December 16, 2005

Elizabeth Hill
Legislative Analyst
925 L Street, Suite 1000
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Ms. Hill,

I am writing to respectfully request your office to review and report on the University of California’s (UC) Long Range Development Planning process and evaluate whether it adequately addresses the impacts that campus growth has on its surrounding communities. However, I would like to first thank you and your staff for the insight and assistance you have provided me with this issue. This request is the culmination of work that resulted in AB 1690, which was vetoed. AB 1690 was an effort to address what has become a costly and contentious issue between local governments and the UC.

As you are aware, this is an issue with which I am intimately familiar. I was the first UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) alumnus to serve as a Santa Cruz City councilmember and mayor. When I was a member of the council in 1988, the city sued UCSC over its Long Range Development Plan. The city and the campus’ surrounding communities felt strongly that UCSC was not appropriately addressing the impact of its growth. As a proud UC alumnus and former officer of the UCSC Alumni Association, it was uncomfortable to be a part of this suit. Since then, I have long desired to address this structural problem between UC and the cities and counties in which campuses are located. It is my hope that this report will help initiate a process whereby we may address this issue.

Regarding the study’s specifics, to the extent feasible I would like it to consist of the following criteria:

1) An assessment of the fiscal impacts that UC campus expansion present to their surrounding communities, and whether surrounding local agencies are adequately compensated for those impacts.

2) A review of the planning processes used by UC to prepare long range development plans for its campuses, including the extent to which UC’s LRDP process incorporates local and community input.

3) Discussion of possible improvements to those processes. This should include a review of the policies adopted by other states to mitigate local impacts of university campuses, and the identification of any models for implementation in California.

I would like the report to be submitted to the Legislature no later than December 1, 2006.

I recognize this request will require considerable review and resources within the timeframe requested and appreciate your willingness to work with me in the development of this study.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. Should you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
JOHN LAIRD
Assemblymember, 27th District