Brea Councilman John Beauman's October Newsletter

By John Beauman

Each month I publish a monthly newsletter to keep Breans informed on topics and issues that affect our city. Attached is an example of the contents of October's newsletter.

Just as I had done in 2002, I have been walking door-to-door to introduce myself--asking fellow Breans for their vote on November 7th. Most of those I spoke with were pleased with Brea and felt that the city was definitely going in the right direction. Those familiar with the February 2006 issue of Sunset Magazine, rating Brea as one of the five best cities in the Western States to live, agreed with Sunset's assessment. There appears to be a definite consensus that Brea is a great community to live and raise one's family. Some concerns shared by residents are presented below. What about you? Drop me a line and let me know.

Concerns expressed by residents.... Traffic appears to be at or near the top of the "concerns list" for many residents. Traffic on Brea's streets isn't unique to Brea, but is a common problem faced by all of Orange County's cities, and a manifestation of the County's population growth, which now exceeds 3 million, and of the entire So. California region which is about 17 million. See regional map on page 2.

Excessive development was a concern associated with increased traffic congestion and overcrowding in general. Some residents were concerned at Aera Energy's plans to build 3,600 housing units in the adjacent hills, most believing it would impact the quality of life of our community, add to the overcrowding of schools, impact our infrastructure, dilute public safety (police & fire) and local water supplies.

The Sports Park received high marks for interest. People were especially pleased that the FY 2006-08 budget provided funds for its construction, maintenance and operation. What has Brea been doing years to address these issues? Let's start with a look at the General Plan Update which brings development and zoning ordinances into alignment with the community's vision for Brea.

Why a General Plan? Because demographics change over time and a General Plan is used to guide those changes by reflecting on and anticipating a city's evolving demographics. Brea was officially founded on June 19, 1911 and incorporated as a city in 1917, having a total population of 732 people. Today's population, which stands at 39,560 people, consists of 14,476 households; with 22,827 registered voters: 12,274 Republicans, 6,246 Democrats, 472 Independents, 121 Libertarians, with the remainder divided between other classifications. Consequently, as cities evolve over time, for the General Plan to be meaningful, it must be updated in a timely way to reflect such changes in order to remain relevant; but, it must be done in a manner that is consistent with state law and the U.S. Constitution as applied to land use and development.

State guidelines call for General Plans to be updated every ten to fifteen years to reflect notable changes that may occur--for Brea it was about 17 years between updates. Brea's General Plan update process was extensive, comprehensive and thorough and was open to the whole community via workshops to capture the vision and priorities of residents, providing an opportunity for everyone to participate.

The General Plan Update formally began in 2000 with the formation of the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) comprised of members from the community. It was formed to serve as an advisory body to the Planning Commission and the City Council regarding land use and development capacity within the hillsides and unincorporated areas located within Brea's Sphere of Influence (SOI). The property owners were also invited to participate. At the time of my appointment to the City Council in November 2001, I was serving as a community member of the GPAC. Having that experience highlighted the importance of establishing development guidelines that were in compliance with State law and were Constitutional and as such, would protect the City against legal challenges over land use zoning in the future; the intent of which we believe was achieved.

The U.S. Constitution begins with these words: "We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union; establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." (emphasis added)

The Founding Fathers had the wisdom to create a carefully crafted balance between "promoting the general Welfare," and individual rights as defined in the Bill of Rights--including the V Amendment regarding property rights, as follows: "No person shall...be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation." The Constitution seeks to safeguard the "general Welfare" of the community while protecting individual rights, including those pertaining to private property. In crafting a General Plan, it is important to seek the that balance between a community's rights and individual rights stated in the Constitution.

Brea's General Plan recognizes that balance wisely established by the Founding Fathers that defines our individual rights as Americans and our "general Welfare" rights as a community.

The updated General Plan was formally adopted by the City Council in August 2003. A copy is available at the Brea Library.

Brea's traffic, as previously stated, is a byproduct of regional growth and requires regional solutions. But, traffic mitigation measures at the local level is equally important and the General Plan pays a major role in establishing zoning that would minimize traffic impact to the extent possible on individual neighborhoods. The City has been doing all the right "stuff" locally to improve traffic flow on our streets, such as widening of busy intersections and systematically upgrading our traffic-signal synchronization system, as well as traffic calming measure.

