Council hiatus over, land-use and
water issues top Monday’s agenda
August 14, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
The City Council will return from its hiatus Monday with a meeting that features a Consent Calendar that runs the gamut of A to R and some serious business—including water and land issues—requiring action.
The August 17 meeting will be start at 6:30 p.m. and be aired live on Time Warner Cable Channel 10 and replayed per schedule. The session will also be live streamed on the city website and archived for viewing on demand.
There will be three presentations: former Mayor Mary Ann Krause will update the council on the 2015 State of the Region Report, Marleen Canniff will be lauded for her grant-writing and organizational skills that garnered the SPFD the SAFER grant and Tom Moreno Landscape will be recognized by Police Chief Steve McLean for volunteer efforts.
The Consent Calendar—those items considered routine and not requiring discussion—has 18 items heavy on public works project notices of completion to upcoming work, including the restoration of Las Piedras Park playground equipment. There is also an agreement to continue the two SPPD School Resource Officers and a Harvard Boulevard Improvement Project.
Under business the council will review a report on a recycled water and chloride compliance strategy work plan and select a consultant for the General Plan Update.
The council will also consider a contract for a citywide user fee and rate study and in a separate matter likely approve returning regulatory jurisdiction of the Santa Paula Fire Department hazardous waste program to county oversight.
The tug-a-war pitting LAFCo and the city over Adams and Fagan canyons has heated up again according to a report by Planning Director Janna Minsk. The agency is again signaling that it might remove the two canyon areas targeted for development from the city’s sphere-of-influence, which would put the brakes on the growth areas above the city.
Minsk’s report notes, “LAFCo’s proposed action – only two years removed from its last sphere review – is legally premature. According to LAFCo’s own 2013-2017 Work Plan, a review of the City’s sphere of influence is not scheduled to occur until 2017. Review and consideration of an update of the City’s sphere boundary at this time is inconsistent with both statutory requirements and the Commission’s Work Plan.”
In recent months LAFCo had scheduled a hearing on the issue postponed at the request of the city.
In addition, a countywide issue could be a player: the voter approved SOAR initiative.
City staff has been in contact with a SOAR board member to discuss SOAR’s countywide effort to renew passage of SOAR initiatives, which requires a vote of the people before agricultural land or open space areas can be rezoned for development.
“The SOAR Board would like to have all the SOAR measures be on the same timeline, and extend SOAR to 2050. Therefore the SOAR organization is beginning a drive to renew SOAR protection by passing a new initiative during the November 2016 election.
“Should the Commission remove portions of the Sphere of Influence,” Minsk notes, “city staff believes that there will be a push to remove those portions from the CURB line,” growth areas approved by Santa Paula voters, “as part of any 2016 SOAR election.”
The potential reduction of the sphere of influence, “could greatly limit development, with its associated economic benefits, in those areas.”
The city has had discussions with developers of both areas, another sticking point with LAFCo, which maintains the canyons have not proven attractive for growth.
City Hall is located at 970 E. Ventura St. For more information call Deputy City Clerk Lucy Blanco at 933-4208.
