Budget and economics trend up, Burlingame

The Daily Journal/Austin Walsh, 6/15/15.  "Budget booms in Burlingame: Officials hoping to capitalize on thriving local economy."

Downtown

California Street at train station

As the economy throughout the Peninsula keeps humming, Burlingame is expecting to reap the benefits as its budget is projected to grow from revenue generated by packed hotels and thriving sales tax.

....  The city’s general fund has been thriving over recent years, increasing by more than $17 million since 2011, according to a city report. But amidst this ongoing economic boom, officials are cognizant of the need to maintain fiscal responsibility, City Manager Lisa Goldman said in an email. ...  “With aging infrastructure and a large list of unfunded projects, however, we are continuing to hold down spending while exploring new sources of revenue,” she said. Councilman Ricardo Ortiz echoed those sentiments.

... “We still have huge unfunded capital improvements that we need to be aware of.” Ortiz identified the construction of a new recreation center, the possible relocation of City Hall and interest in developing a park on a chunk of Bayfront property as potential future projects officials need to keep an eye to funding.
 ....  The city may need to look into the feasibility of floating to voters a public financing measure, such as a bond, which would provide the funding to build some of the major capital improvement projects officials have identified, said Ortiz.  Read article.

Related - City of Burlingame, CA.  City-Data.  Note photographs: Broadway downtown area from Acumen, LLC; street view from Wikipedia/Spanish.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

City Council approves budget, 2015-16

City swimming in quarters

 Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop, 6/23/15.  "Council approves 2015-16 budget."

"City Council unanimously approved the budget for the fiscal year 2015-16 Monday.  Lorenzo Hines, Jr., assistant city manager, went over the information presented in past budget discussions in this final session."Cost recovery is key and we are living within our means," he said.

.... The general fund has a balance of $28,751,310. All of the other funds total $73,971,376. The budget includes a work plan prioritizing City Council goals.

.... City staff reported an inter-fund loan of $2.2 million between Fund 9 and Fund 22 had been made in 2003 and never repaid. That loan remains outstanding."  Read article.

Note photograph. Face image page to Universiteit Utrecht

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Clean government organization is promoting AB 700, funding disclosure for ballot measures and ads

This meeting is past, but the AB 700 content links and information are timely, so I'm posting it.  Duh, I set up the article without paying attention to the event date. Want to announce an event or a meeting, send us the information in advance; otherwise, this could happen to your group too (lol). 

From Pacifica Tribune/Meetings, 6/23/15, "Democrats' Meeting."

Support voter ballot and ad disclosure,
and stop hidden money and influence. 

Gosh, that legislation was a surprise,
but think I'll quit anyhow, August 6th.

"Regional coordinator of California Clean Money Campaign, David Schmidt is the featured speaker at the upcoming Pacifica-Daly City Democrats monthly meeting on Saturday, June 20. The breakfast meeting is held in the rear banquet room of the Sharp Park Golf Course Restaurant, Sharp Park Blvd. and Hwy 1 in Pacifica.

David Schmidt will speak about the nonprofit, nonpartisan sponsor of AB700, the California DISCLOSE act (Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections) which would require clear, readable disclosure of the top three funders of ballot proposition campaigns on all print ads and top two funders for radio ads.

David is the author of Citizen Lawmakers: The Ballot Initiative Revolution. The book covers the history and impact of ballot proposition campaigns in all fifty states. The general public is invited. It is not necessary to be a member of the club or be a Democrat to attend. A full breakfast is offered at $12; continental breakfast at $6; coffee only at $3. No purchase is required. Doors open at 9 a.m. The meeting runs from 9:30am-11:30am. For any questions or to RSVP, please contact Judy Heldberg, club president, at judyece@aol.com. 

Reference,  AB 700 Assembly Bill, introduced by Assembly Members Jimmy Gomez and Marc Levine, 2/25/15. California Clean Money Campaign sponsor, AB 700 general provisions:  "Lets voters know who really is paying for political ads — on the ads themselves. Ballot measure ads will have to clearly and prominently list their three largest funders. "Follow-the-money" disclosure stops dark money from hiding. Applies to all kinds of political ads, including TV, radio, print, and websites."  Learn more. 

