Steve Kinsey (MTC) and Pat Ecklund (ABAG) discuss the future of Regional Planning

Marin Coalition Presents:
"Planning Our Future: The ABAG/MTC Perspective”
Guest Speakers:
Steve Kinsey, Marin County Supervisor District 4 and Marin County and Cities MTC Representative
Pat Eklund, Novato Mayor Pro Tem and Marin’s ABAG Representative

Luncheon and Speaker Program – Wednesday September 2, 2015

CA legislators have been steadily expanding the authority of regional governing agencies like the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). Together they have brought us the 9-county Plan Bay Area and Sustainable Communities Strategies, which are plans to reduce GHG emissions by building housing near transportation corridors. But dissension is in the air.  As MTC prepares to move into its nearly $250M office building in San Francisco, they propose restricting ABAG’s funding and taking over land-use planning. Come to hear from Steve Kinsey and Pat Eklund, Main’s representatives to these two powerful agencies. Learn about their unique mission and roles, how decisions are made, what we can anticipate coming down the pike from regional planners, and how citizens can participate to make their voices heard.

Steve Kinsey has been Marin County’s District 4 Supervisor since 1996 and has lived in west Marin since 1978.  His focus has been on the integration of transportation and land use planning, watershed and fishery restoration and sustainable agriculture. He has been a supporter of regional policies that are defining the essential link between transportation and land use and while chair of MTC from 2004-06, he led the adoption of MTC’s current transit-oriented development policy.  Steve serves on the Boards for MTC, TAM, MALT and is chair of the California Coastal Commission. Steve has a B.A. in architecture from Arizona State University.

Pat Eklund is Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Novato and has served as Mayor 5 times. She is a 39 year resident of Novato and is the ABAG representative for Marin’s 11 cities. Pat serves on the Major Crimes Task Force, is a Board Member of the Hamilton Restoration Advisory Board and a Rotarian. She serves as the alternate to the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM). Pat has previously served on the Novato Planning Commission, Board Member for the Novato Community Hospital and the Marin County Flood Control Board, President of the League of California Cities, and Board Member of SMART. She is recently retired after 43 years – 7 with the US Army Corps of Engineers and 36 with the U.S. EPA as an environmental manager.