20Reg%20Mtg/Web%20Posts/Final%20Agenda
%20042511.htm

Proposed LAFCO Policy Changes
http://www.monterey.lafco.ca.gov/2011/042511%
20Reg%20Mtg/Web%20Posts/9.%20all.pdf

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is not scheduled to meet today, but if you have a yen to see a county government in action, you can head right over to Salinas, where the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will be in session starting at 9:00 this morning. Personally, I think that the 1:30 afternoon session might be even more interesting than the 9:00 o’clock morning agenda. That’s because three issues of real significance to the future of Monterey County will be discussed this afternoon. First, meeting as the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, the Board is going to receive a desalination project status report. In terms of cost, and in terms of environmental impact, it would be hard to overstate the importance of the proposed desalination project. If you’d like to be informed (the first step towards effective involvement) I definitely recommend that you review the documents and show up to listen to the discussion.

There is also another item on the Board’s agenda that will have an important impact on the future of the County. Namely, the County’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, which is intended to provide affordable housing opportunities as new growth occurs. Finally, and of great interest to Carmel Valley residents, the Board is scheduled to consider a proposed 78-bed assisted care facility. The Planning Commission approved the development, and the item is before the Board on appeal.

A link to the Board’s agenda is found in the transcript of today’s Land Use Report.

More Information:

Gary Patton writes a daily blog, “Two Worlds / 365”
http://www.gapatton.net

Monterey County Board of Supervisors’ Agenda
http://publicagendas.co.monterey.ca.us/

Planning in California is done pursuant to state law requirements, but it is carried out at the level of city and county government. Local government agencies determine the future use of the land under their jurisdiction, and those local government decisions have impacts on our economy; on our environment, of course; and even on how successful we are in achieving our social equity goals. The “unhidden agenda” of this weekday Land Use Report is to get you both interested and involved, so you can help formulate and implement land use policy at the local government level.

If you live in Capitola, you have a very specific opportunity to get involved right now. Capitola is just starting a General Plan Update process, and I can guarantee you that your participation can have big impacts. Often, those who participate in this kind of planning process have a specific and individual reason to take part: to make their own property more valuable, so they can develop it and make money. How nice if there are some ordinary residents in the room, who see the General Plan Update process from the point of view of a community resident who just wants to make the community better.

Tonight’s meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. This is the second meeting of the General Plan Advisory Committee and it will focus on the “Guiding Principles” that should serve as the foundation for the General Plan. Don’t miss your chance to help change the future of Capitola.

More Information:

Gary Patton writes a daily blog, “Two Worlds / 365”
http://www.gapatton.net

Information on the General Plan Update Workshop
http://www.plancapitola.com/announcements.htm

There was a time when the state government seriously debated the idea of creating true “regional governments.” That time has passed. There is no regional government for the Monterey Bay Region, but there is AMBAG, or the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments. AMBAG lacks direct regulatory or governmental powers, but it does foster and help sustain collaborative inter-governmental approaches to land use, air quality, and transportation planning issues. The “Clearinghouse Review,” published by AMBAG on a monthly basis, helps achieve intergovernmental cooperation. It provides a kind of “heads up” on important planning issues, prior to the time when final action is imminent. Thus, the “Clearinghouse Review” can act as a regional early warning system. That’s how I use it, and I encourage anyone with a serious interest in land use and planning issues to get on the Clearinghouse mailing list.

As I reviewed the April edition of the Clearinghouse Review, I found that the HCP, or Habitat Conservation Plan process I talked about last week, has now come to Scotts Valley. The proposal is to allow the County and the City of Scotts Valley to “take,” which means to “kill,” the Mount Hermon June Beetle and the Ben Lomond spineflower, so that small-scale development projects can go forward in existing residential neighborhoods. If you want to comment, you have until May 6th.

More Information:

Gary Patton writes a daily blog, “Two Worlds / 365”
http://www.gapatton.net

April 2011 Edition of the AMBAG Clearinghouse Review
http://www.ambag.org/reports/clearinghouse/
2011/April%202011.pdf

I am currently practicing environmental law, but it is definitely not my opinion that you have to be a “lawyer” or “hire” a lawyer, in order to be effective in addressing the land use policy arena.

The key to effectiveness is personal participation. Your participation in land use planning and related issues at the local government level can have big payoffs. Lawyers aren’t necessarily going to be any more effective than anyone else. In the land use arena, the powers of the local government are “plenary,” which means that local government can pretty much do what it thinks is best, as long as what it does is based on facts, and as long as the local government follows applicable procedures, and insures due process. Those who get personally involved in an issue they care about are the ones who can expect to make a difference, whether they are lawyers or not.

All that said, land use decisions are “legal” decisions, based on applicable planning laws and regulations. If you have ever thought that studying the law, or becoming a lawyer, might be something you’d be interested in, I encourage you to explore the Monterey College of Law, with a unique and affordable program (and now with a first-year campus in Santa Cruz). I happen to be a member of the Board of Trustees of the Monterey College of Law. So is my former colleague on the Board of Supervisors, Robley Levy. If you are interested, the application period is now open. Check out the links in today’s Land Use Report.

More Information

Gary Patton writes a daily blog, “Two Worlds / 365”
http://www.gapatton.net

If you are possibly interested in attending Monterey College of Law, please contact:
Assistant Dean Wendy LaRiviere: Telephone - 831-582-4000; Email - wlariviere@montereylaw.edu

Monterey College of Law
http://www.montereylaw.edu/

MCL Admissions Website
http://www.montereylaw.edu/sub/index.jsp;jsessionid=
7E5E1F0BF8BAE02DC2F4D01BEA68DA43?contentid=
UvjDbdhGzUsOzMPmzrJWdIse