Eye On Modesto

Thoughts and observations about Modesto and Stanislaus County

Archive for the tag “Modesto politics”

14 Jul 2013

Planning Commission Meeting Monday 7/14 6 PM in Council Chambers

Everyone Needs to Attend This Meeting It May Be the Last Opportunity to Meaningfully Address the Planning Commission. Lets Get Salida OUT of Modesto’s General Plan. If You Don’t They Will Be In control  of SALIDA in the Future

Greed

Greed (Photo credit: Muffet)

SUBJECT: GPA-10-001 – General Plan Amendment for Land Use and Circulation:
Public Workshop (City-initiated)

PURPOSE
The current Modesto general plan was adopted in 1995.

There has been a long-standing need to update the land use and circulation elements to enable the general plan to serve as a better tool to guide future growth and development, and this General Plan amendment (GPA) project
is intended to meet that need. In conjunction with GPA project work, staff facilitated public workshops for the benefit of the community in general and the Planning Commission in particular.

The purposes of these workshops were to inform the Planning Commission about
the GPA project, educate the public and provide opportunities for comments and questions.
The preliminary public workshop series included three (3) workshops – March 18, April 15 and
June 3, 2013.

These workshops proved valuable in terms of the public comments, concerns
and questions raised. Staff recorded all the comments and discussion points from the three
workshops, which will be used as the proposed GPA documentation continues to be refined.

The purpose of this fourth workshop is for staff to provide additional detail, for the
Commissioners’ benefit, regarding proposed General Plan policy language and other specific
project information. The Chamber of Commerce has expressed an interest in presenting their
preferred land use plan as well.

Secondary purposes include providing additional opportunity for public input and for the
Commission to provide direction to staff regarding the proposed project, which will help confirm
the project description for purposes of environmental analyses.
A fifth workshop is scheduled for August 19, 2013, for the Planning Commission to provide
feedback and direction on the General Plan amendment. Following a Planning Commission
recommendation, staff will then seek formal confirmation by the City Council in September or October.

BACKGROUND
California cities and counties commonly review their general plans to evaluate the need for
updates every five to ten years. Although the Modesto general plan has been amended
several times since its adoption 18 years ago in 1995, the land use and circulation elements
remain largely unchanged since that time.

The focus of this GPA is on the land use and
circulation / transportation elements, and the broad project objectives are to:
• adjust land use designations to be more realistic and to reflect economic development
objectives;
• align the circulation element with infrastructure planning instruments (e.g. Capital
Improvement Program, Regional Transportation Plan, Federal Transportation
Improvement Program, and Capital Facilities Fee program);
• achieve a more livable community through application of smart growth principles;
• establish priority areas for economic development;
• achieve a more coordinated, efficient process for linking general plan goals with
infrastructure investment policy; and,
• implement new state laws to improve air quality, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and
create a balanced transportation system (AB 32, SB 375, AB 1358).

Incentives for pursuing the GPA project include the need for implementation of state laws
referenced above, and the fact that federal grant funding for the project was awarded in late
2010.

These factors result in a need (state law) and opportunity (funding) to undertake and
complete the GPA. While the GPA is not a comprehensive general plan update, the fact that
both the land use and circulation / transportation elements will be amended means that
Modesto’s general plan can be significantly improved and modernized.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The scope of work for the GPA project includes: consideration of General Plan goals, policies
and objectives; establishing priorities related to economic development; establishing linkage
and consistency among the General Plan, Regional Transportation Plan, Capital Improvement

Program and other infrastructure funding plans and programs; and, addressing the complete
range of laws and issues described under Background, above. A significant amount of work has
been done, which has resulted in new draft / proposed General Plan goals and policies, and
related new draft / proposed changes to the General Plan land use and circulation diagrams.

The project is a complex undertaking, and a range of issues has been identified. These include
land use compatibility, transportation analysis, alternative transportation solutions,
infrastructure, and others that will be resolved through completion of project work.

