Commission Impossible

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February 28, 2007

The Bidwell Park and Traffic Calming Commission

The Bidwell Park and Playground Commission agenda for last Tuesday night was a 17MB pdf file (download at your own risk). Why so big? It had detailed imagery for proposed improvements to East 8th Street. This street parallels areas of lower Bidwell Park on its south side. The improvements are significant and constitute the complete renovation of this entire traffic corridor. Round-abouts were proposed in a number of locations. The discussion was extensive and covered access points, traffic needs, and road or path realignments. Some of the discussion involved road improvements encroaching on park property and the need to remove some trees in order to make the improvements. But much of the discussion also covered generic traffic needs for that area.

Some neighbors gave a presentation expressing concern over trees and landscaping being removed in order to install the road and sidewalk improvements. To me this was typical Chico resistance to change. This heavily used road with many rural qualities no longer meets the needs of the many neighborhoods that have been built in the area. Foot and bike traffic along the road is not supported today. But the neighbors don't want to see changes to their front yards. The changes they didn't want included new sewers and gutters as well as sidewalks. Numerous suggestions that there is no foot or bike traffic on the road fail to recognize that there might be if the infrastructure existed. Some neighbors said that trees on their private property are actually part of Bidwell Park and should be protected. One went as far as invoking Annie Bidwell's name. Some of the neighbors also felt that removing trees in front of their homes to improve the road would damage the "view shed" from inside the park looking out. Supervisor Maureen Kirk made a guest appearance and asked the BPPC not to support the road design as it stands.

Summary: Many of the topics touched on really didn't seem to be within the realm of the BPPC. I was a little bit confused by the need for an in depth presentation of traffic improvements to the Park Commission. Commissioner Steve Lucas commented that concerns over damaging the "view shed" from inside the park were valid. But I recall that the Park Department supported removing masses of vegetation at the entrance to lower Bidwell Park that made surrounding homes much more visible to park goers. That vegetation was removed by volunteers seeking to return Bidwell Park to some pristine state (native-plant-wise). Impacts to the "view shed" were not a concern at that time. Lucas also commented that if 8th Street neighbors did not want sewers, gutters, and sidewalks, many other neighborhoods in Chico would be happy to have the improvements instead. I think that was a very valid point. The Commissioners agreed that round-abouts as part of the East 8th Street improvements were not desirable. They seemed to agree with neighbors that round-abouts were neither traffic calming nor scenic. But again, I'm not sure why they were covering in detail things more appropriate to the City Council or even the Planning Commission.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (3)

February 27, 2007

Take The Art Survey Now!

Take the Chico public art survey now! I support public funding of public art. But I also want to see public money spent where the public gets the most benefit from it. Murals are a great example of low cost public art that has defined Chico's open space. The Silver Plow on Park Avenue ($130K) hasn't done much to define our community, but cost a huge amount of money. Compare the low cost street car mural ($7K) to the high cost chess tables ($70K) whose tops have fallen off twice since installation (a few months ago) at the downtown Plaza. Both are nice art pieces, but one is being completed by a local guy, and the other was rushed through the Park and Art Commissions, had a high cost, used out-of-town resources to complete, and keeps falling apart. I have very different opinions of these two art pieces. Some local artists and community leaders have decided to create this survey after the Art Commission failed to move forward on commitments to do the same. Regardless about how you feel about public spending on art you should take this survey. Take the Chico public art survey here.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (6)

February 26, 2007

Hands On

I recently heard a presentation on CSU Chico's College of Agriculture by the Dean (Jennifer Ryder Fox). She discussed the College's new cattle manure inspection classes (shown above). Just kidding. It was an interesting presentation. I graduated from CSU Chico with an engineering degree in 1995. I always felt like there was no exposure to industry during my time there. When graduation time came I started a business here in Chico, instead of heading down to the Bay Area to seek employment. That year only a few employers came to campus looking for engineers. Chico's College of Agriculture is one of four schools taking part in a California grant process focusing on agricultural science. They also operate a working farm that includes livestock and orchards. In other words this College provides hands on industry training by being part of the agricultural industry. The farm also works with Sierra Nevada Brewery to reuse byproducts of beer production to feed livestock. (happy cows really do come from California). The College of Agriculture also intends to restart its milk production facility by opening an organic milk farm. Apparently the farm also provides composted material to the public, although that service may be curtailed due to a need for the compost at the farm itself. The CSU Chico College of Agriculture is small by enrollment standards. But they seem to be providing very unique, hands-on, education opportunities for their students. I would have liked to see some of that during my college years. I do have one criticism of Ms. Fox. She said that the farm had an "all-mund" orchard. I would have hoped a North-State Ag school would have planted "ah-munds" since they are a locally important crop.

