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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-04-21; City Council; 8971; Continued Support for Regional Planning Boardw �4 o 4 U N ><I b4-3 r1 o 3 0 H ow 4j W a)r. w o a a�4 o a an as U � q a) Cd O H *-I U W 4J u� 4J a) a a� 4, o �a era a�i 3 41 4J a w Iw � � a o o U W U I- 00 I 00 cV u H V J z n O AB# `� 7l MTG. 4/21 /87 Councilma DEPT. MamaLix CI`":%0F CARLSBAD - AGEW '...::BILL TITLE: CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL PLANNING BOARD Should the City Council continue support for a Regional Planning Board that only has Carlsbad as a potential participant and has not held any meetings. ITEM EXPLANATION Approximately one year ago the Carlsbad City Council endorsed Council Member Pettine's proposal for the formation of a Regional Planning Board. Since that time no other city in the North County has agreed to participate in the concept proposed by Mr. Pettine. This proposal was planned from the beginning and destined to failure. So far all that has been accomplished is publicity and political rhetoric from Mr. Pettine. DEPT. HD. CITY ATTY CITY MGR._____,Z It is requested that Mr. Pettine present a report on why he thinks the idea failed. It is also requested that Mr. Pettine present reasons why the City of Carlsbad should continue to be the only City playing this game. There are several ways in which this failed operation can be saved. It will take cooperation and work by Mr. Pettine. Merely calling for a program by a council member does not make it happen. FISCAL IMPACT None EXHIBIT 1. Memo from Mr. Pettine, dated February 11, 1986. OPENING STATEMENT As # 6 i l I do not take regional planning or intergovernmental relations lightly. They are the 'buzz' words of the late 1980's in local government. They are not new and are definitely not new to Carlsbad and San Diego County. During the early 19601s, I became involved in many regional planning and intergovernmental issues. It was an arduous task, for example, to secure reasonable Mutual Aid Agreements between cities and fire districts. I was involved in the formation of the Comprehensive Planning Organization (CPO) that eventually became what is now called SANDAL. This organization began its administrative function in the Office of the County Engineer. To do it properly there were a myriad of administrative details to attend to. It was not an easy task. The issues that concerned cities, the County and special districts were addressed through monthly meetings of elected officials, City Managers and Planning Directors. This fundamental practice is in existence today, some 25 years later. The professionals meet and discuss issues and recommend actions that should be addressed by the elected representatives. There was an old fear that one city would propose a steel mill on its boundary adjacent to an outstanding residential neighborhood in the next city. The basic fear was that this could be accomplished under cover of darkness and that cities would be defenseless from their neighbors. 2 To a degree those fears have been alleviated through the utilization of the E.I.R. process. That basic fear is as outdated as college students burning campuses and bank buildings. The Trash -to -Energy plant in San Marcos is a good example. The City of Carlsbad has hired environmental consultants to review the E.I.R. and we will have an opportunity to comment and ask for mitigation of potential hazards of that plant. We have a policy on a Planning Review Board that may be sending contrasti:,q signals to our governental neighbors. We have stated that we want all Planning Directors to meet once a month to discuss planning issues and to report back to their respective employers. Sounds nice, but it has not been effective for the following reasons: 1) The proposed Planning Review Board does not have any policy -making individuals serving on the proposed board. 2) The Planning Directors already meet once a month, and have been doing so for at least 25 years. 3) Planning Directors already work over 60 hours a week and have very heavy work schedules: a) They must appear at City Council and Planning Commission evening meetings and must spend one night a week briefing City Council Members. 4) Mayors and Managers meet monthly to discuss regional issues. 5) To be effective the proposed Board would have to include School Boards, NCTD, and the many special districts. All of these agencies are having impacts on our landscapes. 6) To be effective the proposed Board must have a meeting schedule, meeting place, and a focal point to prepare an agenda and attend to many ministerial functions. Thus far, it has none of these items. 7) To be effective it must have the willing participation of all of the Planning Directors. That is missing at this time. 8) The issues to be covered have not been clearly defined. If the City of Carlsbad is going to continue to endorse this concept, the following matters should be considered: 1) Does this proposed review board meet any regional concerns not now being addressed? 2) Are the issues to be reviewed being handled by some other intergovernmental committee or commission? Is there an overlapping of work? A&, 4 For example: Would the proposed Review Board study: (1) Highway 78 widening; (2) the environmental issues involved in Highway 76 construction; (3) SANDAG is spending $50,000 on the Palomar Airport Road Study as part of the Highway 78 corridor; (4) the Trash -to -Energy Plant in San Marcos (in addition to our $10,•000 review of the E.I.R.; (5) the Encina LTAC has invested over $250,000 studying the problems inherent in the safe disposal of solid wastes. Would this proposed Board attempt to compete with that mountain of date., at what cost, and by whom; (6) there exists a committee that reviews the operatiuis and land uses surrounding Palomar -McClellan Airport - would this Board replace that committee? 3) In developing the modus operandi for this proposed Board, we must recognize the competition that should exist between cities. For example, if I attended a mee:ing where Oceanside discussed a major new facility for an outstanding company, I may want to try to move that company from Oceanside to Carlsbad. This would, of course, mean that neighboring cities will be reluctant to provide any information to competitors. 5 4) Carlsbad Planning Commissioners have instituted a successful meeting program of Commissioners, Directors and elected offidials. Will this proposed Board compete with that program and place an added workload on the Planning Director? This concept had a chance when proposed a year ago. However,y,a committment of time and effort from a policy making city official. it cannot work if the needed effort is not extended. Since there has not been any activity in this Carlsbad Policy position, it would appear that major revision of the philosophy and non -operations of this Board is in order.