BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1600 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 1600 (Torres) As Amended May 30, 2012 Majority vote LOCAL GOVERNMENT 9-0 TRANSPORTATION 14-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Smyth, Alejo, Bradford, |Ayes:|Bonnie Lowenthal, | | |Campos, Davis, Gordon, | |Jeffries, Achadjian, | | |Hueso, Knight, Norby | |Blumenfield, Bonilla, | | | | |Buchanan, Eng, Furutani, | | | | |Galgiani, Logue, Miller, | | | | |Norby, Portantino, | | | | |Solorio | ----------------------------------------------------------------- APPROPRIATIONS 17-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, | | | | |Blumenfield, Bradford, | | | | |Charles Calderon, Campos, | | | | |Davis, Donnelly, Gatto, | | | | |Hall, Hill, Lara, | | | | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, | | | | |Solorio, Wagner | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Extends Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority's (Authority) light rail project to include the City of Montclair, and makes several other changes to the Authority's enabling act. Specifically, this bill : 1)Authorizes the Authority to extend the "Gold Line" light rail project to the City of Montclair and adds the City of Montclair to the list of "extension cities" for purposes of board membership for the Authority. 2)Revises language that allows the Authority to accept grants, fees, allocations, and transfers of funds from federal, state, and local agencies. 3)Adds one nonvoting member, appointed by the president of the board of directors of the San Bernardino Associated AB 1600 Page 2 Governments (SANBAG), subject to confirmation by that board, to the governing board of the Authority, thereby increasing the total of nonvoting members from three to four. 4)Specifies that all contracts approved and awarded by the executive director of the Authority must comply with laws generally applicable to local agency procurements and contracts, subject to provisions of the Authority's enabling act, and requires the Authority to adopt an administrative code that includes laws generally applicable to local agency procurements and contracts. 5)Requires the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) to assume responsibility for operating all completed phases of the Gold Line project and provides that LACMTA has the authority to operate the portion of the Gold Line project located in San Bernardino County, which extends approximately one-half mile from the Los Angeles and San Bernardino County line to the Montclair Transit Center. 6)Specifies, with respect to the portion of the project on right-of-way owned by the SANBAG, that LACMTA's authority to operate the project is contingent upon approval of the board of directors of the SANBAG, acting as the county transportation commission, through approval of an operations and maintenance agreement with LACMTA. 7)Requires the operations and maintenance agreement to specify that SANBAG will reimburse the LACMTA for the costs of operating that portion of the line located in San Bernardino County. 8)Requires the Authority to enter into a construction agreement with SANBAG, acting as the county transportation commission, prior to the commencement of construction of the portion of the project located in the County of San Bernardino. 9)States that nothing in the section of the bill related to LACMTA's authority to operate the light rail project shall be construed to require LACMTA to allocate funds to the project beyond funds that have been allocated as of January 1, 2012. 10)Provides that no reimbursement is required because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district are the result of a program for which legislative AB 1600 Page 3 authority was requested by that local agency or school district. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, the cost is negligible. COMMENTS : The Pasadena Metro Blue Line Construction Authority, now known as the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority (Authority) was statutorily created (SB 1847 (Schiff), Chapter 1021, Statutes of 1998) to oversee the planning, design, and construction of a light rail line, referred to as the Gold Line (formerly the Blue Line). Current law provides for the Authority's powers and duties, the membership of the Authority's governing board, and details the process for the construction of the Gold Line. According to the author, the Authority has determined that the extension of the Gold Line to the City of Montclair will have beneficial environmental and traffic impacts. The Authority believes that Montclair, as a regional transportation center, is the logical terminus for the Gold Line, and allows for the maximum intermodal interface points through the corridor. This bill seeks to authorize the Authority to extend the Gold Line to Montclair, and adds that city to the list of "extension cities" for purposes of board membership. This bill contains express authorization for the Authority to accept federal funding, and clarifies that the Authority is required to comply with procurement and contracting laws that are generally applicable to local agencies. This bill also authorizes LACMTA to operate the light-rail project in San Bernardino County, a change which the author is seeking because approximately 3,050 feet of the Gold Line extension to Montclair is located in San Bernardino County, which is outside the current jurisdiction of LACMTA. Additional provisions in this bill specify that no reimbursement is necessary to implement provisions of the bill because the costs incurred by local agencies are the result of a program for which legislative authority was requested by the local agency (in this case, the Authority). Support argument: Supporters believe that a future extension of the Gold Line to Montclair is important for the people who will one day ride the line, adding connections between Los Angeles AB 1600 Page 4 and San Bernardino counties by light rail. Opposition argument: None at this time. Analysis Prepared by : Debbie Michel / L. GOV. / (916) 319-3958 FN: 0004011