Posted by Lon at 09:03 AM | Comments (0)

February 25, 2007

Threatened Strikes Spread Beyond Chico

Last night I was trying to watch the Oscars. I love the glamour and elitism of the super-famous. Knowing that we have our own royalty here in the States, and that they're entitled due to their pretty faces, makes everything right with the world. Plus who wouldn't want to see the real world inspiration for Bratz dolls. However, I couldn't find the Oscars on my TV. Somebody set the parental restrictions to only show the sci-fi channel. And then self-inflicted a head wound in order to forget the access code (oh, that was me). So last night at 7PM I saw something quite a bit more frightening than aristocrats on display. While watching Battlestar Galactica I found out that working conditions on the Tylium refinery ship of the colonial fleet were atrocious. Deck chief Tyrol was dispatched from Galactica to Hentei Kan to get the colonial fleet's fuel flowing. He compared working conditions to "slave labor" and agreed with concerns that a bifurcated society was developing between policy makers and workers. Taking a cue from Enloe and CSU Chico, workers on the oppressed refinery ship unionized and went on strike. This caused a mixed bag of responses from decision makers. Commander Adama threatened to shoot strikers for mutiny. Budget cuts prevented the Cylons from being CGI 'ed into the story line, and so they didn't take advantage of the fuel shortage. Mayor Holcombe has not yet weighed in on the subject, but is expected to side with the union.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 24, 2007

Inside Job

I received an email from someone concerned about some statements made by members of the Architectural Review Board (ARB) at their 2-21-07 meeting. The ARB is made up of 5 people appointed by the City Council, 3 of which must have experience in the visual arts (architect, landscape architect, designer, artist). They review site plans and architectural designs for new buildings or remodels(private residences are exempt from this permit process). During a discussion of a property at 240 Main Street (used to be Attic Treasures) the ARB suggested that they should also review changes to the interior of the building. The ARB's purpose and procedures are guided by section 19.18 of the Chico Municipal Code. City Staff at the meeting apparently pointed out that the ARB is not supposed to review interiors, and a member of the ARB disagreed. Section 19.18.040.B of the Chico municipal code exempts building interiors from architectural review by the City. It would be interesting if the ARB started reviewing interior remodels. They could come down to my office and help out next time we start moving desks around. I can just imagine the public debate over whether my accent wall should be Royal Fuchsia or Fandango. Or the ARB could hold a series of Trading Spaces remodels in conjunction with the Planning Commission. Prior to the last election I was told by someone associated with the City staff that the ARB was focusing on things like the size and type of screws used in buildings. There was hope that some new members might practice a little less micro-management and a little more "architectural reviewing". That may not be the direction things have gone.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)

February 23, 2007

Global Warning

I'm starting to grow tired of the media hype around global warming and climate change. Just the other day I read a story about a new invasion of France due to global warming(Giant Asian Hornets Invading France). The French are expected to surrender ...again. Here is one of the first paragraphs... "Global warming has largely been blamed for the survival and spread of the Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina, which is thought to have arrived in France from the Far East in a consignment of Chinese pottery in late 2004." It sounds to me like the Chinese pottery market in France is responsible for the giant hornets. Maybe we can all use some critical thinking instead of playing the "global warming" card whenever something needs explaining. This is beginning to sound like a religion. Since the hornets have survived since 2004 it might be an indication that France has had a few warmer years. Some people might also recognize that natural selection allows for species to adapt to new climates. But I don't think 3 years of French hornet infestation is the science needed to prove man's impact on the planet. Relating all forms of scary things to global warming seems to be the current fad.

Another recent example of alarmist concern is a news story that global warming will cause an increase in hospitalization of children due to fevers (Fever Claim on Global Warming). If temperature were a primary factor in children's health then we would expect more sick children in Arizona than in Botswana (85 degrees average temp. vs. 80 degrees respectively). We would also expect children that move from Botswana to Arizona to become less healthy. Of course there are many factors related to health. Most people recognize that nutrition and socioeconomic status are much greater indicators of future health than air temperature. That's why children in Arizona are healthier than those in Botswana. I'm growing increasingly wary of the forceful media attempts to make global warming "the issue". When I see the buzz words changing from "global warming" to "global climate change" I wonder if the issue is being positioned to survive science that contradicts the "warming" part in the coming years. The fact that the geniuses in Hollywood that brought us Britney Spears and Roman Polanski (who also invaded France) are solidly behind this effort just makes me more wary. Finally, I read a story that reports an effect of global warming may be that it's scaring kids, and making them believe their parents are destroying the environment (Global Warming Concerns Are Keeping Children Awake At Night). That story might be the most relevant of all three that I linked to. This whole thing is starting to sound like the Y2K bug, but without the convenient deadline for world destruction.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)

February 22, 2007

Homeland Security Goes Local

It's important to recognize local heroes. There are people in our community that serve this country in a selfless fashion, and are seldom acknowledged. And sometimes it's a local company that does good, and changes the world. Mike's Fence Rental is that company. I've long been wondering why the terrorists have not attacked us again since September 11th. I thought, maybe they're under intense pressure because of world events. Or, maybe they lost the terrorists with the big cojones during the attacks of 2001. But a friend was recently thumbing through the local yellow pages and came across the real reason for our safety. Mike's Fence Rental has been "keeping the terrorist out since 911" (see close up of ad below). My hat is off to Mike and I hope his rentals go well. I don't care whether Mike has been able to do what he advertises, or just has a funny sense of humor. My future fence rental needs will always consider Mike's business first. Because today, he is my local hero.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)

February 21, 2007

Bad Accident Causes Closure

ER Update Here. A serious traffic accident caused huge traffic problems downtown on Tuesday. The police stopped traffic from heading north on the Esplanade in front of Northern Star Mills and across from the Bidwell Mansion. In this photo the two vehicles that seem to be involved in the accident are shown. One appears to be a red motorcycle (in the intersection), and the other a garbage dumpster transport(on the left). The ladder truck was apparently being used to gather evidence by a motorcycle officer. While I haven't heard that the accident had fatalities, the length of the road closure (several hours) would indicate it resulted in at least serious injury. As the end of the workday approached traffic continued to get worse, and the Chico police failed to dispatch additional officers for traffic control purposes. This left most people in a position to navigate stop sign based intersections that were not designed for this level of traffic. I would really have to question the response of the Chico Police to this accident. It is clear that they made a decision to close the road to investigate the accident. They should have also placed officers at surrounding intersections to ensure safe traffic flow.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 20, 2007

