Carlsbad legislative subcommittee opposes SB 677, backs SB 722 and AB 35

The Carlsbad City Council’s legislative subcommittee voted unanimously to oppose SB 677 and to support SB 722 and AB 35 after hearing state policy briefings and a public comment urging opposition.

A committee member moved ‘‘that we oppose SB 677 and support SB 722 and AB 35,’’ and the motion passed unanimously after a second by the chair. The motion formalizes the subcommittee’s concerns about recent, significant amendments to SB 677 that members said expand SB 79’s transit-area mandates beyond the original scope.

Steve Linke of the Equitable Land Use Alliance told the panel the bill’s sudden wholesale rewrite on Jan. 5 removed public notice and added provisions that could sweep some communities into stricter SB 79 tiers. ‘‘Please support our neighbors, Solana Beach, and all the other cities that could be affected by actively opposing SB 677 at each future step,’’ Linke said.

Staff and the contracted state policy representative, Sharon Gonsalves, briefed members on SB 677’s procedural history and technical concerns raised by committee staff and stakeholders about definitions and implementation. Members said they supported SB 722, which would exempt parcels governed by mobile-home occupancy rules (and some recreational-vehicle park areas) from SB 79’s requirements to avoid displacing residents on fixed incomes. They also backed AB 35, which aims to streamline release of bond funds authorized under Proposition 4 by exempting certain actions from the Administrative Procedures Act to reduce delay.

Committee members asked staff to follow up with written position letters and additional analysis on the implications of SB 677 for local planning and fees. The subcommittee’s formal motion and vote were recorded during the meeting and will be transmitted to relevant legislative committees and staff for follow-up.