California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1089

Introduced by Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia

February 27, 2015

An act to amend Section 33503 of, and to repeal Section 33502.5 of, the Public Resources Code, relating to the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1089, as introduced, Eduardo Garcia. Coachella Mountains Conservancy.

Existing law creates the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy in the Natural Resources Agency and, among other things, authorizes the conservancy to acquire and hold specified lands in the Coachella Valley and the Coachella Mountains for certain open-space, wildlife protection, and recreational uses. Existing law specifies that the governing board of the conservancy consists of 21 voting members, including, among other members, the mayor or a member of the city council of each of the Cities of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage, appointed by a majority of the membership of the respective city council or each city.

This bill would expand to 23 the membership of the governing board of the conservancy, and would include the mayor or a member of the city council of the Cities of Coachella and Indio, appointed by a majority of the membership of the respective city council of those cities.

Existing law prescribes the territory of the conservancy, but expressly excludes the incorporated areas of the Cities of Coachella and Indio, as they exist on January 1, 1994.

This bill would delete that provision excluding those lands in the incorporated Cities of Coachella and Indio from the territory of the conservancy.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 33502.5 of the Public Resources Code
is repealed.

begin delete

33502.5.  

Notwithstanding Section 33502, the incorporated
areas of the Cities of Coachella and Indio, as they exist on January
1, 1994, are excluded from the territory of the conservancy.

end delete

SEC. 2.  

Section 33503 of the Public Resources Code is
amended to read:

33503.  

(a) The governing board of the conservancy consists
of the following begin delete 21 end delete begin insert 23 end insert voting members:

(1) The mayor or a member of the city council of each of the
Cities of Cathedral City, begin insert Coachella, end insert Desert Hot Springs, Indian
Wells, begin insert Indio, end insert La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho
Mirage, appointed by a majority of the membership of the
respective city council of each city.

(2) The Chairperson of the Tribal Council of the Agua Caliente
Band of Cahuilla Indians.

(3) One member of the Board of Supervisors of the County of
Riverside, appointed by a majority of the membership of the board
of supervisors.

(4) Three members chosen from the general public who reside
within the conservancy’s territory, one of whom shall be appointed
by the Governor, one of whom shall be appointed by the Senate
Committee on Rules, and one of whom shall be appointed by the
Speaker of the Assembly.

(5) The Secretary of the begin insert Natural end insert Resources Agency.

(6) The Director of Fish and begin delete Game. end delete begin insert Wildlife. end insert

(7) The Executive Director of the Wildlife Conservation Board.

(8) The Director of Parks and Recreation.

(9) The Director of Finance.

(10) The Vice President, Division of Agriculture and Natural
Resources, of the University of California.

(11) The State Director for California of the United States
Bureau of Land Management.

(12) The Regional Forester for the Pacific Southwest Region
of the United States Forest Service.

(13) The Regional Director for the Pacific West Region of the
National Park Service.

(b) Any state or federal official who is a member of the
governing board and whose principal office is not within the
territory of the conservancy may designate a member of his or her
executive staff to vote on his or her behalf and otherwise discharge
the duties of the member when the member is not in attendance.
Notice of that designation shall be promptly communicated in
writing to the chairperson of the conservancy.

(c) Each city council, the Tribal Council of the Agua Caliente
Band of Cahuilla Indians, and the Board of Supervisors of the
County of Riverside may appoint an alternate member from its
respective entity to attend the governing board meetings and vote
on behalf of the appointed member and otherwise discharge the
duties of the member when that member is not in attendance.
Notice of the designation shall be promptly communicated in
writing to the chairperson of the conservancy.