Passed the “Holy Grail of Sustainable Development”
After two years of arduous negotiation by the Council and coalition partners, the Council helped pass SB 375, a comprehensive law that finally binds transportation and housing planning and funding to the environment and energy consumption. While this connection is intuitive to California residents, our government structures did not support it. SB-375 is the path to that governmental harmony. SB 375 has been dubbed the holy grail of sustainable development in California.
“Disproportionate” $825 Million for Goods Movement
Building a new model for securing maximum funding from state and federal sources, the Bay Area Council led an effort to unite all Northern California transportation agencies under one mutually-supported plan for goods movement money. As a result, Northern California was awarded a “disproportionate” $825 million by the California Transportation Commission to improve the goods movement infrastructure – the way freight moves by rail, road and water in and out of ports - in the Bay Area.
Building the Bay Area’s Relationship With China
Operating at the nucleus
of the negotiations on massive changes to the state’s main water system, the
Delta, and seen as an influential and honest broker in these negotiations,
the Council got nearly all of the players to agree to data-driven decision
making, instead of political maneuvering, for the first time ever, creating a
potential exit strategy from one of California’s worst water crises.
Using a Constitutional Convention to Secure Reform
We have become a major voice for reform for our state system of government, spurred by an avalanche of attention to our call for a constitutional convention. Our focus is on changing our state’s budgeting system, election process and the state-local funding and policy relationship.
Creating a Statewide Education Data System
We guided and passed the only surviving pieces of the once grand “Year of Education Reform,” starting a comprehensive statewide education data system. The new system, based on Florida’s best-in-class product, would fold in not only elementary, secondary and higher education tracking, but also welfare, demographic, employment, prison and social services information, allowing superior understanding of how to boost student performance.
Invested in Economically-Challenged Neighborhoods
Currently investing $215 million of private equity in underserved Bay Area neighborhoods through the Bay Area Family of Funds. The funds promote smart growth, support local businesses and deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the community. These double-bottom-line funds provide top quartile market returns to investors.
An Exit Strategy for
the Water Crisis
Operating at the nucleus of the negotiations on massive changes to the state’s main water system, the Delta, and seen as an influential and honest broker in these negotiations, the Council got nearly all of the players to agree to data-driven decision making, instead of political maneuvering, for the first time ever, creating a potential exit strategy from one of California’s worst water crises.
Supported Emerging Bay Area Scholars
Gave 30 scholarships, totaling $275,000, to Bay Area university-bound local students from low and moderate income neighborhoods. The scholarships are funded by management fees earned from the community investment activities of the Bay Area Family of Funds, as well as a $100,000, two-year grant from the College Access Foundation.
Fighting in the Trenches for Housing
Taking the fight for more housing to the most local level, the Council created a Housing Endorsement Committee to review, endorse and support transit-oriented developments of regional significance. We have supported 15 projects, representing almost 8,000 units of housing and a quarter of a million square feet of neighborhood serving retail space. Our endorsed projects have had a 100% success rate through the entitlement process.
Driving Unified Regional Climate Change Action
Responding to the challenge of climate change and the mandates of AB 32 and SB 375, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute is creating a partnership of business, government, university, civic, and labor leaders to establish and drive a Bay Area climate protection strategy. As the central convener for Bay Area climate change strategy, the partnership will make the Bay Area a model region that exemplifies low carbon prosperity and that leads the world in production and application of clean technologies.
