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Local Government News
August 26, 2008
Council to look at limiting ground floor uses in downtown
ENCINITAS - A proposed zoning change to limit businesses along Coast Highway
to only retail and pedestrian-friendly services has given some downtown
Encinitas merchants cause for concern.
August 20, 2008
City looks to regulating camps at beaches and parks
ENCINITAS ---- The Encinitas City Council directed staffers Wednesday to
draw up an ordinance they can get on the books by next summer to regulate
commercial uses of city beaches and parks.
August 12, 2008
Proposal to close main library in Long Beach triggers resentment
A Long Beach City Hall proposal to close its main library has triggered a
backlash from downtown residents and their supporters, including author Ray
Bradbury, who accused the port town of being "at war with the printed word
and books."
August 10, 2008
Surf City tourism is mixed blessing
Huntington Beach crowds bring money to some businesses. Others are hurt by
the traffic.
City may settle police overtime lawsuit
OCEANSIDE ---- The city appears close to settling a 2006 lawsuit filed by
several police officers who claim they weren't paid for work-related chores
that they did off the clock, such as putting on their uniforms, checking
e-mails and finalizing arrest reports, court documents show.
Groups mobilize against global warming
ENCINITAS ---- Environmental groups planning a worldwide assault on global
warming are mobilizing residents in North County. They have even found some
allies at Encinitas City Hall.
July 26, 2008
Housing moratorium on council agenda
The Santa Paula City Council will discuss Monday night the possibility of a
moratorium on multifamily housing.
Moorpark councilman seeks ban of plastic bags
Moorpark could be the first city in Ventura County to ban plastic bags if
the City Council agrees to a proposal by Councilman Keith Millhouse.
June 30, 2008
San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano in a push against gang violence
Turf battles between gangs have gone on since the 1970s. This month, a boy
died in a clash and three teens face murder charges.
June 18, 2008
'Quality of life' tax advances
A "quality of life" measure that would boost the sales tax you pay at the
mall is a step closer to reality after a vote Wednesday in Sacramento.
The Assembly Local Government Committee voted 6-0 to pass a bill by Sen.
Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, that would set the stage for a potential hike
of a half-cent on the dollar in 2010 to pay for billions of dollars worth of
environmental endeavors.
June 4, 2008
Encinitas enjoys mixed success on rental-home tax
Encinitas' two ballot measures aimed at creating a tax on short-term home
rentals had mixed success Tuesday night, with one passing and the other
falling just short of the two-thirds vote it needed to pass.
May
9, 2008
Anti-pollution changes coming to Lindbergh Field
SAN DIEGO - The state Attorney General's Office yesterday announced an agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions at Lindbergh Field.
May
5, 2008
Board members have job security
If re-elected to a fifth four-year term on
the county's Board of Supervisors next month, Dianne Jacob and
Pam Slater-Price will join an elite club of supervisors to
serve two decades.
April
23, 2008
On Earth Day, L.A. passes a 'green' building law to clean the
air
Los
Angeles embarked on one of its most ambitious projects to
combat global warming on Monday, becoming the biggest city in
the nation to impose "green" building rules that
would potentially cut millions of tons of pollution over the
next decade.
April 22, 2008
L.A. and San Francisco vie for title of 'greenest city'
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has
a plan to slash his city's planet-warming greenhouse gases to
35% below the 1990 level by 2030, and make L.A. the
"cleanest and greenest city in the country."
April
13, 2008
Council will take another look at plant ban
OCEANSIDE - The Oceanside City Council
will resume its discussion this week on whether to ban three
invasive plants, including the giant reed arundo donax, that
can worsen fire and flood hazards.
March
21, 2008
Encinitas OKs hiring consultant to study land purchase
ENCINITAS ---- The council voted Wednesday
to hire a consultant to look into the acquisition and
development of county-owned property at Via Molena and El
Camino. The proposal was part of the consent calendar, a
collection of items that are typically approved in a single
motion without comment. Councilwoman Teresa Barth objected to
that, saying the matter should have been considered separately
and held for public comment.
