BILL NUMBER: AB 2144	CHAPTERED  09/12/00

	CHAPTER   407
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 12, 2000
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   SEPTEMBER 11, 2000
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 18, 2000
	PASSED THE SENATE   AUGUST 10, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   JULY 6, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 26, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Keeley

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2000

   An act relating to land use.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2144, Keeley.   Land use.
   Existing law contains numerous provisions relating to the
regulation of land use.
   This bill would require the City of Watsonville, the County of
Santa Cruz, and the California Coastal Commission to comply with the
terms and conditions of the Memorandum of Understanding entered into
between those 3 entities and dated June 14, 2000.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) The City of Watsonville continues to experience levels of
unemployment that are greater than surrounding communities, and is
undertaking extensive efforts to increase employment opportunities
and improve educational opportunities for a growing and diversifying
population.
   (b) The County of Santa Cruz contains some of the most productive
agricultural lands in California, and some of the most significant
wetlands and other important environmental resources.
   (c) The City of Watsonville, the County of Santa Cruz, and the
California Coastal Commission have voluntarily entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding, dated June 14, 2000, relating to both of
the following:
   (1) The preservation of agricultural lands, wetlands,
environmentally sensitive habitat areas, and other undeveloped lands
westerly of the city's incorporated boundaries and within the coastal
zone.
   (2) The development of a high school on property commonly known as
the Edwards Property within the westerly incorporated boundaries of
the city.
   (d) The Memorandum of Understanding by and between these
governmental entities provides for a series of actions to be taken by
each entity that will place policies in the city's and county's
local ordinances and local coastal plans that will have the effect of
deterring future annexations or other nonagricultural development
westerly of the city's incorporated boundaries.
   (e) In signing the Memorandum of Understanding, each governmental
entity retains all of its independent authorities and powers, while
also agreeing to adhere to the terms and conditions of the Memorandum
of Understanding.
   (f) The Memorandum of Understanding contains provisions for
amending the Memorandum of Understanding, and by signing the
Memorandum of Understanding, the parties agree to adhere to the
procedures contained therein for any such amendments.
   (g) The Memorandum of Understanding provides that the city shall
require a supermajority of city council members to amend certain
local coastal plan and general plan provisions related to the
Memorandum of Understanding and that the county shall require a
supermajority of members of the board of supervisors to amend local
coastal plan and general plan provisions related to the Memorandum of
Understanding.
   (h) The Memorandum of Understanding specifies that the city and
the county will support legislation relative to the Memorandum of
Understanding that will permit any person to petition a court of
competent jurisdiction to compel the signatory parties to the
Memorandum of Understanding to comply with the terms of the
Memorandum of Understanding, but that such legislation would not
become operative unless certain actions have occurred.
  SEC. 2.  (a) The City of Watsonville, the County of Santa Cruz, and
the California Coastal Commission shall comply with the terms and
conditions of the Memorandum of Understanding dated June 14, 2000,
including, but not limited to, the procedures for amending the
Memorandum of Understanding.
   (b) Any person may petition a court of competent jurisdiction to
require the City of Watsonville, the County of Santa Cruz, or the
California Coastal Commission to comply with the terms of the
Memorandum of Understanding, including any amendments thereto.
   (c) Nothing in this act interferes with the right to pursue any
other legal remedy that any person may have under any other provision
of law.
   (d) This section shall not be operative until (1) the City of
Watsonville and the County of Santa Cruz both have housing elements
in their respective general plans certified by the Department of
Housing and Community Development and unless (2) either the City of
Watsonville or the County of Santa Cruz takes any official action to
amend or repeal the supermajority voting requirements as contained in
the Memorandum of Understanding.