BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1111|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1111
Author: Pavley (D)
Introduced:2/17/16
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 9-0, 3/29/16
AYES: Pavley, Stone, Allen, Hertzberg, Hueso, Jackson,
Monning, Vidak, Wolk
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT: State parks: operating agreements
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill eliminates the statutory limit of 20 parks
that could be subject to an operating agreement by which a local
government or nonprofit organization could operate the park
pursuant to a written agreement with the California Department
of Parks and Recreation.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Vests in the California Department of Parks and Recreation
(DPR) the control of the state park system and responsibility
for administering, protecting, developing, and interpreting
state parks for the use and enjoyment of the public. DPR is
also responsible for protecting the state park system from
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damage and preserving the peace.
2)Establishes several recent changes that reacted to fiscal
improprieties at DPR and established several reforms by which
the department was empowered to improve its own fiscal health.
To that end:
a) The department's authority to collect fees, rents, and
other returns for the use of state parks was expanded;
b) It was authorized to sell additional annual and regional
passes and to enter a wider array of concession contracts;
c) A revenue generation program was established;
d) Ex-officio legislative members to the California State
Parks and Recreation Commission were added; and
e) State law directed the establishment of a citizen review
panel, the Parks Forward Commission, whose final report was
released earlier this year.
3)Provides that the key recommendations of the Parks Forward
Commission were to:
a) Create a "transformation team" within DPR to improve
internal procedures including technologies to assist with
budgeting, planning, and project implementation. The work
of this team is ongoing;
b) Improve relationships with nonprofits and other
partners;
c) Develop an outside support entity to help the department
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with marketing, financial, and other aspects of the
department's work where an outside entity with greater
business experience would be useful;
d) Improve cultural and resource protection programs; and
e) Expand access to parks including to those from park-poor
and other disadvantaged communities.
This bill eliminates the statutory limit of 20 parks that could
be subject to an operating agreement by which a local government
or nonprofit organization could operate all or a part of a state
park pursuant to a written agreement with DPR.
Comments
The author has acknowledged that this bill may be amended in the
future to include other park reform proposals of the Parks
Forward Commission.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified5/3/16)
California State Parks Foundation
Trust for Public Land
OPPOSITION: (Verified5/3/16)
None received
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ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the author, as DPR begins
expanding partnership arrangements as recommended by the Parks
Forward Commission, the limit on 20 operating agreements will
soon become a problem for expanding the number of operating
agreements. There are already approximately 16 parks with
operating agreements according to the DPR Web site. Last year's
legislation, SB 204 (Pavley, Chapter 573) authorized for the
first time operating agreements for a specific part or aspect of
a park, which will make it even more likely that the ceiling of
20 operating agreements is artificially low.
The California State Parks Foundation appreciates the confidence
this bill reflects in the ability of nonprofits to enter into
successful operating agreements with DPR. The Trust for Public
Land considers the cap of 20 operating agreements to be somewhat
arbitrary.
Prepared by:William Craven / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116
5/4/16 14:58:02
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