The “work-in-progress” draft general plan land use and transportation chapters are attached for
Commissioners’ review, and they have been posted to the City’s website. Although staff is not
necessarily seeking specific feedback on the draft text amendments at this time, the proposed
land use and transportation diagrams must be confirmed in order to initiate the necessary
Master Environmental Impact Report (EIR) update. Therefore, as indicated under “Purpose,”
above, staff will be seeking confirmation and/or direction from the Commission regarding the
proposed GPA on August 19.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
It is anticipated that the General Plan Amendment project will require a Supplemental EIR to
the Modesto Urban Area General Plan Master EIR. Funding for the Master EIR work has not yet
been identified, and it is anticipated that the City’s budget for FY13-14 may include that
funding. If so, the proposed General Plan and Master EIR should be released for formal public
review toward the end of calendar year 2014. At that time, staff will be seeking comments
regarding the complete draft General Plan and Master EIR proposed for adoption.

The following information will NOT be provided to the public at the meeting. 

ATTACHMENTS (included with Commissioners’ packets only)
1. Work-in-Progress General Plan land use (Chapter III) and transportation (Chapter V)
elements / chapters

Open the following pdf and go to Chapter III the City sealed this online portion from the public.

071513_PC Agenda GP Workshop

 

 

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12 Jul 2013

Denny Jackman Blindsided at Committee Meeting

By Eric Caine

Central Valley Farmland Trust President Denny Jackman was mugged, mauled, and kicked in the teeth at Wednesday night’s Economic Development Committee meeting in Modesto.

The issue was Jackman’s Residential Urban Limit (RUL) proposal. Word was even the Chamber of Commerce was going to endorse it. Those who thought such a notion too good to be true were soon confirmed in their skepticism. Photo by Eric Caine

To read more go to http://thevalleycitizen.com Craig Lewis

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09 Jul 2013
2 Comments

Modesto to Consider Sending Fitzpatrick Homes/Woodglen to LAFCO Tonight

By Emerson Drake

This article  was based on information disseminated at last night’s Modesto City Council Agenda Meeting. Unfortunately, much of the information given to the Council and the public yesterday was incorrect.  After a call acknowledging this from Patrick Kelly,  Modesto’s Planning Division Manager,  the corrected information is at the end of the article.

Tonight the Modesto City Council is considering sending the Woodglen development to LAFCO for zoning approval,  The

English: Author: Carl Skaggs This image was ta...

English: Author: Carl Skaggs This image was taken by me on January 14, 2010 in Modesto, California I hereby relinquish all rights to this photo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

proposed development is outside Modesto city limits and must be annexed by Modesto.

LAFCO Not requiring Ag Mitigation

At the time Marjorie Blom Executive Officer of LAFCO isn’t requiring ag mitigation according to Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh  because of the projects density rate. Apparently when you build enough apartments to counter all of the high-end luxury homes, you can destroy all of the prime agricultural land you desire.

The topic is on the council’s calendar for tonight.  The meeting starts at 5:30 PM so if you want to weigh in you need to be there.

Corrections:

Fitzpatrick Homes cannot formally apply to LAFCO until after the Modesto City Council votes their approval. Marjory Blom, Stanislaus LAFCO Executive Officer,  has yet to make a comment or decision since LAFCO has only received a draft document and not an official one. Modesto’s City Council recently voted to avoid setting their own Agricultural (prime farmland) preservation policy and decided to use LAFCO’s by default. Some much for accepting responsibility.  

There are several possible options to Fitzpatrick Homes regarding preservation of prime farmland, including creating a solution of their own, and they have yet to officially choose one. We’re sorry for the misinformation presented earlier but this does go to show how the Modesto City Council, and the public, are occasionally misinformed by city staff. 

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01 Jul 2013

The Politics of SPRAWL

By Emerson Drake

“Just like a fisherman understands a fish will rise to the bait and even swallow the hook, our local politico’s know

rattle snake

rattle snake (Photo credit: noah.w)

people will bite on the idea of jobs being dangled in front of them even if the the jobs are just a mirage.”

