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12. A- O HOUSING from page I ' Penalty Proposal Unreasonable Compromise Sought on Enforcement Issue Proponents of SB 910 continue to push for a legal Rssembly Member Lowenthal's staff is attempting to standard that would give the plan reviewers at the state draft a compromise enforcement proposal that may bridge Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) the gaps between the parties. Local government groups are the auti~ority to determine whether local government plans also preparing another enforcement proposal; it is unclear, complied with the housing element law. Noncompliance however, if anything short of deferral to HCD will satisfy would trigger an automatic fine. the proponents. Senator Dunn has made it clear numerous times that he intends to proceed with an aggressive penalty The proponents' most recent proposal included fines of bill if no agreement is reached. $0,35 per-person, per month. For Los Angeles County, with a population of two million inthe unincorporated area, this BUDGET froml le I ...... · ·, · · · · · · fine could amount to $700,000 per month. The Senate has been in recess since it passed a budget in The League and other local government representatives early July. Senate leadership has been seen frequently in argue that if fines are part of a final package they should Sacramento, but the "action" has been on the Assembly side. t .... Floor sessions are being held on Monday and Thursday as targe, worst of the worst be determined by a neutral third party such as a judge; and be set at more reasonable usual, with "check-in" sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday. These "check-in" sessions amount to an opportunity for levels, The local government coalition proposed enforce- legislators and staff to catch up on correspondence and merit provisions that would require a local government to other more routine matters. take its housing element [o a.judge for review, if the Department of Housing and Community Development failed Some believe that if the Governor stepped back from to approve the adopted housing element, the increase ~n vehicle license fee (VLF) tax that Republicans would begin to warm to negotiations. Others believe that Senator Dunn and the proponents of SB 910 contend the price for real movement must be higher, meaning that that judicial review of a local government's housing element there must be greater cuts in state programs. On the is not good enough. Democratic side of the aisle it was rumored this week that an effort would be mounted to take the VLF backfill from local government and turn up the heat on the Republicans. Some Progress on Regional Housing Needs Assessment This "drill" never really materialized. As reported n the June 14 issue of Priority ~:ocus, some progress has been achieved in SB 910 reforms to the state Other rumors talk of grander, more long-term issues on and Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) processes, the table, including a constitutional measure to control state spending; and a measure to establish a well-funded These changes, while important, should not be seen as justification for the imposition of financial penalties, or infrastructure program for the state, shifting additional authority to the state. To say that we are seeing a great of wheel-spinning is certainly true. However, out of these ideas something will Additionally, the League and other local government begin to solidify, but no one has the answer as to when. If partners continue to have differences with SJ~ 910 propo- nothing begins to take shape aL;r~ng the remainder of this nents over numerous other issues, ~ncluding implementation week or next week, it is unlikely that a solution will be approaches: the need to reform the HCD review process; the forthcoming before the symbolic end of the summer recess - bilrs failure to address conflicting state laws and policies; August 5~. This is when the Senate returns to Sacramento. the need for additional protections from lawsuits for local Given the time needed to put a deal together, it is beginning governments that approve housing; and the lack of fiscal to look more and more like a mid-August solution at the tools or incentives to pay for housing, earliest. Stay tuned! IOur Mission ' Restore an~ protect local con:roi for cities through education and advocacy CO enhance the qua/icy of life for all Californians. PAGE 2/PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site--www.cacities.org