Guest View

Santa Clara County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state and is projected to add more than 500,000 new residents in the next 25 years.What is the best way to accommodate this growth and build communities in ways that allow local governments to provide cost effective services while ensuring that valuable natural resources such as open space and agricultural lands are preserved?This is a major challenge for local government—and a core concern for the Local Agency Formation Commission of Santa Clara County, more commonly known as LAFCO.LAFCO is a state-mandated, independent local agency whose purpose is to discourage urban sprawl, preserve open space and agricultural lands and encourage efficient delivery of services.LAFCO fulfills these goals by regulating the boundaries of cities and special districts and by conducting studies to inform its regulatory duties.Santa Clara County’s LAFCO has seven members, including two county supervisors, one San Jose City Council member, one council member from any of the other 14 cities in the county, two special district board members and one public member selected by the other six. As LAFCO members, they must act on behalf of the countywide public interest, consistent with locally adopted LAFCO policies and the state mandate.In the 1950s, California experienced dramatic population growth and economic development. Demand for housing, jobs and services triggered rampant, unplanned, sprawling development that resulted in inefficient public service delivery systems and massive conversion of agricultural and open space to urban use. In response, the State Legislature created LAFCOs in 1963 and gave them responsibility for encouraging orderly growth and development in each county.Early in the 1970s, Santa Clara LAFCO, the 15 cities and the county jointly adopted policies that call for urban development to occur only within cities. Cities proposed urban service area boundaries that identified lands each intended to annex for future development. Those boundaries were adopted by LAFCO and future expansions became subject to its approval.Since urban service areas are key to where and when future growth will occur and services will be provided, LAFCO reviews each expansion request very carefully.One of LAFCO’s first considerations in reviewing an expansion proposal is whether there are infill development opportunities and whether the city has used or underused its existing supply of vacant land before seeking expansion.Among many other factors, LAFCO also will consider whether the expansion would result in conversion of agricultural or open space lands, whether the services and infrastructure needed to support the proposed growth can be financed and provided without negatively impacting current city services, and whether there is an adequate water supply available.  The creation of LAFCO and implementation of its policies has slowed the outward spread of urban development in Santa Clara County. This has, in turn, allowed for the preservation of an informal “greenbelt” around the urbanized area that consists of protected open space lands, farmlands and scenic hillsides. Consequently, despite experiencing significant growth over the years, our county remains a very desirable place to live and work.Today, LAFCO continues to play a vital role in promoting sustainable growth and good governance in Santa Clara County. Through its actions to curb sprawl and preserve open space and agricultural lands, LAFCO can play a key role in addressing emerging issues such as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.Neelima Palacherla is Executive Officer of the Local Agency Formation Commission of Santa Clara County. For more information about LAFCO, visit,www.santaclaralafco.org.

The City of Morgan Hill is set on selling an option they own, “Depot Center/BookSmart,” to City Ventures, a developer from Southern California. The company has developed many great projects but this one will not be good for Morgan Hill. This project will be a net loss for the community. A small group has offered to match the offer from City Ventures for the option and keep Depot Center as it is. If this happens the owners of Depot Center have agreed to do major repairs to the property and do everything they can to keep the present tenants intact.Several years ago the city bought this option for about $1.7 million. Today they are offering that same option to a developer for $100,000 dollars. So the price is set at $100,000. What will the community get for $100,000? You will get some townhomes and a small amount of retail space. Here is how I see it:Morgan Hill will only get 8 to 10 percent more property tax from the new project than they are receiving now on the property.Sales tax will be far less than what the city is getting now because they are only building 3,000 square feet of retail space. The property currently holds about 25,000 square feet of retail space.Existing tenants draw many more people downtown than the proposed project.Occupants of the residential component of the project will be gone all day at work, so that is a loss to downtown.Very few retail businesses will be able to afford the rents that need to be charged for new construction.There are more employees working at the current site than what is being proposed.Seven or 8 long-time businesses, which have supported the downtown for more than 100 years collectively, will be displaced. The City of Morgan Hill will spend up to $1 million in relocation funds (already earmarked by the city council).The city has developed a relocation plan that may help some of the tenants but will be onerous for others.They have no plan to keep these businesses downtown during redevelopment or to bring them back after. The downtown needs businesses just as much as it needs housing (maybe more!).The City Ventures plan for the Depot Center property is very nearly the same type of project (townhouses and a little retail) that was denied last year for the property adjacent to Depot Center and the new parking garage. If this type of development is not right for one, why is it OK for the other?I appreciate that the city has a lot to do and in a short matter of time but they shouldn’t cave in and put a bad plan into action just because time is short.Contact your elected officials directly, not through social media. Directly speaking them to them pulls more weight than sniping on Facebook.Cities need to keep older buildings for the reason Jane Jacobs said in her book, “The Life and Death of Great American Cities.”The following is an excerpt from Jane Jacobs on old cities:“If a city area has only new buildings, the enterprises that can exist there are automatically limited to those that can support the high costs of new construction...Enterprises that support the cost of new construction must be capable of paying a relatively high overhead—high in comparison to that necessarily required by old buildings.”Brad Jones is co-owner of BookSmart, 80 East Second Street in downtown Morgan Hill.

