CaliforniaCityNews.org

Cities Prepping to Sue Over Insect Spraying

Berkeley may be joining several other NorCal cities in suing the state over aerial pesticide spraying.  UC Berkeley's Daily Cal reported this week that the Berkeley council voted to give the city attorney authority to join with cities including Richmond, Albany, El Cerrito, Oakland and San Francisco in coordinating a lawsuit to halt spraying aimed at eradicating the light brown apple moth, also known as LBAM (seriously) or Epiphyas postvittana for you entomologists.

City Under Fire for Deleting Emails

The Inland Empire city of Colton is taking heat from a pair of local businessmen who are challenging the city's policy of deleting emails after 30 days.  The Press Enterprise has the story here.

It seems Colton is desirous of discretion in this regard, as emails were leaked soem time ago in which the City Manager made some embarrasing characterizations of city chamber members ("Chamber Monkeys") and another high ranking employee described one citizen's group as "urban idiots."

Here we say again: think before you hit send.

Update: Thanks to CCN reader P.W. for writing in with a clarification.  An earlier version of this post noted that the complaintants in this case were arguing that Colton was in violation of the public records act.  Our reader, who knows a thign or two in this regard, noted "The Public Records Act does not contain any requirement that agencies keep emails or any other record. The record retention requirement is contained in a separate part of the Government Code from the PRA. The records retention statute contains a default requirement that records be kept for two years. It also requires certain enumerated records to be kept in perpetuity. But except for the enumerated records, it is left to the agencies to decide which documents are records that are to be retained and which are not."

SacBee Publisher to Retire

Janis Heaphy, President and Publisher of the Sacramento Bee, has announced that she willr etire effective April 14.  The Sac Business Journal reported today that Heaphy is the second high ranking exec to leave the paper in the last several months.  These are interesting developments to be closely watched, as the Bee remains a cricital source of state government reporting.  Stay tuned. 

City Awarded $435,000 For Safe Routes To School

The City of Santa Clarita has been awarded a $435,000 grant from the State of California’s “State Safe Routes to School Grant.”  The grant money is allocated to the City’s ongoing campaign to create a safer environment surrounding schools for children as well as to encourage them to walk and bike to school. This is the second year that the City has received this grant, which will go towards improving infrastructure that promotes safety and ease for school children getting from home to the classroom.

Interested?  Read more about the program and how to apply here.

National League of Cities Working for Transportation Dollars

The chair of NLC’s Transportation Infrastructure and Service policy committee spoke last month at the National Transportation Summit in Washington, D.C., about the logistics behind NLC’s “Surface Transportation Funding and Reauthorization” initiative.  According to a report on NLC's website, they are requesting that that Congress provide full funding for federal transportation programs that support bridges, roads, highways and other transit priorities. 

NLC is further seeking support for funding that goes directly to local governments, such as funding for transit, transportation enhancements and the Congestion Management Air Quality Program that helps reduce congestion and protect the environment.  Read more on the NLC website here.

Rancho Santa Fe Next Up for Incorporation?

Back in February CCN announced the Riverside county community of Wildomar had offically become California city #479, and we may soon be in line for #480.  The Union Trib reported yesterday on renewed efforts to incorporate the San Diego County community of Rancho Santa Fe.  Signature gathering is currently underway and proponets of cityhood have until July to get 1,100 prospective city residents signed on.

Three California Cities in Line for $200k Energy Grants

Sacramento, San Jose and Santa Rosa are among twelve cities selected to become Solar America Cities that will receive federal grant funding and technical help to install solar technologies.  Each city will receive $200,000 from the Department of Energy.  Technical experts will also help the selected cities integrate solar technologies into energy planning, zoning and facilities; streamline local regulations and practices that affect solar adoption by residents and businesses; present solar financing options; and promote solar technology among residents and local businesses through outreach, curriculum development, and incentive programs.

Read more here.

Some Cities Are Paying Huge Salaries

A city nurse earned $350,000. A fire department battalion chief pulled in more than twice as much as the mayor. And a municipal park ranger took home $188,000 in overtime on top of his $71,000 salary. Click here to read the SF Chron story and see some of the biggest city salaries in the Bay Area.

PPIC Poll Released Today Shows Strong Support For Proposition 99 - Strong Opposition To Proposition 98

The widely respected Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released a survey today of voter opinions on anumber of political issues facing California. Among the questions asked were on the two measures that will appear on the June ballot - propositions 98 and 99.

Some startling findings to say the least...Proposition 98 finds itself in the unenviable position of having only 37% voter support - 41% voting no with 22% undecided. Dismal numbers at best. Proposition 99 finds itself with majority support at 53% yes and 27% no - the remaining are undecided.

Voters Clearly See Proposition 99 as real eminent domain reform, Prop 98 as ruse fronting to eliminate rent control

Thirty-eight percent of likely voters say that the government’s power of eminent domain is in need of major changes, and another 33 percent say minor changes are needed. Large majorities of likely voters across parties and demographic groups think that at least minor changes are needed, with Republicans and those living in the Other Southern California and Central Valley regions more likely to say major changes are needed. Of those who believe eminent domain is in need of change, major or minor, support is higher for Proposition 99 (60% yes, 26% no) than for Proposition 98 (41% yes, 40% no).

Hector De La Torre Dumped For Refusing To Be Complicit In Taxpayer Giveaway

Every so often, the pettiness of politics in Sacramento is poignantly illustrated by a politicians actions that it requires broad distribution. Letting the sun shine in, if you will, on silliness that it is hoped would stay in the shadows.

Such is the case for the removal of Hector De La Torre (D-Southgate, pictured at left) by outgoing Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez who it appears was acting vengefully when Assemblyman De La Torre refused to be complicit in a multimillion dollar give away to long time capitol staffers.

Critics can say what they will about Hector De La Torre, but no one can credibly suggest that his integrity is anything but completely above reproach. His entire political career has been taking on big fights, cleaning up corruption and crying foul when he smells something rotten.

As Chairman of the powerful rules committee, De La Torre had the power to stop the "Golden Handshake" giveaway. When it was clear he wouldn't be the bag-man for the ruse - he was dumped.

Wonder why we have term limits?