Local Alphabet Agencies

Local government is complicated. In particular it is complicated where government boundaries mix. A good example is our highway system that is part of many jurisdictions (federal, state, county, and city all have a say). But locally there are a number of county/city issues that involve multiple agencies. Yesterday I posted about LAFCO. Another example is BCAG who now runs our transit system (I've posted on BCAG is well). All of these agencies are especially complicated when you're on the outside looking in. When I run across a new agency or commission I usually try to find a web site for it, and see if the members are listed. A web site will always describe the mission of the organization. I recently ran across the Chico Urban Area Joint Powers Financing Authority in the City Council agenda for tonight. The agenda item is described like this... "a minute order authorizing the City Manager to execute a public improvements agreement with the Chico Urban Area Joint Powers Financing Authority to provide for the construction and installation of public sewer facilities in the Chico Urban Area, and authorizing any amendments to the agreement if required by the State to obtain a State Revolving Fund loan." In doing a search I found that Jane Dolan and Mary Anne Houx were appointed to this group in 2006, so I will just assume that Dolan and Kirk are now in the group (Houx passed away in December '06 and Kirk was elected to her seat in November). Who else is? I don't know, it's not information that's readily available. Chico Urban Area Joint Power Financing Authority seems to involved in one of the complicated state, county, city issues (our sewer system extension). This is also an important issue for taxpayers since efficient work on our sewers improves our ground water supply and will reduce cost to taxpayers and individual homeowners. There was a time recently when the County was planning for sewer expansion and the City was planning major road repairs, and the two governments weren't necessarily planning to dig up the same roads at the same time. You can imagine some city job fixing a road, and a year later the sewer crew comes in to dig it up again. I think they're more or less on the same page now. Much of the complexity in local government, including these local "alphabet agencies" seems to be mandated by state law. It might be useful if the City of Chico offered an annual workshop on local government jurisdictions and the purpose of the many agencies that seem to operate on tax-payer money.

Posted by Lon at 09:06 AM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2007

Government Boring You? You Need LAFCO!

Most people are unaware of the Butte County commission responsible for ensuring public access to humor. The agency is called LAFCO and brings smiles to the general public by funding silly dance troupes and stand-up comedians (www.buttelafco.org). Okay, that's not really what LAFCO does. I previously posted something about Chico's Sphere of Influence. The "sphere" is the area where the County and City boundaries overlap, and where the City expects to grow into. Each city in the county has an agreed upon "Sphere of Influence". LAFCO stands for local agency formation commission, and is mandated to exist by state law. LAFCO is responsible for giving a stamp of approval to changes in the sphere of influence. It is made up of representatives of the county supervisors (2 elected by the 5 supervisors), the city mayors (2 elected by the 5 mayors), special districts, and a member of the public (see this page for members of the commission). In addition to changes in "spheres" Butte County LAFCO also approves annexations by cities, and attempts to streamline and remove duplicate services. Cities wanting to provide services outside of their area would need approval from LAFCO to do so. An example of this might be the City of Chico providing police and fire services to a casino in the county. Cities whose spheres of influence approach one another (like Biggs and Gridley) will likely go to LAFCO to resolve differences over who grows where. I would describe a LAFCO's job as one that oversees that hazy demarcation point between incorporated city and rural county. Reducing inefficient urban sprawl by coordinating local planning decisions is the goal of this government agency. LAFCO's were created in 1963, but are currently governed by the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000.

Posted by Lon at 09:11 AM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2007

Paper Boy MIA

My paper didn't get delivered today. As a one-time paper-boy for the E-R this has left me disappointed and disillusioned with the service provided. My wife on the other hand is sitting a few feet from me paging through her print edition of the E-R. This morning the online edition wasn't uploaded to the E-R's site (as of 9AM). I haven't picked up an actual daily newspaper in years. I still take a look at print versions of The Beat and The CNR, but that's usually while I'm downtown eating a burrito (crimes of opportunity as opposed to a routine). There are a couple of things I noticed about the print version of the Sunday paper. The first is that about 2/3 of it are ads. I hate the ad inserts, my wife likes them. The second is that the Ad Council sponsored a full page ad promoting global warming. I'm not sure how else to describe the ad. It doesn't tell me how to stop global warming. It just tells me I should. In fact I think the ad may actually contribute to global warming. I wonder how many trees died to print that page? How many tons of pollutants spilled into the air to deliver that page? For the rest of you that count on the online edition of the E-R, but didn't get it today, here are the main stories. Main Stories from the Enterprise Record 2-18-2007 Big 5 is having a shoe sale Staples has the lowest priced 32" flat screen TV ever! The Senate likes the war in Iraq Mixing deaf and hearing kids helps both groups Stephen T. Davis is back in the letters-to-the-editor David Little talked to Sam Aanestad about ensuring his early retirement Someone in Petaluma is milking goats to make ice cream There you have it. And happy birthday to my wife who turns 35 today! Today is also the start of the Year of the Pig, which is not intended to be news related to my wife's birthday.

