Posts Tagged ‘housing’
The Mercury News: Are California Businesses Overregulated? This Researcher Compared Requirements Across States
For decades, business leaders have complained that California’s regulatory climate has overburdened companies across the state, blaming a morass of rules, permits and paperwork for pushing businesses and jobs out of state and holding back economic growth. To help measure the impact of the regulations, the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, sought to compare the number of business requirements in the state with those in other parts of the country. In a new report, researchers with the PPIC found that while California is not an outlier nationwide when it comes to state and local business regulations, it has by far the most specific constraints on businesses — defined as regulations containing the words “shall,” “must,” “may not,” “required” and “prohibited.” Researchers found states with more of these types of strict regulations — ranging from environmental standards to consumer safety protections — tend to see fewer new businesses forming, though the report stopped short of establishing a definitive causal relationship.
Read MoreEconomic Outlook for 2026 Indicates North Bay at a Crossroads: Economist Robert Eyler Warns of Stagnation, Structural Shifts, Uneven Paths Forward
The North Bay economy is undergoing a profound transition marked by stalled job growth, shifting demographics, housing market stagnation and a wine industry facing long-term restructuring. While the challenges are significant, a noted local economist said opportunities remain — if regional leaders understand the depth of the changes underway and respond with coordinated, realistic strategies. Robert Eyler, an economics professor at Sonoma State University and president of Economic Forensics and Analytics, presented his analysis. Using county-level data, statewide and national trends, he described an economy that is no longer behaving as Californians have historically expected, particularly in regions once seen as beneficiaries of pandemic-era migration. Unprecedented jobs plateau. One of the most striking indicators Eyler presented was California’s prolonged lack of job growth. “We’ve seen about a 24-month period in which we had zero jobs growth in California, which is unprecedented in the recorded history of California’s economy outside of recession,” he said. cross the North Bay, that stagnation shows up in different ways. Sonoma and Marin counties remain below their pre-pandemic labor force levels. Napa County has posted modest gains, while Mendocino County has remained largely flat. “The Bay Area and California economies showed encouraging signs of labor market stabilization in November,” Anderson told the news outlet.
Read MoreOn January 12, City Council Considers Reapproving Bayfront Terrace Project With a Modified Project Footprint for the Site of 1.60 acres & No Additional Changes to the Design – Hearing is at 5:30pm at City Hall
On January 12, City Council Considers Reapproving Bayfront Terrace Project With a Modified Project Footprint for the Site of 1.60 acres & No Additional Changes to the Design – Hearing is at 5:30pm at City Hall. In a previous post, “We have an opportunity to change the life trajectory of 44 families,” Councilman Urban Carmel added. “Nothing can change your life trajectory more than the place you grew up in. This is really exciting and gratifying – I can’t imagine a better moment.”
Read MoreMarin IJ: Marin Officials Question Projections in Regional Growth Plan – Draft Plan Bay Area 2050+
While the number of Marin households is projected to grow from 108,000 to 131,000 by 2050, the job growth is projected to be stagnant, with a job base remaining at 126,000 over the same time period, the plan says. Across the region, the plan anticipates a population growth of about 7.7 million to 9.6 million, which is nearly four times the forecast provided by the California Department of Finance. Mill Valley Mayor Max Perrey said city officials agree that MTC and ABAG need to revise their projections and develop better mitigations to address impacts to wildfire risk, water supply, emergency services, air quality and flooding, among other issues. “The regional growth forecast the plan relies on differs from the state’s official projections, and it doesn’t take into account the changing economy, both the impact that AI will have on the workforce as well as vacancy rates for commercial space, which continues to persist,” Perrey said. “It also has a large dependence on major future funding streams that have not been secured for projects, which presents funding risks for infrastructure, for services and hazard mitigation measures.”
Read MoreCity of Mill Valley Councilman Max Perrey Ascends to the Top Perch as Mayor – “Each of You Have Taught Me Through Your Example,” Perrey said.
