Solid Waste

AB 2398 (Perez) – Support
As Amended June 23, 2010

Assembly Bill 2398, by Assembly Member John A. Perez, would require carpet manufacturers to submit a product stewardship plan to the Department of Resources Recycling & Recovery on or before September 30, 2011. CSAC supports a producer responsibility framework because it is the first step in a process that will serve to reduce waste from consumer products and its impact on the environment. 

AB 2398 will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 15.
AB 1998 (Brownley) – Watch
As Amended May 28, 2010

Assembly Bill 1998, by Assembly Member Julia Brownley, would prohibit a supermarket, convenience food store, or food store from providing single-use carryout bags to customers on and after January 1, 2012. AB 1998 would also require these stores sell reusable bags, and authorizes stores to provide reusable bags at no cost. This bill would repeal the existing in-store plastic bag recycling program. AB 1998 would also pre-empt local governments from developing their own regulations related to plastic bags. 

This bill has been referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

Fire Safety

SB 1207 (Kehoe) – Oppose Unless Amended
As Amended March 24, 2010

Senate Bill 1207, by Senator Christine Kehoe, has been referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. 

This bill would require cities and counties with land in State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFSZ), by no later than January 1, 2015, to include additional information regarding fire hazards in their safety elements the next time that they revise their housing elements. Cities and counties would also have to take into account the advice in “Fire Hazard Planning” published by the Office of Planning and Research. The bill would also attempt to strengthen the development review process under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by expanding the initial study checklist to address fire hazard impacts of projects sited in SRA and VHFHSZ lands. Additionally, this bill indicates that the local agency may levy a fee to pay for the program mandated by this measure. 

CSAC has had a long-standing “oppose” position on the bill based on its cost implications. Our message to legislators has been that it is unrealistic to expect cities and counties to recover all of these costs through the imposition of charges, fees, or assessments.

As the bill moves to the Appropriations Committee, CSAC and Regional Caucus of Rural Counties (RCRC) staff are compiling a document listing potential costs to counties to provide specific information regarding the potential impact this bill could have. If you have not provided CSAC staff with information regarding the costs this bill would impose on your county, please send your comments to Cara Martinson. 

Draft Flood/Land Use Handbook Available for Comment

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is accepting public comments on the draft guidance document titled “Implementing Flood Legislation into Local Land Use Planning: A Handbook for Local Communities.” The handbook describes new legislative requirements that affect city and county responsibilities related to flood risk management and local land use planning. These new legislative requirements were a part of the comprehensive package passed by the California Legislature in 2007. Information to access the document and provide comments can be found here and comments are due by July 29, 2010.

Williamson Act Survey

The CSAC- RCRC Williamson Act Working Group, which is charged with providing input and recommendations to CSAC and RCRC staff regarding various Williamson Act proposals, has directed staff to develop a survey. The survey is intended to gather information about potential alternative funding sources for the Williamson Act subventions. The Working Group directed staff to gather specific information from counties so that CSAC and RCRC may evaluate in greater detail the specific alternative proposals, and get a better understanding of potential revenues generated by the proposals. 

The survey will be sent out next week to County Administrative/Executive Officers with the expectation of coordination amongst the relevant departments, including planning staff and the Assessor’s Office.