Posted by Lon at 10:02 AM

February 17, 2007

Back-In Parking Inventor Visits Chico

Yesterday the inventor of "back in diagonal parking" visited Chico to see how the experiment was going (shown above executing a "back in" maneuver). This parking method is now used around the new Downtown Plaza. I had an opportunity for a short interview with him. Q: Mr. Johnson, back-in diagonal parking has been said to be safer for cyclists, can you elaborate on that? A: Please, call me Sparky. I never even considered cyclists when I invented this parking technique. I've just always had a strong emotional draw to the backs of cars. I find them pleasing and exciting to chase. Q: I'm confused Sparky, we were told parking this way would make for a safer community. Is that not true? A: Well I'm not sure if it provides for more safety, but it definitely makes a more friendly community. After all, it is universally appealing to be greeted from behind, and so the cars have their backsides oriented inward toward the plaza to amplify this reality. Q: Sparky, are there any other planning recommendations you would give to Chico's city planners? A: Honestly, I would say your public art is too human-centric. There are small changes you could make that would really spice up the community. For example, placing a giant tennis ball in one of the "hand sculptures" by City Hall would be a great start.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM

February 16, 2007

New Casino in the Works

I'm a member of the Muscogee Indian Tribe (see tribal government site here). I found out about this when I was 8 years old and was named as a recipient in a legal settlement. The US government had to compensate members of the tribe for a bad land deal. The Muscogee, also known as the Creeks, are one of the 5 "civilized" tribes, and Alabama was formed out of land ceded by the Creeks after a foiled uprising. I've been trying to find a way to start a casino based on my indian ancestry. The first indian casino in the US was the brainchild of somebody with the same percentage of Native American ancestry as me. So far I've been unsuccessful in getting the US to return Alabama for this purpose. The entire process has left me with much inner turmoil. The genes passed to me by my father have been busy oppressing the genes my mother has passed down to me. But an equitable solution may now be at hand, and thanks go out to my dad's genes. The image above is from a BLM land patent search and shows a deed granted to my namesake (great grandfather) in 1911. The deed was signed by President Taft, and has been digitally recorded by the BLM. So now if I can get the state of New Mexico to return the traditional Glazner lands to me, and if I can get the Muscogee Nation to buy off on establishing a casino in New Mexico, my inner turmoil will end. Of equal import is the fact that the New Mexico based casino will pay homage to both my lineages. It will have an on-site Texaco and Stuckeys complete with pecan log rolls and now "politically incorrect" toy indian spears with the rubber tips and multicolored feathers. Both of which were things I gravitated to on my many childhood trips from California to Estancia, New Mexico. If that doesn't work out maybe a mitigation bank is another option.

Posted by Lon at 08:34 AM | Comments (9)

The Other Kirk

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Immigration is the next sincerest form. As a fan of science fiction and animation I was pleased to see this homage to Shatner (above) in an episode of "Family Guy". If you missed my post last year of Rocket Man performed by Shatner in 1978, it's linked to below. Shatner is cool in a way that only the truly un cool can be cool. I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees that. Shatner's remake of the Pulp song Common People or his song You'll Have Time from his album "Has Been" are destined to become classics. And I'd say they are only slightly worse than the Rocket Man rendition below.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 15, 2007

Park Plan Finally Not Done

Word recently came down from the Park Department that the Bidwell Park Master Management Plan is finally not completed. Many of you might recall the plan update started its public portion at the end of October, 2004. The consultants at the time accurately misstated the time required to finish the plan at 16 months. As a member of the public who attended all of the meetings for this update I'm glad to see that this project has finally not been finished. It's times like these when a citizen can look back on the good work and personal time put in and be proud of the lack of results. The regular updates to the plan process that have not occurred since April 2006 have allowed me to not stay in touch with the process. I'm happy that so far this process has been successful in addressing many of the issues Bidwell Park faces as Chico continues to grow. Not.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 14, 2007

Flowers Meet Stiff Resistance on Valentine's Day

Who would have thought that Valentine's Day might be a serious contributor to the well established fact of global warming. Apparently the British version of Wal-Mart, Tesco, has come to that conclusion. Tesco has decided to limit the importation of cut flowers in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint. The flowers are imported from Africa and the concern was due to pollution produced by the plane trips required to fly the petals to the U. K. An additional setback occurred when millions of dollars worth of imported African flowers were turned back by Germany due to packaging that didn't meet EU environmental standards. The African flower industry complained that since the EU produces 20 times the per capita pollution of Africa the flowers should not be an issue. Further enflaming the issue was news that the U. K. would begin a pilot program selling Viagra over the counter on Valentine's Day. The additional heat generated by the easily available amour amplifiers has the potential to raise the average temperature of the earth close to 0.00024 degrees (Celsius no less). British bedrooms are expected to be much hotter than the average temperature. Al Gore was unavailable for comment at the time of this post. On this side of the pond some American men were applauding the forward thinking socialist tendencies of the EU nations. One blog reader, Davisimo, was quoted as saying "If you can stop global warming by replacing bouquets of roses with bottles of Viagra on Valentine's Day who am I to stand in the way?"