“It’s rare in life that you get to witness a boyhood dream come true,” Mayor Stephen Burke told the audience. “And tonight, we have the opportunity to do that. I’m so proud to be here for this moment. I know how much Max loves public service. While this is not the culmination of Max’s career, it’s certainly an important step in his career. And I’m proud to be here at this moment.” “Each of you have taught me through your example,” Perrey said. ” “Our council treats each other with civility. When we disagree, we model how to respect alternate use. I couldn’t be more grateful to each of you that I get to serve with,” and to our City Manager, Todd Cusimano, “your service to our community is profound. The dedication you give to our city is what moves us forward. We couldn’t do anything we do without you.”
Read MoreOn the Heels of a Successful Measure L to Address Infrastructure Needs, City Pivots to Implement an Extension of the Municipal Service Tax for Another Decade to Continue Repairing Roads & Clearing Flammable Brush
Now the City Council and staff are pivoting to an extension of its Municipal Service Tax for another decade to continue repairing roads and clearing flammable brush. That assessment came after City Manager Todd Cusimano reported on the tax, known as the MST, at the City Council meeting on Oct. 20 as part of a strategic discussion that looked at future street repairs and local revenue streams. “We will have to continue with the MST,” he said. “If we do this right over the next 10 years, we’ll be talking about potentially not having to have one of these taxes.” “This is not a forever tax,” added Councilmember Urban Carmel. “This is really the end game, I think, for the next round.”
Read MoreFor Several Years, City Hall Pushed for Inclusionary Housing. Now They’re Pivoting, With Requirements That Seek 15% or 20% of Medium-to-Larger Projects
About 14,700 people live in 6,600 homes in city limits, said city planner Danielle Staude. New housing is a challenge and costly in Mill Valley because the city doesn’t have many available parcels, and most of what is available is on irregular lots and hillsides, which add costs to developers. Apart from church- or city-owned properties, only two lots are suitable for an apartment of 20 or more residences.
Read MoreSF Gate: ‘We Are the Problem’: California is Trying to Undo Decades of Liberal Policies – A New York Times Bestseller Co-Authored by a California-Born Writer Sparked Real Housing Progress in the State
“I’ve been involved in abundance long before it was called Abundance,” Wiener, a progressive and longtime lawmaker from San Francisco, told SFGATE. Wiener has been in the California Senate since 2016, and before that, he was on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He has another bill, Senate Bill 79, that is likely to head to the governor’s desk for his signature, which would allow for the construction of more housing units and taller buildings near major public transit stations. Abundance, Wiener continued, is “a very straightforward” idea that politicians should make it easier and faster to “build the things that make people’s lives better and more affordable.” He added that Klein and Thompson’s book has “had a lot of momentum and got a lot of people to think about this issue, and it puts into words and paper what a lot of people have been thinking.”
Read MoreMarinIJ: After Much Angst, Marin County Planning Commission Has Signed off on a Five-Story, 32-Apartment Building in Tam Valley
The Tamalpais Valley project also has attracted criticism because of its location in an area that has been classified as a flood zone by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the scant number of parking spaces being supplied; and its height. Several planning commissioners expressed concerns about these and other issues during a hearing on Thursday. County planning staff the county is powerless to mandate any changes that aren’t based on strict, objective design standards and gross threats to public health. “Understand that we cannot require any parking for this project,” Marin County Planning Manager Jeremy Tejirian said.
Read MoreThe Mercury News: California’s Insurance Crisis Continues, As State Farm an Insurance Rate Hike of 30%, Soon After the Company Won Emergency Approval for a 17% Rate Increase After the LA fires
While the insurance industry faces headwinds, State Farm, for instance, is now seeking to boost California home insurance rates by 30%. The company last week won emergency approval for a 17% rate increase after the Los Angeles fires. A week after winning emergency approval to raise Californians’ home insurance premiums, State Farm is seeking to boost that rate hike even higher to 30%. On May 13, the state’s largest insurance company got the OK from regulators to increase rates by an average of 17% starting next month. State Farm secured the expedited rate hike after asserting it was in financial distress and expected $7.6 billion in claims arising from the deadly Los Angeles wildfires in January.
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