Related, general Pacifica-Daly City Democrats Club information - Pacifica Tribune, 6/23/15, "What's happening in Pacifica."

Note photographs - Data disclosure split from MKK, disclosure platform, central securities depository, Turkey.  Hiding "read before you're ready to respond" Jon Stewart from a Huffington Post article.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Bay Area, City and County governing structure

In the following Bay Area sea level rising article, Bay Area government authority is discussed.
 
City government structure. Daily Journal (San Mateo County), Editorial/Jon May, Editor in Chief, 6/12/15. "No necessity for new government agency."

Well then, back-off. Once again, the entire city
council concedes to Gang of NO mob rule.

Everything is "fine", while
this City rots. "Make nice",
that's the old and new normal.

" ....  In this area, San Mateo County is unique in that it is a collection of cities and a county government that has control over the unincorporated areas and several key departments such as health and human services and the Sheriff’s Office. However, the county government acts more like a first among equals rather than an agency with oversight authority of its cities.

Cities with strong Mayors.  San Francisco is a city/county structure with a strong mayor who acts as the chief executive of the city and Board of Supervisors. Santa Clara County has a Board of Supervisors with a strong mayor in its largest city, San Jose. In Alameda County, the board has a similar structure as San Mateo County, but it has a strong mayor in its largest city, Oakland.

Cities without strong Mayors. San Mateo County does not have a strong mayor of any of its cities and its two largest cities, Daly City and San Mateo, are of relatively similar size. In San Mateo County cities, the mayor position is rotated among councilmembers for either one year or two, with the exception of San Bruno, which has a separately elected mayor who is not the chief executive of the city. The chief executive position for each San Mateo County city is the city manager, who is appointed by the council.

That leaves the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors as the default leaders of the county, but its purview is limited to its unincorporated areas and its department heads, some of whom are elected. At times, it does take the lead on ordinances, such as the plastic bag rules, but it’s challenging for larger issues. There was some discussion years ago of the county taking the lead on fire department mergers, but the board took a back seat and let the individual cities decide what was best. The county is forming task forces on housing and the minimum wage, but again, those are issues that it can only control in unincorporated areas and see if individual cities want to follow its lead. Does this work OK? Well, it is what it is and any changes to it would be challenging, for sure, and with a very specific rationale that we have yet to encounter. That’s one of the primary reasons for the City/County Association of Governments as a supplemental government structure to take on countywide issues. And that’s why it is the perfect agency to take up this issue of sea level rise, its possible impacts, and what, if anything, should be done about it."

Note graphic/photograph. Denial image  from True News (the bund) blog, "...Good government clueless..." "Whatever you want..", (Mayor Rahm Emanuel) by Zbigniew Bzdak from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Politics and City Life Magazine.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Missing $4 Million

Well, miss digre can't claim she doesn't know anything about this!

www.fixpacifica.com/docs/pacifica_interfund_loans.pdf

Submitted by Jim Wagner

Mountain biking in our environment

Pacifica Tribune/Jim Sullivan, 6/23/15. "Riding the hills."

Our trail is our erosion, oh well.

"Riding my mountain bike up the Old San Pedro Road above Linda Mar district last week I glanced up towards Montara Mountain, Montara Knob, North+South Peaks, Sweeney and Milagra Ridges. ....  From Pacifica all the way to Half Moon Bay, there are trails and fire-roads on which to ride. 

.... What we volunteers on the Pacifica Open Space and Parklands Committee seek is to familiarize any and all within earshot of the multitude of trails that lace the hills and beaches that surround us in Pacifica. From entry level-kid friendly beginner trails to Olympic level athlete challenging terrain." Read article.

---------- 
Related - International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), Jeff Marion and Jeremy Wimpey, (2007), from a IMBA book. "Environmental impacts of mountain biking: science review and best practices." "Mountain biking is still a relatively new activity whose environmental impact and contribution to trail degradation is poorly understood. As with all recreational pursuits, it is clear that mountain biking contributes some degree of environmental degradation.

