BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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                              UNFINISHED BUSINESS


          Bill No:  SB 282
          Author:   Cox (R)
          Amended:  9/7/07
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORG. COMMITTEE  :  8-0, 4/10/07
          AYES:  Florez, Denham, Battin, Maldonado, Vincent, Wiggins,  
            Wyland, Yee
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Negrete McLeod

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  16-0, 5/31/07
          AYES:  Torlakson, Cox, Aanestad, Ashburn, Cedillo, Corbett,  
            Dutton, Florez, Kuehl, Oropeza, Ridley-Thomas, Runner,  
            Simitian, Steinberg, Wyland, Yee
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Battin

           SENATE FLOOR  :  37-2, 6/7/07
          AYES:  Aanestad, Ackerman, Alquist, Ashburn, Battin,  
            Calderon, Cedillo, Cogdill, Corbett, Correa, Cox, Denham,  
            Ducheny, Dutton, Florez, Hollingsworth, Kehoe, Kuehl,  
            Lowenthal, Machado, Maldonado, Margett, Migden, Negrete  
            McLeod, Oropeza, Padilla, Ridley-Thomas, Romero, Runner,  
            Scott, Simitian, Steinberg, Torlakson, Vincent, Wiggins,  
            Wyland, Yee
          NOES:  Harman, McClintock
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Perata

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  Not available


           SUBJECT  :    State Fair Leasing Authority

                                                           CONTINUED





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           SOURCE  :     California Exposition and State Fair


           DIGEST  :    This bill establishes the State Fair Leasing  
          Authority made up of representatives from the Department of  
          Food and Agriculture, the Department of Finance, the  
          Department of General Services, the California Exposition  
          and State Fair (Cal-Expo) and four appointed members.  The  
          goal of this Authority is to enter into leases or other  
          agreements for the use of the State Fair Race Track or any  
          other owned or controlled by the fair.  Also, the authority  
          is to prepare a master plan for the long-range  
          comprehensive development and improvement of the Cal-Expo  
          as specified.

           Assembly Amendments  change from three to four the members  
          who come from the Board of Directors of Cal-Expo as part of  
          the Authority making it two of whom shall be appointed by  
          the Governor.  Require the Authority to also consult with  
          the city and county of Sacramento and to present for  
          comment the lease or agreement prior to leasing the  
          property or entering into the agreement.  Make other  
          changes that are technical and clarifying in nature.

           ANALYSIS  :    

           Existing Law  

          1.Allows two or more public agencies to enter into a joint  
            powers agreement to conduct agricultural, industrial,  
            cultural, or other fairs or expositions.

          2.Provides that entities formed pursuant to a joint powers  
            agreement have the authority to issue revenue bonds for  
            the purposes of conducting a program or completing a  
            project under its jurisdiction.

          This bill:

          1.Establishes the State Fair Leasing Authority made up of  
            representatives of the Department of Food and  
            Agriculture, the Department of Finance, the Department of  
            General Services, and the California Exposition and State  
            Fair, and four individuals who are members of the Board  







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            of Directors of the California Exposition and State Fair;  
            one appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly; one  
            appointed by the Senate Rules Committee, and two  
            appointed by the Governor.

          2.Authorizes the authority to contract with consultants as  
            approved by the board of the authority.  The authority  
            may not employ any of other staff.  

          3.Provides that the Director of the Department of Finance  
            shall serve as chairperson of the authority, and provides  
            that all meetings of the authority shall be open to the  
            public.

          4.Allows the authority to enter into leases or other  
            agreements for the use of the State Fair Race Track or  
            any other property owned or controlled by Cal-Expo which  
            are necessary.

          5.Requires the authority to also consult with and present  
            for comment the lease or agreement to the governing  
            bodies of the city and county of Sacramento prior to  
            awarding the large or entering into the agreement.

          6.Requires Cal-Expo in consultation with the authority to  
            prepare a master plan approved by the board of directors  
            of the fair for the long-range comprehensive development  
            and improvement of, and construction upon, the property  
            of Cal-Expo. The plan shall prescribe the amounts which  
            may be expended for the various features of the plan, the  
            period authorized for the completion of each project, and  
            the terms of any revenue bond financing undertaken with  
            respect to the plan.

          7.Requires the master plan to be submitted to the Joint  
            Legislative Budget Committee upon completion.

          8.Requires that the costs, if any, for services to the  
            authority shall be paid for by the authority, with funds  
            generated pursuant to the provisions of this bill, and  
            any cost excess of the funds available to the authority  
            shall be paid by Cal-Expo.

          9.Contains oversight provisions over the issuance of  







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            revenue bonds by joint powers agreement.

           Comments
           
          The author's office is carrying this bill on behalf of the  
          California Exposition and State Fair.  The author's office  
          reports that currently, the state fair does not have the  
          authority to obtain long-term financing to fund  
          infrastructure improvements, deferred maintenance projects,  
          revitalization of existing facilities and new facility  
          construction on Cal-Expo property.  Over the past several  
          years these deficiencies have had a negative effect on  
          operations, and have significantly reduced the revenue  
          generating capacity of the State Fair.  The fair is  
          statutorily mandated to be self sufficient.

          This bill authorizes the formation of the State Fair  
          Leasing Authority as described above.  The authority will  
          be patterned after the State Track Leasing Commission,  
          which was formed to obtain long-range financing for  
          infrastructure improvements and new facility construction  
          upon the property of the Del Mar Racetrack.  The State  
          Track Leasing Commission mechanism, under the management of  
          the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has resulted in the most  
          successful horse racing operation in California and one of  
          the top tow or three race tracks in North America, while at  
          the same time generating revenue to fund improvements at  
          the fair grounds.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee analysis:

                          Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions                2007-08     2008-09     
           2009-10   Fund  

          State JPA      Potentially minor initial and ongoing costs   
                Special*
                         to state departments that are members of the  
          JPA








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          *Fair and Exposition Fund

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  9/7/07)

          California Exposition and State Fair (source)

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    The sponsor believes that the  
          enactment of this bill will allow Cal-Expo leasing  
          authority to enter into leases and to other agreements to  
          deal with the deferred maintenance issues and the  
          revitalization of facilities in accordance with the master  
          plan for the long-range comprehensive development and  
          improvement of the Cal-Expo property.


          TSM:do  9/9/07   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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