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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08112009 - D.1RECOMMENDATION(S): A. ACCEPT the report from the Director of Conservation and Development regarding the regional planning commissions. B. ACCEPT the correspondence from the County Planning Commission recommending that the regional planning commissions sunset. C. ACCEPT the correspondence from the East County Regional Planning Commission recommending that the regional commission be allowed to sunset. D. ACCEPT the correspondence from the San Ramon Valley Regional Planning Commission recommending that the regional planning commission be extended. E. DETERMINE action to be taken. APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 08/11/2009 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes:See also Clerk's addendum VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Susan A. Bonilla, District IV Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor Contact: Catherine Kutsuris 335-1221 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: August 11, 2009 David J. Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: Jane Pennington, Deputy cc: D. 1 To:Board of Supervisors From:Catherine Kutsuris, Conservation & Development Director Date:August 11, 2009 Contra Costa County Subject:COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION TO DECLINE TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE SAN RAMON VALLEY AND EAST COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSIONS FISCAL IMPACT: There would be a reduction in costs for the Department if the terms of the regional commissions would not be extended. BACKGROUND: The County Code provides for the existence of the East County and the San Ramon Valley Regional Planning Commissions. The Code includes the automatic termination of these commissions unless the Board acts to extend their terms. In 2007, the Board took a more detailed look at the work level of the regional commissions and elected to continue them for one additional year rather than the four year extensions which had previously occurred. At that time, the Board was also conducting a review of County advisory bodies through the Internal Operations Committee. In 2008, the Department recommended that the Board continue the regional commissions for one additional year. Currently, the regional commissions will sunset on October 6, 2009 unless the Board adopts an ordinance prior to that date which extends their terms. HISTORY: In 1977, the San Ramon and the Orinda Area Planning Commissions were established with two year terms. This was several years before the incorporation of the City of San Ramon and the Town of Danville, at a time when there was significant land area available for development particularly in the San Ramon area. Large scale developments including Blackhawk were being approved. The Area Planning Commissions had their two year terms renewed throughout the 1970s until the mid 1980s. The Orinda Area Commission was phased out with the incorporation of the City in 1985. In 1986, the East County Regional Planning Commission was formed and the San Ramon Area Commission was renewed as a regional planning commission. Department records show that the San Ramon Area Planning Commission considered 179 applications in the 1978/1979 fiscal year. Since this time, the volume of work before the regional commissions has markedly dropped. The combination of annexations and incorporations, as well as the build out of existing urban areas, all contribute to the reduction in volume of work for the regional commissions. Much of the application volume is currently comprised of relatively small, infill projects that are successfully managed at an administrative or Zoning Administrator level. The Zoning Administrators have routinely held a low appeal rate (ranging from 2% to 5%), successfully resolving land use issues without requiring review by the planning commissions. MEETING CANCELLATIONS: The regional planning commissions are scheduled to meet monthly. From 2005 through 2008, forty-eight percent of the East County Regional Planning Commission meetings were cancelled due to the lack of items. The San Ramon Valley Regional Planning Commission had sixty-five percent of their meetings cancelled during the same period; the number increases to seventy-five percent for the years 2006 through 2008, when the commission averaged three meetings each year. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS: The County Planning Commission and the regional commissions each weighed in on this matter at recent meetings. The letters from the County Planning Commission and from both of the regional commissions are included as attachments; the recommendations and the points contained in each of the letters are summarized below: County Planning Commission Recommendation: Sunset both Regional Commissions There is a significant reduction in volume at the regional commission level and this is unlikely to change based on the weak economy and the reduction in land available for development; The distance to meetings in Martinez is not an impediment for the public as suggested by the San Ramon Regional Planning Commission; and The County Planning Commission has the willingness and capacity to handle the work volume. East County Regional Planning Commission Recommendation: Sunset the Regional Commission The volume of work does not justify having a regional commission and this pattern will not change for the foreseeable future; The public would be better served by having land use items heard by a commission that is more experienced and handles land use items on a regular basis; and The cost of maintaining a regional commission for such low volume is not prudent. San Ramon Valley Regional Planning Commission Recommendation: Extend