What is the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative?

It is a ballot measure that Orange County residents will have a chance to vote for on March 7th, 2000. It changes the way the county plans for certain large and unpopular projects such as jails near homes, airports and toxic landfills. When this measure is passed, the county will have to determine the environmental impacts, costs, and alternatives to these projects and then get approval from two-thirds of the voters before they can begin.

Why do we need this initiative?

County government has repeatedly failed in its duty to conduct a reasonable planning process for many large scale projects such as jails, landfills and most recently, the reuse of MCAS/El Toro. The result has been a pattern where the County tries to force residential communities to accept a one-sided planning process for these noxious uses before full disclosure and evaluation of their impacts can be assessed. The proponents of the initiative want to prevent this type of backwards - "ready, fire, aim" - planning from ever occurring again.

What led to this initiative?

During the recession in the early 1990's, special interests spent millions of dollars to fund a ballot-box planning initiative known as Measure A. Lauded as a job-generating program, it effectively changed the county’s general plan for MCAS/El Toro from a military base to an international commercial airport. This started the county on a divisive, costly and one-sided planning process to force an airport onto the base property before the area’s highest and best use could be fully analyzed and agreed upon. Unfortunately, because of the way it was worded, Measure A changed the law of the county and is virtually impossible to reverse through another initiative.

Who benefits from The Safe and Healthy Communities initiative?

All citizens of Orange County benefit from this initiative because it gives them the right to vote on construction or expansion of airports, large jails and hazardous waste landfills. It prevents special interests from imposing large-scale potentially harmful facilities on communities without proper planning. The county will be required to fully define and analyze the environmental and other impacts prior to building or expanding large infrastructure projects including jails, hazardous landfills and airports. It would then require a 2/3 majority vote, indicating that consensus has been reached before one dime of taxpayer dollars can be spent to build these projects.

Will this hurt our economic growth?

Absolutely not. This initiative does not affect normal planning and zoning processes for housing, commercial development, roads, utilities and other standard projects to support economic growth. In fact, it could potentially encourage growth by eliminating concern over potential loss of business, or negative impacts on property values.

How will the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative affect the planning for El Toro?

The act does not specifically prohibit an airport at El Toro, nor does it reverse Measure A. However, in order for an airport to be built at El Toro, it would require a 2/3 majority vote by citizens after its impacts were fully disclosed. In order to obtain this majority there would need to be a widespread consensus that an airport at El Toro was the best option for this property.

How will this initiative affect the expansion or construction of airports at other sites?

The communities surrounding John Wayne Airport, The Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station or the Los Alamitos Naval Air Station — any community concerned about a potential airport at other military sites or general aviation airports, would benefit from the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative. Should those airports or military installations be considered for airport expansion or construction the same planning, consensus and super majority vote by the citizens would be required before any construction or expansion could begin.

How will this initiative affect our ability to keep criminals off the street?

The initiative does not prohibit any jail from being built or expanded outside of residential areas. It allows local law enforcement and courts to provide smaller, lock up facilities which are necessary and currently exist within most communities. However, in residential areas, where the County Sheriff seeks to build large long-term incarceration facilities of more than 1,000 beds one-half mile or closer to 100 or more homes, would first require comprehensive planning, consensus building and a 2/3 vote. We believe that Orange County citizens are sensitive to the issue of crime prevention and would accept large scale incarceration facilities if they are carefully sited, planned for and compatible with surrounding land uses. Rather than initiating years of costly legal and legislative battles with local communities over siting of jail facilities, the initiative would outline a clear process that would help law enforcement agencies determine where appropriate facilities should be sited with public participation and approval. Click here to see what Orange County League of Cities says about Jails near residential areas.

Will this initiative prohibit landfills?

The initiative does not address normal, household trash disposal facilities. It covers those facilities as defined by the California Health and Safety Code for disposal of hazardous or toxic materials. Again, the initiative outlines a process for siting and/or expanding these facilities that allow for community consensus building and approval.