HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10061992 - S.5 4
T H U 1 1 2 1 S U P T 0 M T 0 R I- A K S 0 N
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
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FROM: Supervisor Tom Torlakson C o s-t
DATES
October 6, 1992 4§0 ,county
SUBJECTS AUTHORIZE COUNTY WORKSHOP ON CEQA REFORM
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
(1) Authorize a set of workshops on CEQA (California
Environmental Quality Act) reform to be held in late January or early
February and invite the participation of builders, environmental
groups, public works engineers and planners, planning commissioners,
attorneys with expertise in CEQA, and other interested persons. The
Fiscal Unity Committee should also be invited to comment and advise on
the workshop format and actively participate on this issue.
(2) Refer to the Economic Development Committee and the
Transportation Committee to pursue CEQA reform and develop a set of
workshops that would identify specific areas of CEQA reform and
generate recommendations and develop a formal request for reform to
our State legislative delegation and the Governor.
(2) Direct the County Administrator to coordinate efforts
by the Community Development Department and the Public Works
Department to work with the above board committees in planning a
set of workshops on CEQA reform.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Pursuant to discussions last year
in the Transportation Committee, the Community Development Department
and Public Works staffs have conducted an analysis of CEQA reform.
. Supervisor Schroder and I feel very strongly that CEQA, in
its current application, has gotten away from its original purpose and
has been constantly abused. The vagueness of CEQA leaves the process
so open-ended that business cannot predict when it will get an answer
from the policy bodies or how long it will take to work through the
legal system in response to predictable lawsuits .
Growth Management and Economic Development Director Val
Alexeeff is preparing an outline for these workshops. These workshops
should provide dialogue on the areas that need reform between experts
in the field. These workshops will provide a framework for
development a specific request to the State Legislature detailing how
and where the reforms should occur.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENTS YES SIGNATURES
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR R;CQMMKNDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATUREM
ACTION OF BOARD ON (ItOter 6 . 1992 APOROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
-!- UNANIMOUS (ABSENT I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS 15 A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND-CORRECT COPY Of AN ACTION TAKEN
ASSENT., ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Community Devel . Dept.
CC: Economic Devel . ,Cte . ATTESTED October 6 . 1292
County Administrator Phil Batchelor,Clerk of the Board of
Public Works Director 6uPwWsvWC"AdmMftWr
O .� T�- `1
-92 T H U 1 1 22 S U P T O M T O R L A K S O M P O 2
CEQA Reform
.October 6, 1992
t These workshops should include participation by engineers
r and public works administrators that have had to deal with CEQA in
implementing transportation and transit and other infrastructure, home
builders , environmental groups and lawyers that have been on all side
of the CEQA debate.
The Association of Bay Area Governments, through its
Legislative Committee, has placed CEQA reform at the top of its
1992-93 legislative agenda along with other measures to foster
economic development.
t
Our .Contra Costa County forum on this subject should serve
as a springboard for Bay Area and Statewide action. I believe the
voice of local government needs to be heard clearly and forcefully on
this matter. We can network not only with ABAG, but with MTC, CSAC,
` the Mayors Conference and the League of California Cities to effect
the changes we know is desperately needed.
TT:gro
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