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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-08-07; City Council; 16320; Regional Government Efficiency Commission FindingsAB# lb,330 MTG. &7-0/ DEPT. CM CITY OF CARLSBAD -AGENDA BILL do TITLE- -- Request to Present Findings and Recommendations from Regional Government Efficiency Commission and Provide Direction to Staff DEPT. HD. CITY ATTY. (!w CITY MGW RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive presentation on the findings and recommendations from the Regional Government Efficiency Commission (RGEC) and provide direction to staff. ITEM EXPLANATION: Based upon legislation approved in tRe 2000-01 legislative session (SB 329 - Peace), the Regional Government Efficiency Commission (RGEC) was created. RGECs mission was to 1) identify ways to consolidate government in the San Diego County Area, and 2) identify ways to make the existing government structures more coordinated. RGEC was comprised of an 11 member board with 2 Ex Officio members. RGEC began their work in February 2001, and concluded their deliberations with their findings and recommendations on July 27, 2001. Staff will provide a review and an analysis of RGECs findings and recommendations, and would request that Council provide direction to staff on this matter. FISCAL IMPACT: Unknown EXHIBITS: 1. RGEC Final Report, Dated July 30, 2001 San Diego Regional Government Efficiency Commission Commissioners Representing Byron Wear, Councilmember, San Diego JANTOC (Chair) Ramona Finnila, Councilmember, Carlsbad SANDAG (Chair) Leon Williams, Former Councilmember & County Supervisor, San Diego Julianne Nygaard, Councilmember, Carlsbad Admiral Paul Speer, Port Commissioner Greg Cox, Supervisor, San Diego County Denise Moreno Ducheny, Former State Assemblymember William Jones, Former Councilmember, San Diego Mel Katz Joseph P. Martinez Paul A. Peterson Jim Bartell, Councilmember, Santee Lori Holt Pfeiler, Mayor, Escondido Staff Kirk Mather Maurice Rahimi, Ph.D. Art Bauer Karen Scarborough Deanna Spehn Ken Hall Kay Carter Paul Grimes Peter Bryan MTDB (Chair) NCTD (Chair) Port of San Diego Border Infrastructure Financing District Governor Davis Governor Davis Governor Davis Governor Davis Governor Davis East County, (Ex-officio) North County, (Ex-officio) Program Manager Lead Consultant Consultant I Consultant Consultant Conference Coordinator Chief of Staff, Coucilmember Byron Wear Webmaster Media and Communication Throughout the San Diego Regional Efficiency Commission (RGEC) process, we have often heard observers from outside our community refer to the San Diego region as a model for others in the nation. Some have even wondered why we are evaluating the need for change. The answer is evident to those who call this region, “home.” The key to our achieved excellence has been and continues to be our proactive approach to avoiding or mitigating the problems that have plagued other major metropolitan regions. We strive to select our options before they are foreclosed. The staff of SANDAG, MTDB, NCTD, and the Port provided significant support to RGEC. SANDAG provided additional support by hosting the RGEC website. . 1 Mel Katz Paul Speer San Diego Regional Government Efficiency Commission Denise Moreno Ducheny Julianne Nygaard Paul Peterson (Ex-Officio) (Ex-Officio) Visioning Our Success A generation has passed, perhaps it is the year 2025 or beyond. Reflecting on our decisions in 2001 and what has happened since then, it is clear that the choices we created served us well. We sought better and newer options for regional governance. The Regional Government Efficiency Commission developed consensus through inclusion, respect, and trust. As a result, today we enjoy a cosmopolitan city atmosphere in our region, and sprawl has been managed. Our region offers affordable housing stock within walking, transit, or reasonable driving range of employment centers. While our older neighborhoods have been revitalized, they have maintained their unique character. Further, the San Diego region offers a variety of vibrant urban neighborhoods. Agricultural production and ambiance in parts of North and East County have been protected. Our “Region of Villages” strategy of concentrating density along vehicular and mass transit corridors, and in the urban neighborhoods of several of our cities, has enabled us to create and maintain sustainable communities where within close proximity, our citizens choose to live, work, and recreate. We, the citizens of the San Diego region, are proud to celebrate and honor our community diversity, where multiple cultures have propelled our rise toward excellence, achieved through our strongly held values of respect and inclusion for all. Having embraced our differences, we have become a close-knit community with a sense of belonging to a region we call, “home.” We vigorously pursue well-balanced policies where a broad spectrum of housing, commerce, employment, and recreation opportunities span geographic, socioeconomic, and ethnic boundaries. This value driven approach to governance and community empowerment has enabled us to avoid the kind of physical and economic decay that has plagued other major metropolitan areas. The choices we created through our decisions helped generate other creative choices, which empowered our region to achieve the following goals: 3 WE ENJOY LIVING IN THE SAN DIEGO REGION + Our growth patterns have allowed us to create, maintain, and enjoy our vibrant and sustainable communities. This was built on a balanced carrying capacity and on solid foundations of an all-encompassing and well-integrated planning and implementation process. Because of this, we are in an excellent position with regard to the vital resources needed by our region such as energy, water, parks, open space, transit centers, and jobs. l A wide variety of balanced and attainable housing options are available to all our citizens throughout our multiple and vibrant urban cores and the region at large. l Together with our Mexican neighbors to the south, we have successfully developed a truly bi-national region, where our cooperative efforts have enabled us to take full advantage of our Pacific Rim strategic location. We have become a crossroads for commerce, and our region is a mosaic of a wide array of unique cultures, which lends vitality to our cosmopolitan diversity. l We have clean, safe, and walkable neighborhoods with unique characteristics and with amenities available to all. 4 WE ENJOY WORKING IN THE SAN DIEGO REGION l Our first-class multi-modal and well-integrated transportation system links a region of sustainable neighborhoods. San Diego has become a model region for public transit where mass transit is many citizens’ first choice. Our balanced approach to planning and providing efficient means of moving people and goods has made San Diego a model for other regions. We have also been able to reverse previous gridlock trends. We have achieved this by enhancing our communities’ evolving carrying capacity through a well-balanced, quality of life oriented approach to infrastructure planning and development. l San Diego has a world-class air transportation system with sufficient capacity to meet the passenger and commercial demands of our region for many decades to come. These facilities are strategically located with an excellent multi-modal transportation system integrated into the facilities, connecting them to our own region, and beyond. l Within our well-preserved San Diego Bay, our unique harbor and port facilities offer a rare blend of maritime, tourism, recreation, housing and employment opportunities for all. l We place a paramount value on the education of all our children and our citizens. Our well- educated citizens and strong employment base assure well-paying job opportunities for all our citizens. Our economic prosperity is strengthened by diversification, geographically and by sector. We are able to successfully compete throughout the United States and globally for intellectual, financial and cultural resources. 5 WE ENJOY OUR RECREATION CHOICES l There is a clear distinction between those areas of the county where development may occur, and those areas set-aside for recreation, open space, and habitat preservation. l Our regional citizens enjoy an excellent quality of life through the use of a multitude of regional assets including our well-preserved and easily accessible, backcountry, open space, natural habitat areas, and urban parks. Our beaches have become a national model for their public access and cleanliness, preserved through state of the art sand replenishment, watershed management, and control of stormwater runoff. 