Partnership urges stakeholders to push for fair, equitable transportation funding

The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board of Directors is urging Valley stakeholders to contact the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to push for fair and equitable allocation of Proposition 1B trade corridor funding for the Valley.

CARB staff has proposed that the state should allocate 25 percent of the funds in Prop 1B to the Valley. However, Partnership officials in January wrote to CARB Chair Mary Nichols requesting that the allocation be adjusted to assure that the Valley receive a minimum allocation of 37 percent of the bond funds.

The Partnership Board is now asking Valley stakeholders to write to Chair Nichols and/or testify at the board’s Feb. 28 hearing in Sacramento. CARB will consider the guidelines and funding allocation for the Prop 1B funding at the hearing.

The Air Quality Work Group’s calculations are included in the Prop 1B: Proposed Guidelines, ARB Letter to Chair Nichols, located on the Partnership Web site.

Partnership Board formally approves San Joaquin Valley Housing Trust

The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board of Directors on Feb. 8 officially approved the San Joaquin Valley Housing Trust to help Valley jurisdictions achieve their housing goals.

In its report to the Partnership Board, Trust leaders outlined the organization’s goals and purposes:

1. Work with the Partnership on a comprehensive and coordinated regional housing strategy that meets Partnership and San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Planning Process goals.
2. Support a broad network of partnership for affordable/workforce housing in the Valley.
3. Serve as a resource to increase investments in affordable/workforce housing.
4. Help provide incentives for housing trust funds within local jurisdictions.
5. Preserve at-risk publicly assisted affordable housing.
6. Leverage federal, state, and local housing programs through housing trust funds.
7. Resource housing that is aligned with principles of sustainable development and the preservation of farmlands and natural habitats in the Valley.
8. Serve as a source of technical assistance and advocacy to local jurisdictions for them to achieve their goals as stated in the housing elements of their general plans.
9. Receive, hold, and distribute funds for these purposes.

The Trust’s board is made up of representatives of all participating Councils of Governments, city staff professionals from each county, representatives of the Partnership Work Groups, and local housing industry and advocate organizations, and housing specialists. It will be supported through the California Coalition for Rural Housing.

Merced County Supervisor Deidre Kelsey served as chair of the organization’s board. A list of board members is available in the San Joaquin Valley Trust's Presentation (PPT) located on the Partnership’s Web site.

K-12 Education Work Group to study Governor's reform agenda, report to board

The Partnership’s K-12 Education Work Group presented an in-depth report of its activities at the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board of Directors quarterly meeting on Feb. 8.

Work group leaders said the development and implementation of the English Learner Leadership Academy, which has impacted leadership teams in 16 districts across all eight counties, is one of the most tangible outcomes of the group’s work. The Academy addresses the area of English Learner program improvement, which is critical to closing the achievement gap in San Joaquin Valley schools.

The work group also has focused considerable effort on developing a college-going culture by engaging a broad array of higher education representatives in a dialogue about the mutual needs and goals to prepare graduates for higher education and career paths after high school.

Additionally, together with the Higher Education and Workforce Development Work Group, the K-12 Work Group is participating in a data team assembled by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium to address priority needs for accurate data and data systems that will serve educational institutions across levels.

The Board also directed the K-12 and Higher Education and Workforce Development work groups to consider a regional pilot project that would build solutions for the Valley’s education issues.

Recognizing the critical importance of K-12 education in the San Joaquin Valley, the Board will hold a special session to focus specifically on policy and pilot program recommendations. The session will be held before the Board’s next quarterly meeting in May.

Partnership Board requests Caltrans funding for Highway 99 study

The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board of Directors on Feb. 8 agreed to pursue $50,000 in funding from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and local transportation agencies to complete an economic study on the conversion of Highway 99 to an Interstate designation. The Board is requesting the funding through the Interregional Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP).

In a letter to Caltrans Director Will Kempton, the board said it believes the economic study is necessary before proceeding with additional activities by the state and the eight-county region to pursue the designation, such as performing technical studies, preparing design exception justifications, and coordinating with the Federal Highway Administration in order to complete the application for conversion.

In addition, the Board requested that Caltrans set aside $250,000 in ITIP funding for the San Joaquin Valley in the next budget cycle for engineering studies once the economic study is completed and a significant economic benefit has been shown.

Higher Education and Workforce Development Work Group updates Board on progress

The Partnership’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Work Group has taken a number of significant steps to create a “demand-driven” workforce investment system that supports the Valley’s targeted industry clusters.