February
25, 2008
Palo Alto wants bags recycled
Palo Alto aims to reduce the number of plastic and paper bags shoppers use
through a new campaign designed to encourage people to bring their own
reusable bags.
February
24, 2008
Wildlife agency prods cities on habitat plans
NORTH COUNTY ---- Dissatisfied with the efforts of most North County cities
to finish their pieces of a regional conservation plan, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service has drawn a hard line against development on sensitive
land.
Council seeks new way to raise its pay
SAN DIEGO - In the middle of what could be 11 straight years of budget woes,
the San Diego City Council is trying to unload one of its more difficult
fiscal decisions once and for all, by changing the way it boosts its own
pay.
UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL
"Grab bag levy"
The San Diego Association of Governments is the region's planning agency -
and, boy, does it have big plans: a tax increase to pay for up to $22
billion worth of environmental projects.
February
23, 2008
UNION -TRIBUNE EDITORIAL
"In Pacific Beach, measuring the need - and support - for metered parking"
Just mentioning metering on-street parking spaces in the commercial/beach
areas of Pacific Beach angers many residents. This laid-back community, they
say, can handle cars circling blocks to find an open space.
Ready, set, mow -- Clearing effort starts in San Luis Rey riverbed
OCEANSIDE - During the ceremony, Col. Thomas Magness of the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, congratulated his staff and the political leaders who worked
for eight years to solve environmental concerns over endangered animals in
the flood channel. Those concerns kept the clearing effort from moving
forward since the levee project was finished in 2000.
February
22, 2008
Mayor to run again in L.A.
Villaraigosa doesn't say directly whether he will seek the governor's job in
2010.
L.A. has $129 million to spend for parks
Los Angeles has yet to spend $129 million paid by real estate developers
over the last decade to create new parks in the city's fastest-growing
neighborhoods, according to an audit released Thursday by City Controller
Laura Chick.
Bids to tax short-term vacation rentals OK'd
ENCINITAS - If you can't ban them, make money from them. That seems to be
the philosophy of the Encinitas City Council, which voted late Wednesday to
put two initiatives on the June 3 ballot that would levy a "hotel tax" on
short-term vacation rentals.
February
21, 2008
Vallejo in danger of declaring bankruptcy
Vallejo
is on the brink of a dubious distinction - becoming the first
city in California to declare bankruptcy.
City to pass the bucks on sidewalks?
To address a repair backlog, the L.A. council studies charging homeowners
when property sells.
Former
Del Mar Councilman Jerry Finnell dies at 67
DEL
MAR -- Jerry Finnell, a former councilman who brought a
career's worth of financial experience to City Hall, died
Tuesday after fighting leukemia for 18 months, his relatives
said.
Oceanside puts invasive plant ban on hold
OCEANSIDE -- Council members spent more than an hour Wednesday night
debating whether to ban from the city the giant reed arundo donax and two
other invasive plants, but in the end decided that they needed more
information.
Encinitas
approves beach smoking ban
ENCINITAS
-- Following the lead of other coastal cities, Encinitas will
now ban smoking at its beaches, the City Council unanimously
decided Wednesday.
February
20, 2008
Hunting Beach is going upscale
Surf
City hopes to become an overnight destination with the
addition of three oceanfront luxury hotels. But not everyone
is happy.
Mayor's climate aide gets $160,000 a year
In his quest to make San Francisco the greenest city in the nation, Mayor
Gavin Newsom recently created a $160,000-a-year job for a senior aide and
gave him the ambitious-sounding title of director of climate protection
initiatives.
Santa
Monica looks at banning 'single-use' plastic bags
The
Santa Monica City Council delayed action late Tuesday on the
drafting of an ordinance that would ban "single-use"
plastic carry-out bags at all stores and restaurants within
the city and would require retailers to charge a fee for paper
bags.
L.A.
plugs solar power
Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa and other municipal leaders unveiled a
green energy initiative Tuesday by the city's utility that
they predict will create as many as 400 union jobs over the
next three years to install and maintain solar panels on city
buildings and other structures around Los Angeles.
