HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-03-25 - AGENDA REPORTS - STATE LEGISLATION SB 1180 (2)NEW BUSINESS
DATE:
SUBJECT:
DEPARTMENT:
Agenda Item: 7
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
City Manager Approval
Item to be presented by:
March 25, 2008
Michael P. Murphy
STATE LEGISLATION: SENATE BILL 1180
City Manager's Office
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council approve staff recommended position of support for Senate Bill 1180 (Runner) and
transmit statements of support to Senator Runner, members of Santa Clarita's state legislative
delegation, appropriate legislative committees, Governor Schwarzenegger, the League of
California Cities and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. City Council Legislative
Committee will provide a recommendation at the City Council meeting.
BACKGROUND
In 1999, the California Legislature enacted and the Governor signed into law, Assembly Bill 339,
Chapter 377, Statutes of 1999, authored by then -Assembly Member George Runner, authorizing
the Executive Director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) to extend the
boundaries of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor (Corridor). The authorization facilitated the
inclusion of lands in the vicinity of Placerita Canyon State Park and Whitney Canyon into the
Corridor. The new law also contained a prohibition on including Elsmere Canyon within the
Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor.
At that time, Elsmere Canyon was listed on the County of Los Angeles' Countywide Siting
Element, which identified potential landfill locations. In the late 1980s, Elsmere Canyon was
identified as a solid waste disposal site and efforts were made to develop the property into a
190 million -ton landfill. The City of Santa Clarita was key player in efforts to stop the proposed
large scale landfill. A critical milestone in the fight against the Elsmere Canyon landfill was
federal legislative language, authored by Senator Barbara Boxer and Representative Howard P.
"Buck" McKeon, that was enacted into law in 1996 prohibiting any portion of the Angeles
National Forest from being used as landfill. The Elsmere Canyon project area included property
within the Angeles National Forest and adjacent privately owned property.
Q'P E
Elsmere Canyon continues to remain on the Countywide Siting Element. However, in September
2003, Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D.,Antonovich introduced a motion that was
adopted by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to remove Elsmere Canyon from the
Countywide Siting Element during the next review of the Countywide Integrated Waste
Management Plan. That plan is the blueprint for how solid waste will be managed in Los
Angeles County. The Siting Element revision is expected to be completed in 2009. In
May 2004, Browning Ferris Industries, officially withdrew their application for use of Elsmere
Canyon as a landfill. Supervisor Antonovich then successfully negotiated with Browning Ferris
Industries to bring 400 acres of the approximately 1,200 acres, including and adjacent to Elsmere
Canyon, into public ownership. Four hundred acres of that property was accepted into public
ownership by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority in March 2007.
As the project proponent has withdrawn their application to use Elsmere Canyon as a landfill and
as the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors has directed that Elsmere Canyon be removed from the
County of Los Angeles Countywide Siting Element, it is now appropriate to remove the
restrictions in state law that prevent Elsmere Canyon from being included in the Rim of the
Valley Trail Corridor. Senator George Runner has introduced SB 1180, which removes the
prohibition for inclusion of Elsmere Canyon within the Corridor as required under his 1999
legislation, as the reasons for the prohibition no longer exist. SB 1180 allows property located in
Elsmere Canyon to be included within the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor upon the written
request of the property owner to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The bill further
prescribes requirements that the Executive Director of the Conservancy must follow in revising
the map of the Corridor.
The City Council Legislative Committee met on March 20 to review SB 1180. As that meeting
took place after the posting of the March 25, 2008 City Council agenda, the committee will make
its recommendation to the Council at the meeting. The "support" recommendation contained
within this agenda item is a staff recommendation and is not reflective of any consideration of
the bill by the Legislative Committee.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS
1. Adopt a "neutral" position on Senate Bill 1180.
2. Adopt an "oppose" Senate Bill 1180.
3. Other direction as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended action requires no additional resources beyond those already
contained within the City's adopted 2007/08 budget.