The work group provided a report on its progress and activities to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley’s Board of Directors at the board’s quarterly meeting on Feb. 8.

Major activities of the work group include:

• A regionwide employment study and gap analysis is now under way. The survey of 3,000 employers across the Valley is gathering information on required skills and educational levels for jobs in targeted industries, job requirements and hiring criteria, and future demand for the jobs. Results of the survey will be used to evaluate training capacity for vocational education, and gap analysis data will be used to strategically seek additional funding to expand training opportunities to meet employer and student needs.
• A Work Ready certificate using the WorkKeys system has been completed. The certificate verifies to employers that an individual has essential core employability skills in reading for information, applied mathematics, and locating information.
• Through the use of Employment Training Panel funding, the San Joaquin Valley Community College Consortium has established a $500,000 fund that is available for businesses to provide skill upgrade training for their employees.
• Four sub-regional applications will move forward to the Governor’s Career Technical Education Initiative to seek funding to align vocational and career technical education with target industries. Each application will be requesting $450,000.

Download the Higher Education and Workforce Development Work Group report (PPT) presented at the board meeting.

Partnership Board passes resolution supporting conduit construction policies

The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board of Directors on Feb. 8 approved a resolution asking the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to take specific steps in its construction policies to assist with broadband access throughout the Valley. The Partnership has identified access to broadband as an issue that would improve the economic well-being of the Valley and the quality of life of its residents.

The resolution requests that Caltrans develop procedures for notifying and accommodating broadband providers in the early planning stages of road construction. It also asks that Caltrans take the lead in clarifying and addressing issues surrounding the cost of the conduit installation.

In addition, the resolution commits the Partnership to continuing to participate through its Transportation and Advanced Communications Services work groups in ongoing discussions among Caltrans, the Public Utilities Commission, and the California Emerging Technology Fund to facilitate agreements with industry on how to ensure ubiquitous broadband access for Valley residents.

Download a complete copy of the Resolution Supporting Conduit Construction Policies located on the Partnership Web site.

Methamphetamine Advisory Council selects coordinators

The Methamphetamine Recovery Project Advisory Council has announced the appointments of John Aguirre of Visalia and Sherill Calhoun of Hanford as project coordinators for the north and south Valley regions.

Aguirre has worked 15 years in the nonprofit arena of violence prevention. He is actively engaged in many civic affairs, serving as a board member of the Tulare/Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Prevent Child Abuse California and the Tulare Mental Health Board. He also is the Tulare County representative to the California Association of Mental Health Boards and a member of the Child Abuse Prevention Council.

Calhoun recently retired from a 30-year career in banking and serves as chair for the Methamphetamine Committee, the largest and most active committee under the umbrella of the Kings Partnership for Prevention, a citizens’ advisory group.

The Advisory Council is a critical element in meeting the Health and Human Services Work Group’s goal of developing a comprehensive methamphetamine education, treatment and law enforcement program as outlined in the Partnership’s Strategic Action Proposal. The Advisory Council is addressing the methamphetamine issue across a continuum of care that includes education, prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery.

Meet the Board:
Marcie Buford, a Valley economic development aficionada

Marcie Buford graduated from UCLA with the class of 1950 and married William Buford the same year. After five years, her husband joined his family’s business, Buford Oil Co., Inc., and they were off to Hanford, Calif. Buford has been dedicated and has contributed to the well-being of Kings County since.

Buford continues to own and manage two convenience stores, recently reducing the total from six locations.

Since the 1990s, Buford has served as chair of Sacred Heart Hospital Board, as president of the League of California Cities South San Joaquin Valley Division, as a member of Kings Waste and Recycling Board. Since the early 2000s, she has served on the Kings Art Guild, the Hanford Community Foundation and the Hanford Community Hospital Foundation.

Buford has been on Hanford City Council since 1988, serving three separate terms as mayor.

In September 2005, Buford was appointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley.

“Joining the Partnership has given me the opportunity to meet some fine people and learn that our Valley is truly ‘God’s Country,’ as my husband called it when he was courting me,” she says.

“I appreciate the meetings up and down the Valley, listening to all the people whose goals are so similar,” Buford says. “It is good to see some of those goals starting to come to fruition. One terrific achievement is the new and expanded cooperation within the economic development field.”

Economic development has been a cornerstone of Buford’s contribution to Kings County. She has served on Kings County Private Industry Council and Kings County Environmental Review Committee, is a current member of Crown Economic Development, and is current chair of Kings Economic Development Corporation.