6 FISCAL REFORM l We have been successful in seeking statewide fiscal reform and our region, as well as our individual communities, are receiving a much larger percentage of property tax revenues than has historically been true. l We have been successful in our attempts to have the federal government return a fair share of our tax dollars back to our region. This has helped our region meet its significant infrastructure needs. l We have been successful in reversing fiscalization of land use in our region, which had provided disincentives for a balanced approach to community planning. 7 The foregoing is the vision we have adopted for our home, the San Diego region. Our collective challenge, as laid before us by the California State Legislature through Senate Bill 329 (SB 329) is to identify the means and the vehicles to get us from where we are today to where we desire to be in the future. 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page VISION STATEMENT 03 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HISTORY OF REGIONALISM IN SAN DIEGO, SINCE THE 1950’S 11 A. San Diego Unified Port District 12 B. San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) 13 C. Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) 15 D. North County Transit Development (NCTD) 16 E. Joint Agency Negotiation Team on Consolidation (JANTOC) 17 F. SB 329 Creates the Regional Government Efficiency Commission 20 - RGEC Meeting Schedule 23 2. RGEC RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE 24 A. Consolidation Plan 26 B. San Diego Airport Authority Plan 43 C. Coordination Plan 47 D. Fiscal Reform Recommendations 53 RECOMMENDATION FOR FUTURE ACTION 55 APPENDIX A. Reports of the five Working Groups 1. Transportation 2. Governance 3. Land use and Environment 4. Port 5. Joint Port/Transportation (Airport) B. Motions adopted by the Commission 1. Airport 2. Port 3. Land use and Environment 4. Transportation 5. Governance C. SANDAG Report D. NCTD Report E. City States Report F. JANTOC Report G. SANDAG Fiscal Reform Report H. Speaker’s Commission Fiscal Reform Report I. Regional Relationships with Tribal Governments J. Senate Bill 329 K. Mayor Murphy’s (Mayor of the City of San Diego) Proposal L. Summary of the major responsibilities of the agencies addressed in SB 329 10 HISTORY OF IXEGIONALISM IN SAN DIEGO A. San Diego Unified Port District In 1962, the San Diego Unified Port District, a special-purpose unit of government, was created by an act of the state legislature and approved by affected voters. The Port of San Diego was given the authority to manage State tidelands within the cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, Coronado, National City, and Imperial Beach. This transfer by the voters, by implication, also transferred the Pueblo Lands directly conveyed by Mexico to the City of San Diego as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The District was established to hold in trust those tidelands to the benefit the Citizens of California with the purpose of managing the San Diego Harbor and the airport at Lindbergh Field. The Port was given significant powers including taxation, eminent domain, land use control on and off of tidelands, and the ability to issue bonds. The Port of San Diego has the authority to run off-tideland airports, but does not have the ability to site a new airport; that power is currently vested with San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). The Port of San Diego is fiscally self-sufficient and has not exercised its taxing authority in the past three decades. The Port of San Diego manages 5,287 acres of tidelands. It has transformed San Diego Bay from a once heavily polluted body of mudflats into one of the world’s finest harbors. It has built, without tax dollars, the San Diego Convention Center, two marine terminals, a cruise ship terminal, miles of public promenades, 264 acres of public recreational facilities, and has conserved over 1,000 acres of wetlands. The Port of San Diego is governed by a seven member appointed board from its member cities. The Port Commissioners are non-paid. The Port operates Lindbergh Field International Airport, which serves over 15 million passengers a year. Revenue from the airport is required by federal law to be reinvested back into airport operations and facilities. 12 B. San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) In 1966, local governments created the Comprehensive Planning Organization (CPO) within San Diego County government. In 1970, the Governor designated the CPO as the Metropolitan Planning Organization to assure areawide coordination and to serve as the technical and informational resource for local governments. In 1971, the CPO was also designated as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency, Airport Land Use Commission, and Areawide Clearinghouse for federal/state grant reviews. In 1972, local governments acted to leave the County and-established the CPO as an independent Joint Powers Authority (JPA). In 1980, the CPO became the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), and is currently made up of all cities and the County, and has a weighted voting forrnula reflecting one person, one vote. It is the forum for regional decision-making. In November 1987, voters approved Proposition A, which established ?4 cent sales tax, now referred to as TransNet. In 1989, as approved by the voters, members designated SANDAG as the Regional Planning and Growth Management Review Board.’ SANDAG also serves as the congestion management agency, co-lead agency for air quality planning, toll bridge authority, and transportation demand management agency. It does criminal justice and habitat conservation planning, beach replenishment, and many other federal, state, and local functions as referred to in the appendices. ‘http:/lwww.sandag.cog.ca.ushvhats_newlbl 13 During the past year, SANDAG made new strides in the areas of growth management, habitat conservation planning, traffic management, and criminal justice research, while continuing to provide regional planning leadership in the areas of transportation, housing, open space, recycling, and hazardous waste management. These interrelated charges permit a more streamlined, comprehensive, and coordinated approach to planning for the region’s future without the need to create costly new government. SANDAG provides the most consolidated system and approach to regional planning of any regional agency in the State. 14 C. Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) The San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) was created by the California State Legislature in 1975 and empowered to plan, construct, and operate mass transit guideways, and to perform near-term planning. The agency has evolved into an umbrella organization that has broad transit development, planning, programming, and financing powers. Operations of transit services are performed by a variety of operational units controlled by MTDB in a unified system. This system has been officially called the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). Made up of six fixed-route bus carriers, one light rail transit (LRT) operator, and four general-purpose dial-a-rides, the MTS is characterized by unified fares, transfers, passes, and route numbers. The organizational basis for MTDB took hold with a concept presented to the MTD Board of Directors in January 1979. This concept described an agency that ‘I.. .would determine overall transit service levels, fares, schedules, and be responsible for public information about transit in the MTDB area of jurisdiction.. . The LRT operator is but one of several contract operators for transit and freight service operating to specifications established by the regional transit agency. All of these contract operations would thus fit together into a unified system from the point of view of the public.” 