A proposal that would require the University of California to detail the financial impact of its growing campuses on surrounding cities was approved by two state Assembly committees this week, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported.

The proposal is an attempt to calm long-running disputes over development between the university and the cities of Berkeley and Santa Cruz, among others. Those cities have complained that the university, which is exempt from local tax and zoning laws, does not pay for the infrastructure that supports the expansion of its campuses.

Under the proposal, which is attached to a budget bill that is expected to be signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the university would need to demonstrate “good faith” in its negotiations with cities over mitigating payments for its construction projects. The measure also would require the university to provide copies of its long-term development plans to the Legislature before they are approved.

The emphasis on transparency, which is supported by university officials, falls short of some previous proposals, which would have required the university to make monetary payments to cities in exchange for approvals of planned development. —Josh Keller