Buford’s part in the move to develop Hanford’s Joint Educational Center, therefore, comes as no surprise.

“We – the City of Hanford, Hanford High School District and College of the Sequoias – bought the land, passed two bonds and received a grant for a vocational center, which is in progress,” Buford says. “A softball complex has been built; the high school district has broken ground for its third high school; and COS will do the same shortly.”

“I hope [the Partnership] can truly help create a healthy environment along with a vibrant economy,” Buford says.

She has been honored for her commitment to her community. The Fresno Bee named her one of the Top Ten Women of the Year in 1996. She was named Citizen of the Year by Hanford Chamber of Commerce in 2002. She was the recipient of the Rose Ann Vuich Ethical Leadership Award in 2003.

Buford's sons still run Buford Oil and still live in Kings County. She enjoys playing the piano for her and her family, which continues her tradition of music. She plays duplicate bridge because it is, she says, “a great way to keep the brain active and a nice recreation.”

Legislative Update

Legislation Consistent with the Partnership Strategic Action Plan

State Issues

AB 575 (Arambula) - Prop 1B AQ Mitigation Criteria/Funding

A bill to require $1 billion to mitigate air pollution from goods movement, approved by voters under the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006 (Proposition 1B), be appropriated to the highest priority projects according to a set of region-neutral criteria.

Related, the Air Quality Work Group has sent letters in support of Prop 1B funding and criteria for allocation of funds as efforts transition in the legislature.

• Status: Bill held in Assembly Appropriations Committee. However, the allocation of Proposition 1B “Goods Movement Emission Reduction” (AQ Mitigation) Program funding has been determined by criteria passed as part of the 2007-08 budget through trailer bill SB 88.
• On Jan. 3, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) released its proposed guidelines for allocation of the Prop 1B Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program. ARB held a public meeting on this document in Fresno on Jan. 9. The ARB board will consider approval of these guidelines on Feb 28-29.
• The Air Quality Work Group sent a letter to ARB Chair Mary Nichols expressing disappointment over the method of calculating the apportionment. The letter provided alternative methods that would provide a more fair and equitable distribution to the four trade corridors.

AB 1455 (Arambula, Villines) - Air Quality Zones

The bill as most recently amended would authorize the State Air Resources Board to designate “California Air Quality Zones” for the purpose of providing incentives for owners of mobile and stationary sources of air pollution to invest in air pollution control equipment that produce surplus emission reductions, and for owners of stationary sources of air pollution to invest in the production and utilization of renewable energy technologies. Areas eligible include those that: 1) have been in nonattainment for PM 2.5 and in serious, severe, or extreme nonattainment for ozone using the 8-hour rule, and 2) have countywide unemployment rate at least 50% higher than the statewide average for at least two of the last three years.

The bill's goal is to improve air quality in the state's dirtiest air basins and generate jobs in the most disadvantaged communities.

• Status: Placed on the Suspense File in Senate Appropriations, and did not pass out of committee in 2007.

AB 1223 (Arambula) - Net Energy Metering

A bill to permit an agricultural customer who uses solar or wind generation to offset the customer's own electrical needs to aggregate the electricity use of properties adjacent or contiguous to the generator that are under the same ownership to its full electricity usage over a 12-month cycle at the retail rate.

The Partnership Board and Executive Committee have sent letters in support of the bill.

• Status: Held in Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications.

AB 1129 (Arambula) - Housing Trust Fund

This bill would establish the San Joaquin Valley Regional Affordable Housing Trust as a voluntary organization for the purposes of fostering the regional collaboration of San Joaquin Valley cities, counties, developers, financial institutions, and community-based organizations to meet affordable housing needs in the region.

• Status: Bill was amended and passed the Assembly on January 24, 2008.

AB 1403 (Arambula) - Education

A bill to establish an innovative, five-year Central Valley School District Improvement Pilot Program. This legislation is consistent with the goals and objectives of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley toward the implementation of “a school and school district support system through the County Offices of Education.” Specifically, this bill would allow two County Superintendents (Fresno and Tulare) to opt to assume additional responsibility for ensuring the academic success of those struggling school districts within their jurisdiction that are both identified for program improvement or corrective action under the federal No Child Left Behind and have 50 percent of more of their schools ranked in deciles 1 and 2 of the state Academic Performance Index.

The Partnership Board and Executive Committee have sent letters in support of the bill.

