BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 486
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:  April 15, 2009

                       ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
                             Anna Marie Caballero, Chair
                 AB 486 (Chesbro) - As Introduced:  February 24, 2009
           
          SUBJECT  :  Local government: emergencies.

           SUMMARY  :  Eliminates the distinction between a governing body  
          that meets weekly and nonweekly, and requires any governing body  
          to review the continuing need for a local emergency at least  
          once every 30 days until the local emergency is terminated.  

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Requires a governing body of a city, county, or city and  
            county that declared a local emergency to review the need for  
            continuing the local emergency at its regularly scheduled  
            meetings but at least every 21 days.

          2)Requires a governing body of a city, county, or city and  
            county that declared a local emergency that meets weekly to  
            review the need for continuing the local emergency at least  
            every 14 days until the emergency is terminated.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown

           COMMENTS  :   

          1)According to the author, the board of supervisors for the  
            County of Humboldt has had to hold special meetings in order  
            to continue a local emergency because the local emergency fell  
            during its traditional three-week break for the winter  
            holidays.  This has happened numerous times because many of  
            the local emergencies occur during the winter months.  These  
            local emergencies have lasted for more than 14 days  
            necessitating the need to continue to declare the local  
            emergency.  

          2)Other counties have expressed similar concerns, including the  
            County of Santa Barbara and the County of San Bernardino. The  
            County of San Bernardino has had an ongoing local emergency  
            since September 24, 2002, to address a bark beetle  
            infestation. Every week the board of supervisors places on its  
            agenda an item to redeclare that local emergency in order to  








                                                                  AB 486
                                                                  Page  2

            be in compliance with Section 8630.

          3)The bill will allow local governments the flexibility to  
            continue these emergencies as needed on a monthly basis, thus  
            saving the governing body money by not having to hold a  
            special hearing just for this purpose.

           





          REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          County of Humboldt Board of Supervisors [SPONSOR]
          American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
          CA Association of Nonprofits
          CA Central Valley Flood Control Association
          CA State Association of Counties
          Counties of Humboldt, San Bernardino, and Santa Barbara
          Regional Council of Rural Counties

           Opposition 
           
          None on file
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Jennifer R. Klein / L. GOV. / (916)  
          319-3958