February 19, 2020 By Lance Armstrong, Staff Writer The Elk Grove Citizen
Elk Grove City Council Member Pat Hume on Feb. 11 referred to California Northstate University’s (CNU) proposal to build a $750 million to $800 million teaching hospital in the Stonelake neighborhood by November 2022 as “awfully optimistic.”
“I know that OSHPD (Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development) and some of the standards that are put on (the construction of) hospitals are pretty onerous and that the oversight is pretty strict,” he said. “So, I don’t know. I know that they like to be aggressive and assertive in what they do. If they think it’s realistic, okay. But it seems awfully optimistic.”
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Hume additionally told the Citizen that he has a variety of concerns regarding California Northstate University’s proposal to build a teaching hospital in the Stonelake neighborhood.
“I’ve got all kinds of concerns,” he said. “Does it fit? Do they address some of the concerns that were raised here (at the meeting) tonight with respect to traffic and circulation and flooding and floodplain and neighborhood issues?
On February 20, 2020, the Environmental Council of Sacramento, 350 Sacramento and the Sierra Club Sacramento Group submitted a request to the County of Sacramento for a report on greenhouse gases as part of their general plan.
CA Government Code §65400 requires the County to report by April 1 of each year the status of the general plan and progress in its implementation. We expect the Board of Supervisors to review the pending report at a March 2020 hearing.
General Plan Policy LU-115, adopted November 2011, states a goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020, and presents four implementation measures: • Adopt by resolution a first-phase Climate Action Plan. • Complete a GHG emissions inventory every three years. • Prepare a second-phase Climate Action Plan within three years. • Enact and fund a Sustainability Program to provide ongoing oversight, monitoring and maintenance of the Climate Action Plan.
Fix Our Streets, Fund Our Public Transit, and Make Biking and Walking Safer For All
Why this matters
The Sacramento Transportation Authority (STA) Board is considering a ballot measure for November 2020 asking voters to approve a half-cent sales tax to fund countywide transportation projects and programs. If approved, the new local Measure A would generate an additional $8 billion in local transportation funds over 40 years – $200 million annually. The proposed sales tax measure will shape our transportation system for generations, and it should be spent so that Sacramento County residents have the option of living and working within walking distance of a transit stop from everything they need.
The SacMoves and SMART coalitions are a growing group of business, labor, transportation, environment, public transit and community leaders. We have presented a forward-looking plan to STA that supports this vision by prioritizing expanding rail and transit service, fixing our existing neighborhood roads, while making them safer and connected for bicycles and pedestrians. This will relieve congestion while addressing our air quality, traffic congestion, and creating economic opportunity that will guarantee Accountability, Transparency and Public Participation. Transportation is Sacramento County’s #1 contributor to climate pollution, primarily from the tailpipes of cars and trucks.
It’s important that you let STA board members know you support the SacMoves and SMART Coalitions, along with the Environmental Council of Sacramento and the Sierra Club, in immediately tackling congestion and air quality by investing first in major improvements and expansion of transit, and fixing our local surface streets. Under our plan, transit expansion can eliminate 4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas each year from going into our atmosphere. And, to ensure that local streets and roads provide more types of transportation choices for local trips and getting to transit, 10% of funding should be clearly dedicated for bike, pedestrian and complete streets projects, making local streets safer. Focusing on these two priorities alone will move Sacramento County in the right direction.
Tell your local representatives
Click here for a convenient way to write to your Sacramento County Board Supervisors as well as the Mayors and City Councilmembers of the cities of Sacramento, Galt, Folsom Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Elk Grove and Isleton.
Attend a meeting, testify
We need everyone to attend the Sacramento Transportation Authority (STA) meeting on February 26, 2020. The STA Board will be making final consideration on the spending ratios of the Measure. The time is now to tell the board that we want them to Fix our Existing Streets! Fund our Public Transit! Making Biking and Walking safe for all! Safe Routes Everywhere for Everyone!
Special Sacramento Transportation Authority (STA) Board Meeting – Wednesday, February 26, 2020 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm at 700 H St, Sacramento, CA 95814
Special Meeting – The Sacramento Transportation Authority (STA) Board is considering a ballot measure for November 2020 asking voters to approve a half-cent sales tax to fund countywide transportation projects and programs. Sierra Club, ECOS and our coalition of public stakeholders presented guiding principles to STA that will improve rail and transit, make existing neighborhoods safer and connected for bicycles and pedestrians. This will relieve congestion while addressing our air quality, traffic congestion, and creating economic opportunity that will guarantee Accountability, Transparency and Public Participation.
