Objective Design Standards Take On New Importance Under State Law
Developing Objective Design Standards (ODS) is a critical tool in your planning and zoning toolbox. Creating ODS can sound daunting, but it need not be. We explain why they are necessary, useful, and how ODS can help your community enable the development it wants to see.
CEQA Administrative Records: Challenges and Considerations When Asserting Claims of Privilege
Public agency attorneys often find it challenging to determine whether a privilege or exemption forecloses the inclusion of certain materials in CEQA administrative records. This is especially so when evaluating whether the deliberative process exemption to the California Public Records Act applies. This article outlines considerations that agency attorneys should consider when making these determinations.
Rematriation of Shellmound in Berkeley
Andrew Schwartz, Of Counsel with the firm, assisted the City of Berkeley in partnership with a coalition of the Indigenous Ohlone tribes, the Confederated Villages of Lisjan (CVL), to rematriate a 2.2-acre site in Berkeley to CVL. The City’s purchase is one of the first instances of a city transferring land back to its original […]
Building Decarbonization Update: Local Governments in California Consider Strategies to Reduce Natural Gas Use in Buildings
Following up on the October 2019 and February 2020 editions of In the Public Interest, this article provides an update regarding strategies proposed by several cities and counties to encourage or require existing buildings to go all-electric.
October 2023 Update Re: Local Governments on High Alert as New Statewide Ballot Measure Seeks to Restrict State and Local Revenue
A statewide initiative seeking to further restrict the ability of state and local governments to raise public funds through fees and taxes is ready to appear on the November 2024 ballot. Given the potential dire consequences of this measure, many local governments are taking actions now to address it.
Mid-Cycle 2022 CALGreen Building Code Update Re: Changes Coming in 2023 to State Energy Code and Green Building Standards
California Building Standards Commission adopts updates to electric vehicle charging requirements for new multifamily buildings Since we first wrote about the latest Energy Code and energy-related CALGreen updates that went into effect statewide in January 2023, some additional important updates have been made to CALGreen. Following this regular triannual update, the California Building Standards Commission […]
Putting the Action Back in CAPs: Best Practices for Updating Climate Action Plans to Align With Statewide Climate Goals
Climate Action Plans are critical to addressing climate change, but many are overdue for an update. With new comprehensive guidance from the California Air Resources Board, there’s no time like the present.
City of Half Moon Bay Launches Civilian-Response Model for Mental Health Emergencies
Public agencies across the nation have spent the last few years re-examining policing and public safety models. SMW client City of Half Moon Bay is prioritizing improving mental health services as a key feature of its policing reform efforts. The city’s mobile mental health response program, Crisis Assistance Response and Evaluation Services (CARES), provides an alternative response to mental health-related 911 calls traditionally answered by law enforcement. The CARES team also played a supportive role following a January 23 mass shooting event.
Based on Recently Passed SB 54, Local Governments May Consider Banning Certain Single-Use Foodware Items Before Year’s End
The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act may encourage local governments to ban certain single-use packaging and plastic food service ware materials before January 2024 to avoid its collection requirement.
Remote Meetings Under the Brown Act
Under the Brown Act, legislative bodies must conduct their business in open, public, and noticed meetings. Before COVID-19, decisionmakers, staff, and the public almost always attended meetings in person. Infrequently, public agencies invoked a narrow provision of the Brown Act to allow one or more members to “teleconference” into a meeting from a remote location, […]