State Senator Leland Yee has announced that he plans to introduce a bill, SB 650, to allocate $10 million in Proposition 84 Park Bond funds to Half Moon Bay so the city can acquire Beachwood for a public park.

Under the bill, there would be no houses built on the the property.  According to Half Moon Bay mayor John Muller, with the addition of the $5 million in settlement money set aside from the Association of Bay Area Governments settlement, "the city would only have to raise at most $4 to $5 million".  Muller told me that it might be possible to borrow that much without issuing a bond.

The city must pay Beachwood owner Chop Keenan $18 million by August 29 under the settlement, according to Muller.

The bill will be presented at the city council meeting on Tuesday, April 7.

SB 650 will be considered by a Senate policy committee in the coming weeks.  Assemblyman Jerry Hill will amend an identical bill (AB 650) in the Assembly.

Because SB 650 is an "urgency" measure, it must receive a 2/3 vote in order to pass. Muller noted that all segments of the community must support the bill if it is to receive the necessary votes in both houses.

While the city will receive an option to buy the adjacent Glencree property as part of the settlement, Muller declined to say what would be done with it, saying that he was focused on resolving the Beachwood issue right now.

Supervisor Rich Gordon has confirmed that patient records belong to the Coastside Family Medical Center and not to the patients, after consulting with county counsel.

There was some confusion at the meeting after one member of the audience said the state had told Gordon that the records belong to the patient, not the center. Gordon says that after a bankruptcy trustee is appointed by the court, the trustee will be responsible for the records.

You can download the memo from County Counsel Michael P. Murphy [pdf] from Coastsider.

The county has also released an updated version of their Information for Patients [pdf] handout from Monday’s meeting.

Supervisor Rich Gordon will be holding his Coastside office hours on Wednesday, March 25th from 10am until noon at the Sheriff’s Substation in Moss Beach.  These are normally held on the fourth Thursday of the month, but had to be moved due to a scheduling conflict.

The City of Half Moon Bay has scheduled a series of free, interactive community workshops beginning March 25 to gather input on the future of housing in the City. Residents and other interested parties may attend one or all of the workshops which are the first step in designing a new Housing Element for the City.

"This is a great opportunity for our residents to help us make sure we have the right mix of housing choices in our future," said Steve Flint, Planning Director. "Community input is crucial in preparing a Plan that reflects the primary issues and goals of our residents."

WHAT IS A HOUSING ELEMENT? It is a planning document designed to address the existing and projected housing needs for people of all incomes in the City. It will provide future guidance for the types and number of dwelling units that will be appropriate for the City over the next 20 years.

WHAT WILL THE WORKSHOPS BE LIKE? The workshops are an opportunity for the public to provide input on housing issues that face the city including the types of housing needed in Half Moon Bay, where new housing should be located and what types of special housing needs exist and need to be met within the city. In addition, the city is seeking input on how to preserve and improve the quality of Half Moon Bay’s existing residential neighborhoods.

HOW WILL THE INPUT BE USED? The input will be used to develop goals, strategies, policies and programs that will guide residential development in the City.
WORKSHOPS:

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Rich Gordon formally announces his candidacy for the 21st District Assembly seat, which runs from Redwood City to San Jose. From the San Mateo Daily News:

"The bottom line is the state is so broken that I just feel somebody’s got to step up and fix it," said Gordon, citing his mix of local, regional and state experience as reasons why he’s the person to do just that.
Gordon, of Menlo Park, is a third-generation Californian born and raised in San Mateo County. His focus includes strengthening the economy, environmental protection, education, adequate water and health and safety.
Gordon has served as a county supervisor since 1997 and will be termed out in 2010, the same year he hopes to secure the state Assembly seat. During his tenure, he has served as president of the California State Association of Counties and on a number of commissions and boards such as the Transportation Authority, the Housing Endowment and Regional Trust, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments.

The Quick List is a guide for anyone interested in the elements of local government [pdf] in California: a compilation of laws, Web sites and other information about cities and counties.

The Quick List is compiled by staff members of the Senate Local Government Committee under its longtime chief consultant, Peter Detwiler. It covers everything from "A"—AB8, the law that divvies up property taxes among local governments and schools—to "Z," everything you wanted to know about land zoning.

Thanks to the Sacramento Bee for the tip.

The Chron visits downtown Half Moon Bay to see how our stimulus tax dollars will be spent to repair Main Street. The city is getting $176,000 from the county, which is allocating it to communities based on their size.

The paving project will resurface five blocks of Main Street, two blocks of Kelly Avenue and the historic, 109-year-old concrete bridge at the north end of town. A brass plaque proclaims it to be the oldest concrete bridge in San Mateo County, and it’s got the battle scars to prove it.

All up and down Main Street were other scars, in the form of vacant storefronts. Much of Main Street is for lease, and much of the rest is having a sale.

Margo Christiansen, the proprietor of Unique Clothing, is having a 40 percent-off sale. It used to be a 10 percent-off sale, then a 20 percent-off sale.

Some of the sidewalk cracks are right in front of her store. She said it will be nice to have them fixed.

"If the sidewalk looks crummy, that affects business," she said. "Our city has a Ritz Carlton Hotel. We have to keep ourselves looking great. The people who stay at the Ritz Carlton get dropped off downtown in a limousine, and they expect nice things when they get here. They expect a certain level."

The Midcoast Community Council is meeting Wednesday. The meeting starts at 7:30pm, and the public is invited to attend and speak.

The meeting will be at Seton Medical Center Coastside: Marine Boulevard & Etheldore, Moss Beach. Take Highway 1 to Marine Boulevard and follow hospital signs uphill. Attendees must park in upper parking lots per hospital policy—turn left just before the end of the main driveway.

Agenda after the jump.

Assemblyman Jerry Hill will host a town hall meeting Saturday to hear from constituents and share his thoughts on the issues and events that shaped his first 100 days in office.  The Coastside meeting will be at Pacifica Community Center, 540 Crespi Drive at 10am.
 
Topics of discussion will likely include the state budget, current legislation, and recent state hearings on the federal stimulus package and California’s renewable energy requirements.  The meetings will also provide an opportunity for constituents to receive one-on-one assistance from staff members from Assemblymember Hill’s District Office.

Here are a few examples of the services that staff can assist with:
 

• Unemployment and disability insurance
• Renters/homeowners assistance programs
• Consumer complaints
• Veterans’ services
• State Franchise Tax Board
• Tax relief programs
• Government forms and programs

San Mateo County is progressive enough that they’ll let you pay your traffic tickets online. As long as you don’t have a Mac.  The website:

  https://www.sanmateocourt.org/traffic

only works for Internet Explorer. There hasn’t been a version of Explorer for the Mac since about 2005.