The Barbed Wire - July 1, 2016

July 1, 2016
RCRC’s 2016 Annual Meeting – REGISTER TODAY!!!
Legislature Sends $2 Billion Housing Bond Bill to Governor
PILT Legislation Continues to Enjoy Strong Bipartisan Support
Fairgrounds Receive Attention in the Legislature
Potentially Problematic Legislation Not Moving Forward
Proposed Changes to CWC WSIP Regulations
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
REGULATORY UPDATE

RCRC’s 2016 Annual Meeting – REGISTER TODAY!!!

RCRC’s 2016 Annual Meeting will be held September 28-30 at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Placer County.  This year’s program will feature experts discussing a wide range of topics of interest to rural counties including:

  • An Insider’s Perspective on the U.S. Supreme Court;
  • Implementation of a Medical Marijuana Regulatory Scheme in California;
  • Expert Commentary on the Current Political Landscape; and,
  • Navigating the Foster Care System.

To register for RCRC’s 2016 Annual Meeting, click here.

Legislature Sends $2 Billion Housing Bond Bill to Governor

This week, the Assembly gave final approval to the No Place Like Home Initiative (NPLH) and moved it forward to the Governor for consideration.  Assembly Bill 1618 (Committee on Budget) establishes a $2 billion bond program for the permanent support housing of California’s homeless struggling with mental illness.  This bond program will be partially funded through a portion of Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding enacted through Proposition 63 in 2004. 

RCRC worked in partnership with the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), Urban Counties of California (UCC), and the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California (CBHDA) over the past several weeks to negotiate critical amendments of importance to California’s counties.  The NPLH initiative will provide both competitive and non-competitive bond funding to support the construction and reconstruction of supportive housing projects as outlined below:

  • $2 billion in bond financing
  • $1.8 billion of all funding will be available on a competitive basis
  • $200 million will be available through a non-competitive process
  • $6.2 million in technical assistance funding
  • Establishes an “Advisory Committee” to assist in the development of the guidelines

In collaboration and partnership with local government organizations, RCRC successfully negotiated several significant amendments to ensure all counties have access to these critical funds and that the NPLH initiative furthers the intent of the MHSA.  While there are a number of technical and clarifying amendments that we addressed over the past several weeks, the key provisions advocated for and secured as part of the negotiations include:

Rural Set-Aside

A minimum of 8 percent of the total $1.8 billion in competitive funding is set-aside for small counties under 200,000 population.

County Groupings

Counties will be grouped by population to ensure they are only competing against like-sized counties: Large (750,000+ population), Medium (200,000 – 749,999 population) and Small (under 200,000 population).

Non-Competitive Funding

Counties will receive a $500,000 minimum funding level or a county can opt to receive their share based on the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s homeless count.

NPLH Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee will have both a small and large county representative to help development of the NPLH guidelines and additional criteria. 

County Consultation 

The California Department of Housing and Community Development will develop the NPLH guidelines and criteria in consultation with CSAC.  As part of this negotiated compromise, CSAC will work in collaboration with RCRC, UCC, and CBHDA to ensure that all counties have a strong role in the process.

Technical Assistance

Funding for technical assistance will be distributed to counties based on the following population groupings: Large ($150,000), Medium ($100,000), and Small ($75,000).

Legislative language outlining the bond financing mechanism component of NPLH has not yet been released.  It is our understanding that subsequent legislation will be unveiled in the coming weeks.  RCRC will continue to work in partnership with CSAC, UCC, and CBHDA to ensure the financing component compliments these provisions.  

PILT Legislation Continues to Enjoy Strong Bipartisan Support

This week Senate Bill 1188, authored by Senator Mike McGuire (Healdsburg-D), cleared the Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee on a unanimous vote.  Authored in conjunction with 15 other authors and co-authors, SB 1188 is a bipartisan effort to amend Fish and Game Code to restore language that makes State Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) payments to counties required as opposed to permissive

SB 1188 will next head to the appropriate Assembly fiscal committee for consideration.  The text of SB 1188 can be accessed here.

Fairgrounds Receive Attention in the Legislature

Two pieces of legislation regarding fairs/fairgrounds recently received the attention of the State Legislature.  First is Assembly Bill 2678, authored by Assembly Member Adam Gray (D-Merced), which gained passage in the Senate Governance & Finance Committee last week.  The second is Assembly Concurrent Resolution 186, authored by Assemblyman Frank Bigelow (R-Madera), which declares June 2016 as Fair Appreciation Month. 

Several weeks ago, AB 2678 secured passage in the State Assembly with strong bipartisan support.  The bill would dedicate the State portion of the sales and use tax collected from transactions at fairgrounds to support small and medium sized fairs, thus providing a stable source of revenue to help ensure the long-term viability for the network of fairs.  Strongly supported by RCRC, AB 2678 will be reviewed in the Senate Appropriations Committee in August.  The text of AB 2678 can be accessed here.

ACR 18 declared June 2016 as Fair Appreciation Month.  The text of ACR 18 can be accessed here.  RCRC strongly supported this effort to remind policymakers of the importance of fairs and fairgrounds as a key public asset to utilize in the case of wildfires and disaster management.