February 19, 2008
State bar seeks details of meeting with Aguirre
SAN
DIEGO - The State Bar of California has asked the San Diego
City Council to divulge details of a 2005 closed-door meeting
in which council members discussed pension litigation with
City Attorney Michael Aguirre.
City's
next step in recycling
SAN
DIEGO – Major commercial buildings, large multifamily
housing complexes and events requiring a permit in San Diego
must offer recycling starting this week.
February
18, 2008
Parking fees being considered
PACIFIC
BEACH - It's not just La Jolla that's considering charging for
street parking. A nascent debate is brewing in Pacific Beach
over whether to install meters to increase turnover in parking
spaces near the surf and raise money for public improvement
projects.
Oceanside
council to examine appointment process
OCEANSIDE
---- Councilman Jerry Kern says he wants to know who are the
mayor's choices for appointments to city boards and
commissions 72 hours before a vote is taken. Kern said putting
the appointment choices in the agenda will also open the
process to the public.
February 16, 2008
SANDAG edges closer to selling bonds
SAN
DIEGO - Buoyed by its recent upgrading on Wall Street, the San
Diego Association of Governments yesterday moved toward
selling $600 million in bonds to pay for highway and transit
improvements.
February
14, 2008
Encinitas approves $457K for capital program
ENCINITAS
-- By unanimous votes, the Encinitas City Council pumped
$457,000 into its capital improvement program Wednesday. The
money will pay for street and drainage projects, environmental
studies at the planned Hall property park and improvements at
wastewater facilities.
February
10, 2008
Decide on garage first, city staff tells council
Workshop
to look at Cedros Crossing
SOLANA
BEACH - In a last-ditch effort to prevent the proposed Cedros
Crossing development from evaporating, the Solana Beach city
staff has this recommendation for the City Council: Take it a
step at a time.
UNION-TRIBUNE
EDITORIAL
The
Mayor's Veto
City
Council retreats on critical charter reform
The
City Council faces a historic opportunity to bolster
accountability at City Hall through a package of charter
reforms. Lamentably, however, most council members appear more
committed to preserving their own bureaucratic dominion than
to strengthening San Diego's civic structure.
Lawmakers
seek to expand photo-enforcement of traffic laws
Sen.
Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, plans to introduce legislation
for the third time this year that would allow Beverly Hills
police to enforce speed in neighborhoods using photo radar
technology. Two previous attempts to allow a pilot project
there - in 2005 and 2006 - failed amid concern that allowing
cameras on residential streets amounts to an invasion of
privacy and fears that other cities would soon follow suit.
Private
firefighting company set to launch
Municipal
firefighters could be joined by fall's wildfire season by at
least a private company that has started operations in San
Diego County, according to fire officials. Firefighters would
deploy to private residences and fend off blazes with a
gel-water mixture proven effective ---- if expensive ---- in
last fall's fires.
Red-light
camera violations go unpunished
Police
and O.C. courts rarely follow up on unpaid red light camera
tickets. Since 2004, as many as 25,000 red light runners have
walked away without penalty.
SLO
to explore $13M sewer funding
With
substantial growth anticipated along the city's southern
boundary, the San Luis Obispo City Council on Tuesday will
consider spending as much as $13 million to upgrade sewer
lines along Broad Street and Tank Farm Road.
February
9, 2008
Security measures vary for local public meetings
Local
city leaders shuddered yesterday as they contemplated the
events that took place 1,800 miles away - the shooting deaths
of two council members and three other city employees at a
public meeting in a St. Louis suburb.
130
county employees reach tentative deal
The
contract, if approved by the union membership and the county
Board of Supervisors, will give members of the Ventura
Employees Association an immediate raise of 3.22 percent,
followed by annual raises of 2.5 to 3 percent.
DWP
pushes for hike again
On
Friday, just a few days after voters upheld a citywide
telephone users tax, the Los Angeles Department of Water and
Power renewed a proposal to raise its water and electricity
rates.
Bid
to roll back SLO water rate increases sinks
A
signature-gathering effort in San Luis Obispo to turn back
water rate increases earmarked for the Nacimiento Water
Project will not meet an elections deadline next week.
