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C. 50

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
Date:	March 31, 2015

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Letter to State Senators Block and Liu Regarding School Siting Reform and School Area Safety

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 03/31/2015

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor

ABSENT:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

John Cunningham (925)674-7833

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: March 31, 2015
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

AUTHORIZE the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign a letter to State Senators Marty Block (District 39 - San Diego) and Carol Liu (District 25 - Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties) regarding a joint hearing on K-12 school facilities funding and expressing concern for school siting policies.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No fiscal impact.

BACKGROUND:

The Transportation, Water, and Infrastructure (TWI) Committee discussed the issue of school siting reform and school area safety, as well as the subject letter at their March 2, 2015 meeting. The attached draft letter references a February 18, 2015 Joint Senate Informational Hearing on the K-12 School Facilities Program chaired by Senators Block and Liu.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

At that hearing, there was discussion regarding school siting relative to land use in general and specifically with regard to Sustainable Communities and Greenhouse Gas Reduction. Pedestrian and bicyclist safety was also discussed. Comments from the State Allocation Board Executive Office (Bill Savidge) included an emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle safety and commenting that schools should not be driving sprawl.

It is rare that these hearings include discussions about land use and transportation issues, as the focus is typically on administrative and budget issues. The TWI Committee recommended transmitting a letter, with a copy to members of our delegation, to communicate the concerns of the Board of Supervisors for school safety and express gratitude for the Committee's acknowledgement of land use and transportation issues relative to school siting.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

By not taking the recommended actions, the County will forgo an opportunity to further its legislative platform, which includes principles related to improvements in school area safety and increased coordination relative to school siting and land use planning.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

The following outcome areas in the Children's Report Card; #14: Children are Healthy and Ready for School, Physical Fitness and #24: Families and Communities are Safe: Injury Hospitalization are directly or indirectly addressed by future actions of the state addressed in the attached letter.