15 D. North County Transit District (NCTD) In 1976, in an effort to provide effective and efficient public transportation in North County, the California State Legislature, through Senate Bill 802, merged the Oceanside Transportation System and Escondido City Transit. The merger created the North County Transit District (NCTD) and its governing body, the North San Diego County Transit Development Board (NSDCTDB). NCTD began operation in 1976 with only 8 community routes, 17 inter-community routes, and 85 buses covering approximately 960 square miles. During the first few years, you simply waved for a bus to stop for you. Over time, routes were redesigned, bus stops were created and new routes were added to connect residential areas with major activity centers in the region. In 1978, new local service was established between Vista and Oceanside, and in 1980, De1 Mar was included in NCTD’s jurisdiction. Today, NCTD operates approximately 154 buses and 34 different routes, over 1,100 square miles, connecting Carlsbad, De1 Mar, Encinitas, Escondido, Fallbrook, University City, Oceanside, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Ramona, and Vista. In 1992, NCTD, in conjunction with MTDB, purchased 84 miles of railroad right-of-way and related property from the Santa Fe Railway and named it the San Diego Northern Railway. In 1995, Coaster Commuter Rail began service. 16 E. Joint Agency Negotiation Team on Consolidation (JANTOC) During the 2000 legislative session, California State Senator Steve Peace (D-La Mesa) introduced Senate Bill 329 (SB 329) with the intent of establishing a new form of regional government for San Diego County - the Regional Infrastructure and Transportation Agency (RITA). Senator Peace’s legislation, which he had been considering and discussing privately with local leaders for nearly a year, was seen as a call to action by some - eerily similar to Taps for others. Some people in the region felt threatened by the possible imposition of a new layer of government by the state. Others saw RITA as an opportunity to address critical infrastructure, land-use planning, and transportation needs, which seemed to be the subjects of perpetual study but limited action. The legislature intended to address the public’s perception that we are facing impending gridlock, and our roads, railroads, mass transit, and aviation facilities, do not currently have the capacity to eliminate the problems. In response to Senator Peace’s proposals, SANDAG formed the Joint Agency Negotiation Team on Consolidation (JANTOC), including representatives from the Port, SANDAG, MTDB, and NCTD to study regional consolidation, other forms of regional governance, and potential positive impacts of improved coordination between existing agencies. JANTOC met from April through August 2000 and focused on five models: 1) Enhancing Existing Structures; 2) Consolidation; 3) RITA; 4) The Portland Model; and 5) Expanded Board of Supervisors. 17 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Enhancing Existing Structures: This option kept the existing agencies intact as separate entities with their current boards and assumed a continuation of current efforts to improve coordination and communications, e.g., MTDB and NCTD Board representatives on SANDAG Board, joint policy meetings between NCTD and MTDB, and increased SANDAG and Port collaboration and joint Board meetings on airport issues. Consolidation: This option assumed the consolidation of the four agencies with one board of directors appointed by the 19 jurisdictions and included options for adding an additional county supervisor, additional City of San Diego council members, and others from the general public. Some of the roles and responsibilities would be consolidated into a single entity and others, primarily operations, would be retained by existing agencies that would take policy direction from the new entity. RITA: This option assumed the implementation of the regional governance as originally proposed in SB 329: a directly elected regional Board from nine districts, consolidation of MTDB, NCTD, the Port, and SANDAG; and the assumption of those agencies’ roles and responsibilities by a single entity. Portland Model: This option is based on a directly elected regional council (by districts), executive officer and auditor (regionwide) with broad enabling and operational responsibilities, including land-use authority. The transit agency (T&Met) is a separate agency whose Board is appointed by the Governor. Expanded Board of Supervisors: This option would expand the number of supervisors and districts, and absorb the roles and responsibilities of MTDB, NCTD, SANDAG, and some of the Port’s activities. 18 In its final report, JANTOC made the following recommendations: A region is best defined as a collection of economically, socially, culturally, and environmentally connected communities. A good regional decision must, by definition, be good for the communities that compose it. Therefore, regional decisions must be made by representatives of the constituent communities acting together. Goals for Consolidation were: 0 Manage future population growth, sustain economic prosperity, and provide a more efficient regional transportation system. l Link regional growth management responsibilities with local government growth responsibilities. l Simplify and ensure public accountability of regional decision-making. l Accomplish all this through enhancing of existing structures; consolidate regional transportation planning and programming functions of each of the three transportation agencies and the long- and short-range airport planning responsibilities of the Port. a Consolidate the Board of Directors of SANDAG, MTDB, and NCTD. Consider structure to allow future consolidation of other regional infrastructure functions. 19 F. SB 329 Creates Regional Government Efficiency Commission (RGEC) SB 329, which superseded the RITA proposal, was signed into law, establishing the Regional Government Efficiency Commission (RGEC), comprised of five members appointed by the Governor: the chairs of JANTOC, SANDAG, MTDB, NCTD, the Port, and the supervisor representing the Border Area Jnf?astructure Financing District (BAIFD). SB 329 mandated that by August 1,2001, RGEC shall submit to the legislature: a) a plan and draft legislation for consolidation of regional agencies; and b) a plan and draft legislation to improve coordination of regional agencies. At the same time, the California legislature’s Speaker of the House also acted to address this issue. The Speaker’s Commission on Regionalism was formed in 2001 ,and began a series of meetings. Speaker Robert Hertzberg stated, “The winners in the New Economy will be the regions that learn to work together to relieve traffic congestion, build affordable housing, preserve open space and promote economic development. If government is going to be effective in this new age, it is going to have to start thinking regionally. ” RGEC held its first official meeting on February 16,200l at SANDAG, where general organizational issues were addressed and tentative agreement was reached on an always- evolving Work Program. The next four meetings, up to and including April 16,200l at San Diego State University, served as a period of discovery for the Commissioners as they received briefings, and materials from SANDAG, MTDB, the NCTD, the Port, San Diego Dialogue, and the Boarder Area Infrastructure Financing District. All meetings were held in 20 accordance with the Bagley-Keene open meeting laws and public comment was encouraged. Many of the RGEC meetings were also televised. Over the course of the twenty-three meetings held by RGEC the Commissioners traveled throughout the County. From San Ysidro to Carlsbad, from the University of California San Diego to Escondido (three times), from San Diego State University and Santee to the County Administration Building, and from SANDAG and San Diego’s City Hall to the Viejas Tribal Hall conference room. RGEC met in the evening and on weekends in an effort to get as great a level of public participation as possible. Several Commissioners were frustrated, however, at the relative lack of public participation. On April 27th RGEC held a workshop,. Shaping Our Future, with the Citistates Group to discuss national best practices for regional governance and linking of transportation and land use decisions/policies. The workshop served as a precursor to an exciting all day summit, on Saturday April 28th. National experts gathered with hundreds on local leaders to discuss regionalism and its potential benefits for San Diego. Shapini ‘QW~“ Ft$$re i,l 21 Early in their deliberations, the Commissioners decided to create four Working Groups to conduct a more in-depth study of the four policy areas deemed paramount to the Commission’s work. The policy areas included: the Port, Transportation (these two groups later formed a joint sub-committee to review Air Transportation issues), Land Use & the Environment, and Governance. Members of the public, with an array of interests, were placed on these Working Groups to allow for greater citizen involvement in the process. The Working Groups submitted their reports (Please see appendix A for full text of these reports) back to RGEC in May and June, and provided an evaluation of specific options identified by the group, rather than specifying a preferred option. This strategy was utilized to allow for later integration of all the best options into a cohesive whole. Later, the chairs of each of the Working Groups, governor appointees on the Commission, offered motions for adoption on specific options to their fellow Commissioners (Please see appendix B for the full text of these motions). The final motion addressed the issue of governance, where at least six options where discussed and evaluated before the recommended option was selected. RGEC met its August 1,200l deadline and submitted the SB 329 mandated reports to the state legislature in addition to a report on its recommendations for the formation of an Airport Authority in the San Diego region, and a report on fiscal reform recommendations. 