Richmond
considers cameras
Richmond
city officials might add video surveillance cameras to the
list of improvements they would be willing to help
small-business owners fund.
Reed
recasts 911 fee opinion
As
a candidate for San Jose mayor in 2006, Chuck Reed hammered
his opponent for supporting a fee that funds the city's 911
emergency dispatch service, telling voters he "opposed a
new phone tax without a vote of the people."
February
8, 2008
Plans
advance for Leucadia highway improvements
ENCINITAS
---- Plans to beautify a 2-mile stretch of North Coast Highway
101 advanced Thursday, as design consultants addressed the
Encinitas Planning Commission and a staffer announced dates
for public workshops later this month.
February
7, 2008
MAYOR OF IMPERIAL BEACH OP-ED
Imperial Beach coastal development
We
believe we have a hotel that meets our goals and the ideals,
goals and mission of the Coastal Act and the Coastal
Commission, but the commission's staff has persuaded two
commissioners to appeal the decision of our City Council,
which was made after reviews by our Tidelands Advisory
Committee, our Design Review Board plus a full environmental
review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Coastal
Commission OK's Oceanside riverbed clearing
OCEANSIDE
-- A plan to clear overgrown brush from the San Luis Rey River
channel won unanimous approval from the California Coastal
Commission on Wednesday morning. The approval means that some
clearing work can begin March 1, before a small endangered
bird that lives in the riverbed starts its six-month nesting
season, officials said.
February
6, 2008
City
Council votes unanimously to put charter measure on June
ballot
Carlsbad
residents will have a chance to vote on making their town a
charter city and giving it more independence after the City
Council voted unanimously last night to place the issue on the
June 3 ballot.
Councilman
can use '04 funds, panel says
San
Diego City Councilman Brian Maienschein can use a
quarter-million dollars left from his 2004 council campaign in
his run for city attorney, the city's Ethics Commission has
concluded.
Penalties
reduced for Vista, Carlsbad
Vista and Carlsbad will pay $700,000 in penalties for a pipe
break that spewed 7.3 million gallons of raw sewage last year
into Buena Vista Lagoon, under terms of a proposed settlement.
February
5, 2008
Faces
changing at City Hall
CARLSBAD
-- Nearly half of Carlsbad's 711 full-time employees have been
in their jobs for three years or less, after a 2004 change in
the city's retirement policy led to an exodus of city workers.
Officials'
raises could be placed on June ballot
San
Diego voters may be asked in June to grant two years of pay
raises to the city's elected officials, then tie future
increases to an outside factor such as Superior Court judge
salaries or growth in the Consumer Price Index.
New
power supplies key to plant's demise
Chula
Vista wants the South Bay Power Plant shut down so the land
can be used to redevelop the bayfront, but state utility
regulators have told the city that can't happen until more
power supplies come on line.
February
4, 2008
Unions bracing for tough bargaining
SAN
DIEGO - Each of the employee unions in San Diego city
government has begun or is fast approaching contract talks -
never an easy prospect, but one complicated this year by
continued budget deficits and a June election.
Modesto
council ponders road-fix tax
Modesto's
City Council on Tuesday could decide to take a second crack at
asking voters for a half-cent sales tax increase to pay for
road repairs.
February
3, 2008
Encinitas
considering tax on vacation rentals
ENCINITAS
---- City officials say they plan to ask voters in June
whether they would support taxing short-term vacation rentals.
January 27, 2008
Ordinance on hiring day laborers may sunset
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance in May 2006
establishing a fine of up to $100 for a person who solicits work from a
motorist who is driving or parked in the middle of the road. The motorist
also could be fined.
Oxnard to have one more trash can to encourage recycling
On Feb. 5, the City Council is expected to hear a report and provide
feedback on a proposed three-can system. The change would cost the city
about $3.15 million, but trash and recycle pickup rates would not go up,
said Dennis Scala, the city's interim director of Environmental Resources.
Overnight parking ban proposed for RVs, trailers
SAN DIEGO -Three City Council members have proposed a pilot program
prohibiting overnight parking of these vehicles on public streets in certain
neighborhoods.
