ACTION ALERT - Write and Tweet to SCAG that we need more time! DELAY 'Connect SoCal' by 90 days on May 7th.
On May 7
th Southern California Council of Governments’ (SCAG) Regional Council will seek to adopt the final draft of the 'Connect SoCal' plan. But SCAG only just released its final draft (over 10,000 pages) on March 27
th. The plan is a long-range vision for the future of Southern California that identifies the mobility and housing challenges the region will face in the next 25 years and solutions to address them.
Due to the recent pandemic hitting us all at the very same time the final draft was released, business leaders have been in survival mode to protect our families, employees, and businesses. We simply need more time to establish the changes between the 'draft' and 'final' plans make sense. We want to ensure that these changes will help not harm the vital jobs, needed housing supply, and transportation infrastructure solutions that all our cities will use to approve or reject future developments.
We are urging you to send in letters before May 6th (click on the button above or on the title image where you can submit your letter in under 2 minutes!) to the SCAG Regional Council leaders requesting a 90-day DELAY to assess the changes between the ‘draft’ and 'final’ plans to provide constructive comments so major problems can be addressed.
A growing coalition of business leaders submitted our letter this week. There is an opportunity to join this growing coalition in a new letter next week, along with your personal and organization letters, please contact Jerard Wright jerard.wright@bizfed.org to send us your logo to add to the next version of the coalition letter before Wednesday, May 6th!
GET SOCIAL ABOUT IT!
Now that you’ve sent your letter, it is crucial you
share the need for the delay on social media and tag SCAG leadership. We’ve prepared a sample tweet and handles below, take a look!
Twitter:
@SCAGnews looks to adopt the “Connect SoCal Plan” on May 7
th BUT we are asking for a 90-day DELAY given the #COVID19 crisis! We simply need more time! Urge @SCAGnews to DELAY and ensure that these changes HELP NOT HARM! Click to request a delay:
https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=8663
Handles:
@SCAGnews @KomeA @MayorBillJahn @RexRichardson @ClintLorimore @AlanWapner @bialv
BACKGROUND: How does SCAG’s 25 year planning for my city impact me?
SCAG is made up of an 86-member governing board of local elected officials representing the six southern California counties and 191 cities and sits on various committees that help shape the 25 year 'ConnectSoCal' plan. We've listed those committee chairs here for your reference along with the impacts of how this plan affects you.
SCAG Transportation Committee,
Councilmember Cheryl Viegas-Walker, El Centro
SCAG Energy & Environment Committee,
County Supervisor Linda Parks, Ventura County
SCAG Community, Economic and Human Development Committee,
Councilmember Peggy Huang, Yorba Linda
SCAG Legislative Committee,
Councilmember Jan Harnik, Palm Desert
- Impacts qualifying for the maximum federal funding for over 4,000 transportation projects—ranging from highway improvements, railroad grade separations, new transit hubs, new bus and rail corridors, pedestrian improvements, and replacement bridges.
- Impacts support of our vital goods movement industry while defining ways to utilize resources more efficiently.
- Impacts land-use strategies (featuring housing!) that help our region achieve state greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and federal Clean Air Act requirements.
- Impacts preserving open space areas, improving public health, and roadway safety.
