HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 166-07 Oppose SB 375
RESOLUTION NO. 166- 07
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN
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OPPOSING CALIFORNIA SENATE BILL 375 (STEINBERG) - PREFERRED GROWTH
SCENARIOS AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN A LETTER OPPOSING SENATE
BILL 375
WHEREAS, the City of Dublin, along with many other cities, counties and councils of
government throughout the state, is concerned with greenhouse gas emissions and already make it a
practice to develop responsible planning and transportation guidelines that take into account and mitigate
environmental impacts of new growth to reduce emissions; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill (SB) 375 seeks to implement drastic new land-use changes well in
advance of the implementation guidelines being developed as a result of California's landmark
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill, Assembly Bill (AB) 32; and
WHEREAS, sufficient time needs to be taken to develop and understand AB 32 implementation
guidelines before significant new land-use changes like those proposed in SB 375 are considered that
could conflict with or negatively impact implementation of AB 32; and
WHEREAS, while SB 375 claims to use transportation funding as "incentives" for complying
with the new land-use laws and the state's definition of a "preferred growth scenario", it actually holds
transportation funding hostage as a means of enforcing the new state-imposed growth requirements; and
WHEREAS, transportation funds are spread evenly in communities throughout the state to
improve safety, relieve congestion and reduce vehicle emissions through congestion relief projects.
Changing the rules or withholding transportation funding could halt needed transportation improvement
projects throughout California; and
WHEREAS, SB 375 essentially puts the state, not localities, in charge of all new growth and
development in California by establishing complicated and sweeping changes to local land-use decision
making. SB 375 would replace community decision-making with state-knows-best land-use rules that
dictate where and how communities grow, irrespective of local needs and concerns; and
WHEREAS, this legislation also puts enormous power and responsibility in the hands of regional
councils of government, which must develop growth plans based on the very prescriptive state-imposed
requirements in SB 375; and
WHEREAS, SB 375 would impose complicated new requirements on not only local governments
but also regional councils of government, the California Transportation Commission, and the California
Air Resources Board, to name a few; and
WHEREAS, despite these massive changes and potential impacts on every community, there has
not been a coordinated or thorough debate on SB 375; and
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WHEREAS, rushing this bill through the last weeks of legislative session is bad policy and could
have drastic unintended consequences.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Dublin
that we hereby oppose SB 375 and urge the Honorable Senator Darrell Steinberg to declare SB 375 a two
year bill.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we hereby authorize the listing of our City in formal
opposition to this measure by the No on SB 375 Coalition and authorize the Mayor to sign a letter in
opposition of SB 375.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Dublin on this 4th day of
September, 2007 by the following vote:
A YES: Councilmembers Hildenbrand, Oravetz, Scholz and Mayor Lockhart
NOES: Councilmember Sbranti
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
ATTEST:
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Inte~m City Clerk
G:\SB 375\SB 375\CC Reso.doc
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