BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  AB 2530|
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                                    CONSENT


          Bill No:  AB 2530
          Author:   Nielsen (R)
          Amended:  4/8/10 in Assembly
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE  :  4-0, 6/16/10
          AYES:  Aanestad, Kehoe, DeSaulnier, Price
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Cox
           
          ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  74-0, 5/6/10 (Consent) - See last page for  
            vote


           SUBJECT  :    Local government:  Williamson Act:   
          agricultural preserves: 
                      advisory board

           SOURCE  :     Resource Landowners Coalition


           DIGEST  :    This bill specifies matters on which Williamson  
          Act advisory boards may advise the legislative body of a  
          city or county. 

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law creates the Williamson Act, also  
          known as the California Land Conservation Act of 1965,  
          which authorizes cities and counties to enter into  
          agricultural land preservation contracts with landowners  
          who agree to restrict the use of their land for a minimum  
          of 10 years in exchange for lower assessed valuations for  
          property tax purposes. The Division of Land Resource  
          Protection in the Department of Conservation administers  
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                                                               AB 2530
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          the Act. 

          Existing law authorizes a board or council to appoint an  
          advisory board to advise the board or council on the  
          administration of the agricultural preserves in the county  
          or city and on any matters relating to contracts entered  
          into pursuant to the Williamson Act. 

          This bill creates a nonexclusive list of topics about which  
          a Williamson Act advisory board may advise a county board  
          of supervisors or city council:  program benefits, costs,  
          amendments, and landowner participation.  This bill  
          declares that this statutory provision is not the exclusive  
          manner to receive advice.

           Background  

          The Williamson Act conserves agricultural and open space  
          land under a three-part scheme that involves voluntary  
          contracts between landowners and the county (or city) that  
          enforceably restrict land uses, reduced property tax  
          assessments, and state subventions to make up for the lost  
          revenues.   A county board of supervisors or city council  
          may appoint an advisory board to give advice on  
          agricultural preserves and Williamson Act contracts. 

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

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  6/16/10)

          Resource Landowners Coalition (source)
          California State Sheriffs' Association
          County of Monterey


           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  : 
          AYES:  Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill  
            Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Blumenfield,  
            Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles  
            Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De  
            Leon, DeVore, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher,  
            Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani,  
            Garrick, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,  







                                                               AB 2530
                                                                Page  
          3

            Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lieu, Logue,  
            Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande,  
            Niello, Nielsen, Norby, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino,  
            Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio,  
            Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico,  
            Tran, Villines, Yamada, John A. Perez
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Bass, Block, De La Torre, Gilmore,  
            Mendoza, Vacancy


          CTW:mw  6/16/10   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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