• Status: Placed on the Suspense File in Senate Appropriates and did not pass out of committee in 2007.

AB 27 (Parra) - California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley

AB 27 is a bill to authorize the Partnership through 2019. The bill sets the structure and duties of the Partnership.

• Status: AB 27 was last amended on Jan. 17. On Jan. 8, the Assembly Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy Committee, passed the bill by a unanimous vote. On Jan. 24, the Assembly Appropriations Committee placed the bill on suspense due to the minimal projected cost of the bill. As a result, it did not meet the final deadline (Jan. 25) for all committees to report out to the floor bills introduced in their house in 2007.
• Assemblymember Parra will introduce a new bill with slightly different language by the introduction deadline of February 22. The new legislation must meet the following short-term deadlines in the Assembly in order to remain viable:

April 18 – Date by which bill must pass Assembly Jobs Committee.

May 23 – Date by which bill must pass out of Assembly Appropriations Committee.

May 30 – Date by which the bill must pass the Assembly and move to the Senate.

FEDERAL ISSUES

Energy Bill
On Dec. 19, 2007, the President signed the Energy bill (HR 6). The bill included a number of provisions important to the Energy Work Group and the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization, including the following:

• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program – This measure authorizes $2 billion in each of fiscal years FY 2008 through FY 2012 for a new Energy Efficiency Block Grant Program, in which the Energy Department would award grants to state and local governments for an array of activities to improve energy efficiency. The grants would go to cities with a population of at least 50,000, or counties with a population of at least 200,000. Specifically, local governments could use the grants to develop energy-efficiency strategies, hire technical consultants, conduct energy audits, and develop conservation programs.
• Green Jobs – This measure authorizes $125 million in each fiscal year for the Labor Department to administer a new grant program for training programs for workers in the renewable energy and energy-efficiency sectors — such as solar panel manufacturers and "green" building construction. Under the program, to be created within six months of enactment, grants would be awarded to programs that target workers who need updated training related to the energy industry, veterans, the unemployed, formerly incarcerated non-violent offenders, and at-risk youth. Grants could go to public-private partnerships, states, and programs designed to assist poor communities.
• Short Sea Shipping – This provision requires the Transportation Department to establish a short-sea transportation program and designate short-sea transportation projects to be conducted under the program to mitigate landside congestion. The measure authorizes the department, subject to the availability of appropriations, to provide loan guarantees to construct vessels for the projects.
• 25x'25 – The bill includes a Sense of Congress statement that 25% of renewable energy should be produced from the agricultural, forestry, and working land in the United States by 2025.

Farm Bill
The House and Senate will conference in mid-February to resolve the differences between the Senate-passed and House-passed versions. No word yet on whether a California member will be at the table during these discussions as a conferee.

Both houses have passed a five-year, $286 billion farm bill partly paid for with tax increases. The Bush administration has threatened a veto if the tax provisions are not stripped out by conferees working out a final version. The House bill would raise taxes on the U.S. subsidiaries of foreign corporations to pay for expansions of biofuels programs and the food stamp and other nutrition programs. The Senate bill calls for eliminating business tax shelters to pay for weather disaster aid to farmers. The administration has faulted the bills for failing to include the president's proposal to end subsidies for farmers with annual incomes of over $200,000.

The Energy Work Group and SJVCEO requested that a summary of related provisions be circulated to members. This summary, as well as a summary of related Energy bill provisions, was provided by Government Affairs.

For more infromation, go to Legislative Updates on the Partnership Web site.

Dates to Know

February 22

Economic Development Work Group
1 to 2:30 p.m.
Kern Economic Development Corporation
2700 M Street, Suite 200
Bakersfield
Information: cacentralvalley@aol.com

February 29

Metro Rural Loop Corridor Preservation Feasibility Study partners
Noon to 4 p.m.
City of Fresno
New Exhibit Hall
Fresno
Information: Trai Her, trai.her@fresno.gov

March 4

Leading 1-to-1 Laptop Learning
K-12 Education Work Group and Central Valley Education Leadership Institute
8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Alice Peters Auditorium, Craig School of Business
California State University, Fresno
Fresno
Information: mmasumoto@csufresno.edu

March 7

Methamphetamine Recovery Project Advisory Council
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Legislative Forum
Meeting place to be announced
Stockton
Information: Juanita Fiorello, jfiorello@csufresno.edu

May 16

California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board of Directors
Quarterly Meeting
State Center Community College District
Madera Campus