Come and participate at the Sacramento Transportation Authority (STA) Board Meetings every second Thursday of the month at 1:30 pm
Stakeholders must be at the table to deliberate the allocation of sales tax funds starting with submitting comments to all STA Board Members at every 2nd Thursday Meeting (In person or electronically). How they will spend our money is being developed over the following weeks with developers heavy influence on their interests and not our communities. Without your direct involvement, it will be very difficult to change a plan that does not reflect what Sacramento needs! If we can demonstrate organized Grassroots POWER NOW that can oppose a ballot measure, we will empower STA Board member allies to accomplish an expenditure plan that is consistent with our vision for a healthy future for our region with an innovative transportation system that serves all Sacramento County residents.
Please come and help us call our members to take action: We need everyone to Call, Email, Attend the next Special meeting. We need to demand a better cut for Public Transit and Complete streets. Safe routes everywhere for everyone!
This Special Meeting will take place to discuss the Measure! We need you to show-up, call, email and let your representatives know that funding Public Transit, Complete Streets reduce congestion and will improve the air and health of our Sacramento County.
In order to protect our health and climate, it’s critical we reduce congestion and improve air quality by investing first in fixing our existing roads and expanding mass transit. This measure gives us an opportunity to promote high-quality and stable jobs while keeping more money in our local neighborhoods for fixing our roads and making them safer for bicycles and pedestrians. Sacramento is growing and this is our opportunity to do so with innovative solutions.
We will be phone-banking our members and coalition members to submit comments and attend the The Sacramento Transportation Authority (STA) Board Special Meeting 2/26/20 at 1:30pm – STA considering a ballot measure for November 2020 asking voters to approve a half-cent sales tax to fund countywide transportation projects and programs. Sierra Club and our coalition of public stakeholders presented guiding principles to STA that will improve rail and transit, make existing neighborhoods safer and connected for bicycles and pedestrians. This will relieve congestion while addressing our air quality, traffic congestion, and creating economic opportunity that will guarantee Accountability, Transparency and Public Participation.
On January 27, 2020, the Environmental Council of Sacramento, 350 Sacramento, and the Sierra Club Sacramento Group submitted a letter of our comments on the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Mather South Community Master Plan.
Our comments focus on Chapter 7, “Climate Change.” We present general and project-specific concerns.
350 Sacramento, the Sierra Club Sacramento Group and the Environmental Council of Sacramento are co-sponsoring a Candidate Forum for the Sacramento County Supervisor District 3 Election. The open seat has led to a number of candidates interested in filling the position – come learn about how the candidates respond to our concerns regarding local district issues such as land use, public health, homelessness, transportation and the environment. The primary will be held on March 3, 2020 – you will be getting your ballot a month ahead of time – take this opportunity to meet the candidates!
The Environmental Council of Sacramento, Habitat 2020, the Sierra Club Sacramento Group and 350 Sacramento submitted a letter containing our follow up to comments on the City of Galt’s draft Climate Action Plan (CAP).
The City of Galt has prepared a draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) describing how it proposes to meet legal obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the City. Adoption of a CAP requires environmental analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The City proposes to conduct abbreviated environmental review with a “Negative Declaration” (MND) instead of an “Environmental Impact Report” (EIR). ECOS and partner organizations assert that abbreviated review would not be legally acceptable, and further argue that conducting separate reviews for the CAP and two related road-building studies would be impermissible “piece-mealing” (analyzing environmental impacts of a single project as if it were several separate projects, to minimize apparent impacts).
Below are some of our key points.
Preparing an MND for the CAP would be inconsistent with CEQA requirements. Our earlier letter demonstrates with substantial evidence that the City’s draft CAP does not meet the requirements for a qualified GHG reduction plan or for mitigation enforceability, per CEQA Guidelines . . . We cited unsupported use of statewide targets, failure to meet the State’s 2050 target, non-enforceability of virtually all proposed mitigation measures, inadequate monitoring and update protocol, and lack of implementation funding.
The above would support a fair argument that adopting the draft CAP as a qualified GHG reduction plan which could streamline (i.e. diminish) CEQA review for future projects will likely have a significant effect on the environment. Pursuant to 14 CCR §15064 such a potential impact requires environmental analysis via an EIR.
The City’s grant agreement provides for concurrent development of three planning documents… [which] appear to be one whole project. The second two are clearly directly related. The CAP . . . would have, “a potential . . . reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment” by reducing or obviating future GHG analysis of the urban development made possible by extending Carillion Boulevard . . . analyzing the . . . potential environmental effects of these three plans together in one document would fall more properly within CEQA’s regulatory requirements.
