Dangerously low water levels in the Western US's dams and reservoirs are forcing the federal government to make a tough decision. We all know of the crazy amount of snow and rain California has received this year, and it is a relief considering the length of our dry spell. Unfortunately, this does not put the western US in the clear as far as our 23-year drought goes. Dams and reservoirs are still at critically low levels, regardless of the intense weather we have endured, but the federal government has a plan to slow down the extreme water deficiency. Earlier this month, the federal government presented two options to prevent the Colorado River’s reservoirs from becoming alarmingly low. Either way, water cuts are the solution, but the decision comes down to where these cuts will be made. Should the water-rights priority system be used and just make cuts along the Southwest, or do they reduce the amount of water usage across the board? Regardless of how the decision goes, California is in jeopardy. Along with Arizona and Nevada, we receive the largest portion of water from the Colorado River, and if an across-the-board cut is chosen, our state will take the hardest hit, particularly in agricultural regions. However, these cuts are necessary to prevent water levels from becoming so low that dams in the region are unable to produce power. As of right now, nothing is set in stone. The government plans to keep the discussion going and make a final decision later this summer. Who knows, maybe there will be a solution in between the two being proposed. Whatever the outcome, it will depend on the projected water levels of the upcoming years. Check out the full story, written by Ian James at the Los Angeles Times!
0 Comments
AB 22 – Assemblyman Gipson (LA County) Aimed to amend section 396 of the Vehicle Code relating to “mobile coaches” by enacting legislation that would classify motor coaches that are parked in a mobile home park for a period of time that satisfies residency requirements (9 months) as mobile home properties to give mobile coach owners the ability to build home equity. Additionally, current law defines “mobile home” for the purposes of the enforcement of highway safety laws and regulations as a trailer coach which is in excess of 102 inches in width or in excess of 40 feet in overall length measured from the foremost point of the trailer hitch to the rear extremity of the trailer. This bill would increase the width in the above-specified definition from 102 inches to 110 inches. Thanks to the hard work of Chris Wysocki of the WMA the first part of the bill regarding equity has been stricken and only the size requirements will be moving forward. AB 1472 – Assemblyman Alvarez (San Diego) Another bill with two parts is set to amend the RV Park Occupancy Law in Imperial Beach but the author is looking to expand to a statewide ordinance. Part one would mimic the rent restrictions of a mobile home park by limiting rental increase to 3% plus CPI not to exceed 5% and limiting it to 2 increments over a 12 month period. Part two would prohibit the practice of limiting a tenant to a period of time under 9 months to prevent residency. Any park that would require a tenant to leave and re-register would be subject to fines and legal action that would award attorney’s fees to the prevailing party. A governing body may establish inspection, reporting, recordkeeping to ensure compliance. I have been in touch with Assm Alvarez’s staff and waiting for a meeting. The Assemblyman is very approachable and willing to work with us on this legislation. This could be extremely detrimental to RV parks with extended stay offerings. More to come. SB 620 - Senator McGuire This bill would provide a pathway for low impact camping in rural areas, AG land, and private property. The Special Occupancy Parks Act, establishes requirements for the construction, maintenance, occupancy, use, and design of RV parks and campgrounds. Existing law defines “special occupa ncy park” to mean a recreational vehicle park, temporary recreational vehicle park, incidental camping area, or tent camp. This bill would specify that, for the purposes of that act, a special occupancy park does not include a low-impact camping area. The bill would define a “low-impact camping area” to mean any area of private property that provides for the transient occupancy rental of a shelter, recreational vehicle, or other temporary sleeping accommodation, as defined, for recreational purposes that is not a commercial lodging facility and meets specified requirements such as less than 9 sites. More to come. While most campgrounds are preparing for their grand openings of the season, many of them here in California are wondering if campers will be able to reach their sites at all. With the onslaught of rain and snow this year, Kernville, CA is faring worse than most. Not only are all access points to the valley susceptible to flooding, several major highways and roads are currently closed for what looks like months. On April 4th, several campgrounds in Kernville were able to voice updates on recent flood damage to Congressman Kevin McCarthy and his deputy chief of staff, Kyle Lombardi. The Congressman brainstormed various ideas on how to draw in consumers, such as social media publications. While many campgrounds have been able to get back up and running despite the overwhelming amount of water, they must still monitor fluctuating river levels frequently for the next great threat: eroded roadways. The largest struggle for these sites at the moment is state assistance programs. Kyle Lombardi discussed mitigation programs such as FEMA, but further research shows this plan of action assists individuals and families who have lost their homes, not businesses. While you’d think that flood and property insurances would provide assistance, Rhonda Stallone of Kern River’s Edge Campground has shed light that her flood insurance only covers buildings, not real estate, and her property insurance has a flood exclusion policy. As of now, this is where the situation has landed. Legislators are continuously working to assist and procure aid for the many campgrounds in need of assistance. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available. Commissioner Lara and the FAIR Plan have reached an agreement to increase the commercial coverage limit to $20 million, more than doubling the existing limit for California businesses! Insurance rates and availability in California have increasingly been the subject of many heated conversations and left many businesses struggling for alternatives. Last July, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara held an investigatory hearing into the FAIR Plan during which our association, our members, and countless other groups and businesses, had the opportunity to share their stories and advocate the need for change. The California FAIR Plan was never intended to be the first choice for home or business owners, but rather was developed to provide insurance to those who have been unable to secure a policy through traditional carrier. However, as risks of wildfires and flooding have increased over recent years, many traditional carriers have chosen to exit the California Market, or increase premiums to unreasonable rates, leaving no other choice but to turn to the FAIR Plan, which unfortunately comes with its own set of hurdles. One of the largest issues when it comes to the FAIR Plan is that while commercial property values and coverage needs are continuously increasing, the FAIR Plan’s commercial limits had not been adjusted in more that two decades. The new agreement signed March 29th by Commissioner Lara and FAIR Plan President Victoria Roach will increase the combined coverage limits for the FAIR Plan, under its Division I Commercial Property Program, from $8.4 million to $20 million per location and, under its Division II Businessowners Program, from $7.2 million to $20 million per location. For more information on this agreement, please check out the full press release here. |
Check out more blog posts!
Categories
All
Archives
March 2024
|