January 25, 2008
Moonlight Beach facilities deteriorating
ENCINITAS ---- At one of North County's busiest beaches, the lifeguard
station is falling apart and the restrooms are grungy, officials say.
SANDAG seeking greenhouse gas estimate
SAN DIEGO ---- Regional officials are trying to get a handle on the amount
of greenhouse gases being generated by San Diego County residents and their
economy, as a first step toward curbing emissions that scientists say are
contributing to changing the world's climate.
January 23, 2008
Plastic-bag ban unravels
Los Angeles County supervisors backed off a threat Tuesday to ban plastic
shopping and grocery bags that environmental experts call unsightly and
destructive.
L.A. trash may be gold mine
Under the massive citywide recycling program - known as the Zero Waste Plan
- most of the 3,600 tons of trash picked up daily in Los Angeles will be
recycled, reduced to compost or turned into alternative energy by 2030.
January 21, 2008
It's surf, sun, sand and -- sobriety?
Newport Beach seeks to rein in unlicensed 'sober-living' homes for
recovering addicts, but faces suits from the firms and their foes.
January 21, 2008
Short-term hires filling City Hall vacancy glut
CONCORD - After many staff members left last year, well-respected
replacements brought in to serve as a quick fix.
Encinitas to regulate surf camps
ENCINITAS -- The City Council on Wednesday ordered its Parks and Recreation
Department staff to draft regulations governing commercial activities such
as surf camps on city beaches. The vote was 5-0.
January 20, 2008
Santa Cruz attraction waits on funding
SANTA CRUZ -- Organizers behind the proposed Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary Visitor Center haven't run into any environmental roadblocks to
stop the project from going forward, though rounding up money to pay for the
$11 million tourist attraction is a different story.
Eye on the Environment: Tax breaks save county farmland
Last month, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved 12 contracts
with landowners, ensuring their land will remain as open space or in
agricultural production.
January 19, 2008
Council considers stricter restrictions on political signs
CARLSBAD - Mayor Bud Lewis, who was re-elected after a last-minute push that
included posting dozens of candidate signs, proposed last week that the city
ban such signs from roadway medians, or vegetated strips located in middle
of the city's major roadways.
January 13, 2008
Four county department heads set to retire in March
Springtime will be a season for cake, of the office farewell party variety,
at the Ventura County Government Center.
January 11, 2008
Encinitas updating its e-mail policy
ENCINITAS -- The e-mails arrive at City Hall by the thousands and city
officials are examining which of them to keep and how to store them.
January 10, 2008
Ventura County seeks to protect mobile home tenants
Seeking more control over mobile home park conversions, Ventura County
supervisors took steps this week to tighten the rules to better protect
tenants and prospective buyers.
January 9, 2008
Search firm to start hunt for Carlsbad's next city manager
CARLSBAD -- The search firm hired to coordinate the hunt for Carlsbad's new
city manager won't start its advertising campaign until next month, but the
city already has begun hearing that people want the job.
Plan for toll lanes on L.A. County freeways is in fast lane
If they can win a huge federal grant, Los Angeles County transportation
officials said Tuesday that rush-hour toll lanes could become a reality on
three local freeways by spring 2009.
January 5, 2008
Vans get farmworkers to the fields
Granted millions of dollars in state transportation money, Ventura and Santa
Barbara counties are set to become the latest counties to join an
agricultural ride-share program for unlicensed and uninsured farmworkers.
January 4, 2008
Permit holdups stall riverbed clearing
OCEANSIDE -- A huge effort to clear the clogged bed of the San Luis Rey
River, where officials say overgrown brush is worsening the risk of floods
and fire, may be pushed back until fall, city officials said Friday.
Carlsbad coastal bluffs to gain new plants
CARLSBAD -- Part of an approximate half-mile stretch of Carlsbad's coastline
may get a much-needed makeover in April.
December 23, 2007
Santa Monica eateries going green
New rules have most restaurants using biodegradable food containers. But the
cost worries small vendors.