22 San Diego Regional Government Efficiency Commission Date Time Meeting 2/02 2116 3/02 3116 4106 4/l 6 4121 4127 4128 5104 5118 5/30 6/01 6107 6/13 6/14 6/15 6127 7106 7/l 1 7/16 7120 7127 9a lla 9a 9a 6:3Op 9:30a 2P 9a Ila 9a 6~ 9a 6~ 6~ 10:15a 9a 12n IOa 2P IP 9a IP SANDAG Annual Retreat Borrego Springs Commission Meeting #I SANDAG Commission Meeting #2 SANDAG Commission Meeting #3 San Ysidro School District Commission Meeting #4 Faraday Center, Carlsbad Commission Meeting #5 San Diego State University RGEC Workshop #6 SD County Citistates Panel Experts #7 SD City Hall Commission Meeting #8 CA Center for Arts, Escondido Commission Meeting #9 Santee City Hall Commission Meeting #I 0 Escondido City Hall Commission Meeting #l 1 SD City Hall Commission Meeting #12 SD County Commission Meeting #13 401 B Street, San Diego Commission Meeting #14 SD City Hall CA Speaker’s Commission Embarcadero Holiday Inn., SD Commission Meeting #I 5 Escondido City Hall Commission Meeting #I 6 SD City Hall Commission Meeting #I 7 Viejas Tribal Hall, Alpine Commission Meeting #18 SD City Hall Commission Meeting #I9 MTDB Board Room, SD Commission Meeting #20 UCSD Commission Meeting #21 UCSD Meetings Location 23 RGEC Recommendations to the California State Legislature Having dedicated ourselves to meeting this challenge, we offer the following strategic and tactical recommendations to the California State Legislature for its review and enactment. 24 The California State Legislature has mandated RGEC to submit two separate recommendations by August 1,200l. While both these reports address the potential future of the San Diego Region, they are different in scope. The following are RGEC’s recommendations on Consolidation, Aviation-Related Responsibilities, and Coordination: A plan for actual consolidation of regional land use and transportation planning programs under one umbrella agency. A plan for coordination of the programs of currently existing agencies addressing planning, construction, and operation of facilities dealing with transit, aviation, rail, and roadways. In addition to submitting the two above-mentioned reports, the Commission is submitting a third recommendation (not specifically requested in SB 329) to the California State Legislature: l A plan for consolidation of aviation-related responsibilities within the San Diego Region and the creation of a new Airport Authority in the region. 25 I SANDAG I REGIONAL AGENCY MTDB Three Agencies One Agency Consolidation Plan The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), and its successor the Transportation Efficiency Act for the 2 1 st Century (TEA-2 1 ), explicitly recognized the inseparable linkages among transportation planning, air quality, and land use policies. While the Federal Highway Administration developed clear guidelines and regulations with regard to air quality planning and its linkage to transportation planning, it left the integration of land use policies with transportation planning to local government policy makers. In recognizing the potential gains from consolidating and coordinating our regional transportation and land-use planning and implementation efforts, the Commission recommends that: A Regional Agency, shall be created by statute for the San Diego County Region to plan regional transportation facilities and services, to adopt a regional land-use plan, and to ensure conformity to the plan. It is intended that the regional agency shall become the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the San Diego Region. 26 The Regional Agency I. Governance A. The Regional Agency shall consist of representatives from 8 districts within San Diego County. Each of these districts shall elect a representative to sit on the board of the Regional Agency. Three additional members shall also sit on the Agency Board. These include: the Mayor of the City of San Diego, a Supervisor from the County of San Diego, and the chairperson of the Policy Committee of the Agency. In addition, the Agency will have a Policy Committee, which shall be made up of mayors (or designee) from the 18 incorporated cities2 within the County, a County supervisor, representation from the unincorporated areas of the County of San Diego, and other regional organizations to include: Caltrans, San Diego County Water Authority, the Unified Port District, San Diego County Office of Education, and the Airport Authority (if created). Representation shall also be invited from U.S. Department of Defense, Republic of Mexico, and others as subsequently determined by the Board of the Regional Agency. Each of the 8 elected Board members shall serve full time and be compensated at a level commensurate with that of a San Diego County Supervisor. The term of office for the directly elected board members shall be four years and staggered. The Mayor of San Diego, the County Supervisor, and ’ Consisting of the cities of Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, De1 Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, Oceanside, Poway, San Diego, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, Vista 27 B. C. D. E. F. G. The Chair of the Policy Committee shall receive Per Diem commensurate with their responsibilities. The Regional Agency shall have at a minimum: 1. A Chief Executive Officer, General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Real Estate, Budget Director; and Planning Director, and 2. The powers of eminent domain, land use, bonding authority, contractual (including construction) and operating authorities as outlined under Sections II and III below. An independent audit shall determine the most cost-effective way to consolidate the planning staffs and integrate the authorities of SANDAG, MTDB, and NCTD with the goal of at least a cost neutral result from the creation of the Regional Agency. Until such time as the Regional Agency adopts its own campaign and disclosure laws, it shall abide by those adopted by the County of San Diego. The chairperson of the Policy Committee shall not be from the City of San Diego or the County of San Diego, but a mayor (or designee) from one of the other 17 cities within the county. The County Board of Supervisors shall not appoint their representative to the governing board of the Regional Agency from the same overlapping jurisdiction as that of the chairperson of the Policy Committee, or from a district that is predominantly within the boundaries of the City of San Diego. The chairperson of the Policy Committee shall be elected by the members of the committee for a term of 2 years. 