Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Open Board of Directors Meeting
San Bernardino Community College District
114 S. Del Rosa Drive
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Minutes
Present: Deborah Barmack, Peter Barmack, Rigo Bejarano, Carole Beswick, Tom Brickley, Ken Coate, Ron Fremont, Dick Hart, Scott Hofferber, Fran Inman, Matthew Isaac, Mark Kaenel, John Mirau, Dan Murphy, John Prentice, Brian Reider, Jan Remm, Paul Shimoff, Steve von Rajcs and Ray Wolfe.
Guests: Josh Candelaria, Marty Hansberger and Boykin Witherspoon
Announcements: 1) A reminder that the 2016 San Bernardino State of the City will be held on Friday, April 22, 2016 beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Domestic Terminal, San Bernardino International Airport.
M/S/P: Minutes from April 12, 2016
Ken Coate introduced Randall Winston, Executive Director, California Strategic Growth Council.
In September 2008 SB 732 was signed into law, creating the Strategic Growth Council. The Council is a cabinet level committee that is tasked with coordinating the activities of state agencies to:
- Improve air and water quality
- Protect natural resources and agriculture lands
- Increase the availability of affordable housing
- Promote public health
- Improve transportation
- Encourage greater infill and compact development
- Revitalize community and urban centers
- Assist state and local entities in the planning of sustainable communities and meeting AB 32 goals
The Strategic Growth Council (SGC) coordinates and partners with stakeholders to promote sustainability, economic prosperity, and quality of life for all Californians. The Council is comprised of agency secretaries from the California Business Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH), California Health and Human Services (CHHS), California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA); the director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR); and three public members – one each appointed by the Governor, Senate Committee on Rules, and Speaker of the Assembly.
Funding for the SGC is provided by cap and trade funds that total some $3.1B annually. The Council enjoys 60% of continuous funding with 40% controlled by legislature and appropriations. Distribution of available funds is handled thru their grant programs which focus on Sustainable Housing and Sustainable Communities and Sustainable Agriculture Lands Conservation
The SGC’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program provides grants and affordable housing loans for compact transit-oriented development and related infrastructure and programs that reduce greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions. These projects increase the accessibility of housing, employment centers, and key destinations via low-carbon transportation options (walking, biking, transit) resulting in fewer vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and mode shift. These investments and other drivers lay the foundation for the system-wide changes the State will need to achieve the long-term goals of Assembly Bill 32. Through successful grants they have invested some $400M in affordable housing and $40M in sustainable agriculture projects.
Their proposed Transformational Climate Communities program, which is now moving through the legislature, would focus on the state’s top 5% areas in need (based on the Cal EPA maps). San Bernardino is on the list but will not likely meet the existing criteria for a successful grant application. Currently eligible projects must integrate land use and transportation, reduce GHG emissions, benefit disadvantaged communities, link key destinations and provide affordable housing. Successful programs are predominately in densely populated areas like Los Angeles that have many of these elements.
Randall Winston, a graduate from Redlands High School, understands some of the Inland Empire challenges and would like the Council to meet with Inland Action in Sacramento. He will also make suggestions on key personnel with whom the group should meet.
A Q & A period followed.
Meeting adjourned at 8:33 a.m.