In the absence of adequate research, land and trail managers have frequently been cautious, implementing restrictive regulations in some instances (Edger 1997). Surveys of managers have shown that they frequently perceive mountain biking to be a substantial contributor to trail degradation but lack scientific studies or monitoring data to substantiate such concerns (Chavez and others 1993; Schuett 1997). ... Trails are generally regarded as essential facilities in parks and forests. They provide access to remote areas, accommodate a diverse array of recreational activities, and protect resources by concentrating visitor trampling on narrow and resistant tread surfaces. ..." 

Related, YouTubes. The thrill of the ride, Jake Taylor, 1/31/12, Pacifica mtb/mountain biking/bay area mountain biking., 27:32 minutes. Or, or the even "more quick and scary" version. Anthony Passemard,"Downhill mountain bike, the mile in Pacifica, CA, 4:35 minutes.  Both are nuts from my view.

Note photograph from MTBR, NORCAL/Top Two Coastal riding towns, Mendocino/Mendobikesprite comment, 11/26/11. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Continuing saga of lawsuits for payday

And here comes another Plater-cash sand trap

From San Francisco Chronicle/local/Opinion: C.W. Nevius, 6/22/15. "Sharp Park Golf Course fight an endless bogey", (the link requires a sign-in).

"The opponents of Sharp Park Golf Course don’t know when to quit. As always, advocacy is a wonderful thing — until it turns into simple bullheadedness. For almost five years, environmental advocates have been battling changes to the 83-year-old course in Pacifica. Although golfers say the renovations, including a new lagoon for wildlife, will actually enhance the natural habitat, members of groups like the nonprofit Wild Equity Institute insist that the changes will harm the endangered California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake.

OK, fair enough. It is worth taking a careful look at that issue. The problem is, we already have. This has been studied and litigated — extensively — over and over. In ruling after ruling, the plans created by the city of San Francisco and the Recreation and Park Department have been found to be in compliance. Yet a small group (which is getting smaller) battles on. A call to Wild Equity was not returned, but Executive Director Brent Plater gave a radio interview about a week ago in which he said his goal was to “repurpose Sharp Park as a new kind of public park,” which would involve getting rid of the golf course and turning the land over to the National Park Service. I wouldn’t hold my breath for that one.

An example of how support is evaporating is that when the latest appeal was turned down on May 28, most members of the coalition pulled out. After starting with six plaintiffs, ranging from the Sierra Club to a group called “Save the Frogs,” they are now down to one — Wild Equity.

Within days of the May ruling, Wild Equity filed an appeal of the permit to begin work, which was issued by the California Coastal Commission.“This is their last-gasp effort,” said Morrison Foerster attorney Chris Carr, whose firm took the case pro bono. “To me this is a measure of the zealousness and unreasonableness of Wild Equity.”
This new complaint does not stop work on the project, which has already begun. Halting it now would be a long shot at best. “They are going to keep at this and hope people get tired of it,” Carr said. “That’s not going to happen.”

Submitted by Jim Wagner

Note:  photograph from Golf Club Atlas, a website and article from Bob Links and Richard Harris.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Big Wave Coastal Commission Appeal again, appellant claims water supply issue. Update: no standing

Update: Appellant has no standing, San Mateo County has the final word, and the project will be built.

Half Moon Bay Review/Julia Reis, 6/18/15.  "Big Wave appealed to Coastal Commission again."

Still looking for final thumbs up soon

Big Wave project location near Pillar Point Harbor

"A member of the Midcoast Community Council has appealed the Big Wave North Parcel Alternative to the California Coastal Commission. .... The basis of her appeal is her concern that the project would tax Montara Water and Sanitary District’s water supply.  Erin Deinzer (the individual appellant) is a Montara resident. 

 .... The Coastal Commission office is now determining whether Deinzer’s appeal has standing, which would be confirmed if she raised concerns about the project locally. .... Coastal Commission District Manager Nancy Cave said this process should be completed by the end of the week.

