Butte LAFCO 1 Collaboration as a Foundation for Sustainability in Butte County or How can we all get along? CALAFCO Annual Conference Sacramento August 29, 2007 Stephen Lucas, Executive Officer Butte LAFCO 2 Recognizing Opportunity beginning with good communication! Countywide Planning Directors Group Effective distribution/review of agency work programs, projects and policy actions Fully informed elected bodies Butte LAFCO 3 Open communication allowed local agencies to recognize the opportunities related to the preparation of numerous foundation planning documents currently underway Butte LAFCO 4 Planning documents currently being prepared County General Plan update City General Plan updates City of Chico City of Biggs Town of Paradise City of Gridley City of Oroville Butte LAFCO 5 Planning documents currently being prepared Butte County Association of Governments (BCAG) Butte Regional Conservation Plan (Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan) Regional Housing Needs Allocation Plan LAFCO Sphere of Influence Updates for all cities (GC 56425) Butte LAFCO 6 The coincidence of these foundation planning documents being updated has presented an unprecedented opportunity for all local planning agencies to cooperate and pursue common goals. Butte LAFCO 7 Common Goals Contd 1)Fully map and mitigate impacts to the natural environment 2)Accommodate and direct future growth to city spheres to the extent feasible 3)Develop common development standards within the spheres Butte LAFCO 8 Common Goals Contd 4)Consider revenue sharing options between the County and the cities that recognize the total cost of new development to each jurisdiction. 5)Integrate city and County general plan updates into the sphere of influence update process. Butte LAFCO 9 The common goals are expected to Minimize the duplication of efforts by: Sharing background information Coordinating data analysis Utilizing baseline EIR assumptions Maximize the use of scarce local funding resources. Fully involve local agency staff in the overall land use discussion within the county region. Butte LAFCO 10 The collaboration of land use planning processes allows LAFCO to Direct each city to evaluate its current and proposed SOI within its General Plan update and accompanying environmental documents. Be significantly involved in the early planning and development stages of the various general plans. Butte LAFCO 11 The collaboration of land use planning processes allows LAFCO to Be a part of a coordinated dialogue on countywide growth strategies to be implemented through the eventual sphere of influence updates. Be influential in reducing boundary, land use and service inconsistencies between cities, districts and the County. Butte LAFCO 12 The question for LAFCOs is fundamental REACT or PARTICIPATE! 13 Butte Regional Conservation Plan & City/County General Plan Coordination Jon Clark Butte County Association of Governments (BCAG) 14 Regional Planning Projects in Butte County BCAG is facilitating coordination meetings with the cities and county on General Plan updates; BCAG is coordinating preparation of a Regional Conservation Plan in cooperation with the cities, county, state/federal regulatory agencies & other regional stakeholders BCAG will be preparing the Regional Housing Needs Plan to identify the allocation of housing units to the cities and county for inclusion in their Housing Elements 15 Coordination Meetings for City/County General Plan Updates Meetings include city, county planning staff, meetings with city and county administrators; Benefits Regional growth forecast for population Regional Guiding Principals for General Plan Development Regional allocation of housing units by income level for incorporation into Housing Elements 16 BCAG is coordinating development of a Regional Conservation Plan in cooperation with the cities, county and state/federal regulatory agencies. Buttes Conservation Plan covers 560,000 acres. Land and resources will be set aside to implement conservation measures to preserve listed species and habitat. Activities covered by the Conservation Plan such as planned, proposed land uses and agricultural activities implemented by local agencies, will receive permits from state and federal regulatory agencies. Butte Regional Conservation Plan 17 Shared Benefits of a Regional Conservation Plan Communities Protection for scenic habitat & species Proactive approach to conservation and development Local Governments Long term solution to land use and habitat/species conflicts More certainty with General Plan implementation Land Owners & Developers Streamlined regulatory process Greater regulatory certainty, consistency and predictability Environmental Interests Large scale conservation instead of piecemeal Multi species and habitat protection better habitat 18 Regional Conservation Plan & other BCAG Products helping with General Plan Development Ecological Baseline Report - An ecological analysis of the Plan area that identifies information on habitat and the 39 covered species for the plan. Regional Growth Assumptions Forecasts for population. Regional Guiding Principals Consensus based principals for future growth and development. Identification of Covered Activities Development that will occur through General Plans, under special districts and other regional plans that will require an Incidental Take Permit covered by the Conservation Plan. Regional Housing Needs Allocation Forecasts for housing units that need to be reflected in jurisdictions Housing Elements. 19 End Results Realistic, consensus based General Plans A Conservation Strategy to streamline the implementation of the General Plans Good Planning! 20 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS? 21 Tim Snellings, Director Butte County Department of Development Services Butte County General Plan 2030 Competition County vs. Cities vs. BCAG vs. LAFCO Why We Cant Work Together!!!... CALAFCO Annual Meeting August 29, 1007 22 Why Plan? Butte LAFCO 23 As clearly and objectively as we think we see things, we begin to realize others see them differently from their own apparently equally clear and objective point of view. Stephen Covey 24 25 Who is We? Butte County Butte County Cities of Biggs, Chico, Gridley, Oroville, Paradise Cities of Biggs, Chico, Gridley, Oroville, Paradise Butte County Association of Governments (BCAG)our COG Butte County Association of Governments (BCAG)our COG LAFCO LAFCO Special Districts (41) Special Districts (41) 26 Unique Opportunity Butte County General Plan 2030 Butte County General Plan 2030 Cities of Oroville, Chico, Gridley underway with General Plan Updates Cities of Oroville, Chico, Gridley underway with General Plan Updates Biggs and Paradise to follow soon Biggs and Paradise to follow soon NCCP/HCP by BCAG NCCP/HCP by BCAG MSRs by cities/districts MSRs by cities/districts SOIs reviews SOIs reviews 27 Why Some Say We CANT Work Together We have too many things that we disagree about We have too many things that we disagree about Chico doesnt like the County and the County doesnt like Chico Chico doesnt like the County and the County doesnt like Chico Biggs, Gridley and the County cant work together too many conflicts of interest Biggs, Gridley and the County cant work together too many conflicts of interest Paradises plans for growth are too big Paradises plans for growth are too big Orovilles sphere is too large Orovilles sphere is too large Chicos sphere is too small Chicos sphere is too small 28 Why Some Say We CANT Work Together Cities should concentrate on infill development, not greenfield development Cities should concentrate on infill development, not greenfield development County should provide all of the open space/habitat/Ag County should provide all of the open space/habitat/Ag Theres just too much bad history between cities/town and the County Theres just too much bad history between cities/town and the County Cooperation is bad Cooperation is bad Etc., Etc., Etc. Etc., Etc., Etc. 29 In Fact We need each other We need each other We want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves We want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves We want to be proactive We want to be proactive We want to create something special for future generations We want to create something special for future generations The reasons why we cant, are in fact the reasons why we MUST work together The reasons why we cant, are in fact the reasons why we MUST work together Butte LAFCO 30 "If a man does his best, what else is there?" General George S. Patton ( ) 31 Butte County Tim Snellings, Development Services Director Dan Breedon, Project Manager Pete Calarco, Chuck Thistlethwaite, Noel Carvalho D E S I G N, C O M M U N I T Y & E N V I R O N M E N T Project Management; General Plan, Community Outreach, Environmental Review David Early, AICP, Principal, Lead Facilitator Joanna Jansen, Senior Associate-in-Charge Tanya Sundberg, Associate, Project Manager Crawford, Multari & Clark Associates Paul Crawford, Principal Zoning Ordinance Fehr & Peers Associates Jeff Clark, Senior Associate Circulation and Transportation Jones & Stokes Associates Maggie Townsley, Project Director Biology, Cultural Resources, Air Quality, Noise Bay Area Economics Matt Kowta, Principal Economic and Fiscal Analysis Questa Engineering Norm Hantzche, Managing Engineer Infrastructure, Geology, Hydrology, Hazards Gallaway Consulting Jody Gallaway, President and Wildlife Biologist Migratory Deer Range 32 Butte County General Plan 2030 Project Schedule 33 13 Guiding Principle Topics 1. Cooperative Planning 2. Circulation 3. Growth/Urban Development/Housing 4. Airport Land Use Planning 5. Natural Resources and Environment 6. Public Health and Safety 7. Economic Development 8. Agriculture 9. Rural Development 10.Recreational Opportunities and Protection of Cultural Resources 11.Sustainability 12.Public Services 13.Water Resources 34 Butte LAFCO 35 WHERE ARE WE TODAY? Existing Conditions Analysis Issues Identification Alternatives Evaluation and Selection Preliminary Goals and Policies Development Draft General Plan Zoning Ordinance Update Project Initiation Alternatives Creation Draft EIR Final Review and Adoption We Are Here September, 2006 September, 2009 36 How Are We Doing? Historic Summit held Jan 2007 Historic Summit held Jan one on one meetings with citiesfollow up in process 5 one on one meetings with citiesfollow up in process Bi-monthly city/county/LAFCO/BCAG Bi-monthly city/county/LAFCO/BCAG Upcoming City Council updates Upcoming City Council updates 37 Key Issues to Deal With Getting real with Revenue Sharing Getting real with Revenue Sharing We will either partner with the cities or we will compete with them We will either partner with the cities or we will compete with them The answer to this will shape Butte County General Plan 2030 The answer to this will shape Butte County General Plan 2030 38 39 40 CALAFCO Conference Collaboration in Butte County A City Perspective Craig Sanders, AICP Principal, LandWorks 41 42 43 Oroville Overlap Map 44 Oroville Overlap Map 45 Oroville Overlap Map 46 Oroville Overlap Map