Monthly Archives: March 2018

Reconsideration of LAFCo Decision on Elk Grove expansion

UPDATE: On April 4, 2018, LAFCo cancelled this hearing for reconsideration due to protests of the killing of Stephon Clark in the downtown area. The item will likely be back on their agenda on May 2, 2018.  

Thank you to everyone who has communicated with LAFCo about the importance of this decision and the need to rethink the 4-3 vote.  
 
Thank you also to those who have sent donations to help pay the cost of our attorney.

ECOS and Sierra Club have asked and been granted a hearing on whether there should be reconsideration of the Feb 7, 2018 LAFCo decision to approve adding 1,156 acres of farmland to the Sphere of Influence for Elk Grove (first step in urbanization). The hearing will be April 4, 2018, 5:30 pm at 700 H Street. As we get closer, we will ask you to write again to LAFCo to oppose this conversion of farmland.

We have asked for reconsideration based on:
1. Lack of evidence to support a Statement adopted by the Commissioners to “override” the 22 significant and unavoidable impacts of the decision.
2. Misleading statements at the hearing on water availability, farmland mitigation, benefits of the decision to the JPA Connector, and the extent to which impacts can be mitigated .

This was a very close decision with Councilmember Angelique Ashby of City of Sacramento, Metro Fire Board member Gay Jones, and Public LAFCo Member Jack Harrison voting against the SOI, and Supervisors Sue Peters and Sue Frost, CM Pat Hume of Elk Grove and Carmichael Water District Board Member Ron Greenwood voting to approve. We hope to reverse this decision.

We would like the commissioners to receive comments with time to read them before the hearing at 5:30pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2018.

Click here to view the hearing agenda.

Click here for links to the most recent relevant documents, on the Friend’s of Swainson’s Hawk website.

Click here to learn more about the background of this issue.

Board Meeting March 27 – All are Welcome!

How well do YOU know the history of the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS)? We have been working on environmental issues in the Sacramento region since the early 1970s. At our March board meeting, we will be joined by some of the key players in ECOS in the 1980s, including Mayor Heather Fargo, Mike Eaton and Jude Lamare.

Join the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) for our March 2018 ECOS Board Meeting! Everyone who is interested is welcome. Bring a friend!

Tuesday, March 27th, 2018

NOTE: Location change – we will still have the meeting at 909 12th Street, Sacramento, CA but it will be in the Breathe CA conference room on the first floor of the building, rather than the Sierra Club conference room on the second floor.

5:30 pm Reception
Please come and meet and socialize with ECOS Board Members and guests. Light appetizers and refreshments served. Feel free to bring something to share.

6:00 pm Meeting Begins

PRESENTING…
“Looking Back, Looking Forward: A Conversation with ECOS leaders from the 1980s”
Jude Lamare, Mike Eaton, Heather Fargo
(20 minutes) 
Discussion/Question and Answer session (15 minutes)

As usual, ECOS Committees will report on their current business. Announcements from members and attendees are welcome at the end, as time allows.

Clean ride: Would California’s new electric ridesharing bill kill public transit?

By Michael Mott

March 1, 2018

Sacramento News and Review

As Uber and Lyft outrun public transit, more carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases get pumped into the air. It’s part of a wider commuting trend that is giving the capital region the eighth-worst air quality in the country, according to the American Lung Association. One state senator is convinced it’s time to turn ride-hailing services fully electric.

Sen. Nancy Skinner, a Berkeley Democrat, introduced legislation that sets a target for companies like Uber and Lyft to replace their fleets with clean-burning vehicles over the next 10 years. The bill would try to accomplish this by setting aside $300 million from the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program.

Click here to read the article. 

A Tesla Semi was spotted on I-80 near Sacramento. Why that might not be an anomaly

By Michael McGough 

March 2, 2018

The Sacramento Bee

Driverless cars may be on California city streets for testing as early as April, but semi-autonomous cars are already driving on our highways.

And, apparently, so too are semi-autonomous trucks. A Tesla Semi, still technically a prototype vehicle, was recently seen driving on Interstate 80 in the Sacramento area, as documented by a YouTube video uploaded by another driver.

Click here to read the full article.