Clackamas County to Ditch ICLEI Membership While Portland Spends and Spends

An announcement of momentous import was made at the April 26th 2012 Board of County Commissioners meeting of Clackamas County, Oregon. Commissioner Jamie Damon revealed that Clackamas County would not be renewing their membership in “ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA” at the next annual dues deadline. Commissioner Jamie Damon stated, “This was brought up several business meetings ago, and I was unfamiliar with the organization, so I did some research and looked up the organization as well. And we have decided to not continue as members of ICLEI. So I just wanted to let you know that.” The remaining crowd in the room erupted in applause. It was nearly at the end of the meeting around one hour fifty nine minutes (video on their web).

Through ICLEI membership, local governments receive tools for carbon counting assessments and programs (regulations/controls) that can be implemented locally to lower carbon emissions. Dues are paid annually and programs can be purchased from ICLEI. The May 2009 consent agenda for the City of Portland shows a $25,000 program purchase from ICLEI. Goals are set, carbon assessments are made, action plans to reach the goals are formed, action plans are implemented, carbon assessments are done again, and new goals and action plans are formed. Local governments pour lots of personnel time as well as the actual payments to ICLEI.

ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability used to be known as International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives. It is the global organization and ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA is the American corporation making the contracts with local governments.

Daily News
MTA votes advance Subway to the Sea, regional rail connector downtown
Christina Villacorte, 4/26/2012
http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_20492741/mta-votes-advance-subway-sea-regional-rail-connector

Expo Line opening this weekend
8.9 mile first phase Expo Line to be completed this summer will cost $930 million
Second phase Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica will cost $1.5 billion and open in 2016
A 1.9 mile, $1,37 billion, connector under Little Tokyo will be completed in 2018 and connect the Gold, Blue and Expo Lines
The board okayed a $5.6 billion Westside subway extension of the Purple line from Koreatown to mid-Wilshire
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board
Villaraigosa Chairs the Metro board
Orange Line $185 million extension from Canoga Park to Chatsworth opens in June
Villaraigosa asks to make 30 year half cent sales tax permanent

USC professor Marlon Boarnet is an expert in urban planning, transportation and climate change.

County Supervisor Michael Antonovich disapproves of the projects “We need a responsible regional solution to our transportation problems, and to ensure that resources will be put to maximum use to mitigate the congestion that covers the entire county”.
Metro CEO Art Leahy “We’re moving one of the biggest transportation programs in the history of the country because Los Angeles is changing, becoming more dense”.

I searched USC’s Professor Marlon Boarnet
http://uctc.net/access/39/access39_suburbwalking.shtml

Planners can develop pedestrian-oriented centers through densification and infill development, for example by offering density bonuses. Planners might reduce or remove minimum parking requirements or even limit parking.

Develop walkable neighborhoods
Allow small electric vehicles with max speed of 25mph
Share cars

http://www.uci.edu/uci/features/2009/07/feature_rebuildingamerica_090727.html
The UC Irvine professor of planning, policy and design and economics, “The nation is looking to planners for serious answers,” he says, “There’s a sense of urgency right now that I haven’t felt in my entire career”

Professor Boarnet relishes the current debate over how to use $787 BILLION in economic stimulus funds to improve U.S. roads and communities. In addition, to reduce green house gas emissions raise the prospect of rethinking the transportation system.

http://lisaschweitzer.com/2010/03/02/marlon-boarnet-on-walking-in-the-suburbs/
Boarnet’s report “Driving and the Built Environment”
His research has been supported by agencies that include
The U.S. and California Departments of Transportation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The California Policy Research Center
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

He has consulted for
The World Bank
The Bay Area Economic Forum
The Orange County Business Council
The Urban Land Institute

Interesting note: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was a funder of the Rand Corporation.
www.muckety.com/Robert-Wood-Johnson-Foundation/5004660.muckety

The Village at Santa Monica will be built on the old Rand Corporation site.

Santa Monica project to break ground
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/16/business/la-fi-village-santa-monica-20120216

The Village at Santa Monica

You and your other kindred spirits that live and play in Los Angeles paid $53,000,000 in 2000 for a piece of land in Santa Monica. On that piece of property will be a $350,000,000 residential development with retail on the ground floor.

It’s a nice location, the old Rand Corp, overlooking the ocean.

The city is building a subway line from downtown Los Angeles to the ocean. Near the end of the line will be the $350 million Village at Santa Monica with a mix of 158 luxury condominiums and 160 affordable apartments with shops and restaurants on the ground floor of a 10 story high complex.

The city bought the 3 acres for $53 million in 2000.

The condos will start at $700,000 or $800,000. The apartments will be restricted to tenants that make below 60% of the local median income of $50,580. The rentals will go to tenants that win a lottery and will rent for between $600 and $1300.

A nearby Denny’s site has been sold and will also have a mixture of housing with retail on the ground floor.

So, I went to Zillow just to see how many $600 and $1300 apartments are for rent in Santa Monica. Remember, this is a beach community. Expensive.

I’ll start from the top and list what came up:
3 bed, 2 bath $4,395/mo
1 bed, 1 bath $6,700/mo
2 bed, 2 bath $11,700/mo
2 bed, 2.5 bath $2,550/mo
2 bed, 2 bath $2,600/mo
2 bed, 2 bath $2,600/mo
2 bed, 2 bath $5,495/mo
6 bed, 5 bath $8,000/mo
5 bed, 4 bath $45,000/mo (I’m not kidding, check it out yourself www.zillow.com)
5 bed, 4 bath $16,500/mo
2 bed, 3 bath $11,000/mo
2 bed, 2 bath $2,300/mo

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