 ....  In January, the San Mateo County Planning Commission voted 4-1 to approve the project.  Cave wrote in a May letter to the county that the commission supported the county’s approval of a coastal development permit for the project."   Read article.

Update.  Half Moon Bay Review/Julia Reis, 6/24/15. "Appeal of big wave dismissed, County approval deemed final word." "The California Coastal Commission has found that an appeal of the Big Wave North Parcel Alternative filed on June 12 lacks standing. That means the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors’ May approval of the project appears to be the final word.

Barring any legal action, the ruling effectively ends years of regulatory review of the project at the state and local level and paves the way for planners to apply for a construction permit. Once obtained, said Big Wave spokesman Jeff Peck on Tuesday, construction on the buildings that would house developmentally disabled adults will start next summer."

Reference, Big Wave Project, Community living for individuals with learning disabilities.  Related,  Midcoast community council, "Big Wave hearing at Planning Commission, 11/12/14," (a map enlarges to better describe the location).  Also see Fix Pacifica reprint articles, search "Big Wave".

Note photographs, graphics:  Thumbs-up from Big Wave Project/About. View of project location by Lisa Ketcham, Loma Prieta Sierra Club, from an article by Anneliese Agren titled, "Wave good-bye to Big Wave", Land use, January/February, 2010. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Surfer's beach erosion, Princeton: bring in the sand

Half Moon Bay Review/Ester Hahn, 6/17/15. "Officials look to save Surfer's Beach. Harbor board tackles beach erosion."

Beachside view, 2009

Highway view, 2014

"The city of Half Moon Bay and San Mateo County have partnered to address the ongoing erosion concerns at Surfer’s Beach, and the San Mateo County Harbor District aims to lead the beach replenishment effort.  Harbor Commissioners Nicole David and Pietro Parravano are active on the Beach Replenishment Committee that has met twice so far. And at tonight’s Harbor District meeting (6/16/15), David plans to present a draft plan for sand replenishment.

“A pilot study design was developed, but we don't have funding for it yet,” David wrote, via email. “The Harbor District could be the local lead agency and collaborate with state, federal and other local agencies for the review, permitting and implementation process.”

In addition to what has been discussed at committee meetings, the Harbor Commission has also taken into consideration the work already accomplished by the Coastal Sediment Management Workgroup, memorialized in the Coastal Regional Sediment Management Plan for the Santa Cruz Littoral Cell. “The district has the sediment resources to supply such a pilot project and could also develop a long-term sediment management plan that includes dredging and the beneficial use of dredged material,” David added.  The beach work is part of a multipronged approach to the stretch of coastline that also requires repairs and reinforcements to the seawall and to the bluffs adjacent to Highway 1."

Related article - Half Moon Bay review/Mark Noack, 10/30/14, "County shares ideas to shield Surfer's Beach." .... "County Supervisor Don Horsley first highlighted the Surfer’s Beach erosion as a major emerging problem last year after discussions with local business owners and nonprofits. Since then, the county has taken the lead in spearheading a temporary solution in partnership with the city of Half Moon Bay and Caltrans. All three government agencies have a common interest in protecting the spot because they all own land near the beach strip."

Related article update - Daily Journal (San Mateo County), Samantha Weigel, 6/23/15, "Harbor District take lead on Surfer's Beach..." ... "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which constructed the jetty used to protect boats in the harbor but is contributing to the loss of sand and erosion at the beach, has been conducting a study to determine whether it has an interest in such a project. .... Tom Kendall, chief of planning branch for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District...  noted the riprap protects Highway 1 and the sand protects the riprap, which makes protecting the road a secondhand benefit. While the main advantage would be recreational, for which there is value associated, if the study proved the project would directly serve Highway 1, that would be considered a more pronounced benefit, Kendall said.

Note photographs:  2014 view, Midcoast Community Council/Highway 1, "Highway protection at Surfers' Beach". 2009 vuew, Coastsider, Surfrider Foundation announcement by Sabrina Brennan, 10/20/09.

Posted by Kathy Meeh