Delta

SB 200 (Wolk) – Support
As Amended January 11, 2012

SB 200, by Senator Lois Wolk, passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee this week. This bill would extend the sunset date for the 75 percent reimbursement rate for the Delta subventions program to an unspecified date, to be determined by the author. The sunset date of 2020 was taken out of the bill by the Senate Natural Resources & Water Committee, allowing the author time to develop the appropriate timeframe. CSAC supports improvements to flood protection for the Delta. CSAC also supports a statewide, multi-level funding approach to funding new flood protection projects, mapping, improvements to the system, and the maintenance and operation of all flood mitigation efforts, including levee maintenance.

Stormwater

AB 640 (Logue) – Support
As Amended January 4, 2012

AB 640, by Assembly Member Dan Logue, would make changes to the Mandatory Minimum Penalty Process (MMP). Existing law authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board or a Regional Board, in lieu of assessing all or a portion of the MMPs against a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) that serves a small community, to elect to require that POTW to spend an equivalent amount toward the completion of a compliance project. This bill would expand the population threshold of a POTW to include a POTW serving 20,000 persons or fewer. CSAC has existing policy supporting legislation to modify the MMP provisions to make them more workable for local governments. This bill would allow more communities to bring their facilities into compliance, resulting in better overall outcomes for the community and the environment. This change would also bring the MMP law into compliance with other definitions of small communities, such as the one used by the State Board Division of Financial Assistance. AB 640 passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week.

Fire Protection

AB 1506 (Jeffries) – Support
As Introduced January 12, 2012

AB 1506, by Assembly Member Kevin Jeffries, would repeal the State Responsibility Area (SRA) fees enacted by ABX1 29 (Chapter 8, 2011). As you are aware, ABX1 29 was enacted as part of the budget process last year, authorizing the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop regulations creating an annual $150 fire prevention fee on habitable structures located in the SRA. Emergency regulations meant to implement an SRA fee have gone before the Board of Forestry on August 22d, November 9th and again on January 11, 2012. In each instance, the proposed regulation has been dramatically amended. Because of this drawn out timeframe and the fact that the proposed fees will not result in greater fire protection, we question the Board’s claim that the emergency regulations are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety or general welfare. 

CSAC remains opposed to any SRA fee proposal. To see a copy of our most recent letter to the Board of Forestry, visit the CSAC website. This bill has not yet been set for a Committee hearing.

CSAC Agriculture & Natural Resources Policy Committee Meeting

Please save the date of Wednesday, February 15th for the next meeting of the CSAC Agriculture & Natural Resources Policy Committee. The meeting will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the 1st floor conference room of the CSAC Offices, located at 1100 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95818. The Committee will be discussing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the Governor’s Regional Water Quality Control Board Budget Proposal and the Farm Bill Reauthorization.

Climate Change

Webinar: Climate Action Planning and CEQA: Resources and Answers for Local Governments

Jan. 26, 2012; 1:00-2:00 p.m

CLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA is conducting this training for free through the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative (SEEC). The training is open only to representatives from California local governments and regional planning agencies. The state Office of Planning and Research (OPR) has been actively engaged in assisting local governments navigate the labyrinth of CEQA as it relates to climate action planning. As climate action planning matures, new questions are cropping up regarding the relationship between CEQA and climate action planning. Get answers, resources and access to the newest information in this no-cost webinar.

To register, or for more information, visit the SEEC website.