SB 149 CONCERNS
August 8, 2003
The Honorable Darrell Steinberg
Chair, State Assembly Appropriations Committee
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Assemblymember Steinberg:
The League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula has opposed SB 149 since it was first proposed. We appreciate your efforts to make SB 149 a more constructive, positive piece of legislation. In the course of committee review, a number of important statewide policy issues have been raised by other Assemblymembers as well.
If this bill is to be moved forward, we believe it should be revised as follows:
- The right of the local electorate to vote on proposed major projects if they are to be publicly funded should be retained. Voters within the district have the ultimate decision on whether or not to proceed with a proposed water supply project. We oppose any legislation which would eliminate this voter safeguard that currently protects water supplies against unsustainable development. The League has supported the District since its inception, in part, because of this unique mandate and its requirements for public participation.
- The priority for use of additional water (outside of the requirement to fulfill State ruling 95-10) should be given to approved affordable (low, moderate, or workforce) housing projects. The language should be strong and specific in mandating these objectives. The current amended language is neither strong nor enforceable. One suggestion for ensuring that this is done would be to have the additional water allocated to a Community Benefit Reserve, to be held by the Water Management District for distribution to approved qualified housing projects. These projects could be publicly or privately financed, with long-term affordability maintained through deed restrictions, inclusionary requirements, etc.
- The language currently addressing the dissolution of the district if it fails to approve an EIR for a project by January 1, 2007, should be clarified. The League supports the four legislated functions of the district, three of which are external to augmenting the water supply. We are concerned about who would assume responsibility of the district and these legislated functions if the district board were dissolved.
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.
Sincerely yours,
Beverly G. Bean, VMD
President, League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula
cc:
Assemblyman John Laird
Assemblyman Simon Salinas
Senator Bruce McPherson
Staff Consultant Steven Archibald