Potentially Problematic Legislation Not Moving Forward

Senate Bill 1317 related to groundwater extraction facilities, and Senate Bill 1396 related to the Inner Coast Range Program, both authored by Senator Lois Wolk, were pulled from the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee at the author’s request this week, and in all likelihood will not be heard again this year.  RCRC’s latest joint opposition letter on SB 1317 can be accessed here.  RCRC’s latest opposition letter on SB 1396 can be accessed here.

Proposed Changes to CWC WSIP Regulations

During the June 22, 2016 California Water Commission (CWC) meeting the Commission was presented with a summary of proposed changes to the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) Quantification Regulations.  The changes were based on numerous comments received over the course of the 45-day comment period related to the simplification and streamlining of the regulations. 

The summary of proposed changes can be accessed here.  The draft regulations can be accessed here.  RCRC’s WSIP comment letter can be accessed here.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

RCRC members are encouraged to share letters addressed to state and federal representatives and regulatory bodies with RCRC’s Government Affairs staff.  Click “Read More” to access information related to the current status of legislation impacting California’s rural counties.  

AB 2438 (Waldron): CEQA: Exemption: Recycled Water Pipelines.  Assembly Bill 2438 would, until January 1, 2020, exempt from CEQA a project for the construction and installation of a new pipeline or the maintenance, repair, restoration, reconditioning, relocation, replacement, removal, or demolition of an existing pipeline, not exceeding 8 miles in length, for the distribution of recycled water within a public street, highway, or right-of-way.  Status: Failed passage in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

AB 2678 (Gray): State-Designated Fairs: Funding.  Assembly Bill 2678 would dedicate the State portion of the sales and use tax collected from transactions at fairgrounds except for Los Angeles to support small and medium sized fairs.  Status: Awaits consideration in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

AB 2781 (Garcia): Supplemental Environmental Projects.  Assembly Bill 2781 would direct 10 percent of all penalties collected by California Environmental Protection Agency boards, departments, and offices to fund environmental projects in disadvantaged communities using Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code for the definition (CalEnviro Screen) of a disadvantaged community (DAC).  Status: Awaits consideration in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  RCRC Position: Oppose

SB 1170 (Wieckowski): Public Contracts: Water Pollution Prevention Plans: Delegation.  Senate Bill 1170 would prohibit a public entity, charter city, or charter county from delegating to a contractor the development of a plan, as defined, used to prevent or reduce water pollution or runoff on a public works contract, except as provided.  The bill would also prohibit a public entity, charter city, or charter county from requiring a contractor on a public works contract that includes compliance with a plan to assume responsibility for the completeness and accuracy of a plan developed by that entity.  Status: Gained passage in the Assembly Local Government Committee.  RCRC Position: Oppose

SB 1188 (McGuire): Wildlife Management Areas: Payment of Taxes and Assessments.  Senate Bill 1188 will return the ‘may’ back to ‘shall’ in Fish and Game Code Section 1504 making future Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) payments required rather than permissive.  Status: Gained passage in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

SB 1317 (Wolk): Conditional Use Permit: Groundwater Extraction Facility.  Senate Bill 1317 would require a city or county overlying a basin designated as a high or medium priority basin to establish a process for the issuance of conditional use permits for the development of a groundwater extraction facility in order to prevent that facility from contributing to or creating an undesirable result.  Status: Pulled from the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee at the author’s request.  RCRC Position: Oppose

SB 1396 (Wolk): Inner Coast Range Conservancy.  Senate Bill 1396 would establish the Inner Coast Range Program within the Wildlife Conservation Board.  The Inner Coast Range region as defined in the legislation includes all or part of the following counties: Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Tehama, Trinity and Yolo.  Status: Pulled from the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee at the author’s request.  RCRC Position: Oppose

REGULATORY UPDATE

RCRC members are encouraged to submit comments on regulatory matters to state and federal regulatory bodies, and to provide a copy to RCRC’s Government Affairs staff.  Click “Read More” to access information related to the current status of regulations impacting California’s rural counties.  

2030 Target Scoping Plan Update Concept Paper.  Provides opportunity for public input prior to the release of the Draft 2030 Scoping Plan Update later in 2016.  Offers four high-level concepts for achieving greenhouse gas reductions by 2030 for public review and comment.  Agency: California Air Resources Board Status: Draft available for public comment, comments due July 8, 2016.  Draft proposal and related documents can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: RCRC is seeking member county input.  RCRC Advocates: Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org and Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org

Draft Regulations for Reporting Solid Waste Materials Sold, Transferred, or Disposed.  Agency: California Resources Recovery and Recycling Status: Draft available for public comment.  Workshops scheduled for July 7, 2016 in Sacramento and July 12, 2016 in Diamond Bar.  Draft proposal and related documents can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: RCRC is seeking member county input.  RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org

Proposed 2016 State Strategy for the State Implementation Plan (SIP).  The State SIP Strategy describes proposed measures to achieve necessary emission reductions from the mobile source and consumer products to meet federal air quality standards.  Agency: California Air Resources Board Status: Draft available for public comment; comments extended to July 18, 2016.  Draft proposal and related documents can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: RCRC is seeking member county input.  RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org