BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: AB 2433
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Hill
VERSION:
3/29/2012
Analysis by: Larry Baskett FISCAL: NO
Hearing date: July 3, 2012
SUBJECT:
San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority
DESCRIPTION:
This bill staggers the terms of the San Francisco Bay Area Water
Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) board members.
ANALYSIS:
AB 428 (Perata), Chapter 1011, Statutes of 1999, established the
WETA to develop a comprehensive plan for developing and
enhancing ferry services throughout the nine-county San
Francisco Bay Area. SB 976 (Torlakson), Chapter 734, Statutes
of 2007, expanded its responsibilities to integrate emergency
waterborne transit services in the event of catastrophic
emergency road closures. WETA administers Proposition 1B
(Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port
Security Bond Act of 2006) funds allocated for waterborne
transit security.
The five members of the board of directors each serve six-year
terms. The terms are not staggered. The governor appoints
three board members, the Senate Rules Committee appoints one,
and the Speaker of the Assembly appoints one. The governor
designates the chair and vice-chair. When there is a vacancy, a
new board member is appointed to fill the remainder of the term.
Currently, all five board members' terms expire simultaneously.
AB 2433 (HILL) Page 2
This bill staggers the terms of the board members and provides
for a transition period, during which four of the board members'
terms are shortened as follows:
Two of the three gubernatorial appointees shall serve a
two-year term.
The two legislative appointees shall each serve a four-year
term.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . The purpose of this bill is to stagger the terms of
the WETA board members in order to provide institutional
continuity. Continuity is significant for institutional
memory and for consistency across long-term institutional
commitments. Other boards and commissions, such as the
California Transportation Commission, have staggered terms.
2.Local representation on the board . The Contra Costa County
Board of Supervisors requests an amendment to promote direct
geographic representation in the WETA board. Existing law
permits the governor or legislature to appoint a
representative of a local agency to the board. Contra Costa
County is unique in that it has four potential ferry terminals
in the county: Antioch, Martinez, Hercules, and Richmond.
Other counties with ferry service overseen by WETA include
Alameda, San Mateo, and Solano, which each have one terminal.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 70-2
Transportation: 12-0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday, June
27, 2012)
AB 2433 (HILL) Page 3
SUPPORT: San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency
Transportation Agency (sponsor)
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
Northern California District Council of
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
OPPOSED: None received.