28 H. The eight districts shall be drawn by an independent commission representing the following: 1. Three members from the City of San Diego 2. Two members from the County of San Diego 3. One member each from the four sub-regions of: a. North County Coastal consisting of the cities of De1 Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside b. North County Inland consisting of the cities of Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, and Poway C. East County consisting of the cities of La Mesa, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, and Santee d. South County consisting of the cities of Chula Vista, Coronado, National City, and Imperial Beach I. Redrawing of districts shall take place subsequent to each decennial census, as needed. J. The City Selection Committee process shall be used to determine the representatives from each of the four above-mentioned sub-regions. K. The decisions of the governing board of the Regional Agency shall be final in all matters under its jurisdiction. L. ’ Duties of the Policy Committee: 1. The duties of the Policy Committee could include, but not be limited to, providing consultation and advice to the Agency on: a. The Regional Plan b. Possible inclusion in the Regional Plan of other growth management and land use planning matters, determined by the 29 C. d. Agency to be of regional concern/significance, which will benefit from regional planning, other than those specifically identified through legislation Amendments to the Regional Plan, and Possible future consolidation and/ or integration of regional functions into the jurisdiction of the Regional Agency. II. Roles and Responsibilities of the Agency A. The following is a summary of the major functions and responsibilities of SANDAG. While it is the intent of RGEC that the new Regional Agency shall assume all functions and responsibilities of SANDAG, not all these functions are under the purview or subject to the authority of the state: 1. Planning a. Regional Transportation planning and funding allocation agency - Adopt Regional Transportation Plan (long range plan) and Regional Transportation Improvement Program (six year programming of approximately $3.5 billion (98 RTIP) state and federal transportation funds). Allocate Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds (l/4 cent sales tax for transit support, approximately $84 million per year). b. Metropolitan Planning Organization- Allocate federal transportation revenues and meet comprehensive planning requirements of the Act (TEA-21) in order to be eligible for funds. Over $100 million a year directly allocated by SANDAG. 30 C. d. e. f. I3 h. i. j. k. 1. San Diego County Regional Transportation Commission - Administer the TransNet % cent sales tax (approximately $166 million per year) for transportation purposes. Please Refer to Section (VI.A.4) Congestion Management Agency- Adopt congestion management plan and review local agency compliance. Co-lead Agency for Air Quality Planning- Carry out air quality planning mandates in cooperation with the APCD. Determine conformity of transportation projects with air quality plan. Regional Planning and Growth Management Review Board- Develop and adopt regional growth management strategy. Integrated Waste Management Task Force- Recommend actions to member agencies regarding the major elements of the state-mandated Integrated Waste Management Plan. Housing- Determine each locality’s share for the regional housing need and establish performance criteria for self-certification of housing element. Areawide Clearinghouse- Review projects with regional impacts under CEQA and NEPA. Manage and administer the North County Multiple Habitat Conservation Program- Undertaken on behalf of North County Cities. Airport Related Land Use -Adopt Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP) for all airports in the region, and determine consistency of local land use actions with the plans. Other- Regional Criminal Justice Clearinghouse, Regional Census Data Center, Regional Information Systems development and maintenance, 31 local planning activities pursuant to agreements with Navy, Caltrans, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, MTDB, NCTDB, APCD, CWA, cities and the County, and others; local technical assistance, and SourcePoint. 2. Operational a. San Diego County Regional Transportation Commission- Construct sales tax highway projects. b. Toll Bridge Administration- Set San Diego-Coronado Bridge tolls and allocate toll revenues, if collected, which are currently approximately $3.4 million per year. C. Freeway Service Patrol Administration- Provide service for stranded motorists on various highways. d. Regional Transportation Demand Management Program Administration- Provide and administer regional program consisting of carpool (RideLink) and vanpool programs, bike locker program and others. e. I-l 5 Congestion Pricing and Transit Development Demonstration program- Implement program to allow single occupant vehicles on I- 15 expressway for a fee. f. Regional Power Purchasing Pool Administration- Administer pool for purchase of electricity by public agencies. 25 Regional Beach Replenishment Program- Administer the regional program in coordination with federal, state, and local agencies. B. In addition, the Regional Agency shall have all planning responsibilities of the two sub- regional transit agencies. However, MTDB and NCTD shall continue their transit operations. 32 C. Tribal Governments The Regional Agency Board shall establish protocols, procedures, and a liaison office dedicated to establishing consistent communication with the region’s 17 tribal governments regarding local planning and economic development issues of mutual interest. The Board should seek to schedule regular periodic (biannual or quarterly) meetings with representatives of the 17 tribal governments to sustain ongoing communication on a government-to-government basis. Legislation should require that all Tribal Governments in the County receive notice of all planning proposals and meetings of the Regional Agency and its Policy Committee of local agencies and the Regional Agency Board should be required to acknowledge planning spheres of influence in areas adjacent to each reservation. Prior to the final hearing on the Regional Plan and any subsequent amendments thereto, all tribal governments shall be asked to comment on the Plan, and invited to share their plans for economic development on reservation lands. Any needs for infrastructure to support those plans, such as water, sewer, and transportation links, shall be considered in the regional planning process. 33 III. Land-Use Responsibilities of the Agency Recognizing the significance of the integration of land-use policies and transportation planning, and with the intent of addressing this deficiency in our transportation planning efforts in the San Diego Region, the Commission recommends that the following measures with regard to land use be adopted in their entirety by the California State Legislature. The recommendation to adopt these measures in their entirety is based on our strong belief that selection of some individual elements without the others will render this needed integration ineffective and will become a source of future problems created by a well-intentioned solution. With this strongly held belief, the San Diego Regional Government Efficiency Commission recommends to the California State Legislature that: A. The functional goals, policies, and activities of the newly created agency shall be driven by the following principles: 1. The San Diego Region needs a Regional Plan and, by adopting a comprehensive regional plan, good land-use planning and environmental protection would be significantly improved in the region. This Regional Plan shall include transportation3, land use, water and sewer capacity, preservation of habitat and open space, housing, compatible urban design and urban form, and major infrastructure needs. The Regional Plan shall be compatible with the Air Pollution Control District’s Regional Air Quality Strategy for air quality issues. The Regional Plan shall also be compatible with the Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Basin Plan for water quality, bay and watershed management issues. 3 Defined as a seamless intermodal integrated transportation system 34 2. The Regional Plan shall reflect a regional comprehensive approach to planning, with an emphasis on wide variety of balanced and attainable housing options, open space preservation, economic prosperity, employment development, public infrastructure and transportation planning. 3. Implementation of the plan shall be phased so that there is minimal disruption of services to the public. 4. Land-use decisions on a regional basis shall be policy driven, with local cities and 5. the County maintaining local control through adopted sub-regional plans. The cities and County shall be able to self-certify as to compliance with an adopted Regional Plan, and would implement their own sub-regional focus plans B. consistent with the Regional Plan subject to review by the Regional Agency. The Regional Agency shall have the ability to use the power of eminent domain in order to facilitate implementation of regionally significant projects. . 