BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 551
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 551 (Ting)
As Amended May 24, 2013
Majority vote
AGRICULTURE 7-0 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 7-0
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|Ayes:|Eggman, Olsen, Atkins, |Ayes:|Achadjian, Levine, Alejo, |
| |Dahle, Pan, Quirk, Yamada | |Bradford, Mullin, |
| | | |Waldron, Stone |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, Bigelow, | | |
| |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian | | |
| |Calderon, Campos, | | |
| |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez, | | |
| |Hall, Ammiano, Linder, | | |
| |Pan, Quirk, Wagner, Weber | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Allows a county or a city and county (county) to
establish by ordinance an Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone for
the purpose of supporting urban agriculture. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Defines Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones (UAIZ) as an area
within a county that is comprised of individual properties
designated by the county as an agricultural preserve for
farming.
2)Allows a county, after a public meeting, to establish a UAIZ
by ordinance to enter into voluntary enforceable agreements
with landowners for the use of specified lands for small scale
commercial agriculture production.
3)Allows a county, after adopting a UAIZ ordnance, to enter into
contracts with landowners to enforceably restrict the contract
lands to uses consistent with urban agriculture, as specified.
AB 551
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4)Requires that in a tax assessment of UAIZ contracts
properties, assessors must consider the enforceable
restrictions that affect land valuation.
5) Adds UAIZ contracted lands as an enforceable restriction that
affects land valuation, which assessors are required to
examine.
6)Prohibits a county's UAIZ within a city's limits or zone of
influence, unless the city has adopted an ordinance allowing a
UAIZ within the city's jurisdiction.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes cities and counties to enter into agricultural land
preservation contracts with landowners who agree to restrict
the use of their land for a minimum of 10 years in exchange
for lower-assessed valuations for property tax purposes.
2)Requires a county assessor to consider, when valuing real
property for property taxation purposes, the effect of any
enforceable restrictions upon the property. These
restrictions include, but are not limited to, zoning,
contracts with governmental agencies, and various other
restrictions imposed by governments.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, the loss of revenue to the General Fund could be
anywhere from several hundred thousand dollars to millions of
dollars per year.
COMMENTS : According to the author, many properties in urban
areas lie undeveloped for many years due to various reasons.
These properties can blight the surrounding neighborhood. This
bill seeks to create an incentive for the owners of these
properties to use their properties for urban agriculture in
order to create a green space and a local food source for the
community.
Supporters state that this bill, by reducing the landowner's
property tax rate, property owners may be encouraged to convert
the land to an urban agricultural use. The reduced tax rate
could serve as an incentive to lease the land for urban
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agriculture rather than leaving the property unused.
A recent report by Policy Link identified a growth in urban
communities across America in which urban agriculture is taking
root as an inventive solution to increase access to healthy
food. The report also stated that urban agriculture is helping
to revitalize the economic and social health of communities.
This bill will further aid that growth.
Supporters state that the opt-in approach taken by this bill
offers a conservative way to help expand urban agriculture
across the state. This bill will act as another tool in the box
for counties who are looking to create open space and small
scale economic opportunities in their jurisdiction.
Analysis Prepared by : Victor Francovich / AGRI. / (916)
319-2084
FN: 0000843