California County News

Sonoma County Approves Study to Create a Public Power Agency

It’s possible that in the near future Marin County may not be the only county in the state to operate its own public power agency. Sonoma County supervisors have approved a study to look into having an agency of its own, which means it would become the second county to run a public system that buys energy on the wholesale market in order to be resold to local residents and businesses. The study is expected to last for six months and will reportedly cost around $150,000. Overtaking the role of a utility like PG&E in the region in order to become a power supplier has support among officials who see the option as a way to help green the county. The Press Democrat reports:

“The formation of a public power agency could be a key way to boost investment in local renewable energy sources and make faster cuts in local greenhouse gas emissions, county officials said. It would also cement the county's place on the leading edge of local governments focused on clean, sustainable power programs. […] ‘This is a big and bold initiative for this board,’ said Board Chairman Efren Carrillo.”

However, the power business is fraught with obstacles, including getting cities and residents on board and developing the necessary power sources so that the region’s power demands can be met. For more on the study and plan, see here.

Ballot Measure Weighed in Alameda to Renew (and Possibly Hike) Sales Tax for Transportation

Will voters be in the mood to renew a half-cent sales tax for Alameda County’s transportation needs? That’s what the county’s Transportation Commission is hoping for, as an early renewal of the current sales tax would help pay for improvements related to road, highway and public transit. The tax doesn’t actually expire until 2022, but the commission wants the sales tax to not only be approved a decade early but also increase the rate to 10 percent temporarily so that several projects can begin. The current sales tax is at 9.75 percent and it generates roughly $100 million in revenue each year. The commission has noted that if it proposes a tax hike, it would last from 2013 to 2022 so that road maintenance can get back on track and bus systems saved from cuts. The Contra Costa Times reports:

“No projects have been picked yet, but options up for discussion include carpool lane extensions, electric car charging stations and a long-discussed multibillion-dollar BART rail extension to Livermore, officials at the congestion management agency said. ‘We were able to deliver all the projects from the 2000 ballot measure because the competitive bidding climate lowered the costs dramatically,’ said Art Dao, the commission's executive director. ‘Now the issue is do we go to voters soon with a new list of projects to relieve congestion, or do we wait 10 years.’”

As the commission weighs the specifics of the ballot measure, it will have to determine whether the tax renewal is to apply for a specific time period or if it will be made permanent. Such a vote will require approval from two-thirds of voters. Public meetings have been scheduled so that the public has a chance to offer their opinions about the ballot options. For more, see here.

Save Money vs. Save Time: Ridership Decreases for Toll Roads in Orange County

Orange County’s extensive toll roads have been billed as a successful option to address congested Southern California roads. But the economic downturn has had quite an impact on the use of the roads, which often have tolls that can reach as high as $7 during peak hours. Ridership overall has dropped in the past few years on the 51-mile network of toll roads, as more drivers opt to save money instead of saving time. The Orange County Transportation Authority and the Transportation Corridor Agencies operate the county’s toll roads, but due to “the recession, toll road use projected for this decade did not materialize.” The OC Register reports:

“The 51-mile system is both a success story and a victim of the economy. Orange County was one of the first regions in the nation to turn to toll lanes. For many, especially those in the southern part of the county, the roads cut commute times in half. ‘I really, really think that once the economy picks up you're going to see the numbers pick up,’ said Sarah Catz, a research associate with the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Irvine. ‘There's no doubt in my mind.’ Other cities are turning to toll lanes, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, which plans to charge commuters to use carpool lanes on the 110 and 10 freeways by 2013. Rick Jager, a spokesman with the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority, said the Los Angeles lanes would not open until at least late 2012 or early 2013, so he believes the recession won't be an issue.”

For some of the OC tolls, use was 30% less than had been projected for one road and 56% percent less for another. But other agencies are moving forward with plans to implement tolls across the state as the economy picks up. For more, see here.

(photo: Glenn Koenig, Los Angeles Times / December 8, 2010)

Road Delay: Stanislaus Leaders to Weigh Another Road Tax for 2012 Ballot

In the past few years, attempts to increase the sales tax in Stanislaus County in order to fund road projects have failed at the ballot. County and transportation leaders were set to discuss a similar proposal for the 2012 ballot, but absences at the meeting resulted in a delay of the discussion. Overall, six of 16 voting members were not on hand for the scheduled road tax debate, so members agreed to postpone the matter, meaning a decision won’t come for at least another month. Leaders discussed a ballot measure in November, but the issue proved to be divisive, and now there are newly-elected board members. The Modesto Bee reports:

“Missing were Mayors Jim Ridenour of Modesto, Pat Paul of Oakdale, Luis Molina of Patterson and Charlie Goeken of Waterford, as well as Modesto Councilman Brad Hawn and county Supervisor Jim DeMartini. Paul sent Councilman Tom Dunlop as a stand-in. Paul and Molina, newly elected, are also new to the transportation panel. They and newly seated Supervisor Terry Withrow, who attended Wednesday, could alter a deadlock that developed in November when some strongly urged another countywide vote, others saying families can't afford more taxes. Previous attempts to bump up sales tax for road projects failed in 2006 and 2008, the last by only 389 votes out of 155,535 cast.”