We have a place here in Morgan Hill where more than 70 kids go when school gets out, where they can do their homework and get help if needed, where they can get exercise and “Play 60,” where they can do fun projects and socialize with other kids. It’s a place where they thrive and take great steps toward attaining their full potential. It is the Lori Escobar El Toro Clubhouse on Crest Avenue, and it needs your help!Last July, the Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley (BGC) took over the operation and oversight of the Clubhouse from Catholic Charities and revamped the programming by adding staff and proven BGC programs. Catholic Charities did a great job of keeping the old center going with minimal resources. BGC brings a much more comprehensive and a proven program, so it is a great, successful upgrade for the Clubhouse.  If you get a chance, please drop by some afternoon and witness the enthusiasm and positive spirit of the kids there. They will capture your heart.Boys and Girls Club took over the operation with the understanding that the Morgan Hill community would continue to support the Clubhouse financially. Amigos de El Toro is an organization of volunteers that do whatever is needed to support the Clubhouse, and fundraising is one of our basic missions.While the annual budget for the Clubhouse is well over $200,000, BGC asks that the Amigos raise about $100,000 locally. Almost $40,000 of that comes from identified, sustainable sources. So the Amigos need to raise a little more than $60,000 annually and are working hard to identify potential generous contributors and establish sustainable sources for that local share. We welcome ideas, suggestions and of course contributions to help us achieve it, for we may very well lose this precious asset if we are unable to do our share.Of course one way to raise funds is by having a fundraiser, and the Amigos put on an outstanding event that we hope you will support. Now in its fourth year, our “Building Futures” event will be at Mama Mia’s restaurant, 275 E. Dunne Ave., 6 to 9 p.m. May 15. The cost is only $15 with plenty of hors d’oeuvres and a no-host bar. We’ll have exciting raffle and auction items including a private dinner for eight served by the Pirate of Morgan Hill at his Cove. Also, we will have some very special art prepared by El Toro kids—and some of those kids will be on hand to tell you about what they do at the Clubhouse.It is a fun event where our great community comes out to support a very good cause and has a ball doing it.  Tickets are available from BookSmart, 80 E. Second Street, or from the event committee (Laura Gonzalez-Escoto, Melissa Santos, Cecelia Ponzini or Steve Tate) and will also be available at the door. I sure hope to see you there.Contact the mayor at (408) 621-7377 or [email protected].

Still unsure about the Common Core State Standards? Local schools are now actively teaching the new standards, but there remains some confusion about exactly what that means.Here are five things all parents should know about the Common Core State Standards:1. Common Core is not curriculum. The CCSS is simply a list of skills students should have by the end of each grade level. The standards tell educators what students need to know, not how to teach the skills. Curricular programs are still local decisions. Schools and districts choose methods for teaching and programs to use in classrooms. If a lesson feels wrong or confusing, ask your teacher, principal or curriculum director to explain. The problem you have could be with the program that is being used, not the standards themselves.2.Common Core is not a test. The Common Core State Standards do not require any assessments. Standardized tests are designed by large organizations, often for profit. States adopt and mandate these tests. Most current state tests were designed after the CCSS were imposed and attempt to assess whether students know the skills in the standards. Other assessments may be designed or selected by schools or districts.3.Common Core is easily accessible to the public. Go directly to the source. Read the standards before formulating an opinion about them, because your opinion may be about the chosen curriculum or the methodology your school is using, not the standards themselves. Don’t assume something is “in the standards” unless you can find it there. The official (parent-friendly) website is corestandards.org.4.Successful interpretation and implementation of the Common Core depends on training. The standards can be interpreted in many ways. Teachers need both time and quality training to successfully implement them, and schools and districts must provide this training. Training may come from employees of the district or from consultants outside the district. If you don’t already know, ask your local school to explain how its teachers are being trained to ensure your child’s success with the standards.5.  Educators have used standards for many years. While the Common Core State Standards are new, the concept of standards is not. Educators have depended on pre-set lists of skills for decades and have used the standards to assist them in deciding what subjects to cover. Before the Common Core State Standards unified the educational landscape in the U.S., all states had different lists. Some were more rigorous than others. Now, continuity is guaranteed from state to state. Also, educators across the country can now collaborate about best practices, lesson ideas, differentiated support, and tools and resources.There are many rumors and opinions swirling about the Common Core. Reading the CCSS and understanding the differences between standards, curriculum and instruction can help you be an informed participant in the debate.Debbie Lera is a national consultant, author and literacy specialist.  She is also a teacher and Common Core Liason at The Charter School of Morgan Hill.

