Imperial County Board of Supervisors Chairman Michael Kelley answers COLAB members¿ questions. (Elizabeth Varin) |
State budget cuts, solar issues and a public-private partnership that could fund the expansion of the Calexico West Port of Entry were some of the issues that Imperial County Board of Supervisors Chairman Michael Kelley talked about during a state of the county speech Friday before members of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business.
This was not a full report on the state of the county, but one directed specifically for COLAB, Kelley said minutes before he took the podium.
The official state of the county report will take place Feb. 9.
After some introductory jokes, Kelley turned to a serious note by recounting the positive economic conditions of previous years.
“We seemed to be poised to move forward in many economic development opportunities,” he said.
But nobody knew of the “financial calamities we faced,” Kelley said before noting he is “hopeful that the coming year will bring at least a beginning to the end of this regrettable and forgettable era.”
There are real signs of improvement in construction, retail sales and renewable energy development, Kelley said.
Still, difficulties remain as the state transferred programs to county management without a stable funding stream, he said, referring in part to the realignment of state prisoners to county jails.
With cuts looming, Kelley said, the county “will be actively engaged in the budget debate to ensure that we are not disproportionately harmed.”
As if to prove the county’s capacity to fight state cuts against county interests, Kelley noted that enterprise zones are “no longer part of the governor’s scheme to balance the 2012 budget.”
Kelley then listed what he considers the “positive side of the ledger as we move forward in the coming year.”
The Brawley Bypass expected to be finished in 2013, the Dogwood Road widening near the Imperial Valley Mall and Measure D bonds that will be used for more projects came in the discussion.
“This will put a lot of people to work locally,” he said.
The public-private partnership to fund the Calexico West Port of Entry came next. “Such a plan would not cost the local taxpayers a penny,” he said.
The Sunrise Powerlink designed to deliver 1,000 megawatts of county energy into the California grid, six recently permitted solar projects and other energy developments were also featured by Kelley.
So was the Public Benefit Program recently approved by the board that is expected to “generate millions of dollars in new revenue,” he said.
Kelley then switched to agriculture and its “$1.6 billion in gross production.”
“So even as we seek to bring new industries into our county,” Kelley said, “it is important to recognize the huge role that agriculture plays here.”
Kelley concluded by talking about the fight against the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality regulation, the push to have local agencies lead the efforts to restore the Salton Sea and the county maintaining a balanced budget.
Only one question was asked of Kelley after his speech, and it came from COLAB member Steve Scaroni. Scaroni asked about the public benefit agreements and the balance between property rights and public benefits.
“The County Board of Supervisors is merely reacting,” Kelley said.
By that, Kelley said, he meant that the decision of whether farmland goes to solar projects “is in the hands of the landowners.”
Staff Writer Alejandro Davila can be reached at 760-337-3445 or adavila@ivpressonline.com
This was not a full report on the state of the county, but one directed specifically for COLAB, Kelley said minutes before he took the podium.
The official state of the county report will take place Feb. 9.
After some introductory jokes, Kelley turned to a serious note by recounting the positive economic conditions of previous years.
“We seemed to be poised to move forward in many economic development opportunities,” he said.
But nobody knew of the “financial calamities we faced,” Kelley said before noting he is “hopeful that the coming year will bring at least a beginning to the end of this regrettable and forgettable era.”
There are real signs of improvement in construction, retail sales and renewable energy development, Kelley said.
Still, difficulties remain as the state transferred programs to county management without a stable funding stream, he said, referring in part to the realignment of state prisoners to county jails.
With cuts looming, Kelley said, the county “will be actively engaged in the budget debate to ensure that we are not disproportionately harmed.”
As if to prove the county’s capacity to fight state cuts against county interests, Kelley noted that enterprise zones are “no longer part of the governor’s scheme to balance the 2012 budget.”
Kelley then listed what he considers the “positive side of the ledger as we move forward in the coming year.”
The Brawley Bypass expected to be finished in 2013, the Dogwood Road widening near the Imperial Valley Mall and Measure D bonds that will be used for more projects came in the discussion.
“This will put a lot of people to work locally,” he said.
The public-private partnership to fund the Calexico West Port of Entry came next. “Such a plan would not cost the local taxpayers a penny,” he said.
The Sunrise Powerlink designed to deliver 1,000 megawatts of county energy into the California grid, six recently permitted solar projects and other energy developments were also featured by Kelley.
So was the Public Benefit Program recently approved by the board that is expected to “generate millions of dollars in new revenue,” he said.
Kelley then switched to agriculture and its “$1.6 billion in gross production.”
“So even as we seek to bring new industries into our county,” Kelley said, “it is important to recognize the huge role that agriculture plays here.”
Kelley concluded by talking about the fight against the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality regulation, the push to have local agencies lead the efforts to restore the Salton Sea and the county maintaining a balanced budget.
Only one question was asked of Kelley after his speech, and it came from COLAB member Steve Scaroni. Scaroni asked about the public benefit agreements and the balance between property rights and public benefits.
“The County Board of Supervisors is merely reacting,” Kelley said.
By that, Kelley said, he meant that the decision of whether farmland goes to solar projects “is in the hands of the landowners.”
Staff Writer Alejandro Davila can be reached at 760-337-3445 or adavila@ivpressonline.com
