The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (AB 2838) significantly changed the operations of Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCOs) in the state. The legislation established uniform structures and guidelines and a new funding base, and set out new requirements. One major new responsibility is the preparation of Municipal Service Reviews to be done before or in conjunction with the Sphere of Influence updates which LAFCOs must do every five years.
Members of the League of Women Voters of the Bay Area (LWVBA) spent several months in 2003 interviewing staff members of LAFCOs in the nine Bay Area counties to gather information on how the agencies were responding to AB 2838. Their findings were released in September 2003 in a report titled LAFCO Revisited , an action guide for League members. The report is the second update to a 1996 LWVBA publication, LAFCOs/CMAs: Hidden Government.
The Monitor will publish an article on the latest findings about LAFCO operations in an upcoming issue. Meanwhile, a limited number of copies of the 15-page action guide, LAFCO Revisited, are available from the LWVBA office at 1611 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 300, Oakland, CA 94612, 510-839-1608, or by writing to lwvba@lwvba-ca.org.
The City of Rohnert Park plans to invest in land to be used as a wetlands mitigation bank for local development projects (see October/November 2002 issue). The parcel, which is part of a permanent greenbelt area northeast of the city, will be converted to wetlands. Developers would pay for credits which would allow them to build in other areas where wetlands would be impacted. The city will consult with biologists and other experts to determine how many acres of the 18-acre parcel could become viable wetlands. City staff anticipate that the city will not only cover the costs of the land but also make a profit, while preserving open space and habitat in the area.
Paid reserved parking at BART has experienced changes since beginning in December 2002 at 29 stations (see December 2002/January 2003 issue). In August 2003 BART decreased the monthly cost for reserved parking from $63 to $42 at 16 stations in the East Bay, finding that those stations had fewer than 10 percent of their allotted spaces actually reserved. However, at Lake Merritt, Rockridge and West Oakland stations, which have waiting lists, rates went to $84 per month. In November, BART's board of directors suspended weekend parking fees at the Colma, South San Francisco, San Bruno and Millbrae stations, and removed the 24-hour parking limit on weekends. Monthly reserved parking fees at South San Francisco, San Bruno and Millbrae were reduced from $63 to $30, the unreserved parking fee was reduced from $43 to $20, and the daily charge was decreased to $1.
For more information:http://www.bart.gov/guide/parking/overview.asp
The November 2004 vote on a bond measure to support high-speed rail (see December 2003/January 2004 issue) could be rescheduled. The environmental impact report was scheduled for release on January 28, 2004. The report was originally due in August 2003 and the delay has already created timing difficulties for the ballot campaign. In addition, Governor Schwarzenegger's initial budget proposal suggested postponing the vote; if his proposed bond measures pass in March, the economic climate may not support more bonds for rail in November. Postponing the vote to 2006 would keep the project alive and allow additional time for discussion and determination of the preferred routes.
For more information: http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov