ABAG E-News, August 2019

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Association of Bay Area Governments

ABAG E-News, August 2019

Joint ABAG-MTC Governance Committee Meeting

Beginning the conversation about governance.

The Joint ABAG-MTC Governance Committee Meeting on Wednesday, July 24th began a series of conversations between representatives of the ABAG Executive Board and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). Convened at the direction of a 2017 staff consolidation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2017, the meetings are to discuss whether the two agenices should restructure their governing boards to better serve the region. The MOU included a start date for this discussion of July 2019 and did not include any other requirements regarding outcome or completion.

Executive Director Therese McMillan began with a presentation, touching on the history and opening the discussion up to the Committee members from ABAG and MTC. The ABAG Committee members include President and Sonoma Supervisor David Rabbitt, Vice President and Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin, Santa Clara Supervisor Cindy Chavez, Immediate Past President and Clayton Vice-Mayor Julie Pierce, Marin Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, and San Mateo Supervisor Warren Slocum. The MTC Committee members include Commission Chair and Alameda Supervisor Scott Haggerty, Vice Chair and Napa Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza, Santa Clara Supervisor Dave Cortese, San Francisco Mayor’s Appointee Nick Josefowitz, Solano Supervisor James P. Spering, and Orinda Mayor Amy Worth.

The next Governance Committee meeting is scheduled for September 25th, following the MTC Commission meeting. Information about the next meeting will be available on the agencies’ websites, abag.ca.gov/meetings or mtc.ca.gov/whats-happening.


ABAG recruiting members for Housing Methodology Committee for the Regional Housing Need Allocation Process

ABAG invites individuals to serve on its Housing Methodology Committee (HMC) for the Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA). RHNA is the state-mandated process to identify the number of housing units that each local government must accommodate in the Housing Element of its General Plan (Government Code §65584). As the Council of Governments for the San Francisco Bay Area, ABAG must allocate a portion of the region’s housing need to each jurisdiction in the region.

The Housing Methodology Committee brings together diverse perspectives relating to how to accommodate future housing growth in the Bay Area in ways that support inclusive, vibrant, and affordable communities. Made up of elected officials, staff selected from county and stakeholder representatives, the HMC will advise ABAG in the development of the housing unit allocation methodology. The HMC will meet monthly from October 2019 through May 2020 and then less frequently until July 2021.

A request for stakeholder applicants went out on July 24th to a wide range or individuals and organizations that have expressed interest in regional land-use and/or transportation activities. ABAG is conducting separate recruitment processes for the local elected official and staff representatives on the HMC.

Please share this recruitment with individuals and organizations that would be interested. Additional information and the application are available here. Applications for stakeholders are due Friday, August 16th.

ABAG staff will consider and recommend selections in August and early September, and the ABAG Executive Board will review and approve the staff recommendations at its September 2019 meeting. Please contact Gillian Adams, RHNA Project Manager at gadams@bayareametro.gov with any questions.


Notice of Public Hearing: Regional Housing Control Total

The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), in coordination with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), is beginning development of a new long-range plan for the San Francisco Bay Area this fall, known as Plan Bay Area 2050 (RTP/SCS). Under a 2014 legal settlement with the Building Industry Association Bay Area (BIA Bay Area), ABAG must hold a public hearing on the methodology used to determine the Regional Housing Control Total and the forecasted development pattern for Plan Bay Area 2050. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the public hearing must be held on the same day the methodology is proposed for adoption, which must also be prior to the Regional Housing Control Total being disclosed.

ABAG will hold this public hearing to receive oral or written testimony in regards to the proposed methodology.

The public hearing will be held during the ABAG Executive Board meeting on:

Thursday, September 19, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
Bay Area Metro Center Board Room, First Floor
375 Beale Street, San Francisco, California

Written comments may be submitted to the Public Information Office at 375 Beale St, Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94105 or faxed to us at 415-536-9800 or sent via e-mail to info@bayareametro.gov. Please include “Plan Bay Area 2050 Methodology” in the subject line. Written comments are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, August 19, 2019. For more information, call the Public Information Office at 415-778-6757.

After receipt and review of public comments, the ABAG Executive Board is scheduled to consider the adoption of the methodology at its September 19, 2019 meeting.


San Francisco Bay Trail 30th Anniversary Highlighted in the Latest Bay Nature

San Francisco Bay Trail is celebrating its 30th year! Interested in the Bay Trail’s history? Do you want to know about the segments of trail under construction? Want to get involved? Read the special issue now.


ABAG and MTC Invite Cities, Towns and Counties to Update Priority Areas

Submission window open through Sept. 16, 2019

ABAG and MTC have opened a call for Letters of Interest for new or modified Priority Development Areas and Priority Conservation Areas, as well as a new pilot for Priority Production Areas. To learn more, visit planbayarea.org/priority.