Sphere of Influence 101
Thank you for the opportunity to explain where we are and what needs to be done. If I could I will begin by explaining a sphere of influence, what can be done with one in place and why we want to remove it.
The entire community of Bay Point from the city of Pittsburg to the city of Concord is under the sphere of influence of the city of Pittsburg and has been since the late 1980’s. A sphere of influence is not a political or legal designation but a designation used for development and annexation purposes.
A sphere of influence can be best thought of as an invisible net hanging over the heads and homes of everyone in Bay Point, put there by LAFCO and it can only be removed by LAFCO. The strange thing about this net is the person holding the rope is the city of Pittsburg. They can drop this net over any part of our community anytime they feel the need to grab some area where newer homes or commercial development can be placed. This net can only be removed, folded up and put away by the LAFCO commissioners after a public hearing and vote of LAFCO. If we do not ask LAFCO to remove this sphere of influence we will loss our community identity and be forced by LAFCO to become Pittsburg city residents.
To be honest, upfront and straight, no community in Contra Costa County has ever done this before. The current LAFCO Executive Director could not remember nor could any of her contemporaries any community every asking to remove a sphere of influence. So the battle ahead is an uphill battle without support from major elected leaders. We need to be pressuring local elected officials like the County Supervisor how important this move is to protect our community and ask his support. We need to ask him directly to support us in this or by not he will be showing us that Pittsburg is better than Contra Costa County at providing for our futures.
If we can raise the money needed to file this proposal we would again be setting the bar and doing something other communities have not done before. This is not a first for Bay Point but is in fact the way we always do it here in Bay Point. If we can come together as a community, showing large numbers of residents support removing the sphere of influence by writing LAFCO commissioners, attending the September meeting and signing petitions we MIGHT have a David chance against this GOLIATH sphere.
Community members need to donate money, get petitions signed by either registered voters or property owners and then write letters to each member of LAFCO asking them to support the removal of the sphere of influence, and finally attend the LAFCO meeting with us September 13, 2006 to show your support of our community and this request. LAFCO commissioners live in a vacuum they only know what they are fed by their staff that may have agendas we cannot see so we need to feed them and show them our community spirit and support.
If we do not fight this sphere of influence we will be doing what the community has done before acting like an ostrich and sticking our heads in the sand. If we can remove this sphere of influence and it will not be easy it will stop Pittsburg from cherry picking land like they have before to annex into the city. If this sphere of influence remains Pittsburg plans first to cherry pick the land north of Willow Pass Road so they can develop our entire waterfront to their liking and leave the areas south of Willow Pass Road and west of Port Chicago Road to stay in Bay Point. If the city of Pittsburg can get the first annexation done in the waterfront area, then look out for Evora Road residents to be in Pittsburg before you know it. The idea is always get new land with no pre-existing service needs so you take money from the area not put money out for services.
We are now working to have land owners and or registered voter’s sign petitions which will be sent back to me and will be delivered to LAFCO at one of their meetings. It is important to show the LAFCO commissioners the support this has from the local community. Without community support and involvement they will be sealing our entire community’s fate of becoming residents of a different city.
In addition, we need business leaders (not just owners) to step up and be counted for once. They want our business but never want to do the work to support our community in its hour of need. Talk is cheap and often empty. We need businesses to make petitions available, seek signatures of employees and customers and donate to the cause of keeping Bay Point Bay Point. Businesses that do not support this will be the first to complain when they have to join a Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce. Here is their chance to help.
Lastly and most important we need to raise $3,000 to submit our application. If businesses or citizens want to donate they can write a check to LAFCO and mail to Bay Point LAFCO Hearing 640 Bailey Road #142 Bay Point CA 94565 or for more information they can contact me at 925-458-6330 or (925) 497-3908
Steve Hoagland
925-458-6330 Home
925-497-3908 Cell
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