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM

February 13, 2007

"Most Plans Are Just Inaccurate Predictions"

Newly appointed Planning Commissioner Susan Minasian is bringing forward for discussion a new policy at the 2-15-07 Planning Commission meeting. The topic will be discussed under section 5.1 under the title Means of Funding the Mitigation of Offsite Impacts of Development Prior to or Immediately Upon Their Occurrences. This comes on the heels of the other newly appointed Planning Commissioner John Merz pronouncing the "good ole boy network of developers dead" at the last meeting (paraphrased, but just as dramatic). The Minasian Mantra provides for some interesting discussion. As I understand it its purpose would be to force developers to pay for and build all infrastructure before the building of homes is approved. This would dramatically increase the risk to the capital invested. On the up side, no homes would be built until parks were built, roads and sidewalks paved, and other infrastructure needs were paid for. This would fix the "funding trailing growth" problem we're all familiar with. On the down side, most local builders don't have the cash to operate that way. A policy like this could cause a mass transfer of land from local developers to regional or national developers. Many of these developers are already positioned just outside of Chico. If the "good ole boy network" is replaced by the "litigious out-of-town corporate VP network" things might not be too rosy. I suppose we'll all long for the old days when the guy who owned the company took the time to head down to the Council to make his case in person. Word on the street is that City staff are trying to find a considerate way to let the Planning Commission know that they were "appointed by" the City Council and not "elected to" the City Council. The Planning Commission meeting this Thursday should be the start of some interesting debate, possibly with long term effects.

Posted by Lon at 08:45 PM | Comments (0)

February 12, 2007

Free Advice for the Mayor

Not surprisingly, I agree with the recent E-R editorial that the acting mayor should stay out of union/business negotiations. Scott Gruendl wasn't able to stay away and neither was Andy Holcombe. This isn't Andy's first union rally. Last summer an out-of-town union (the ILWU) came to Chico to intimidate one of our local business people. Somehow Holcombe ended up standing outside a local business while out-of-town union workers were protesting. That day I was approached at the Thursday farmers market by union members. I was hawking T-shirts to raise funds for a local playground. Somebody walked up and shoved a wanted poster (shown above) into my hand. They were rude, the flyer was rude, and I found out after that that they had to be removed by the police from the business they were disrupting. A point I would like to make to our acting mayor is that you can't control the behavior of all union members. When you get involved in these disputes you may unintentionally become party to bullying or even lawlessness. That occurred with the ILWU during their trip to Chico. It could occur at Enloe if neither side is willing to compromise. Since you represent all Chicoans you're better off staying aloof. Howard Isom has done much for our community through providing employment and charitable contributions. Lending moral support to an out-of-town union during a local witch hunt for the man was not appropriate. It was not appropriate for a Councilor, as a Mayor it would be even worse. Please keep that in mind.

Posted by Lon at 07:11 PM | Comments (10)

February 11, 2007

A Bank Shot

(photo from Anthony Watts www.bidwellranchcam.com). After reading the last CNR article on Bidwell Ranch and a recent ER story about problems developing the west side of the airport I have some questions. The Bidwell Ranch Mitigation Bank is supposed to be a tool to protect a sensitive wetland community but still provide economic benefit. Every time I read about this topic I can't make heads or tails of the economics, and I wonder if anyone can. To begin with River Partners and the City haven't yet determined the "value" of the mitigation and conservation bank that Bidwell Ranch represents. It seems a little premature to gush over how great this idea is until you've made this determination. What if it has little value? Beyond that, River Partners in a recent press release says... River Partners notes that the project may help mitigate wetland impacts associated with City capital projects. If established, the mitigation bank could also streamline the environmental mitigation associated with local private development projects. “ We believe that this project provides an extraordinary opportunity to protect the environment and Chico’s open space, partially offset the costs of the property, and ease the regulatory burdens placed on local projects,” So is a mitigation bank, with unknown resources, supposed to protect the environment or ease regulatory burdens? Can it do both? Who will have their burdens eased, and by how much? Did supporters of not building in Bidwell Ranch expect it to be used to ease "regulatory burdens" elsewhere?

Some local politicians have argued that a primary benefit of the Bidwell Ranch mitigation bank was to allow the City to develop the west side of the Chico Airport. This area may be used for light manufacturing, and like many similarly zoned areas in Chico also has sensitive wetlands associated with it. But we recently learned (ER story) that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not so sure that an industrial park on the west side of the airport is a good idea. And Mayor Holcombe has asked California Senator Dianne Feinstein to arm wrestle with the Feds over the future use of that property. The FAA spokesman had this to say... "The city needs to show us that the land it wants to sell is no longer needed for aviation use and is therefore surplus. They have to provide us with a document supporting their case, which they have not yet done." Gregor said the city needs to prove many things, including why the land should be sold, why selling land is more advantageous to the airport than maintaining the land, explain the measurable benefit for the airport, and that the land no longer serves the purpose for which the airport initially obtained it. So we don't know the value of the mitigation bank and even if we did we can't use it for improving the airport until the federal bureaucracy gives us the go ahead (that should only take a week or two). Has the City identified any other "bank" customers beyond the taxpayer? Then consider recent statements that some 200 acres may still be rezoned and developed in conjunction with the fact that the mitigation credits may go to ease regulatory burdens on local developers. I have to wonder what the value of the mitigation bank is either economically or environmentally. I'm further confused by a lack of information about who will own the mitigation credits. In a 2005 River Partners proposal (now removed from the City web site) they were to be paid $1,000,000 to start the bank. I've heard the City would be paying millions-of-dollars for credits for the airport wetland mitigation. This leaves me to believe that River Partners would own the "bank" (otherwise aren't we just paying ourselves?). I've never seen anything that assures me that the "assets" of a Bidwell Ranch mitigation bank would be available only for local use. Could our banked wetlands be purchased by an out-of-town highest bidder? If so does any of that money come back to Chico? If the money does come back to the taxpayer what is the benefit of the taxpayer being the biggest bank customer (to develop the airport)?