Fees would kill Oceanside harbor hotel project, owner says
OCEANSIDE ---- Local businessman Shantu Patel says he wants to put a new
face on the downtown GuestHouse Inn, but is worried that hefty new fees
being considered by the California Coastal Commission could be a death knell
for the project.
December 21, 2007
Just saying no to paper or plastic
Free reusable shopping bags are scooped up in upscale Pacific Palisades and
working-class El Monte.
Environmental awareness a natural for consultant
ENCINITAS -- When the city's Environmental Advisory Committee takes shape
early next year, a familiar face will be at the helm. Jacy Bolden, a
consultant from Los Angeles, has secured a $164,000 contract to advise the
soon-to-be-formed committee through June 2009.
December 18, 2007
Proposed bill would help cities shut down nuisance liquor stores
Assembly Bill 960, introduced by Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley,
would allow cities to buy back the liquor licenses of shops deemed to be
magnets for crime, in hopes of making neighborhoods safer and cleaner,
Hancock said Monday
December 14, 2007
Council bans coastal time-share expansion
SOLANA BEACH - Concerned that valuable hotel rooms could be converted to
private residences and shut out tourists, the Solana Beach City Council has
banned new time shares and other similar "condominium-hotel" arrangements.
Parking meters get smart
NORTH HOLLYWOOD - They take credit and debit cards and will even send you
text messages when they need more money. And no, they are not your children,
they actually are talking parking meters. New, fancy, high-tech ones.
December 12, 2007
Parks, Ridley-Thomas to duke it out for Burke's supervisorial seat
For the first time in more than a decade, a high-stakes race is under way
for a Los Angeles County supervisorial seat in an election that could
significantly reshape the region's longtime political power base.
Coastal Commission kills extra fees for Oceanside beach resort
OCEANSIDE -- Passionate testimony Wednesday from the entire Oceanside City
Council convinced the California Coastal Commission to waive controversial
per-room fees for new hotel projects being built near the city's waterfront.
December 11, 2007
Vallejo swears in 2nd new mayor in week; judge won't block recount
Vallejo got a new mayor - for the second time in a week. Osby Davis was
sworn in Tuesday night after a Solano County judge declined to block results
of a recount in the city's mayoral election that put him ahead of Mayor Gary
Cloutier by two votes.
December 5, 2007
Daly's measure would set aside taxes for affordable S.F. housing
San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly put finishing touches on a proposed City
Charter amendment to set aside a share of annual property taxes to support
affordable housing development in the city, setting the stage for a City
Hall debate over budget priorities and possibly giving voters their say on
the issue next fall.
December 1, 2007
San Diego port, border in line for $400 million
Following a decision last week in Sacramento, San Diego County is in
position to snare a significant chunk of the $500 million it was seeking
from state bond proceeds for transportation projects that speed the delivery
of goods.
November
27, 2007
Judge upholds Laguna Beach's funding of day labor center
An Orange County Superior Court judge has rejected arguments by illegal
immigration opponents who want Laguna Beach to stop funding a controversial
day labor center.
City hopes to persuade its residents to create habitats in their yards
CHULA VISTA - Chula Vista's goal is to become a Community Wildlife Habitat
Area. The National Wildlife Federation will certify the city when at least
300 of its 230,000 residents have their yards designated as NatureScapes.
November
25, 2007
UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL: Tuneup needed
San Diego's two-year experiment with a "strong mayor" form of government has
strengthened accountability at City Hall. Now, at least, voters know exactly
who is in charge - Mayor Jerry Sanders - and therefore who merits praise or
scorn for the performance of our municipal government. No longer does a
powerful but unelected city manager working behind the scenes orchestrate
the actions of the City Council.
State, feds expected to help in covering the costs
Early tallies show that local governments spent more than $80 million
fighting the October wildfires, but they are counting on federal and state
agencies to reimburse them for most of the costs.
November
21, 2007
DAN WALTERS: Competing plans cloud the debate
Californians should be prepared to be confused over two measures headed for
next June's ballot, both of which purport to reform how state and local
governments seize private property under a process called "eminent domain."
DAVID LAZARUS "Flood of plastic bags in L.A. needs solution"
Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes stood Tuesday on the bank of the L.A.