Back in November, board members were split due to some believing it was not a good time for an increase in sales tax and others arguing that the funds were desperately needed. For more, see here.

Santa Cruz Granted $14.2 Million to Purchase Union Pacific Rail Line after Price Negotiations

State transportation funds have now been approved for Santa Cruz County to purchase 32 miles of rail line from Watsonville to Davenport, thanks to a 10-1 vote from the California Transportation Commission. The $14.2 million in funds gained approval after Commissioner Joseph Tavaglione cut a last-minute deal with Union Pacific to secure a lower price. Originally the state commission approved the county’s plans in June, but a vote on the actual funds only just occurred recently. Many officials expressed great surprise that the railroad company agreed to drop its price during negotiations with Tavaglione, as a higher price was agreed to a long time ago. Supervisor John Leopold, a member of the Regional Transportation Commission, stated that “You could spend 20 years going to meetings and never see a negotiation like that ever. I've never seen anything like it.” In light of the rail’s lower price, the county will have to find an additional $250,000 out of its own pocket, but Mark Stone, chair of the county Board of Supervisors and the Regional Transportation Commission, said that he would agree to pony up the amount. Mercury News reports:

“About two dozen county residents, who rode the train from San Jose to support the move, tossed their navy-and-white railroad engineer caps in the air when the vote was taken and Stone shook hands with Moore in front of the commission. Stone said the Regional Transportation Commission will have to find the additional $250,000, but said he did not want to say no and hold the project up any further. Because the state panel cleared the way for the $14.2 million sale, Stone said the county should be able to complete the purchase by April 1 and come up with the additional expenses, such as closing costs, later.”

Officials in support of the rail purchase hope it will boost tourism and create greater connectivity. For more on the project, see here.

Coalition Seeks Block on L.A. County Development Project to Create New City; 21,000 Homes

Back in 2003, Los Angeles County officials approved a development plan known as the Newhall Ranch project, which would lead to the creation of a city of 60,000 residents in the northwest part of the county. At the time the project was delayed due to bankruptcy issues with the developer and a lawsuit by creditors against a firm of investors that eventually reorganized. But the Newhall Ranch development is currently facing another obstacle: litigation from environmental and Native American groups. Why the opposition? The groups are against the construction of 21,000 homes on the undeveloped land due to violations of environmental codes and the destruction of Native American burial sites. The California Department of Fish and Game is being sued for issuing the necessary permits in a case that was filed this week in the San Francisco County Superior Court. The permits were originally granted on December 3rd. The LA Times reports:

“Fish and Game spokesman Andrew Hughan said he could not comment because the department had not yet seen the lawsuit, but department officials had said earlier that the plan will preserve 70% of the nearly 14,000-acre area as natural open space. That space is aimed at protecting 76% of the rare San Fernando Valley spineflower and 93% of the Santa Clara River, the longest and wildest river in Southern California. Developers must also establish a $6-million endowment for preservation efforts. ‘Hundreds of people, including biologists, botanists, hydrologists and other scientists, worked together to shape this biologically innovative project,’ said Ed Pert, South Coast regional manager. The coalition, however, says the plan did not go far enough. Fish and Game is permitting the filling of much of the Santa Clara River and its floodplain, the concrete lining of 20 miles of tributary streams, desecration of Native American burial sites and sacred places, and the destruction of a quarter of the spineflower habitat, the lawsuit says.”

The Friends of the Santa Clara River, the California Native Plant Society and the Wishtoyo Foundation/Ventura Coastkeeper are other plaintiffs in the case. John Buse, a senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, stated that “It is appalling that the Department of Fish and Game, the trustee for all of California's wildlife, approved ecological destruction on this scale. Far less damaging options were available, but the department brushed them aside.” For more on the litigation, you can see a press release from the Center of Biological Diversity here.