Summary: Let's pretend I have a business plan (I'm the City). And I go to the bank (that's the taxpayer). I need to borrow a few million dollars. I can't tell the bank what assets I have, because I haven't taken a look yet. I have a really good customer lined up for the business, but it happens to be me. Oh, and currently I'm not legally allowed to be the customer. But I assure you it's a really great business plan. I realize that River Partners and the City are working on some of these issues. But it seems like the decision to go forward has been made, without weighing other options. The choice shouldn't just be to build houses or create a mitigation bank. Bidwell Ranch represents 200-500 acres of usable public land. It could be a place for a BMX facility, aquatic center, equestrian competition facility, convention center, Park Department headquarters, sculpture garden, wildflower nursery, solar energy facilty, or simply un-fenced open land... The options are endless. Unfortunately I haven't heard any discussions along these lines.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 10, 2007

Rich Uncle Pennybags Comes to Chico

The recent wet weather allowed for some indoor time with my boy. We decided to move up from Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders to Monopoly this week. He played very well for a 6 year-old, but I had to stop him from kissing the money when he received rent. That's just bad form. "Rich Uncle Pennybags" is the Monopoly mascot. We bought the standard old-school version of Monopoly (as opposed to the "Here and Now" or "Spongebob" versions). My wife and I both had particular tokens that we used as kids. Mine was the race car, and hers was the top hat. The game that I played as a kid came with wooden houses and hotels, and was probably from the 1950's. There's a Chico-Monopoly version of the game for sale down at Bird In Hand. I don't think it's modeled on our existing land use policies. After a weekend wheeling-and-dealing in the land development world of Monopoly, I had a new appreciation for all the land use laws we have. When I started thinking what a Monopoly game modeled on Chico might look like I came up with a corner of the board above, as well as some sample game cards. I haven't quite figured out how to work a mitigation bank into game play. There's also no strategic benefit to building "new urbanism" houses on your property yet. But if I can figure out those tricky additions to game play we could be looking at the most difficult version of Monopoly ever created.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM

February 09, 2007

Irreconcilable Differences

There are two kinds of people in Chico. We're so different that I don't think we'll ever be able to agree on what's best for the community. I've reached the point where I think it's futile to even try any more. Yes, I'm talking about the fact that some people say "am-und" and others say "all-mund". There's very little we can do to bridge the gap represented by this phonetic falling out. The best we can do is try to keep a lid on the massive undercurrent of hostility generated by this audible antagonism. For those of you unaware of this alarming rift in Chico it's pretty simple. If you're a Chico local you say "am-und", if you're a transplant you say "all-mond". Most of the growth related angst going on in Chico is really based on a fear that there will be more "all-munds" than "am-unds" soon. But to try to heal these wounds The Far West Heritage Association (stewards of the Chico Museum and the Patrick Ranch ) have put together the California Nut Festival (February 17th-24th). This event coincides with the beautiful "am-und" blossoms we hope to see later this month. There will be tours, events, classes, and other nutty activities. There will even be a "Downtown Goes Nuts" event that has nothing to do with green beer or pumpkins.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 08, 2007

Prickly Neighbors Can't Stop Aspirations for Estates

The second appeal of Wildwood Estates (Aspire Homes) near Cactus Avenue was denied by the Chico City Council on Tuesday night. 171 lots of varying density were approved for development in what was otherwise a rural area. Lot density in the Cactus Avenue area is around 1 residence per acre. The portion of this new development fronting Cactus will be more than double that, and in total the density is more than 5 lots per acre. A major issue was whether or not to connect the new homes to Cactus Avenue with a roadway. A temporary solution was to provide a greenway and bike path in place of a road, that could later be improved should connectivity be required. After the lengthy discussion of that topic, the City Attorney let the Council know that an automobile connection to Cactus in the future was required but not until Cactus Avenue connectivity to East Avenue is improved.

A few citizens pointed to the last election in an effort to get this council to uphold the appeal. They addressed some of the liberal council members by name. I'm still not sure why people in Chico buy into the belief that high density infill development is something the liberal council members will protect them from. The problem the liberal council has with high density infill developments is that they are not popular. In an effort to be egalitarian they send the developments back for discussions between the Planning Commission, builder, and neighbors. But in the end high density meets the desires most requested by the liberal council members (diverse housing types, higher urban density, new urbanism ideals). The conservatives for their part also support these developments (although I think for slightly different reasons). Private property owners are given a set of requirements for their development designs which cause them to enter a cyclical process where neighbors don't get any happier. I think the conservatives feel that if you're following pre-established rules your development should be approved. John Merz (Friend O' the Park, Planning Commissioner, appellant in cell-tower suit against Chico) asked the Council to support the appeal. He spoke directly to the fact that high density was not what the neighbors wanted. He also pointed out that City planning staff were regularly punting when it came time to protect wetlands with existing city zoning designations.