River and pointed at the white plastic bags hanging from scruffy trees in
the waterway.
We'd ventured to this most dubious of L.A. landmarks as, hundreds of miles
to the north, San Francisco on Tuesday became the first city in the nation
to officially ban use of traditional plastic bags by supermarkets.
November
19, 2007
Study names Mission Viejo safest city in U.S
A controversial new study based on annual FBI crime statistics names Mission
Viejo the safest city in the nation. Lake Forest ranked 10th and Irvine was
No. 11.
November
15, 2007
L.A. lawmakers getting 4% raises
A salary schedule approved by voters in 1990 means that 18 officials,
including the mayor and City Council members, will receive the increases
without debate. Villaraigosa says he'll turn his down.
November
14, 2007
County leaders told to cut greenhouse gases
OAKLAND
- Underscoring the urgent need to combat global warming,
Attorney General Jerry Brown warned county leaders from across
the state Tuesday that they must reduce greenhouse gases when
planning new developments or run the risk of costly lawsuits.
Encinitas
debates smoking ban at beaches, parks
ENCINITAS
-- After years of resistance by the City Council, Encinitas is
poised to become the next and one of the last coastal cities
in San Diego County to enact a smoking ban at beaches.
Divided
City Council re-elects Peters as president
SAN
DIEGO - Scott Peters will keep the post through 2009 after
being elected to a third straight one-year term, but for the
first time, the vote was not unanimous.
November
7, 2007
City goes on record against tunnel
DEL
MAR - In a letter to the San Diego Association of Governments,
the city is asking the agency to remove the mention of a
tunnel from the draft of a regional transportation plan.
November
6, 2007
1-year
beach booze ban passed
S.D. council settles on late compromise
No
more wine at the beach at sunset. No more cold brews on the
coast after work. No more of the drunken revelry that led to a
near riot on Labor Day.
November
3, 2007
Coastal
Commission delays action on Oceanside resort
OCEANSIDE
-- The city is working with developer S.D. Malkin to build a
293-room Westin resort on two city-owned blocks at Pacific
Street and Mission Avenue, just east of the Oceanside
Municipal Pier. However, before it can be built, Oceanside
needs to amend its shoreline planning document, called a Local
Coastal Program, and the Coastal Commission needs to approve
those changes.
Water
sprinkler requirement is a hot topic in some cities
With
images of burning homes still on their minds from the recent
firestorms, several North County coastal cities are
considering tighter legislation to protect homes.
October
31, 2007
Work
begins to shore up landslide
LA
JOLLA - Four weeks to the day since a massive chunk of Mount
Soledad came crashing down, seriously damaging 13 homes, city
crews will begin shoring up the damaged hillside today.
Region's
cities considering disaster leave policies
NORTH
COUNTY -- Widespread evacuations during last week's wildfires
have prompted cities across the region to rethink their
policies on paid leave for employees forced to flee their
homes during a disaster.
October
28, 2007
DANIEL
WEINTRAUB
A
surprising benefit from Prop. 13 in downturn
County
assessors across the state are taking a new look at properties
that have changed hands since just before the boom went bust.
Those that have declined in value will be getting a reduction
in their taxes reflecting the drop.
DEBRA
J. SAUNDERS
Bye-bye
Wi-Fi
The
Special City does not need free Wi-Fi. The free market works.
Residents can purchase Wi-Fi access from a number of
companies. Laptop owners can access free Wi-Fi if they buy a
cup of coffee at many coffee shops. Or they can go to the San
Francisco Main Library for free Wi-Fi - as well as the use of
a computer; 20 library branches also offer a free ride on the
Internet.
SAC
BEE EDITORIAL
Fire
is a part of California; state must prepare
More
can be done with zoning, building codes and creating
defensible spaces.
Berkeley
may prod homes to go solar
Berkeley
is hoping to become a model for cities nationwide with a plan
to bankroll homeowners who want to install solar energy
systems.
UNION-TRIBUNE
EDITORIAL
Curb housing?
The
return of catastrophic wildfires in San Diego County has
reopened a predictable debate about prohibiting home
construction in rural - and even suburban - areas.
