Modesto urban growth boundary could move closer to 2015 ballot

The Modesto City Council on Tuesday night is expected to certify the signature count for a petition drive to put an urban limit boundary on the November 2015 ballot.

The Stamp Out Sprawl campaign needed to collect the signatures of 8,931 city voters – which is 10 percent of the total number of city voters – to qualify its initiative for the ballot. The Stanislaus County election office recently verified the SOS campaign collected 9,747 valid signatures.

City Clerk Stephanie Lopez is asking the council to pass a resolution certifying the signatures and ordering her to place the initiative on the November 2015 ballot. SOS organizers include former councilman and farmland advocate Denny Jackman and Wood Colony farmer and Modesto Irrigation District board member Jake Wenger.

SOS organizers started their effort in part because of the council majority’s vote this year to include part of Wood Colony – the farming community west of Highway 99 – in the city’s development plans. The city has designated hundreds of acres in the colony for big-box retailers and business parks.

That resulted in a backlash from colony residents and their supporters who say the council ignored the wishes of hundreds of people who opposed including the colony in the city’s growth plans. City officials have said there are several colony landowners who want to develop their land for big-box retailers.

The urban growth boundary would require a citywide vote before the city and property owners could move forward with their plans for land outside the boundary, including the colony. The boundary would push development to east Modesto along Claus Road, where farmland advocates say the soil is of lesser quality.

The council is also expected to:

▪ Consider approving an incentive program to increase the hiring of police officers. The Police Department is allocated 209 officers but has 183, according to a city report, which is among its lowest numbers in years. The incentive program includes paying a $4,500 bonus to experienced officers who take jobs with Modesto and a $1,500 bonus to Modesto officers who recommend candidates who are hired as officers. The program envisions hiring 15 officers a year. The program includes hiring 15 police cadets part time at a cost $21,644 each. The cadets would serve in support roles, such as animal control. They would gain experience, and the department could identify those suited for law enforcement. The third part of the program involves conditionally hiring promising recruits as they go through the police academy. The program will cost more than $400,000 annually, with the funding coming from the savings of unfilled police officer positions. The department is losing officers to Bay Area agencies, which pay more.

▪ Meet in closed session to discuss two lawsuits involving the Police Department. One was filed in federal court by Brian Reed, who was shot in December 2010 by one of the police officers who responded to his home on a report that Reed and a woman were in a dispute. Police have reported that Reed was armed with a pocket knife and was suicidal. The lawsuit claims Reed suffered severe and permanent injuries from the shooting and the police violated his rights. The second lawsuit was filed in Stanislaus Superior Court by former Sgt. Carlos Castro, who claims he was discriminated against and subjected to other mistreatment because he is Mexican American.

The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the basement chambers of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St.

This story was originally published November 3, 2014 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Modesto urban growth boundary could move closer to 2015 ballot."