Summary: The Council denied the appeal on a 1:6 vote, with only Scott Gruendl voting to approve the appeal. High density housing isn't really about conservatives and liberals. But some of the neighbors opposing Wildwood Estates seemed to make a distinction during their comments. Chico voters have decided to land lock housing growth through a number of mechanisms. The result has been mandated higher density developments, and forced diverse housing designs going into historically homogenous neighborhoods. The desire being to meet growth and moderate income housing needs all in one shot. High density infill is here to stay. It has already come to my neck-of-the-woods in a number of spots. I live in a neighborhood with good sized lots, and so my home will become more valuable as Chico lots continue to shrink. Yeah for me. For new home buyers I would pass on advice given by past Councilor Maureen Kirk. If you buy a home next to an open lot you can expect anything to be built there, even a Wal-Mart (I hear they're sprouting like weeds).

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (5)

February 07, 2007

Sphere's To You Jim

The City Council last night heard a request from the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission (BPPC) to create a "sphere of influence" for that body around Bidwell Park. Commissioner Jim Walker originally proposed this idea last year (maybe 2005), as a response to the visible homes built on the south side of Bidwell Park. After internal BPPC dialogue and approval this request for new authority has been steadily moving towards the City Council for a decision. The "sphere of influence" would extend out 1000' around Upper and Middle Bidwell Park (basically east of Manzanita). Park Commissioner Steve Lucas pointed out early on that a 1000' influence around lower Bidwell Park would be more intrusive than desired. Therefore the BPPC "sphere of influence" in lower park would be limited to properties adjacent to the park. So what does the policy do? Any development within the "sphere" would go to the BPPC for comment sometime early in the approval planning process. The BPPC would not have any authority over development approval/denial beyond comments. The policy might be applied to existing privately owned parcels on the north, south, and east sides of Bidwell Park, and would jut into county areas not within the City of Chico's "sphere of influence".

I was impressed by the overall conversation that went on regarding this topic. There were a number of comments that came from various Councilors and members of the public that made important points. Scott Gruendl pointed out the impact of the "edge effect" on Bidwell Park from domesticated animals (he didn't call it the edge effect though). Randy Abbot (Friend O' The Park and one-time disc golfer) had about 10 minutes of speaking time and really hit some valid points. He pointed out that the impact of development on Bidwell Park is to be considered under existing park and general plans. And that the 1000' boundary is both redundant and arbitrary. He recommended not approving the "sphere", as did a number of other speakers who felt it was too soft. Bill Brouhard owner of parcel 9, which will be developed at some time in the future, supported the 1000' sphere. His property would fall within the sphere (this land is adjacent to parcel 7 which are the homes we can see on the south side of Bidwell Park). Some of the Councilors, including Gruendl and Schwab discussed a possible need to envelope other protections into the policy beyond a concern for the "view shed". Larry Wahl voiced concern that making some of the private property un developable could force the City into litigation forcing it to purchase property it can't afford. From a historical perspective the City was forced to pay more for the 1380 acre "new addition" to Bidwell Park after the landowner forced the discussion into mediation.

Summary: Steve Bertagna motioned that the BPPC 1000' sphere of influence be accepted. It was seconded and passed 6:1 with Tom Nickel voting against it. Most of the opposition that spoke wanted greater restrictions on developments adjacent to the park. In this meeting land-owners effected by the policy supported it, as did conservatives and liberals. Local preservationists opposed this park protection policy because they felt it would have no real impact, or needed to cover more than just the view. Park Commissioner Jim Walker created and championed this policy because he felt the BPPC wasn't in the information loop when developments occurred near Bidwell Park. If this policy prevents any additional problems like we had with visible homes on the south rim, Jim's the guy to thank.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)

February 06, 2007

The Bad Girls of Butte County

As a strong supporter of feminism I was happy to see the Butte's Most Wanted section in the February 2nd issue of the E-R. All of the fugitives named were members of the fairer sex. The print edition had some pretty flattering photos of these fine flowers of femininity, and so I did a little web work to provide them here (in color no less). Rhiannon Ann Langlois, Alberta Lynn Hanson, Lola May Bessey, Angela Marie Ullman, and Schana Lee Montgomery, were wanted for things ranging from fraud and identity theft to more physically demanding crimes like elder abuse. Unfortunately, Rhiannon has already been captured, so I don't think we can say that our Norcal gals are any more wily than our Norcal guys. I just wanted to acknowledge these ladies for the hard work they put in, and the steps taken towards breaking through the glass basement. I'm hoping one day we can have more equitable public spending when incarcerating women in relation to men. We spend way too much money on men and it just doesn't seem fair. We should do for the penal system what Title 9 did for women's sports. You go girls!

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (6)

February 05, 2007

Super Bowl Extra-Large-Eye

If you missed the Super Bowl here's a recap. Cirque du Soleil performed for the Super Bowl XLI pre-game show (41 for the Carthaginians in the audience). They were firing on all 5 cylinders and would have done any high school flag team proud. The media focus on ads prior to the Super Bowl was pretty annoying. There are a couple that end up being funny every year, but it's still just advertising. There's a web site somewhere where you can watch the ads. I won't post it here because I'm better than that. The first half of the game was pretty exciting with 6 turnovers, a couple of long yardage plays, and of course the opening kick-off run back for a touchdown. The Colts were clearly in charge, but could only eke out a 16-14 advantage over the Bears. The CBS play-by-play team sucked (Jim Nantz - Phil Simms). I long for the annoying talent of John Madden. I would take his 1 minute soliloquies on the color of a player's shoes over Phil Simms' useless conceited ramblings. CBS had a foggy camera lens that I did like. It added that romantic "soft light" quality to many of the plays. The half time show featured the artist formerly known as a hieroglyph. I actually like Prince quite a bit. I remember singing Raspberry Beret with my friends while riding in the back of a convertible Mustang on my "senior trip". That's about all I remember of the trip. Check out this Chappelle Show True Hollywood Stories skit, which does him serious justice. In the second half the Colts gutted the Bears and hung their mangy old pelt over the old set of One Day At a Time. It was a sad contest for the Bears (29-17 Colts), but that's football for you. If you get beat, you get beat publicly. Most people I talked to wanted Manning's team to win, and his team did it on all fronts. Hats off to Da Bears for #2. I pick the Niners for Super Bowl 42.

