Joint Task Force | Briefing on CEQA Reform

Please join the East Bay Leadership Council's Water, Energy, & Environment Task Force and Infrastructure Task Force for a special joint meeting focused on CEQA reforms passed earlier this year.

CEQA, or the California Environmental Quality Act, is a state law that requires government agencies to identify, disclose, and mitigate the environmental impacts of proposed projects before approving them. While an important safeguard for the environment, CEQA is often exploited as a tool to hamper desperately needed housing development.

AB 130 and SB 131, passed in June as budget trailer bills, established significant CEQA exemptions for infill housing developments as well as other public-serving projects, such as childcare centers, health clinics, wildfire prevention projects, public parks, and advanced manufacturing. CEQA experts Vice Mayor Trevor Macenski and Sean Marciniak will present on these reforms at our joint task force, offering insight into the new laws and their likely impacts on future development.

OUR SPEAKERS

Vice Mayor Trevor Macenski is an Environmental and Urban Planner, often referred to as a CEQA geek, with a passion for the intersection of communities and the natural environment. With extensive experience in environmental impact assessment (CEQA, SEPA, and NEPA) and urban planning, Vice Mayor Macenski guides clients through compliance strategies within the community development context. He frequently delivers presentations on environmental and urban planning topics and recently taught courses on environmental impact assessment methodologies and CEQA at UC Davis, Fresno State, and Sonoma State.

In addition to his professional career, he has also served on the Benicia City Council since 2020 and currently serves as the city’s Vice Mayor after being re-elected in 2024. His focus in office includes economic development, housing, infrastructure investment, public safety, and fiscal sustainability, always driven by a commitment to data-driven, transparent governance and enhancing the community’s quality of life. Vice Mayor Macenski holds a B.S. in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning from UC Davis and M.S. in Environmental Science from The Johns Hopkins University.

Sean Marciniak is a Partner with Hanson Bridgette. As the leader of the firm's Land Use Practice Group, Marciniak has specialized in land use and environmental law for more than 17 years. He is a former newspaper reporter and investigator for the state of Texas, and combines skill sets from across disciplines to counsel landowners, developers, and public agencies on all aspects of environmental and land use matters.

Marciniak's areas of focus include counseling under the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, planning and zoning law, the Subdivision Map Act, takings and exactions, development agreements, initiatives and referendums, Local Agency Formation Commissions, the Housing Accountability Act, natural resource permitting, and emerging laws addressing climate change and sustainable development. Marciniak holds a B.A. from Brandeis University and J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law.