BILL ANALYSIS Ó
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
AB 2445 (Dickinson) - State Capitol.
Amended: June 4, 2012 Policy Vote: 13-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: July 2, 2012 Consultant: Bob Franzoia
This bill may meet the criteria for referral to the Suspense
File.
Bill Summary: AB 2445 would extend the sunset date on the
Capitol Area Committee (CAC) to January 1, 2028, thereby
extending the operation of the committee by an additional 15
years.
Fiscal Impact: $15,000 annually; $50,000 or more periodically
from the General Fund or special funds.
Background: The CAC was created in 1977 to independently review
reports sent by the Department of General Services (DGS) and to
advise and counsel DGS in carrying out its responsibilities
related to the Capitol Area Plan.
The plan was established for the orderly development of the
state's facilities in the Sacramento metropolitan area. DGS
administers the plan, including updates as required, and
implements the office and parking elements. The Capitol Area
Development Authority (CADA), a joint powers authority, is
responsible for implementing the housing and retail/commercial
elements.
CAC is comprised of nine members: four appointed by the
Governor, two by the Speaker of the Assembly, two by the Senate
Rules Committee and one appointed by the DGS Director. CAC is
required to meet quarterly or upon call of the chairperson, or
the written request of any three members. The members serve
without compensation, but are reimbursed for their actual and
necessary expenses incurred in connection with attending
meetings.
CAC members serve without compensation (Government Code 8164.3)
and CADA provides meeting space at no charge. DGS provides an
AB 2445 (Dickinson)
Page 1
estimated 150 hours of staff support annually for the CAC.
The Historic State Capitol Commission, established in 1981,
provides advisory review of the State Capitol restoration,
maintenance, development, and management. According to the
policy committee analysis, this commission is sponsoring this
bill for the purpose of clarifying the scope of their advisory
review. Apparently, this commission is asked to assist in
matters relating to the Capitol East Annex and Capitol Park and
currently do not have clear statutory authority to do so.
Proposed Law: In addition to extending the sunset date on the
CAC, this bill would:
(1) Require the CAC to meet annually and not quarterly (or upon
the call of the chairperson or the written request of any three
members).
(2) Revise the definition of "historic State Capitol" by
providing that the historic State Capitol also includes the
portions of the State Capitol Building Annex that contains
historic fabric and the Capitol Park, provided that Capitol Park
will be included in the historic State Capitol only upon the
adoption by the Joint Rules Committee of a master plan regarding
Capitol Park.
Related Legislation: AB 767 (J Perez) 2011 proposed creating the
State Capitol Sustainability Task Force to develop and implement
a sustainability initiative for the State Capitol Building, the
Legislative Office Building, and Capitol Park. This bill was
vetoed by the Governor with the following message:
This bill establishes the State Capitol Sustainability Task
Force to develop and implement a State Capitol Sustainability
Initiative.
I strongly support sustainability efforts, but creating a
specific task force to work on these goals is not necessary. The
interested parties - including my office, the Lieutenant
Governor, the Senate and the Assembly - can work cooperatively
to improve energy efficiency, water conservation and recycling
without codifying a task force.
AB 2130 (Huber) Chapter 670/2010, among other things, imposed a
sunset date of January 1, 2013 on the Capitol Area Committee.
AB 2445 (Dickinson)
Page 2
Staff Comments: The Joint Sunset Review Committee noted that the
CAC provides an important forum for the exchange of ideas
between the public and the Department of General Services
(department) although its practical utility at any given time is
dependent on plan activity. The Joint Sunset Review Committee
staff recommended placing a 15 year sunset date on the CAC to
schedule its next review. In the meantime, it recommended that
the quarterly meeting requirement be deleted (which this bill
does) and the CAC meet only as circumstances warrant.
Particularly important due to its abrogated meeting schedule,
the CAC should enhance its outreach by establishing a website.
Recommended Amendments: It is unclear why two entities with very
similar jurisdiction, the Historic State Capitol Commission and
the CAC, are necessary and why consolidating these entities into
one commission or committee is not a more efficient option than
extending the operation of the CAC for 15 years. Staff
recommends either consolidating these entities or at a minimum
extending the sunset date on the CAC five years to January 1,
2018.