BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 446 (Ridley-Thomas) - Baldwin Hills Conservancy. ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: February 23, 2015 |Policy Vote: N.R. & W. 9 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 17, 2015 |Consultant: Marie Liu | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: AB 446 would delete the sunset date on the Baldwin Hills Conservancy (conservancy). Fiscal Impact: Annual costs of at least $350,000 beginning in 2018 from the Environmental License Plate Fund (special) for conservancy's administrative costs. Background: In 2000, the Baldwin Hills Conservancy Act (act) established the conservancy within the Natural Resources Agency (agency). The act provides that the conservancy, among other things, may acquire and manage public lands within the Baldwin Hills area and provide recreational, open space, wildlife habitation restoration and protection, and lands for educational uses within the area. The conservancy's territory is located in the heavily urbanized Baldwin Hills area of the Los Angeles Basin. The territory AB 446 (Ridley-Thomas) Page 1 of ? includes parts of the Cities of Los Angeles and Culver City, unincorporated portions of Los Angeles County, the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area and some adjacent lands. The act, and therefore the conservancy, is set to sunset on January 1, 2018. Proposition 1, which was approved by the voters in November 2014, authorized $10 million to the conservancy for projects that have multiple benefits for water quality, water supply, and water protection and restoration of watersheds. Proposed Law: This bill would delete the sunset date on the conservancy thereby instating the conservancy as a permanent body. Staff Comments: The conservancy has had annual operating costs of approximately $385,000. These costs are currently being paid for by the Environmental License Plate Fund, which has a structural deficiency, though the conservancy can receive funding from other special funds or the General Fund. By eliminating the sunset date of the conservancy, this bill will extend the conservancy's operating costs beyond 2018. Staff notes that the annual cost of $385,000 is for the base administration of the SRDC. To administer the $10 million made available by Proposition 1, the conservancy will incur additional administrative costs, which will be covered by bond monies. Staff assumes that expending Proposition 1 monies will take up to 10 years. -- END -- AB 446 (Ridley-Thomas) Page 2 of ?