the Term of the Regional Commission The regional commission structure provides an effective and efficient method of providing local representation – additional regional commissions should be considered to respond to the equity issue; The public significantly benefits from a more accessible location and a commission with local knowledge; Meeting cancellations should not be the basis for evaluating the benefit provided – there is no cost when meetings are cancelled; and The continuation of the commission should not be related to the possible formation The continuation of the commission should not be related to the possible formation of a municipal advisory council for Alamo since the commission jurisdiction extends beyond Alamo. UPCOMING WORKLOAD: The number and type of pending General Plan Amendments is a good indicator of upcoming commission work over the next several years. A listing of current General Plan Amendment studies has been included as Attachment 5. There are a total of 21 pending General Plan Amendments, six of which would be heard by the East County Regional Planning Commission and two would be heard by the San Ramon Valley Regional Planning Commission. Thirteen General Plan Amendments would be heard by the County Planning Commission. FISCAL IMPACT: Both the County Planning Commissions and the East County Regional Planning Commission cited the increase in cost as one of the reasons for discontinuing the regional commissions. The regional commission members serve as volunteers and do not receive stipends or reimbursement for mileage. There are, however, other costs associated with regional commissions that would be eliminated or reduced including: The $300.00 to $400.00 per meeting facility cost for the San Ramon Valley Regional Planning Commission would be eliminated; Administrative duties would be reduced for both secretarial and professional staff from consolidating agenda preparation and follow up, commission packet preparation and distribution etc.; secretarial costs incurred by tracking and scheduling applications for three different commissions with different venues would be reduced; Secretarial time for transportation to and from the regional sites as well as meeting set up and take down would be eliminated; Staff costs would be reduced assuming only seven commissioners to support rather than the current nineteen; Professional planner and engineering time would be reduced by eliminating travel time to regional venues; the cost per application would also be reduced as planners and engineers would complete more projects at a single hearing; and Professional planner time would be measurably reduced given the Department’s co-location with the County Planning Commission’s hearing venue. The professional staff costs for the planners and engineers are directly charged to applicants. Thus, reducing professional staff time would directly result in lower application costs. Other costs, such as secretarial support, multiple commission packet preparation, and hearing room costs are included in the hourly overhead rate charged to applicants. CLERK'S ADDENDUM Catherine Kutsuris, Community Development Department, introduced the item noting that the East County and the San Ramon Valley Regional Planning Commissions are set to sunset on October 6, 2009, unless the Board takes action to extend the. She said the County’s Planning Commission is prepared to take on the work of those regional committees, should they sunset. She noted that since the regional commissions were created a number of major changes have taken place and that the affected unincorporated areas have dropped dramatically due to incorporations and annexations. She said that the County’s creation of an Urban Limit Line has also left relatively little area for development. She added that the County’s Zoning Administrator has a high success rate for planning processes and only 2-5% of the Zoning Administrator’s decisions have been appealed. Supervisor Piepho suggested that County zoning and planning issues could be heard at offsite venues to allow easier public access by those in the affected region. The Chair called for public comment and the following people spoke: Eric Hasseltine, Pleasant Hill resident and former Contra Costa County Supervisors, provided the Board with background on the creation of the commissions and spoke in support of the proposed action; Patricia Curtain, Lafayette resident, spoke in support of sunsetting the committees; Allan Moore, Walnut Creek resident, said the commissions have provided a valuable service but the time has come for them to sunset; Roger Smith, Alamo Improvement Association, said the regional committees have worked well over the years and encouraged the Board to retain the San Ramon Valley Planning Commission (SRVPC) for at least a year to be able to see how the new Alamo Municipal Advisory Committee (MAC) is working out; David Davis, Alamo resident, also suggested extending the SRVPC for another year or two; Maryann Cella, Diablo resident; Cecily Barclay, Alamo resident, and Dave Hudson, Sa Ramon resident also spoke in favor of the sunsetting. Supervisor Uilkema thanked former Supervisor Hasseltine for the background and added that today’s action has nothing to do with how successful the regional commissions have been but is about creating efficiency in the County’s planning processes. Supervisor Gioia said he would support developing a policy for holding some County Planning Commission meetings offsite so that people in affected regions can more easily attend. Chair Bonilla commented that the MACs are working with very engaged communities and she proposed planning commission training, perhaps in conjunction with the cities and the Mayor’s Conference. ATTACHMENTS CPC Letter ECRPC Letter SRVRPC Letter Additional Correspondence Current GPA Studies