ATTACHMENTS
Senate Bill 1180 (Runner)
SENATE BILL No. 1180
Introduced by Senator Runner
February 8, 2008
An act to amend Section 32204.4 of the Public Resources Code,
relating to parks and open space.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1180, as introduced, Runner. Parks and open space: Rim of the
Valley Trail Corridor: boundary revisions.
(1) Existing law provides that, if the Santa Monica Mountains
Conservancy determines, based on relevant scientific information and
land use planning studies, that a revision of the boundaries of the Rim
of the Valley Trail Corridor in the vicinity of Placerita Canyon State
Park east of Route 14, including Whitney Canyon is necessary, the
executive director of the conservancy is required to prepare and file
with the specified state official and committees of the Legislatures, a
revised map showing the changes in the boundaries of the Rim of the
Valley Trail Corridor.
This bill would, instead, authorize the conservancy to revise the
boundaries of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor in the vicinity of
the City of Santa Clarita, including Whitney Canyon, Elsmere Canyon,
and their adjacent watersheds. An owner of property located in Elsmere
Canyon, and its adjacent watershed, would be authorized, at any time,
to request of the conservancy, in writing, that his or her property be
included within the boundaries of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor.
The conservancy, upon receipt of the request, would be authorized, in
accordance with specified procedures, to revise the map showing the
boundaries of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor to include within
the corridor the property in Elsmere Canyon or its adjacent watersheds
that is the subject of the request.
99
SB 1180
—2—
(2) Existing law provides that the provision related to the revision
of boundaries of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor shall not be
interpreted to affect any portion of-Elsmere Canyon, or to have an effect
on the decision whether or not to permit Elsmere Canyon as a solid
waste facility, as identified in the final Los Angeles County Countywide
Siting Element.
This bill would delete this provision.
(3) This bill would also make a technical, nonsubstantive change.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State -mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 33204.4 of the Public Resources Code
2 is amended to read:
3 33204.4. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
4 following:
5 (1) The boundary of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor should
6 be determined exclusively upon the best scientific and
7 resource-based information regarding trail, recreational, and
8 environmental resources in the area.
9 (2) Landowners, local government entities, members of the
10 public, and other affected parties should be afforded maximum
11 participation in the process by which the Rim of the Valley Trail
12 Corridor is delineated.
13 (b) (1) Notwithstanding the requirements of Section 33015.5,
14 if the conservancy determines, based on relevant scientific
15 information and land use planning studies, and after holding at
16 least one public hearing in the area that would be affected by a
17 revision of the boundaries of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor,
18 that a boundary revision in the vicinity of
19 Park east of 0tate Route �4 the City of Santa Clarita, including
20 Whitney Canyon and Elsmere Canyon, and their adjacent
21 watersheds, is necessary, the executive director shall prepare and
22 file with the Secretary of State, the Assembly Committee on
23 Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources
24 andWtee Water,_a revised map showing the changes in the
25 boundaries of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor.
99
3 — SB 1180
1 (2) A revised map prepared pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be
2 supported by relevant scientific information and be in accordance
3 with the purposes and objectives of Section 33204.3.
4 (3) An owner of property located in Elsmere Canyon or its
5 adjacent watersheds, at any time, may request of the conservancy,
6 in writing, that his or her property be included within the
7 boundaries of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor. Upon receipt
8 of the request, the conservancy may, in accordance with the
9 procedures prescribed in paragraphs (1) and (2), revise the map
10 showing the boundaries of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor to
11 include within the corridor the property in Elsmere Canyon or its
12 adjacent watersheds that is the subject of the request.
13 (e) Nothing in this seetion shall be intetpreted to affeet any
14 portion of Fismere Ganyon. in addition, nothing in this seetion
15
16 not to peFmit Elsmere Ganyon as a solid waste faeilitr, as identifi
17 in the final Los Angeles Gottnty Gotifitywide Siting Element,
18 prepared and approved pttrsttant to Division 30 (eemmeneing with
19Seetion 00j-
20 (d�—
21 (c) Notwithstanding Section 33201, nothing in this section shall
22 affect the jurisdiction of the State Coastal Conservancy.
C
99