CSAC would like your input on the following bills. Please send
any feedback or comments to NCronenwett@counties.org.
AB 2754 (Levine):– As Amended 4/4/18, AB 2754 would clarify
that ongoing and routine agricultural activities taking place in
the California coastal zone are not considered ‘development’ in
accordance with the California Coastal Act. This bill is
sponsored by the Farm Bureau.
The Legislature returns from their Spring Recess next week. Bills
are on the move. CSAC Agriculture, Environment and Natural
Resources has taken positions on the following bills:
CSAC has been providing weekly notices this month of proposed
legislation from the current session. The past two weeks have
focused on the numerous pieces of legislation related to the
2017 fire season. This week we turn to other legislation in the
areas of agriculture, environment and natural resources. Of
note, there are several bills this session that deal with the
consolidation of drinking water systems. These bills aim to
give the state tools to help get clean drinking water in areas
of the state where it is lacking. In addition, there are number
of bills related to resiliency and disaster preparedness. Other
policy areas covered in these bills include, animal control,
cannabis, CEQA, mining, and recycling.
On March 19th, CSAC submitted a letter to Neal
Rackleff, HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning &
Development, to request an expeditious allocation of federal
funds through the Community Development Block Grant for Disaster
Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. These funds would address
California’s critical needs in the aftermath of the devastating
2017 wildfires and help with long-term recovery.
In an effort to make California more resilient against
natural disasters and climate change, Governor Brown joined with
Senate Leader Kevin DeLeon, Speaker Anthony Rendon, Senate
Republican Leader Pat Bates, and Assembly Republican Leader Brian
Dahle and incoming Senate Leader Toni Atkins this week to
announce a bipartisan partnership to address these issues.
Specific efforts will include working on proposed resiliency and
disaster legislation with the Joint Legislative Committee on
Emergency Management and other standing committees to:
Greenling Institute has created a tool to help local government
entities navigate the 40 plus grant and rebate programs funded by
the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). The tool is incredibly
useful and can help you quickly and easily navigate the huge and
complicated list of grant programs.
A current CalRecycle rulemaking could dramatically impact how
county governments run their waste management programs. SB 1383
provided for a significant diversion of organic waste from
landfills and CalRecycle’s first draft of the rules implementing
the law had set forth an onerous and regimented statewide system.
Environmental Permitting
SB 1301 (Beall) – Request for Comments
As Introduced February 16, 2018
CSAC is asking for comments on SB 1301, by Senator Jim Beall, a
revised introduction of his bill from last year, SB 594 related
to expedited permitting. This new version would require state
natural resources agencies to report to the Legislature their
average processing times for designated permits.
CSAC hosted its second Disaster Recovery Summit and
Roundtable with the Governor’s Office, CAL OES and FEMA to
discuss disaster relief and recovery in the 13 northern and
southern California counties impacted by the terrible 2017 fire
season. The meeting, on February 16 was very productive and
allowed for staff from all the fire-impacted counties to share
their stories with key disaster relief administrators.
County representatives from Northern and Southern California fire
impacted counties will join together to discuss recovery and
rebuilding efforts tomorrow (Friday, February 16) in Sacramento
with leadership from the Governor’s Office, CalOES and FEMA. The
meeting is a followup from the Disaster Summit hosted after
the CSAC Annual Meeting last November. This event will provide a
forum for counties to share their experiences and lessons learned
from the devastation and destruction of the recent fires and
debris flows.
Effective immediately, Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs)
are required to submit all applicable GSP notification
information to DWR using the SGMA Portal – GSP Initial
Notification System. The Portal can be accessed at
this link.
Do you want to know what other California counties are doing or
not doing on Cannabis? Check out CSAC’s County Cannabis Ordinance Chart
and webpage for detailed information about cannabis ordinances
across the state. The chart and webpage include adopted ban
ordinances, cultivation regulations, tax ordinances in both
cities and counties, expected local ballot measures for 2018 and
much more.
Three Public Outreach Meetings To Vet Concepts for Indirect
Source Rule to Help Minimize Community Impacts From Freight
Facilities
CARB will hold three meetings across the state to share and
discuss concepts about a minimizing the impact of freight
facilities on local communities. The concepts and feedback are
part of a proposed plan to adopt a rule to achieve emission
reductions around freight facilities. CARB will be holding
meetings in Long Beach, Fresno and Sacramento to share and
discuss concepts.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors joined San Luis Obispo
County in adopting a Joint Powers Agreement to join the
California Cannabis Authority, a Joint Powers Authority of county
government backed by CSAC and the CSAC Finance Corporation. The
California Cannabis Authority (CCA) will develop and manage a
statewide data platform that will gather, collect, and analyze
information from a myriad of data sources into one resource.