Modesto’s North Side

When we look to the land North of Modesto on the City’s General Plan we see the area East of McHenry and West of Dale planned for development of both homes and business. Actually they like the phrase “mixed use”,  which means some business but mostly homes, if Modesto’s developers in the Chamber of Commerce  get their way,  which they usually do.  Denny Jackman’s Residential Urban Limit (RUL) proposal would have limited homes from being built North of Kiernan.  But that didn’t suit the Chamber and their  “friends” on the City Council.

Denny was led to believe his  (I believe watered down) RUL would be allowed to be brought by the city council to a vote of the public but he was duped.  He bargained in good faith, but he forgot who he was dealing with, “politicians”.   Overall their whole purpose was to delay the RUL until it it was too late to gather signatures.  Some of those same people were the ones invited to the now well known Wine and Nachos meetings at his home.

Now everyone (city, county, developers), well almost everyone, is either after or willing to negotiate away Kiernan Business Park West and possibly more.  Modesto’s Mayor Marsh, the Chamber of Commerce, and even County representatives are actively pursuing and or discussing  this property and more.  And as usual the lure is jobs.  Or is it more about politics?  Also bear in mind if Mayor Marsh gets his one cent sales tax passed he’ll have up to  $3.25 Million a year to spend on economic development and one time projects.

Mayor Marsh brought Salida up in his inaugural address and his State of the City speech and has much to lose politically if he can’t deliver. One of his problems are his potential opponents in the still several years away mayoral race. Councilwoman Stephanie Burnside has been posturing for several months now. To listen to examples of this I played about 40 minutes of the last Modesto Finance Committee meeting on my radio show.  These unfettered exchanges between Marsh, Burnside, Muratore and Nyhoff are moments the public, with a few exceptions,  seldom hears.  The only place you can hear it is here in the  last 40 minutes (yes you can skip forward) of the show is the committee meeting. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centralvalleyhornet/2013/06/27/whats-on-americas-mind-with-emerson-drake

Modesto’s West Side

On this same front you have Village I profiteer Bill Zoslocki actively running for Joe Muratore’s seat in the council but we’re already hearing rumblings of his making a run at Marsh for mayor again. And he’s supporting both the expansion of the business parks on Modesto’s North side but a MAJOR proponent for the Chamber’s Pathway to SPRAWL on the West side.

The fear Salida should have is the County making a tax sharing deal to allow Modesto to develop areas inside the Salida Plan for its own benefit.  With any business Modesto develops in the Salida Plan acreage,  Modesto will receive the taxes which would take tax money away from Salida forever. But they will some how try to sell this bill of goods to Salida residents.

Now the Chamber’s placed about 6,000 acres of prime West side farmland in their sights.  You have to appreciate  the lies they use to promote their efforts. The Beckwith Dakota Triangle is 1,040 acres. The area outside the designated triangle over to Hammett Rd extended to Kansas/132 is 4,000 plus.  But behind closed doors the Chamber has been saying the Western border needs to be an actual road not an imaginary line so the far western border will be Gates Rd. which adds approx. another 1,000 acres to their plan. But during the sales pitch they don’t count the triangle or admit to the Gates Rd boundary. Pretty slick hey?

The other lie they tell is they want to protect the prime farmland acreage outside of the Triangle and to do so they need to bring it inside Modesto’s General Plan.  But since the voters passed Measure ‘E’ which says the county can’t allow homes to be built outside of cities farmland it is far safer for prime farmland outside of Modesto’s General Plan than inside it. Everyone needs to keep in mind that once the Chamber gets the west side land they will turn to the North,  Salida already has them salivating. And with the Chamber land use attorney George Petrulakis’ take no prisoner approach Salida better be ready.

Salida should beware of the Modesto  Chamber of Commerce bearing gifts. It brings to mind these lyrics.

“Take me in tender woman, take me in for heavens sake, take me in tender woman, sighed the snake.”