John McKay in a recent column said the city must grow. But how do you define growth?  He mentions the good work of General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), but does not mention the 30,000 additional residents the GPAC is considering adding to the 40,000 already here. Such numbers would overwhelm our community, change it and put it at risk.Thirty thousand new residents will place overwhelming demands upon municipal services and infrastructure. You would think that the city will gain from the new property tax but the city receives very little of that as the state, county and school districts siphon most of it. Cities that relied on a residential tax base suffer and are at risk of becoming insolvent.This city struggles to meet its current demands. It has difficulty in maintaining what we have. The city has deferred millions in needed street and other projects but it does not have resources to address them. We spend millions on property for ball fields we don’t need for which we have no resources to build. Point being we cannot grow without revenue to support such growth. We have to grow with all other considerations, including our quality of life. It must be a planned and balanced approach.Realtors and developers have been engaged, and are salivating at paving over precious farmlands and open space. I attended a number of the public meetings of the GPAC and attendance was few in number and always the same people: property consultants and developers. But that is not public engagement.  If you want to gather information from the community, you also scientifically survey and/or present the projects for municipal vote, neither of which has happened. At the moment, county landowners and developers run this city and gave the council an ultimatum last week to which this weak council yielded. So who is running this city?When you start addressing interest in the downtown, John, I would expect you would have many business owners interested as the effects are immediate and close by. But many consider the Southeast Quadrant, where most of the growth will occur, as a distant project and cannot fathom the impacts of traffic, crime, noise, pollution, sewage and the need for higher taxes to support a massive new population.The City has thousands of acres of land within its existing city limits. There is plenty of land to grow up, if not out. Building within the existing city limits/framework is the most cost effective and efficient means of growth—no ifs, ands or buts. Annexing county land and paving over farmlands in light of climate change without a mitigation and adaptation plan and a constrained city budget is irresponsible leadership.John McKay, if you want to discuss the future and growth of Morgan Hill, I would surely like that conversation. Your perspective in my opinion is not aligned with what I believe the residents of Morgan Hill really want and more importantly the protections they absolutely need.—Mark Grzan is a former Morgan Hill City Councilmember/Vice Mayor.

It’s the end of the year and that usually means that we all look back and reflect on what we have done and what stands out that we have witnessed over the last 12 months. Then we might think about what we want to make happen next year or call it good and rest on laurels. My guess is that not many will do the latter.

If you have been considering changing your landscape to make it more drought tolerant, now is the time. Last month, the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors voted to continue supporting higher rebate amounts for water conservation programs until next June.In most of Santa Clara County, you could be eligible for a rebate of $2 per square foot of converted landscape. In Palo Alto, Morgan Hill and San Jose Municipal Water’s service area, local cost sharing makes the incentives even larger.Our landscape conversion rebate program is one of the many conservation programs that is helping us through this drought. More importantly, it will help us manage dry periods for years to come. We are working to save nearly 100,000 acre-feet of water a year by 2030. That’s enough water to fill Lexington Reservoir five times.Fortunately, the response to this program during the drought has been overwhelming. From July through October 2014, about 410,000 square feet of thirsty lawns have been converted. The conversion of another 1.4 million square feet of grass is in process.Some people mistakenly believe that a drought-tolerant landscape only means a cactus or rock garden. In fact, our program allows a long list of approved plants, shrubs and groundcovers that are lush, flowering and very colorful. More and more, these types of landscapes will become the norm in our region, in place of lawns that requires mowing, fertilizers and frequent watering.In addition, the water district offers rebates for irrigation equipment that can help you reduce your water use. This includes weather based irrigation controllers, rain sensors, high-efficiency nozzles, dedicated landscape meters and efficient sprinklers. Those rebate amounts have been increased as well. About 90,000 pieces of irrigation equipment have been replaced or are in the process of replacement.To find out about our water conservation programs and their eligibility requirements, visitwww.save20gallons.org or call our water conservation hotline at (408) 630-2554. The water district strives to make the application process as easy as possible, but it is important to check the program requirements before starting any project.The board also extended our call for water use reductions of 20 percent until next June. Despite all the recent rain, our local reservoirs and our groundwater levels are still severely depleted. It will take many more significant storm systems to make up for the three long years of dry weather.Much of this county’s water is imported from outside the county. Those water supplies depend on the Sierra snowpack and the conditions at key state and federal reservoirs such as Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville. State officials estimate that we will need precipitation rates of 150 percent of normal before those reservoirs will recover.As a result, the state has issued an initial forecast for the amount of water it can deliver to our county in 2015 of only 10 percent.The bottom line is that we will start 2015 with far less water than we had at the beginning of 2014. It is essential that we continue saving, rain or shine, for the foreseeable future.—Contact Dennis Kennedy, who represents South County on the SCVWD Board of Directors, by email at [email protected].

Some good news for a change! While we have begun to see some rain, rainfall levels and the snowpack are expected to remain far below normal. Some of our local reservoirs are nearly empty. Statewide water conditions are poor, and we are expecting some significant challenges in meeting our needs this year.