When I got involved at the regional level, I realized the importance of taking an active role in seeking top level solutions for local problems; it's why I serve on a number of regional boards including the Southern CA Association of Governments (SCAG), the Orange County Council of Governments (OCCOG), the Four Corners Transportation Group (FCTG) as Vice Chair, and the newly formed Four Corners Transportation Coalition (FCTC) as a charter member city. It ensures that Brea a seat at the table to participate in the decisions that affect our community both directly and indirectly.

It's also why Councilmember Don Schweitzer agreed to represent Brea on the County's Measure M Super Committee. Measure M, a 20-year program for transportation improvements, is being funded by a 1/2 cent gasoline tax approved by the O.C. voters in 1990. Forty-three percent of Measure M revenues goes toward freeway projects, 32% for streets and roads, and 25% for transit. The County is seeking voter approval to extend it for another 30 years (to 2040) to accommodate the ever increasing number of vehicles on our freeways and streets, resulting from both County and Regional growth.

Brea's current share of Measure M dollars is $10.5 million applied toward local street improvements. Those funds have been and continue to be used for many of the improvements we are benefiting from today. Under the proposed Measure M extension, If approved by the voters, Brea will receive an additional $35 million to help relieve congestion on our streets.

Keeping residents involved has always been a priority of the City Council. To address the concerns of residents living in the vicinity of Puente Avenue and Whittier Boulevard, a "Neighborhood Traffic Advisory Committee" was created. The first Committee meeting, consisting of 18 residents, met to help select traffic calming measures and develop the plans to implement those measures. Assisting in the effort was a traffic consultant contracted by the City, who presented "Traffic Calming 101" to familiarize residents with the various techniques used for that purpose, many of which are being employed along and adjacent to South Brea Boulevard.

There were a few residents that expressed concern regarding "Affordable Housing." This was prompted by their children having to leave Brea to find housing elsewhere when starting their own families. Actually aid is available for Breans starting out and those whose income keeps them out of the housing market. In 1993, the City of Brea adopted an "Inclusionary Housing Ordinance," which requires residential developers of 20 or more units to setaside 10% of the total number of units as affordable (i.e., workforce housing). Development in the Redevelopment Project areas must include a minimum of 15% affordable units. As a result, a total of 674 affordable units have been created throughout the City, including 510 rental units and 164 owner occupied units. Don't mistake this as housing for the homeless. It is for working families whose income does not qualify them for market-rate mortgages. The City, through the Redevelopment Agency, provides them with a deferred (bridge) second mortgage.

During the campaign, someone asked what have I personally been doing about these issues, and if reelected, intended to do in the future? A good question--even though it seemed to have been intended as a "tough question." I will...

Continue serving on regional boards, working toward solutions to reduce traffic congestion at both the regional and local levels.

Continue my enthusiastic support of the Sports Park, pleased to announce its formal "Groundbreaking" this month, and its completion and "Grand Opening" the middle of next year fulfilling the dreams of many Brea families. And that through sound fiscal management, we were able to provide funds, not only for its construction, but for its maintenance and operation as well. I see that as a major and long awaited step in the right direction for Brea families and for our community's children.

Continue to ensure that all development is consistent with Brea's standards and the community's vision, and give neighborhood residents--through focus groups--a say on major projects planned for their neighborhood.

Continue to maintain a balanced budget, including adequate reserves, through sound fiscal management.

Continue to pursue state & federal funding to acquire hillside open space while respecting private property rights, nor do I advocate the use eminent domain for an unfair taking of private property.

Continue efforts to establish a Dog Park Site here in Brea. In pursuing it--with Supervisor Campbell's support--we identified a site right here in Brea, situated on the land designated as recreational parkland by Shea Homes for their Tonner Hills project. The timetable will be determined in cooperation with Shea Homes and phased into the overall development master plan.

Continue to care about the well being of our seniors. We have make several major improvements to the Senior Center including linking it to Pioneer Hall, which also went through major renovations; all of which is dedicated to seniors and programs to help enrich their lives.

Continue open communications via my monthly newsletter, which began in January 2003, and continue to maintain my website, established in August 2005.

If you have questions on any of these items, please don't hesitate to ask--many do.

Until next time, best regards, John

Please vote on November 7th.