 

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24 Jun 2013

Chamber’s Pathway to SPRAWL Plan Garners Meaningless Endorsements

By Emerson Drake

It would be funny if it wan’t so pathetic, watching the Chamber of Commerce lobbyist Cecil Russell  scurry from group

Chamber pot

Chamber pot (Photo credit: Pete Reed)

to group presenting their Pathways to SPRAWL plan. Several weeks ago at the Planning Commission’s meeting regarding the General Plan Amendments,  Russell tried in vain to fend off questions from the public despite not being on the agenda.

During the meeting Maggie Mejia, President of the Latino Community Roundtable (LCR),  spoke to the public saying she was going to bring a Proclamation to her group endorsing the Pathways to Sprawl plan of the Chamber’s.  But a few minutes later when she heard she would receive opposition to the Proclamation she must have silently changed her mind.  For just a few days later and without consulting LCR members, Ms. Mejia  signed the so called Proclamation.

Last Tuesday when the Chamber’s representatives met at the King Kennedy Memorial Center, the presentation was given to five members of the public (two of whom were from Salida) in an effort to receive the Boards endorsement. They received the endorsement of the five members of the King Kennedy Board, along with that of the NAACP since Frank Johnson was there.

My point is we have three Boards, The King Kennedy Memorial Center’s Board, the NAACP, and the LCR,  all of whom are desperate for a seat at the power table, and are willing to endorse this GREEDY DEVELOPER’S LAND GRAB to obtain one.  None of these Boards discussed this with their memberships, if in deed they represent voters at all,  let alone sought out debate on the subject.  So now the Chamber has three meaningless endorsements to brag about.

 

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23 Jun 2013

Auctioning Off helicopter Rides..Losing $1.8M Lawsuit..Sheriff Christianson is at it Again

By Emerson Drake

Stanislaus County ‘s very own Sheriff Adam Christianson is at it again.  Last week Stanislaus County agreed to pay $1.8

Coroner's Bureau, Plate 3

Coroner’s Bureau, Plate 3 (Photo credit: Thomas Hawk)

Million dollars for hiring a pathologist  away from the company Stanislaus County had contracted to supply us with until we could hire one of our own.  Instead of seeking a pathologist on his own, the Sheriff broke our contract and pirated one away. So lets review this for just a minute.  The Sheriff signs a contract that states we CAN NOT hire the pathologist away from the contracted company. But he does so anyway?  What was he thinking?   The result is yet another black mark against the Sheriff known for doing things his own way despite the cost.

Speaking of doing things his own way, our beloved Sheriff Christianson decided to auction off  helicopter rides for charity, unfortunately it’s illegal.  Now usually he saves his “specially arranged” rides for cases of wine used for campaign functions but this time it was for a fund-raiser of a nonprofit.  Maybe the paperwork for the ride will disappear this time too.

Once again the  Modesto Bee is showing their cards while protecting their friends  and is trying to cover this up.  They’ve had ALL of this information for days but for some reason haven’t bothered to let the public know.

Christiansonlosessuit

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you won’t read in the Bee,

it’s the EyeOnModesto

spelled EYE.

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29 May 2013

What’s on America’s Mind Wednesday at 6:30 PM

Radio RED 104.9 FM

Radio RED 104.9 FM (Photo credit: Mahdi Ayat.)

 

Topics include the latest Salida MAC meeting and an exciting idea for Salida’s replacement trees, The Modesto Chamber’s presentation of their massive land grab call Pathways to Growth and what the opposition has to say, the arguments made at city council for lowering the Campaign Donation Limits, these and more so tune in at 6:30 PM Wednesday and find out the things you really  need to know.

