Post by local news on Oct 10, 2004 7:27:09 GMT -8
Panel targets conservancies for cost-cutting
Cost-cutting plan suggests state withdraw from boards
By Ruby Gonzales
Staff Writer
Saturday, October 09, 2004 - A five- year-old conservancy created to preserve open space in the Southland faces extinction under a plan to reform state government.
The California Performance Review recommends turning five conservancies, including the San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, from state agencies into joint-power authorities.
It suggests removing state participation from the conservancy boards as well as state money for staffing.
The San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, San Joaquin River Conservancy, San Diego River Conservancy and the Baldwin Hills Conservancy would then have to compete for state funds like any other group.
But the proposal would spare the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Tahoe Conservancy and the Coastal Conservancy, which the report says concentrate on protecting land and habitat resources of statewide interest.
Supporters of the local conservancy, also known as the RMC, question the proposal that would kill five conservancies while keeping three. And abolishing the RMC means the San Gabriel Valley will go back to being underfunded in state park money, they added.
"It is the only conservancy concentrated in an urban area as large as it is,' said Jeff Yann, chairman of the Sierra Club's San Gabriel River Campaign.
"It's serving a much-needed purpose in Southern California in making sure we get a fair share of state bond money.'
He said the RMC works at getting bond money, prioritizing projects, cleaning up groundwater and conserving water. The latter two are of statewide significance, Yann said.
"The RMC (jurisdiction) is bigger than Rhode Island. It's not trivial,' he said.
Created in 1999, the conservancy's goals include preserving open space, providing recreation uses, restoring and protecting wildlife and habitat and improving watershed.
The 2,500-page California Performance Review released in August claims its recommendations would result in $31 billion in potential savings over five years.
Turning five conservancies into joint-power authorities would save $1 million in the last half of fiscal year 2004-05, according to the report. The state would then save $2.1 million yearly.
The RMC doesn't use state general funds, said Nick Conway, executive director of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments.
"Abolishing the RMC would not lead to direct savings to the general fund,' he said.
Public hearings on the report were held statewide. There's still time for the public to comment via e-mail and letters, state officials said.
"They will formulate their recommendations to the governor. The governor will decide whether to go ahead or take bits and pieces of the recommendations,' said Belinda Faustinos, the RMC's executive officer. "We should know more of their action in the next two months.'
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't taken any stand or decision on any recommendation, said his deputy press secretary, Terri Carbaugh.
Rep. Hilda Solis, D-El Monte, who as a state senator worked on the legislation that created the RMC, called the report's recommendation very disappointing.
The conservancy allows the San Gabriel Valley to have a local voice and has been successful in getting state money for projects, she said.
La Puente, Santa Fe Springs, Lakewood and Bellflower sent letters to the governor's office asking him to reconsider the report's recommendation. A letter signed by the boards of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, the Orange County Council of Governments and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments was also sent.
Others, like Industry Mayor Dave Perez, agree with the report's proposal.
The RMC receives money from state bonds, which it awards as grants. Perez said the cities could apply for the money themselves.
"Why need another layer of bureaucracy?' Perez asked. "Voters approved these bonds. These groups of people got in the middle as bureaucracy. What if cities formed joint-power authorities and applied for the money Why need a state agency?'
They can save a bundle of money, get more bang for the taxpayer dollars and keep local control, he said.
Industry has sued the RMC before, once for allegedly violating the state's Public Records Act because it didn't turn over documents related to the sale of a former duck farm and another time for allegedly violating state law when it approved a $1.5 million grant to Brea to buy 527 acres in Tonner Canyon for open space. Industry later bought the Tonner Canyon property.
-- Ruby Gonzales can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2718, or by e-mail at ruby.gonzales@sgvn.com .
www.sgvtribune.com/cda/article/print/0,1674,205%257E12220%257E2457959,00.html
Cost-cutting plan suggests state withdraw from boards
By Ruby Gonzales
Staff Writer
Saturday, October 09, 2004 - A five- year-old conservancy created to preserve open space in the Southland faces extinction under a plan to reform state government.
The California Performance Review recommends turning five conservancies, including the San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, from state agencies into joint-power authorities.
It suggests removing state participation from the conservancy boards as well as state money for staffing.
The San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, San Joaquin River Conservancy, San Diego River Conservancy and the Baldwin Hills Conservancy would then have to compete for state funds like any other group.
But the proposal would spare the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Tahoe Conservancy and the Coastal Conservancy, which the report says concentrate on protecting land and habitat resources of statewide interest.
Supporters of the local conservancy, also known as the RMC, question the proposal that would kill five conservancies while keeping three. And abolishing the RMC means the San Gabriel Valley will go back to being underfunded in state park money, they added.
"It is the only conservancy concentrated in an urban area as large as it is,' said Jeff Yann, chairman of the Sierra Club's San Gabriel River Campaign.
"It's serving a much-needed purpose in Southern California in making sure we get a fair share of state bond money.'
He said the RMC works at getting bond money, prioritizing projects, cleaning up groundwater and conserving water. The latter two are of statewide significance, Yann said.
"The RMC (jurisdiction) is bigger than Rhode Island. It's not trivial,' he said.
Created in 1999, the conservancy's goals include preserving open space, providing recreation uses, restoring and protecting wildlife and habitat and improving watershed.
The 2,500-page California Performance Review released in August claims its recommendations would result in $31 billion in potential savings over five years.
Turning five conservancies into joint-power authorities would save $1 million in the last half of fiscal year 2004-05, according to the report. The state would then save $2.1 million yearly.
The RMC doesn't use state general funds, said Nick Conway, executive director of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments.
"Abolishing the RMC would not lead to direct savings to the general fund,' he said.
Public hearings on the report were held statewide. There's still time for the public to comment via e-mail and letters, state officials said.
"They will formulate their recommendations to the governor. The governor will decide whether to go ahead or take bits and pieces of the recommendations,' said Belinda Faustinos, the RMC's executive officer. "We should know more of their action in the next two months.'
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't taken any stand or decision on any recommendation, said his deputy press secretary, Terri Carbaugh.
Rep. Hilda Solis, D-El Monte, who as a state senator worked on the legislation that created the RMC, called the report's recommendation very disappointing.
The conservancy allows the San Gabriel Valley to have a local voice and has been successful in getting state money for projects, she said.
La Puente, Santa Fe Springs, Lakewood and Bellflower sent letters to the governor's office asking him to reconsider the report's recommendation. A letter signed by the boards of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, the Orange County Council of Governments and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments was also sent.
Others, like Industry Mayor Dave Perez, agree with the report's proposal.
The RMC receives money from state bonds, which it awards as grants. Perez said the cities could apply for the money themselves.
"Why need another layer of bureaucracy?' Perez asked. "Voters approved these bonds. These groups of people got in the middle as bureaucracy. What if cities formed joint-power authorities and applied for the money Why need a state agency?'
They can save a bundle of money, get more bang for the taxpayer dollars and keep local control, he said.
Industry has sued the RMC before, once for allegedly violating the state's Public Records Act because it didn't turn over documents related to the sale of a former duck farm and another time for allegedly violating state law when it approved a $1.5 million grant to Brea to buy 527 acres in Tonner Canyon for open space. Industry later bought the Tonner Canyon property.
-- Ruby Gonzales can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2718, or by e-mail at ruby.gonzales@sgvn.com .
www.sgvtribune.com/cda/article/print/0,1674,205%257E12220%257E2457959,00.html