October
27, 2007
SHRIDER
COLUMN
Recycling's
dirty word: mandated
It's
no surprise that a number of local residents are less than
thrilled with a Bakersfield City Council committee's approval
Thursday night of a proposal to mandate curbside recycling.
Irrigation
irritations plague cities
As
drought-conscious Southern California cities urge water
conservation, too many city- and state-owned watering systems
waste millions of gallons on roadways.
Los
Angeles utility chief resigns
The
head of the nation's largest municipal utility resigned
Friday, immediately igniting a debate over the process that
will be used by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to find
a successor.
LOS
ANGELES TIMES EDITORIAL
Preparing
for the next time
Yes,
fires are a part of life in California. No, that's no excuse
for bad zoning, sprawl and a lack of preparedness.
Plans
to fight climate change would make drivers pay most
If
the Bay Area is to make a real contribution to the fight
against global warming, it will require an aggressive program
to discourage solo vehicle commuting, along with improvements
in fuel economy and a new development paradigm that puts
people near jobs and public transit, Bay Area leaders were
told Friday.
Bay
Area facing lifestyle changes to achieve greenhouse gas goals
The
Bay Area might need smaller houses, higher gas taxes and tolls
on busy roads and congested business districts if it is to
meet the state's goals for the reduction of greenhouse gases,
transportation and land use officials said Friday.
Prop.
218 greases the way to sewer
The
4-1 margin of approval for assessing homes to pay for a
treatment system gives the county a green light to continue
the process of building it.
Petition
may drown rate increase
Cambria
may become the first sizable community in California to turn
back water and sewer rate increases under provisions of the
state's Proposition 218.
October 18, 2007
L.A.
mayor pushes affordable housing plan
Proposal
to make developers include units for the poor and middle class
gets mixed reviews.
October
15, 2007
As
property values drop, residents seek tax break
SANTA
CRUZ - For new homeowners who may have watched in shock as the
value of their homes recently dropped to less than what they
paid, some relief could be on the way.
October 13, 2007
Alatorre's
back as unofficial lobbyist
The
former councilman, who left under an ethical cloud, has
returned as an unregistered advocate for companies seeking
city business.
Shining
a light on appointees
L.A.
Councilwoman Wendy Greuel wants to require city commissioners
to report all meetings and contacts with lobbyists.
Mobile-home
rent-control bill vetoed
"It
feels like a kick in the solar plexus," said Supervisor
Steve Bennett of Ventura when informed of the veto. Bennett
had helped mobilize local government officials across the
state in support of the bill, AB1542, by Assemblywoman Noreen
Evans, D-Santa Rosa.
City
may require sites for laborers
A
plan to require large home improvement stores to set aside
space for day laborers moved ahead Friday as the Los Angeles
City Council asked for a final ordinance.
October 12, 2007
Encinitas
to form environmental panel
ENCINITAS
---- The City Council voted 5-0 Thursday to form an advisory
panel on environmental matters.
October
9, 2007
Council
to hold meeting on ferry services takeover
The
City Council made the decision last week after expressing its
own concerns about state Senate Bill 976, which would place
the Alameda/Oakland and Harbor Bay Isle ferries under the
authority of a new agency, the Bay Area Water Emergency
Transportation Authority.
OPINION:
Supervisors Bill Campbell and Chris Norby
The
Orange Grove: Planning for the future of O.C. Parks
The
Board of Supervisors has recently taken significant steps to
broaden and deepen our commitment to public recreational and
leisure opportunities.
Developer
is working on bayfront land swap
CHULA
VISTA - San Diego-based Pacifica Cos., which has been working
since 2000 on a plan to build condos and at least one hotel on
the Chula Vista bayfront, has agreed to scale down the project
and move it to a new site - across from the Chula Vista Marina
- to protect wetlands.
Tax
ballot measure would be illegal, city attorney says
CORONADO
- A private foundation that raises money for Sharp Coronado
Hospital could receive a revenue boost from a ballot proposal
to increase the city's room tax. The problem is, city
officials say it would be an illegal gift of public funds.
October 7, 2007
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