I'm always sad when football season ends. Football is the all-American sport and culminates in an emotion filled capitalist extravaganza. Prior to that the 16 regular season games determine who makes the playoffs, and every one of those games count. During the playoffs you either win and move on, or your season is done. That kind of black and white determination of success is something lost in popular culture. At a time when people have litigated job positions into near permanency, the NFL is the ultimate meritocracy. More importantly, what other sport gives you the opportunity to drink beer and eat good food for an entire day.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM

February 04, 2007

Can't See The Forest For The Trees

The Bidwell Park and Playground Commission (BPPC) address issues related to our parks and playgrounds. Bidwell Park is almost always the front and center topic of this appointed body. An often ignored city function also overseen by the BPPC is the "street trees" program and the maintenance of our "urban forest" (urban forest being our town's trees). To get an idea of the magnitude of maintaining our trees you can compare the budget allotted to maintaining our parks ($1.7 million) to that of maintaining our trees ($1.2 million). Roughly 40% of our non-administrative park funds go to caring for trees. The Urban Forester job position manages the street trees program. Chico's Urban Forester is Denice Britton, who is pretty new to the job (I'd say less than a year). The street trees program provides classes and volunteer opportunities to prune young Chico trees (see details below). They also provide a list of preferred street trees that are non-invasive, no privets here. I've heard that the City will provide specific trees free of charge for your front yard, but I haven't run across that program (let me know if you have). Of course I've heard all of the stories about unkempt City trees or trees cut down for no reason. But I doubt any program this large would be able to keep everyone happy.

Chico Tree Enhancement and Education (CTrEE):"Tree Pruning 101" Spring Schedule is Mondays, Wednesdays and occasional Saturdays from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm; Contact Orene Owen at 895-0866 for location and for additional training dates. Workshops are free and all ages are welcome. Pruning tools and sharpening are donated by Fanno Saw.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (3)

February 03, 2007

Da Bears

I have to wonder if the Bears of today can dance, sing, or rhyme any better than those of yesteryear. My wife, a one-time Bears fan, pointed me to this. I figured I would inflict it on the rest of the world. As far as who will win the Super Bowl? I'm going to go with the "animal kingdom" analysis. Colts are pretty fast and agile, but a Bear has much larger claws. Therefore, Da Bears will win. Enjoy your Super Bowl weekend. And TIVO it (or DVR) in case there's a wardrobe malfunction or other nonsense. That's the kind of thing that's most funny the 5th or 6th time you see it.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 02, 2007

Drive For Show, Putt For Doh!!!

On the way to work yesterday I passed Chico Junior High and saw the kids out playing frisbee golf (disc golf). It's been part of their curriculum for a number of years, and is taught to all junior high students in Chico thanks to educators like Chad Allen and Lance Brogden. Chad once told me they teach a series of "lifetime sports" with frisbee activities that includes disc golf and ultimate. 1000 young people learn the sport every year in our community. Not all students have the personality to excel in team sports. And team sports can come with expensive equipment bills and defined practice schedules that are hard for families to accommodate. Disc golf is a low cost healthy outdoor sport that requires little instruction, and can be played with or without strict rule sets. For 13 years discussions about disc golf have gone on in Chico. The City has spent nearly half-a-million dollars on studies related to the activity. Disc golf courses could have been built for the 1/2 the cost of the downtown chess playing area, and could (can) be funded by private money. Some of the targets used by the students above were donated by me a couple of years ago. I'm glad to see they're getting used, and local educators are still exposing young people to the sport. Maybe one day our elected officials will wise up and find some formal locations for this game to be played. Then we'd be just like a few dozen other communities in Northern California.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)

February 01, 2007

No Smoking

I keep seeing the "fireplace smoke advisory " where people are asked not to light their wood stoves due to air quality. Whenever I see it I like to remind a friend of mine that heats his house with wood that he's endangering us all. He hasn't switched to nuclear yet. The advisory is from the Butte County Air Quality Management District as part of the "Don't Light Tonight" voluntary program. The district is headquartered here in Chico and its board is made up of our 5 county Supervisors as well as an elected representative from each city (Chico's rep. is Councilor Scott Gruendl). This is also the organization that determines "burn day" schedules and enforces air quality rules for the county. The Butte County Air Quality Management District is funded through a variety of sources including a surcharge on our vehicle registrations. When not monitoring our fireplace smoke they also operate a fun clean air quality "kids program" (I wonder if the IRS has a fun site for kids... yep, they do, no wonder government needs so much of our money). Anecdotally it seems like we used to have much dirtier air on burns days back in the '90s. If that's the case they're doing a great job. I am a little concerned about non-native air coming into the county (particularly invasive non-native air) but that's my own peccadillo. If you wondered where the fire smoke warnings were coming from, wonder no more, its the BCAQMD. UPDATE: The ER printed an editorial discussing the smoke advisories today. Here's the link.

Posted by Lon at 12:00 AM