Strategic Growth Council Meeting - May 26, 2009

Overview

The Strategic Growth Council (SGC) met yesterday for their third meeting. Members in attendance were Environmental Protection Agency Undersecretary Cindy Tuck (sitting in for Secretary Linda Adams), Business Transportation and Housing Secretary Dale Bonner, Office of Planning and Research Director Cynthia Bryant, Natural Resources Secretary Michael Chrisman, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Belshe. The Council also welcomed their newest member, Public Appointee Robert Fisher. Robert Fisher is the Chairman of the Board for Gap, Inc., and is a trustee on various non-profit boards, including Conservation International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

The Council received presentations on:

· Incorporation of SGC objectives into the California Regional Progress Report
· Incorporation of SGC objectives into the 5-Year Infrastructure Plan
· Health and human services components of sustainable communities
· Status of coordinating data and information needs statewide

SGC Staff will be following up on each of these issues, including a report back to the SGC in October on the status and priorities for developing a complete, consistent, and accessible statewide data system.

Proposition 84 Funds for the Regional Blueprint Program – Action Item

The main item of discussion on the agenda was a staff recommendation to adopt a policy statement regarding the appropriation of early Proposition 84 funds from the Land Use Planning Incentives Program. SGC staff was responding to the Legislature’s desire to facilitate an early allocation of Proposition 84 funds to address SB 375 requirements, which would occur prior to the SGC’s development of grant criteria. SGC staff recommended that the early funds be allocated to the Regional Blueprint Program to assist in addressing SB 375 implementation as well as other SGC objectives and statewide goals. They recommended that the goals of Blueprint Program be expanded to include other SGC objectives.

SGC adopted the policy statement, withholding a recommended amount of early funds that should be appropriated. The SGC also agreed to conduct early outreach to cities, counties, and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to determine the needs and priorities for funding to be considered when developing the grant criteria. At the next SGC meeting, staff was directed to provide the overall objectives and a compressed timeline for developing a grant program to gather input from the council members.

More Information

The SGC new website has links to the materials provided at the meeting: http://www.sgc.ca.gov/

SGC 2009 Meeting Schedule:

· June 24, 1-3:30 pm
· September 30, 1-3:30 pm
· December 9, 1-3:30 pm