Update on BNC’s Complaint to Ensure that Neighborhoods Know What Outside Agencies are Planning that Affects Their Daily Lives
Background: (see previous eNEWS issues)
It’s been awhile, but hopefully readers will remember that BNC filed a complaint with the Open Government Commission in September 2013 regarding the lack of information provided to residents about the “One Bay Area Plan,” This is the far-reaching regional plan that seeks to increase density in the 9 Bay Area Counties to accommodate a population growth of approximately 2 million people within locally designated “Priority Development Areas” (PDAs). There are 6 of these in Berkeley. The City’s Open Government Ordinance requires that when members of the Council sit on regional bodies they must place reports of those meetings on the Council agenda when an action affects Berkeley. The complaint named Council Member Wengraf who serves on the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) General Assembly and Mayor Bates who sits on the Board of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) representing all of the cities in Alameda County. BNC maintained that since such reports were not timely submitted, no one in Berkeley really knew about the One Bay Area Plan and residents were, therefore, denied the opportunity to comment on its recommendations before the Plan was approved by ABAG and MTC in July 2013. Staff to the Open Government Commission found there were no violations and the Commission agreed. However, BNC persisted and presented the Commission with several recommendations to amend the City’s Open Government Ordinance to ensure better compliance with reporting requirements.
Action on May 15, 2014:
On this date, staff presented the Open Government Commission with amendments to the Open Government Ordinance that were based on BNC’s recommendations. These amendments are:
- Apply the requirement to submit reports not only to elected officials but also to staff and others who have been authorized to vote on behalf of the City on regional bodies.
- Require reports to be made as soon as possible but within 2 weeks of the meeting of the regional body and also to be placed on the next appropriate upcoming Council agenda.
- Reports shall also be placed in a special section on the City’s website.
- Reports shall summarize the discussion and any action on any item that affects the City of Berkeley and include names, phone numbers and URLs, where applicable, to obtain further information.
- Should the elected official, staff or others authorized to vote on behalf of the City on regional bodies, be absent, the report shall state their absence and identify any items on the agenda which they know or believe will potentially affect Berkeley.
These amendments will now go to the City Council for their consideration.
BNC will keep you advised as to what happens, and also about the 4 lawsuits that have been filed against the One Bay Area Plan.