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SR-6-G (62) . 6-G L1il'M: CPD : SEP '1. Q '~".2 w/ccrcpmou io.! '-' Iv;] COUNCIL MEETING: September 29, 1992 Santa Monica, California TO: Mayor and City council FROM: City staff SUBJECT: Recommendation to Approve a Memorandum of Understanding between Westside Summit Cities and the Southern California Association of Governments concerning Preparation of the Regional Comprehensive Plan INTRODUCTION This report requests that the City Council approve a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Santa Monica and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) outlining each agency's responsibilities in the preparation of the Regional . comprehensive Plan (Rep) . BACKGROUND The Southern California Association of Governments has begun preparing a new Regional Comprehensive Plan (RCP) which will affect all local jurisdictions in the SCAG region. The SCAG region consists of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties. The new plan has been prompted in part by State and Federal legislation, and in part by new projections showing the region's 2010 population to be substantially greater than previously estimated. - 1 - 6 -6 SE? ~ d 1~~L --- --~ - -- - - - - ~ The ReF will address on a regional level many of the same issues included in State mandated local general plans. Among the mandated elements of the SeAG plan are the Mobility, Air Quality, Housing, and Growth Management Elements. Other elements include Economic, Energy, Open Space and Resources, Human Resources, Hater, Water Quality, safety, Integrated Waste Management, and Rural Development. SCAG has sought input from the fourteen subregions that make up the SCAG area. Four of the five Wests ide Summit cities, including Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood, have been identified as one of these subregions. (The City of Los Angeles, also part of the Westside Summit, has been defined as a subregion unto itself. ) While the subregions may contribute to all elements of the RCP, they are being asked to focus particularly on the following issues: major strategies for dealing with regional planning issues; population, employment and housing projections for 2000 and 2010; the Regional Housing Needs Assessment; preparation of a regional Master Environmental Assessment (MEA) : and, transportation issues focusing on containing vehicle miles travelled in the region. The Draft RCP will be released in December, 1992. SeAG is offering Westside Summit cities funds to collectively hire and work vii th a consultant of their choice to assist in the preparation of the draft RCP. The Wests ide Summit cities must enter into an Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U.) with SeAG in - 2 - --- - order to become eligible for use of these funds. One of the consultant's primary roles will be to coordinate responses of the cities. Among the consultant's other responsibilities will be to assist the cities in developing recommendations regarding the general strategies the RCP should embrace in addressing the region's growth issues; compile baseline environmental data from all four cities; work with the cities to provide input into draft RCP goals and policies; review SCAG's population, employment, and housing forecasts to evaluate methodologies and model implications; assist in reviewing and evaluating five year housing need estimates contained in the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) ; ,,,ork with cities to evaluate subregional emissions budgets (related to vehicle miles travelled, or VMT); and, prepare analyses and comments on the draft RCP. It is anticipated that, with consultant assistance, the cities will contribute to the Draft Rep on a staff level before December, and that once the Draft RCP is released it will be presented to the respective City Councils for review and comment during the first part of 1993. During the last month, city staff has been working with the three other Wests ide Summit cities and SeAG to draft and finalize the Memorandum of Understanding. The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the M.O.U. contained in Attachment A. - 3 - - - ~he most significant parts of the M.O.U. are sections VI and VII, which outline the respective responsibilities of BCAG and Wests ide cities. Each city will enter into a separate M.O.U. with SCAG; however, the M.O.D. is the same for all cities. Under the agreement, BCAG's primary responsibilities include the following: o work with local jurisdictions to establish regional goals and objectives for the RCP: o identify federal and state mandates which must be addressed in the RCF: o develop an EIR on the RCF; 0 with cooperation of local jurisdictions, produce a subregional Master Environmental Assessment; and, 0 actively involve subregional associations in the RCP planning process. The city's primary responsibilities under the M.O.V. are as follows: 0 prepare recommendations for regional Rep goals and objectives; 0 conduct background data analyses, including environmental data; o review and comment on the Draft RCP: and, 0 continue involvement in the subregional planning process with other Westside Summit cities. - 4 - - - Following execution of the M.O.U. , the Wests ide Summit cities W1.ll work with a consulting team of their choice to assist in carrying out their responsibilities under the M.O.U. The ReF planning process represents an important step toward voluntary, inter-jurisdictional coordination on regional planning issues. In light of the compressed schedule for completion of the Rep, the complexity of the issues involved, the difficulty in coordination between four cities, and previous staff commitments, consultant assistance is critical to the success of this process. BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT The four cities will be required to provide a total of $25,000 in in-kind staff time, or $6,250 per city, in order to receive the $100,000 in consulting fees from SCAG. Staff will keep track of the time it spends on this project and provide periodic reports to BCAG on its contribution. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council approve the Memorandum of Understanding between SCAG and the City of Santa Monica so that the city, together with the other W'estside summit cities, may begin their participation in the RCP planning process. Prepared By: Paul Ber1ant, Director of LUTM Suzanne Frick, Planning Manager Tad Read, Associates Planner Land Use and Transportation Management Department Program and Policy Development Division - 5 - - - Attachments: A - M.O.U. between SCAG and city of Santa Monica - 6 - - - , AITACHMENT A - 7 - - - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING by and among THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS AND THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA FOR DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN This Memorandum of Understanding ( "MOU" ) 1S entered into among the Southern California Assoc1ation of Governments (IISCAGtI) and Subregional organizations for the development of the Regional Comprehensive Plan (RCP). RECITALS WHEREAS, plann1ng must be comprehensive at the regional and subregional level; and WHEREAS, the RCP shall be prepared 1n an 1terative, interactive, IIbottom-upllj"top-downll, and cooperat1ve planning process; and WHEREAS, plannlng will follow all appl1cable federal and state statutes, regulat1ons, and guidelines, including all requlred tests of cons1stency and conformltYi and WHEREAS, SCAG will prov1de, as available, funding for the preparat10n of subregional components of the RCPi and WHEREAS, member jurisdict10ns of SCAG and subreg10nal assoclations shall participate, 1n a manner consistent with the rev1sed structure and bylaws of SCAG, in preparat10n of the RCP; and WHEREAS, each subregional assoclation may undertake different roles and tasks, the spec1f1cs of each subreg1on's role and dutles in preparation of the RCP and SCAG's funding obligations will be detailed 1n separate work programs and contracts; and WHEREAS, the obligations of each subreglonal association shall be limited to those established by the Overall Work Program and the contract between the parties, subject to available resources. NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED, among SCAG and the subregional assoc1ations, as follows: I. The starting p01nts for RCP development are the currently adopted reg10n plans for Growth Management, Mob1llty, Air Quality, Hazardous Waste, Water Quality, Open Space and Housing Needs Assessment. These regional plans need to be revised. II. subregional organizations are ent1ties representing general purpose local government (including the County government for unincorporated portions of its jurlsd1ct1on) with the - 1 - . partlcipation of a maJorlty of the jurisdictions within a subregion and containing at least seventy-five (75) percent of the subreglon's population. The subregional association shall be authorlzed to implement the responsibilities identified in Section VII of this MOD. III. Agreements on work program and funding obligations must be developed as soon as feaslble among SCAG and subregional associations. IV. Existing subregional associatlons shall have the option to prepare subreglonal components of the Rep consistent wi th this MOU and related work programs and agreements. The subregional assoclation may, at its optlon, request SCAG to prepare any or all of the elements for its subreglonal area. V. Where no subregional association exists, SCAG shall encourage and assist local governments to establish such an association. Should local governments choose not to do so, SCAG shall develop a subregional plannlng process for that area. VI. SCAG's Responsibilities A. In conjunctlon wlth SeAG cities, establlsh regional goals, objectives, targets, performance standards, strategies, and criteria (including, inter alia, population, employment, housing unlts, vehlcle trips, and emlss1ons), and schedules to address each element of the RCP. B. Identify and def lne federal and state mandates WhlCh must be incorporated lnto RCP. Determine whether delegation of respons1billtles to subreg10nal associatlons 15 consistent with federal and state law. C. Conduct cumulatlve, regional systems analyses on proposals and recommendations from subregional assoclations and Jurlsd1ctions. Provide feedback on analysls to allow subregional organlzations to respond with additional recommendations or refinements. D. Develop environmental impact analysis and Master Envlronmental Assessment/Impact Report. E. Actively encourage and involve subregional associations in RCP planning activities. F. Adopt the Rep and its components. G. Develop a process for resolution of conflicts between and among subregional associations and local JuriSdictions relatlve to recommendations and components of the RCP. - 2 - ---- -- - - - . . H. Determlne consistency and conformlty of plans, programs, and regionally signiflcant proJects, includlng any substantlve amendments thereto. I. Monltor plans and programs to demonstrate compliance with federal and state laws. J. Actively soliclt and provide, when available, funding from federal, state, and private sources to assist the subregional associations in financing the costs of preparation of subregional components. VII. City Responslbilities The City of Santa Monica shall: A. Prepare recommendations addressing regional goals, objectives, performances standards, and strategies. B. Prepare and conduct analyses as resources are avallable from SCAG to document subregional components of the Rep, lncludlng data requlred to prepare necessary envlronmental assessments. C. Become lnvolved in the subregional planning process. D. Involve SCAG in Westslde Sumnu t RCP planning activitles. The Clty of Santa Monica may: A. Enter into Memoranda of Agreement or other contractual agreements wlth SCAG or other regional agencies, including the County Transportation Commission, ln order to define and implement planning responslbilitles in the subregion. B. Make subregional plan recommendations for transmittal to SCAG. VIII. Any party to this Memorandum of Understandlng may, with proper notlce, wlthdraw from the agreement. Proper notice means thirty (30 ) days written notlce to all parties to the agreement. - 3 - ~ . This Memorandum of Understanding, consisting of four (4) pages, including the signature pages, has been entered into by the: CITY OF SANTA MONICA By JOHN JALILI city Manager APPROVED AS TO FORM: ~ J2~ /~L...' ;" ~ , J~SEP~ LAwRENCE (~ting City Attorney SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS JOHN LONGVILLE PRESIDENT wl/scag - 4 - - ---