Powerful Home Building Lobbying Group Honors Elk Grove City Council Member at Annual Gala


January 20, 2018 |

In a downtown Sacramento black-tie gala, a member of the Elk Grove City Council was honored by a major home building lobbying group.

At the annual installation of officers dinner of the Northstate Building Industry Association on Friday, January 19, Council Member Pat Hume was honored with the Friend of Housing Award. As part of its mission, the NBIA, says that it "works on behalf of the industry by advocating for public policies that promote a healthy building climate, so that well-planned communities continue growing to meet the region’s housing needs."

Hume, who was first elected to the City Council in 2006 over incumbent Rick Soares, previously served as an original appointee to the planning commission in Elk Grove until his electoral victory. Hume, who represents District Two, has said if he wins his re-election bid in 2018 he will not seek again seek office in Elk Grove.

During his time on the council, Hume has been an unapologetic advocate of the development of further housing stock in the city. To accommodate this further expansion, Hume strongly supported the city's expansion via the sphere of influence process with the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission. 

Elk Grove's most aggressive expansion bid was their unsuccessful 2013 bid with the Sacramento LAFCo to expand the city's sphere of influence by about 8,000-acres. Led by efforts of smart planning advocates in Elk Grove like Lynn Wheat and the Environmental Council of Sacramento, the Sacramento LAFCo board rejected the application. 

Since that setback, piecemeal private applications to expand Elk Grove have been undertaken by private parties that have the tacit approval of the entire Elk Grove City Council. At the next Sacramento LAFCo meeting on February 7, these applications are scheduled to be heard.

As part of his housing advocacy, Hume has been the city's representative on the Southeast Connector Joint Powers Authority. That board, which includes elected officials from El Dorado and Sacramento County, is seeking federal funds to build an expressway connecting I-5 in Elk Grove to U.S. Hwy 50 near Folsom and is seen as a vital link in expanding housing in the south and southeastern portions of Sacramento County including Elk Grove.

Along with his membership on the Southeast Connector JPA, Hume was recently elected as Chairman of the Sacramento LAFCo. Additionally, Hume is a member of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority.

The SJJPA is tasked with among other things addressing regional transportation needs. One the projects under consideration by the SJJPA is extendion the Altamont Corridor Express, also known as ACE, to Elk Grove.

The ACE is a train line link San Joaquin Valley communities with employment centers in Silicon Valley. Elk Grove is considering the development of a commuter rail station in the city's southwest corner but is facing stiff resistance from residents in that area.

While the NBIA seeks relief from development fees and more favorable regulations for their members, they also step into ancillary issues.  Among them is their opposition to wage equity.

As part of their 2017 legislative report,  the NBIA "staff is now actively engaged in negotiations with the city [Sacramento] to resolve ambiguous language in the program related to prevailing wage." Advocacy of prevailing wages rules has been a mainstay of labor union advocacy in recent years.

Hume was joined the ceremony, which was held at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento by his city council colleague, Vice Mayor Darren Suen.

In a social media posting, Suen called Hume "a good friend" and that he was proud of the recognition from the NBIA.  

Elk Grove Vice Mayor Darren Suen (left) and Elk Grove Council Member Pat Hume at an awards ceremony honoring
Hume for his advocacy of expansion of housing stock in Elk Grove. 










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1 comment

Eye on Elk Grove said...

Well, there you have it! Patrick “Mr. Rooftops, Rooftops, Rooftops” Hume received the Friends of Housing Award from the North State BIA. . . aka Developer’s Delight!

So pleased there is a movement affront to make changes in government and that most assuredly includes the Elk Grove City Council.

Time for the voters to retire Pat Hume in November!

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