6. The Regional Agency shall serve as a coordinating body for habitat conservation planning and implementation. We further recommend the following guidelines for implementation: 1. The regional policy plan shall set specific quality of life goals, guidelines for the achievement of goals and objectives, and measurable criteria to determine 2. compliance and effectiveness. The Regional Plan shall not include any specific land use designations or regulatory techniques; those functions would be the responsibility of each local 3. agency. Documents currently in place including but not limited to the adopted habitat plans (MSCP, MHCP, etc.); Region 2020 and Region 2030 plans and their constituent elements including the Regional Transportation Plan, Regional 35 Housing Needs Statement, the Economic Prosperity Study; and the transportation plans including Transit First and Fast Forward, shall be used as the framework for the draft Regional Plan. 4. Consistency with an adopted Regional Plan shall be a requirement for a jurisdiction/agency to receive funding. In other words, the “carrot” for being in compliance with the Regional Plan is that a city or the County would be eligible for project funding; those who choose not to comply with the adopted Regional Plan would have to develop their own funding for local projects. 5. Disincentives to ensure local compliance for projects of regional significance shall be used in well-defined and limited contexts but could include: 1) withholding discretionary funding sources, 2) requirements for regional oversight of local land use decisions regarding projects of regional significance; and 3) withholding a structured local/state sales and property tax sharing arrangement that would be part of the Regional Plan. 6. A “balanced carrying capacity”4 shall be factored into a growth management strategy to promote economic prosperity in the region. The Regional Plan shall be “resource-based”5 with measurable criteria6 for implementation, and it shall be specifically connected to a funding stream such that it would then be used as an incentive for compliance. 4 Balanced Carrying Capacity: Defined as the balance or relationship between the various components that comprise our regional system, including quality of life. A balanced carrying capacity does not imply that there is an upper population limit that our region can support, but rather that there is a direct relationship between people, infrastructure, developed land, open space, economy, economic base, recreation and natural resources. For example, a higher human population may be supported if there is an associated increase in infrastructure and recreation. However, certain finite components, such as natural open space and habitat, cannot be increased and must be factored into the balance equation. ’ Resource-based: Consumables such as water, electricity, natural gas, landfills, plus land use issues such as open space preservation, roads and highways, transit, etc. 6 Measurable Criteria: The criteria developed should be both qualitative and quantitative. The criteria should be policy- based and derived from the adopted Regional Plan by an elected board that is accountable for implementing the regional plan. Evaluation of the criteria would be flexible within the context of the goals, objectives and policies of the Regional Plan and other relevant plans and policies. 36 7. 8. 9. 10. A proposed Regional Plan shall be presented to the public so that the “vision” of where the region is heading is clearly identified at the earliest possible date. The focus shall not be upon a Regional Plan for a specific year or population number, but rather upon a balanced carrying capacity and resource-based strategy that sets standards and guidelines that are measurable. Efforts shall be made to amend CEQA to be more responsive to regional decision- making, rather than on a project-by-project approval basis. The Regional Agency shall develop a mechanism for mediation and resolution of disputes on regional issues. IV. Transportation-Related Responsibilities of the Agency The Regional Agency shall have the authority to: A. Prepare a long-range, multi-modal regional transportation and land-use plan. B. Implement the Regional Transportation Plan, and, in doing so, the Regional Agency shall be responsible for overseeing regional transportation services, including: 1. Planning and programming existing and future services throughout the region, including bus, light rail, Passenger and freight rail services, guideway, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, and other specialized transportation services. 2. 3. Establishing a common and seamless fare structure for all services between the sub-areas of the region. Establishing expenditure priorities and programming of funds for both transit services and capital outlay, including new maintenance facilities, passenger and freight rail improvements, light rail transit (LRT) extensions, and other similar capital expenditures within the region. 37 C. D. E. 4. Designing and constructing transit capital projects. 5. Ensuring that there is a regional marketing program and information services for all transit services in the region. Acquire all real and personal property necessary for the provision of transit services within the region by gift,lease, purchase, or the exercise of eminent domain. Enact ordinances and adopt rules and regulations as necessary to carry out its responsibilities. Provide oversight to MTDB, and NCTD as the sub-regional transit boards. V. Responsibilities of the Sub-regional Transportation Agencies The sub-regional transit boards (NCTD and MTDB) shall continue to exist and have the authority to: A. Deploy transit vehicles in accordance with the routes and schedules established by the Regional Agency. B. Determine routes and schedules for rail, bus, ADA, and specialized transportation services within the area of the sub-regional boards consistent with the region’s overall financial capacity and the Regional Agency’s transportation plan as established by the Regional Agency. The sub-regional boards may provide such services directly or by contract. C. Continue the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) as the multiple operator system of transit services in the MTDB area of jurisdiction. MTDB may continue as the regulating agency for taxis and other vehicles for hire by contract with municipalities. The County Rural Transit Service may be combined into MTS or be operated separately by the County at the discretion of the County and MTDB. D. Continue NCTD as the operator of services within the NCTD area of jurisdiction. 38 E. Provide specialized marketing services in their own respective sub-regional areas. VI. Funding of the Regional Agency Dedicated state and regional funding sources must be identified for basic and regionally significant infrastructure improvements such as water and sewer services, solid waste management, air capacity, maritime services, open space acquisition and management and maintenance, and ground transportation including mass transit. The legislature has directed San Diego, through SB 329, to explore options for regional coordination and consolidation for more efficiency and effectiveness at the regional level. Assembly Speaker, Robert Hertzberg, during the same period, has formed a Commission on Regionalism to address the dire need for local government reform to meet the challenges of the next millennium. In light of these legislative initiatives to explore solutions, and encourage local governments to think regionally, and if the San Diego region is to take this groundbreaking initiative and form a Regional Agency to improve efficiency and effectiveness of its regional programs, the state should, at the very least, revise the applicable formula so that San Diego general purpose local Governments and the Regional Agency may receive the state average of 47 cents return on property tax dollars paid. Currently, San Diego general purpose local governments only receive 38 cents back on each property tax dollar paid by the citizens of the region. The additional revenue would be dedicated to transportation capacity enhancement and environmental protection programs in the region, with minimal administrative costs. These actions, coupled with fiscal reform recommendations detailed in the reports by SANDAG and the Speaker’s Commission on fiscal reform, (please refer to the appendix) will allow the San Diego region to be a “winner in the New Economy,” as envisioned by the Speaker. 39 In managing its finances, the Regional Agency shall: A. Prepare a Regional Transportation Financial Plan that would implement the Regional Transportation Plan by: 1. Using existing state and federal financial resources and existing and enhanced state resources received by the Regional Agency as incentives to ensure that local land use plans and transportation investments by the cities, the county, MTDB, NCTD and Caltrans conform to the plan and its program of transportation investments. 2. Managing transportation revenues to ensure conformity with the regional land use and transportation plan. Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds will continue to be distributed on a population basis to the sub-regions of the Regional Agency. 3. Assuming all the powers and responsibilities of SANDAG sitting as the San Diego County Regional Transportation Commission administering the TransNet (Proposition A) sales tax measure as adopted by the voters of San Diego County in November 1987. 4. Continuing to apply the current formula for distribution to cities and the County of the local streets and roads portion of the TransNet revenue through the term of the ballot measure until it expires in 2008. Both, a two-thirds majority vote of the Policy Committee, and a two-thirds majority vote of the governing board of the Regional Agency shall be required for any changes to the existing formula in force. 5. Ensuring that in the event title to real or personal property assets of the sub- regional agencies (NCTD or MTDB) are transferred to the Regional Agency, and the Regional Agency sells such assets, the proceeds of such sale shall be used by 40 the Regional Agency to fund services or capital programs within the area of the sub-region from which the assets are acquired. In the event such assets are sold by the sub-regional agency, the proceeds shall remain with the sub-regional agency for use in funding its services or capital program. Exercising the authority to require the reservation or dedication of property necessary for the development of regional facilities in the same manner as cities, so long as such regional facilities have been identified in the long-range multi- modal regional transportation and land use plan adopted by the Regional Agency. Managing the region’s transportation financial resources, and being the grantee for federal and state transit funds. Overseeing the finances of all transit services, including preparing revenue and cost forecasts, approving annual budgets and pursuing capital grants. 6. 7. 8. 41 San Diego Regional Airport Authority Plan The San Diego Regional Efficiency Commission recommends to the California State Legislature that: A wholly new San Diego Regional Airport Authority, hereinafter referred to as the “Airport Authority” shall be created for the San Diego Region with appropriate funding assured by the California State Legislature. The newly created Airport Authority shall assume all airport-related powers, authorities, responsibilities, and functions of the San Diego Association of Governments and the San Diego Unified Port District. The enabling legislation shall be placed before the voters of San Diego County in March 2002. San Diego Unified Port District Operating Authority Implementing Authority San Diego b Regional Airport Authority 42 The Commission further recommends the following: I. Structure The Airport Authority shall be separate from any new general regional transportation authority. It should, however, cooperate closely with such regional authority on access issues, and be required to conformance to the Regional Plan with regard to such access issues. II. Governance The board of such an Airport Authority shall be made up of appointed officials, not directly elected. Board members shall serve five-year terms and may add additional advisory or ex-officio members to the Authority, as needed. The board of the Airport Authority shall be made up of private citizens appointed by the City of San Diego (3 members), the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (1 member), the San Diego Unified Port District (1 member), and the San Diego Association of Governments or yet to be created Regional Authority (4 members7). The board of the Airport Authority shall elect its own chairperson. Representation from the Regional Agency, Department of the Navy and Caltrans shall be invited to serve in an ex- officio capacity. An Airport Authority board member shall serve on the Policy Committee of the Regional Agency. ’ One appointee will be from South County (Chula Vista, Coronado, National City or Imperial Beach), one from East County (La Mesa, Lemon Grove, El Cajon or Santee), one from North County Coastal (De1 Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, or Oceanside) and one from North County inland (Vista, San Marcos, Escondido or Poway). 43 III. Authorities and Responsibilities A. The Airport Authority shall address the siting of the new airport and have implementation and operation powers for all airports including Lindbergh Field. B. The Airport Authority shall have the following powers and authorities: 1. Land use 2. Eminent domain 3. Bonding 4. Construction 5. Operations 6. Police power C. An appeal and override mechanism shall be developed to address a possible veto of the identified airport site by the affected city or county. The Airport Authority shall be able to override an affected local government veto by a two-thirds super majority vote of its Board. D. The Airport Authority shall have the authority/option to take over and operate one or more of the airports throughout San Diego County (including Lindbergh Field). E. It is the intent of this recommendation that the Unified Port District, as the existing operator of Lindbergh Field, shall continue to operate Lindbergh Field until the Airport Authority determines that it makes legal, operational, and/or financial sense to transfer the operation. The Airport Authority may contract with the Port to operate one or more existing airports as well as any new airport in the future. IV. Operations A. B. C. The Joint Airport Advisory Committee (JAAC), a joint committee of SANDAG and the Port, that is currently undertaking a comprehensive study of the airport issue, shall continue its work and complete its study and the Airport Authority shall consider its findings and recommendations. The Legislature shall review the progress of the Airport Authority, as it would any other agency. The new Airport Authority should be encouraged to cooperate with Mexico, as well as nearby Southern California cities and counties, with the goal of developing an effective regional airport system. Coordination Plan San Diego Unified Port District Regional Agency NCTD MTDB 1 San Diego III Regional Airport Authority 46 I. Coordination of Existing Surface Transportation Programs A. The Regional Coordination Model would be based on the existing system for providing regional surface transportation services and facilities that is characterized by the following features8: 1. Long-term transportation planning by SANDAG 2. Management of TransNet by SANDAG 3. Short-term service and facilities planning by MTDB and NCTD 4. Establishment of schedules and fares by MTDB and NCTD for their respective areas of jurisdiction. 5. Management of the use of Transit Development Act revenues by MTDB and NCTD for their respective areas of jurisdiction in collaboration with SANDAG 6. Project specific funding strategies prepared by MTDB and NCTD, e.g., Mission Valley East and Escondido-Oceanside Light Rail Transit line (LRT). 7. Interagency coordination by the Joint Committee on Regional Transit. Under state and federal law, SANDAG prepares a regional transportation plan and programs state and federal funds. SANDAG also encourages regional coordination through its committee structure. In addition, SANDAG manages TransNet; the local transportation sales tax approved by voters in 1987 and scheduled to expire in 2008. ’ Report of the Transportation Working Group to RGEC. 47 NCTD is a single operator providing bus services in North County and commuter rail service between the cities of Oceanside and San Diego. This includes responsibility for maintaining and improving a railroad right-of-way used by three tenants: AMTRAK, Metrolink and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF). These three services provide the San Diego region with important passenger and freight connectivity to the national railroad network. NCTD will operate future LRT service between the cities of Oceanside and Escondido. The railroad operations for which NCTD is responsible are essential to the region. By contrast, MTDB manages a “system of systems” within its area of jurisdiction. The system of systems is the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) which is comprised of six fixed- route operators (including San Diego Trolley), six demand responsive services and two ADA complementary services, constituting the operators providing service within MTDB’s area of jurisdiction. MTDB manages this system by ensuring that there are uniform fares and transfer policies, and requiring that schedules be coordinated at transfer points, such as trolley stations. MTDB is obligated by state law to recover 32 percent of the MTS’s operating cost from fare revenues in order to be eligible to receive TDA revenues. Clearly, a central mission of MTDB is to coordinate services among the operators. The system offers a seamless family of services in MTDB’s area of jurisdiction. Lastly, MTDB is responsible for planning and implementing San Diego Trolley service extensions and improvements. B. Coordination of these transportation programs, where mutual interest, responsibilities, and impact exists, could be strengthened through mandatory or voluntary means of coordinating their relevant activities. This could include but not be limited to: 1. Signing Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) 2. Requiring coordination through legislation 48 3. 4. 5. Enhanced communication and coordination of the affected boards through overlapping membership Creating committees with joint staffs and boards Requiring joint reports II. Coordination of the Port Upon its deliberations and evaluation of various aspects of planning and operations of the San Diego Unified Port District (Port), the RGEC Commission determined that the Port should not be consolidated into any new Regional Agency. The Commission strongly believes that the Port’s unique functions set it apart from other agencies under review by RGEC. RGEC, however, made a number of recommendations with regard to strengthening the coordination and collaboration activities of the Port with other agencies with which it shares mutual responsibilities or has mutual impacts. RGEC recommends: A. The Port Commission structure has worked well and should be maintained in its current form. The seven Commissioners should continue to be appointed by their respective communities. The Port should continue to be a freestanding agency. B. One Port Commissioner shall serve on the Policy Committee of the Regional Agency. C. Allow the Port Commission to hire independent staff at its discretion. C. Provide Commissioners with some compensation. This may encourage applicants for positions on the Commission who may otherwise be unable to serve due to personal financial constraints. D. Require term limits for all Commission members. This practice is currently not uniform among all five port cities. The term of the office should be four years and 49 E. F. each commissioner could be limited to two consecutive terms. The terms of individual Commissioners should be coordinated between the member cities and staggered to assure continuity and organizational memory. The Port District shall be subject to conformance to any Regional Transportation Plan promulgated by the Regional Agency. This Plan would include rail freight as well as public and private transportation and transit inclusive of maritime generated activities. The intent is to ensure the full coordination of Port activities with off-Port transportation systems, especially freeway access. The Port shall enter into Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with MTDB, Caltrans, all five Port cities, SANDAG or any yet to be created Regional Authority, and possibly the U.S. Navy for coordination, collaboration, and partnerships in planning and implementing its projects. The MOUs should provide for short and long-term planning and operational coordination of the subject agencies. G. By way of emphasis, we believe that public transit is an integral part of our transportation system. As such, it should be brought in and integrated in all project-planning discussions from the very beginning. There is a concern with water pollution problems in the San Diego watershed area. This should be addressed by an MOU between the Port, U.S. Navy, the County, and all cities within the San Diego Bay watershed, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board. 50 FISCAL REFORM Having lost much of their control over tax rates revenues for needed programs, local governments are trying to regain their fiscal capacity through land use policies. This approach and its associated structure incentivizes taxable sales rather than housing and noncommercial economic development. Financially strapped by the passage of tax initiatives over the past 20 years, cities are forced to favor new revenue producing developments and shying away from their traditional role of and responsibility for accommodating urban population growth. In addressing this problem, the State of California should consider the following reform measures: A. Provide constitutional protection of local government revenues. B. Reform local tax structure to: 1. 2. 3. Increase the flexibility of local jurisdictions to set public service priorities and to spend more or less money accordingly Create a new locally controlled, countywide tax base, comprised of property taxes and sales tax Increase regional cooperation in economic development 51 C. Allocate revenues from the new countywide tax base on the basis of population: 1. Make it easier for local jurisdictions to accommodate the region’s projected housing demand by allocating more public revenues on the basis of population. Provide fiscal incentive for local jurisdictions to focus their economic development efforts on land uses that make relatively large contributions to the region’s standard of living and tax base. 2. Provide fiscal incentive for local jurisdictions to focus their economic development efforts on land uses that make relatively large contributions to the region’s standard of living and tax base. This section is based on excerpts from a report by the San Diego Association of Governments, Proposal for State- Local Fiscal Reform in California, Revised Draft, (March, 1998). 52 Recommendations for Future Action RGEC has worked diligently to meet its complex mission, and focused its efforts on land use and environment, and transportation issues as it was mandated to do by SB 329. During its fact- finding process and receiving agency reports, however, RGEC has become aware of a number of other significant regional functions (as also referred to in SB 329) yet to be examined for regional either coordination and/or consolidation as appropriate. Those issues include but are not limited to: A. Equitable regional funding, and improved regional coordination and/ or consolidation of: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Crime Labs of City and County of San Diego Law enforcement and tire protection Coastal beach management, sand mitigation, and lifeguard services Acquisition and management of habitat including MSCP/MHCP Water Districts Libraries SAFE Board LAFCO (not necessarily evaluated for consolidation) APCD (Motor Vehicle Emission Reduction Fee, 2766 Funds) Border Area Infrastructure Financing Districts Any other regionally significant issues identified later B. C. Should the recommendations of RGEC be adopted by the state legislature and signed into law by the governor, an initial local focus is needed to facilitate the preparation of ballot language for March 2002. Additionally, the presence of a task force charged with overseeing the implementation of the legislation and coordination of technical assistance to the affected agencies would be most useful. 54 The Regional Government Efficiency Commission therefore, recommends to the California State Legislature that: A. The legislature designate a special task force to continue the work of RGEC through January 2003, and address the above-mentioned issues as well as any others later identified. B. Should the legislature decide to form such a task force, the California State Legislature should allocate sufficient funding for the task force to meet its charge.