Month: September 2022

Major Policies from the Past Year

by The San Marxist, posted in yearly summary
  1.  What was the major legislation that was passed this past year, and who voted for what?

This is so hard. Sometimes major legislation is discussed privately in executive session, and the public part is brief.  Sometimes it’s been cloaked in legal language, or I haven’t had the backstory, or I just didn’t realize that it was important.  It’s easy for me to blog things that spark a big fight. But being controversial is not the same as being important. 

For example, last December, Council passed the Development Agreement on the huge tract that runs adjacent to Redwood.  I totally missed its importance. In May, Council expanded La Cima from 2,550 to 3,800 acres. I missed that, too!  I don’t yet know how many other important things I missed. 

Next: Knowing how councilmembers voted does not tell you the whole story. Who was an advocate who won others over? Who watered it down with stupid amendments? Who initiates legislation and who is mostly passive?  Who initiates little frivolous ideas, and who initiates important ideas? I don’t know how to summarize all those sorts of details. 

Also: what about things that are done yearly, like renewing a contract with GSMP or creating and approving a budget? They’re routine but they’re important, and having good councilmembers makes better outcomes. What about ARP money? Or CBDG money? It matters greatly, but it’s hard to summarize.

Here’s my attempt. (You should be able to scroll around.)

Unfinished Business, Summer ’21-Summer ’22

by The San Marxist, posted in yearly summary

2. What was begun, but not completed? 

Very often Council tells staff to go research something and bring it back. I haven’t necessarily made a note of all of those.  My impression is that, under Bert Lumbreras, sometimes the assignments just disappeared into the ether.  Under Stephanie Reyes, I get the picture that things will eventually get done, but they’re slow due to being understaffed. But I’m not on the inside and I don’t actually know.

Approved but not yet built, Summer ’21 – Summer ’22

by The San Marxist, posted in yearly summary

3. What kinds of developments were approved, and are now part of some developer’s infinite timeline? 

It took me most of this past year to get a handle on how to write about zoning cases, so I don’t have a great handle on this question, either. There were conversations about gas stations that I didn’t record. This is not exhaustive.