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Photoblog: The Delta

By on December 7th, 2010

California is not shy of controversy, particularly when it comes to water. One only has to utter the words “the Delta” and many decade-long debates come to mind. Many recent discussions and impending decisions regarding the Delta have brought this natural resource back into the spotlight.

But, what exactly is the Delta?  

Photo Courtesy of http://blog.oregonlive.com/

The Delta is the largest estuary on the west coast, home to half a million residents, many of whom live in small and  historic communities.

Photo Courtesy of http://california-travels.com/

The Delta also produces approximately $500 million of agricultural products and is habitat to hundreds of species of wildlife, including the threatened Delta smelt.

Photo Courtesy of http://www.worldisround.com

The Delta also serves as the distribution hub for many of California’s water systems.

Canal at the Jones Pumping Plant

The Delta is a place where engineering feats allow California to transport water across the state.

Fish bypass system at Clifton Court Bay

The Delta has also been the subject of on-going debate and controversy.

Fish Holding Tanks at the Clifton Court Bay

To local governments the Delta is a place,  a community made up of multiple different cities and counties, serving also as a critical region of statewide importance encompassing vital water, transportation, energy, agriculture and economic interests.  

 

Photoblog  CSAC is introducing a new feature on our blog. The County Voice will feature a semi-regular photo blog, highlighting photographs from around our counties.

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California and Marijuana: Up in Smoke?

By on December 2nd, 2010

In November, California voters rejected Proposition 19, a measure that would have legalized the recreational use of marijuana in the golden state. Despite earlier polls suggesting that Californians were ready for more lax pot laws, the measure was defeated 54 to 46 percent. CSAC took an official “oppose” position on the measure, largely based on the challenging regulatory and enforcement aspects of the proposition.

While some might be breathing a little easier with the defeat of Proposition 19, California is still struggling to reckon with its first effort to legalize marijuana. Proposition 215, the voter-approved initiative that decriminalized marijuana for specific medical purposes in California, opened the door for the regulation of the plant and its use for medical purposes. Since its passage in 1996, local governments have faced a multitude of issues related to the legal and illegal usage of medical pot.

In November, a group of county supervisors and staff came together for a medical marijuana workshop, with the goal of discussing some of the serious issues counties face when attempting to get a handle on the use and regulation of marijuana for medical purposes. The workshop, organized by the CSAC Medical Marijuana Working Group, shed light on many of the unintended consequences of Proposition 215, including the environmental damage that large medical marijuana grows are causing, and the legal barriers governments face when attempting to regulate marijuana for food safety and toxic pesticides, among other things. Participants also shared their experiences with the development of local medical marijuana ordinances and the specific approaches that have been successful for the regulation of dispensaries, cooperatives and collectives and cultivation issues.

Clearly, the defeat of Proposition 19 did not end the marijuana debate in California. As counties continue to grapple with complying with the law and ensuring safe and livable communities, discussions will remain on how best to implement Proposition 215.

The goal of the CSAC Medical Marijuana Working Group is provide counties with information and best practices for the regulation of medical marijuana. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.csac.counties.org/default.asp?id=2848.

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New Legislature, New Governor, Same Mess

By on November 29th, 2010

While it is a little slow around Sacramento following the Thanksgiving holiday, activities will begin to pick up in the next couple of weeks. A new Legislature will be sworn in on December 6, and Governor Schwarzenegger has said he will call a Special Session to begin that same day to address the $6.1 billion deficit projected for the current year. Most capitol observers do not expect the Legislature to make much progress before year’s end, choosing instead to wait until Governor-elect Brown releases his proposal for resolving the state budget crisis on January 10. CSAC will monitor all activities and report any substantive progress.

On the legislative front, there will be a new class of members sworn into office on December 6. Of particular interest to California’s counties will be the swearing in of Roger Dickinson (Sacramento), Rich Gordon (San Mateo), Susan Bonilla (Contra Costa), Katcho Achadijan (San Luis Obispo), and Michael Rubio (Kern), each of them former county supervisors. Michael Rubio will become a state senator; the others will be members of the state Assembly. We wish each of them great success as they continue to look out for the interests of California and its 58 counties.

If you attended the CSAC 116th Annual Meeting in Riverside County earlier this month, please take the time to respond to the survey we have been circulating. Your feedback is very important to our planning and preparation for next year’s annual meeting, scheduled for November 29 to December 2 in the City and County of San Francisco. Evaluations submitted so far have been very positive, supporting our observations during the conference that our members were getting a lot out of it.

Later this week, the CSAC Officers will convene for their annual retreat. During this meeting, the Officers will discuss strategies for approaching the next year and for confronting the challenges California counties will be facing. They will also take the first steps towards putting together the leadership team for 2011, including the designation of chair and vice chair positions for CSAC’s five policy committees in addition to making other appointments. If you have not yet communicated your interest in a policy committee, you may want to contact CSAC staff early this week and let them know of your interest.

While we know the year ahead will present ongoing fiscal challenges, we remain invigorated about the strength and resilience of our 58 counties. We look forward to expressing the County Voice and working to the benefit of California’s counties in 2011 and beyond.

Housing, Land Use/ Transportation 1 comment

County Engineers Break New Ground and Elect First Woman President

By on November 19th, 2010

The County Engineers Association of California (CEAC) have elected Julie Bueren as their first woman president.  Bueren, Public Works Director for Contra Costa County, began her career with the county in 1981 as a Junior Civil Engineer. and over the last 29 years, her experience spanned several of the Department’s divisions:  Flood Control, Design, Construction and Transportation Engineering. In 2000, Julie joined the Department’s senior management team as Deputy Director with responsibilities for the Department’s Transportation Program, Development Services, Real Property and the County Airports. In April 2008, Julie was appointed as the Public Works Director for Contra Costa County. She will serve as CEAC President for 2011.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Julie earned her Civil Engineering Degree from UC Davis. She is actively involved in statewide and regional transportation issues. She served as chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Local Streets and Roads Working Group in 2008.

For more information on CEAC visit thier website.  Congratulations Julie!

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Hail to the Chief!

By on November 18th, 2010

Today I presented Chief Justice Ronald M. George with the CSAC 2010 President’s Award. Chief Justice George is retiring at the end of the year after a distinguished 38-year career on the bench, the last 14 of which he has served as the Chief Justice. His tenure has been marked by extraordinary achievements, and he leaves an enormous legacy of solid court reforms, strong advocacy, and exemplary collaboration.

There are so many things that can be said about the Chief. His biography is extraordinarily impressive. The bottom line is that he is just an amazing human being. He’s a true leader. He offers a unique mix of compassion, wisdom, vision, and courage. He’s energetic and innovative. Committed and conscientious. He’s the kind of person you would like, well, as Chief Justice of the largest and most complex court system in the nation. His accomplishments in the area of court administration alone are phenomenal, not to mention his contributions to the body of law.

Many people will miss Chief Justice George when he leaves office, and county officials across the state are among them. We deeply appreciate the friendship he has offered counties throughout times of extraordinary change. Mostly, we wish him the very best as he takes on life’s new adventures in this next chapter. He is most deserving of the CSAC 2010 President’s Award. And it is a distinct honor for me to have presented it to him today. Thank you, Chief.