Imperial County Solar Project Halted after Judge’s Ruling in Favor of Tribe

U.S. District Judge Larry Burns has ruled in favor of the Quechan Indian tribe by agreeing to impose a preliminary injunction blocking Tessera Solar from moving forward with plans for the Imperial Valley Solar project, which will involve building a $2 billion, 709-megawatt array of solar dishes in Imperial County. The project would have been located on 6,000 acres of public land, but the tribe argued that it had cultural significance. According to the judge, the company failed to consult properly the tribe, and as a result, the injunction could cause the company to lose $600 million in federal stimulus funding. Imperial Valley Solar noted that if an injunction was imposed, then the project might not happen at all. In light of the ruling, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Tessera Chief Executive Robert Lukefahr said the following in a statement:

“This ruling sets back our ability to provide clean, renewable power to Southern California and delays our ability to bring jobs and economic development to a region with the highest unemployment rate in America. It is especially troubling given the very lengthy and comprehensive permitting and consultation process that Tessera Solar and the BLM have undertaken to ensure that Imperial Valley Solar would meet or exceed all Federal and State guidelines to minimize impact on the desert land where this is located."

The judge ultimately agreed that the land was part of ancient sites that were significant to the Quechan, a tribe in Yuma with territory on both sides of the California-Arizona border. The brunt of the blame was placed upon the federal Bureau of Land Management because the tribe was kept out of the planning process. For more, see here.

Sonoma County Receives CSAC Award for Innovative & Cost-Cutting Bridge Project

Recently Sonoma County’s Board of Supervisors and the staff of the Transportation and Public Works Department received the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) 2010 Challenge Award for an innovative bridge project. Known as the Korbel Summer Crossing Project, the bridge’s design was spearheaded by long-time Public Works employee Glen Wallace, who recently passed away. His design solution ended up saving the county millions, and his family, along with staff from Transportation and Public Works, accepted the award from CSAC Legislative Director Jim Wiltshire. The environmentally-friendly design also cut down on permit costs and Phil Demery, Head of Transportation and Public Works and the President of the National Association of County Engineers, noted that the design “provided an easily re-producible idea that other counties may use.” Chairwoman Valerie Brown stated the following about the award:

“CSAC’s acknowledgment reinforces something we already know about our County - this is a community of innovators.  The Korbel Summer Crossing Project reflects an incredible cost saving solution that ensures better service to the residents of Sonoma County at less cost.  We are grateful that we have such entrepreneurial departments that made this happen.”

Instead of building a permanent structure, the Korbel Summer Crossing structure cost only $300,000 to build and can removed each season at low cost with no impact to water quality. Designing a removable structure saved the county at least $3.7 million dollars and was constructed in a far shorter time period.

County Transportation Leaders Debut New Lane on Congested 91; Funded by Federal Stimulus

Residents of the Inland Empire and Orange County know full well the pain of being stuck on the congested 91 freeway, which is a part of the region’s more heavily-traveled stretches of traffic-filled roads. But there is good news to be had, as Orange County officials have announced that a new eastbound lane added to the Riverside Freeway has now opened up on Tuesday. For the estimated 300,000 commuters who hit the 91 each day, the debut will hopefully provide some relief, as many Californians in the area travel from the Inland Empire to jobs in Orange or Los Angeles counties. Joel Zlotnik, spokesman for the Orange County Transportation Authority, stated that “Any relief we can provide for those commuters is going to be very welcome.” The new land was funded through the federal stimulus package enacted in 2009 and cost $65 million. The LA Times reports:

“The new lane will increase the eastbound lanes from four to five between the 241 toll road and the 71 Corona Expressway. There are already toll lanes down the center of the freeway in both directions. […] The 91 bottleneck has vexed planners for decades. A partial answer was provided a decade ago with the opening of toll lanes along a portion of the freeway in Orange County, offering commuters a quicker pay-as-you-go method. Last year, new lanes were added to the 241 tollway, which cuts from the 91 to south Orange County.There isn't a lot of room to add more toll-free lanes because the 91 runs through a narrow canyon amid several mountain ranges. In recent years, planners have talked about tunneling 11.5 miles through the Cleveland National Forest to build a new route into Orange County.”

Some residents who travel the 91 expressed skepticism that the new lane would do much to relieve congestion. If a tunnel project were ever to be developed, it would cost close to $10 billion, and such money isn’t exactly easy to come by! For more, see here.

Monterey County Board of Supervisors Sued Over Approval of 2010 General Plan

Concerns about a substantial increase in traffic congestion have resulted in legal action against the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. Specifically, the Carmel Valley Association is suing the board over its approval of the 2010 General Plan because the group believes it will cause far too much traffic in Carmel Valley and the whole county over the next 20 years. The litigation is based on the belief that the plan violates the California Environmental Quality Act. KION 46 News reports that “Last month, board members say the plan contains the growth plan for rural Monterey County.  They're focusing on tourism by bringing in more wineries, bed and breakfast businesses and boosting the local agriculture industry.  They also want to grow small communities in areas such as Chular and Castroville, but want to monitor new housing developments in Carmel Valley.” You can view a draft of the county’s general plan, with notes on Carmel Valley here.

You can view more news coverage on the law suit here: