Summary: Monday, March 10, 2014 All governmental power (theoretically, at least) belongs to the people. Elected officials have power only because we, the people, have given it to them. Similarly, non‑elected governmental officials only have power to the extent that our elected representatives have given it to them. When any department of government takes action, those governmental employees taking the action have to be able to point to an approval, somewhere, from our elected representatives. That’s the way it is supposed to work, and it largely does work that way, because when governmental bureaucracies start taking actions that have never been properly authorized, those actions are subject to a successful judicial challenge. This brings me to the “Consent Agenda” system. The governing bodies of most government agencies adopt a “Consent Agenda” as one of their first actions, every meeting. Tomorrow, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has a Consent Agenda with fifty items. When it’s adopted, that means the Board will have given fifty different authorizations for the government bureaucracy to do something. Bottom line, if you want to know what your government is doing, check the Consent Agenda. As a for instance, Santa Cruz County government is moving towards the creation of a new “Geological Hazard Abatement District” in Seascape. That will end up costing property owners some money. It’s Item #38 on tomorrow’s Consent Agenda. You might want to check that out! More Information Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Agenda – March 11, 2014 Consent Agenda Item #38 – Seascape Geological Hazard Abatement District