 

104.9 FM Modesto our Flag Ship station

 

For our live show and archive link

 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centralvalleyhornet/2013/05/30/whats-on-americas-mind-with-emerson-drake

 

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10 May 2013
1 Comment

MID’s Tom Van Groningen’s $110,000 Financial Conflict of Interest

By Emerson Drake

Modesto Irrigation District has been generous in giving away ratepayers money for many years.   Director Tom Van Groningen has voted to

Money

Money (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

give  the Stanislaus Economic Development and Workforce Alliance $110,000 dollars.  Starting suddenly  in 2008, they donated $20,000 a year for five consecutive years, and only cut back this year  (2013)  after the community and Director’s Larry Byrd, Nick Blom and Paul Warda fought back. We spoke to the Board several times prior to the last donation, pointing out the Alliance is a 501 C (6) which means they’re allowed to lobby and give their investors an IRS business deduction.  We also pointed out that the Alliance’s CEO Bill Bassett had blatantly lied to the Board to receive a larger donation.  I always wondered why Director Tom Van Groningen fought so hard to give away  MID’s money, well actually the ratepayer’s  money, that’s right, your money and mine,  to a private company who specializes in lobbying efforts.  Maybe  now we have the answer.

Here is the Public Records Request response which has the donations listed   Slegal13051013420 (1)

It appears Director Tom Van Groningen is not only on the Alliance’s Board of Directors, http://stanalliance.com/index-abt-brd.php his company, TVG Consulting which he’s the sole owner of, according to his linkedin page, is a member of and an investor in the Alliance.  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tom-van-groningen/11/929/809  are investors  http://stanalliance.com/index-abt-invest.php

The problem as I see it is Alliance CEO  Bill Bassett has always said “the investors EXPECT a return on their investments” and the more investments the larger the return.  So if  Director Van Groningen donates MID’s Money he’s likely to see a larger return for HIMSELF and his company along with playing the big man to his buddies on the Alliance. Who knows, maybe that’s how he made the Board in the first place.

A conflict of interest…. It’s well know by now that Judy Sly protects, defends, and supports  MID Director Tom Van Groningen and MID’s secret lobbyist Mike Lynch, but why is she keeping this conflict of interest from the public?  Why did MID’s attorney Tim O’Laughlin allow the conflict to continue since 2008? Didn’t Tom file this investment (financial disclosure) in the Alliance with the state?

Are you as tired as we are of the Bee’s  Editorial Staff  hiding the facts from the public in order to protect their friends?  Could one of the reasons be because the Modesto Bee has donated $100,000 to the Alliance too?  Are you starting to understand why Judy Sly has kept her personal connection with MID’s secret lobbyists Mike Lynch, Mark Looker, Janice Keating, and Carol Whiteside  on the down low? Remember these four lobbyists received $125,500 from MID ratepayer funds while only invoicing them for $1,500 in 2012 all thanks to Director Tom Van Groningen.

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08 May 2013

Latino Community Roundtable Presents the Chambers “Pathways to Growth”

The Latino Community Roundtable is holding a meeting Thursday May 8, at MJC Campus West in the Mary Stuart Rogers

 

A montage I (Valente Q.C.) made with pictures ...

A montage I (Valente Q.C.) made with pictures that I took for the Infobox in the Modesto, California Article. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Building located at 2201 Blue Gum from 11:30-1:30.  It’s too late to purchase the catered lunch but seats will be provided to hear the Modesto Chamber of Commerce’s vision of the future called “Pathways to Growth” for Modesto and the surrounding communities.

 

Come and meet the Chamber’s lobbyists, Cecil Russell, Craig Lewis, and Steve Madison.

 

Remember the Chamber’s Motto: The best crops for farmland are driveways.

 

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01 May 2013

What’s On America’s Mind Wednesday at 6:30 PM

Topics include are developers taking over the City Council, RUL and what it means to you, the Salida MAC meeting

Radio RED 104.9 FM

Radio RED 104.9 FM (Photo credit: Mahdi Ayat.)

Supervisor Monteith’s obstructionism Ad Mitigation, the General Plan Amendment process, these and more so tune in at 6:30 PM Wednesday and find out the things you really  need to know.

104.9 FM Modesto our Flag Ship station

 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centralvalleyhornet/2013/05/02/whats-on-americas-mind-with-emerson-drake

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