BILL ANALYSIS
SB 607
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Date of Hearing: June 22, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Mike Eng, Chair
SB 607 (Ducheny) - As Amended: April 22, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 36-0
SUBJECT : Imperial County Transportation Commission
SUMMARY : Creates the Imperial County Transportation Commission
(ICTC) as the successor agency to the Imperial Valley
Association of Governments. Specifically, this bill:
1)Creates the ICTC as the successor agency to the Imperial
Valley Association of Governments (IVAG) and assigns all
assets and liabilities of IVAG to ICTC.
2)Establishes a governing board consisting of up to 15 members
of whom 10 will be voting members, 1 designated nonvoting
member, and up to 4 nonvoting, ex-officio members. The 10
voting members include one representative from each of 7
incorporated cities in the county, 2 members of the Imperial
County Board of Supervisors, and 1 member representing the
Imperial Irrigation District. A designated nonvoting member
will represent the state Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) and is to be appointed by the Governor. The 4
nonvoting, ex-officio members, whom the voting members may
invite to participate on the governing board include; 1 member
representing the State of Baja California, 1 member
representing the municipality of Mexicali, Mexico, one member
representing the national government of Mexico, and 1 member
representing any federally recognized Native American tribe in
Imperial County.
3)Sets forth provisions governing administration of ICTC.
4)Provides that ICTC may use up to 3% of revenue from the local
transportation fund for administrative purposes.
5)Directs ICTC to prepare a short-range transportation plan,
including a 3- to 5-year transportation improvement program
that includes all projects funded by federal, state, and local
funds. The transportation improvement program is to be
developed in coordination and consultation with the Southern
SB 607
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California Association of Governments (SCAG) and must be
consistent with SCAG's regional transportation plan.
6)Requires ICTC to consult with its member agencies, Caltrans,
adjacent counties, and other public and private entities when
preparing the short-range plan and the transportation
improvement program.
7)Vests with ICTC the responsibility for administering
Transportation Development Act provisions, governing the use
of public transportation funds.
EXISTING LAW:
8)Authorizes local agencies to voluntarily form joint powers
agencies for purposes of conducting regional transportation
planning, the administration of the terms and conditions of
the Transportation Development Act TDA, and related planning
activities. (The TDA program, California's basis transit
funding program, is funded from a percent local sales tax in
each county.) The County of Imperial, the 7cities in the
county, and the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) formed a
joint powers agency to perform regional transportation
planning and related activities.
9)Designates SCAG as the multi-county transportation planning
agency for the counties of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange,
Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura.
10)Provides that, within SCAG's jurisdiction, responsibility for
allocating TDA funds rests with the five statutorily
established county transportation agencies (Los Angeles,
Riverside, Orange, and San Bernardino, and Ventura) and IVAG
in Imperial County.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : According to the author, creation of ICTC will
provide for better planning for Imperial County's future
transportation and economic development needs. The bill's
sponsor, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, is seeking
this bill to allow IVAG to move into a full-time, professionally
staffed regional transportation organization, independent of
SCAG.
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The Senate Transportation and Housing Committee analysis points
out that IVAG is a voluntary association of city, county, and
local governments created to address regional transportation
issues. Its member agencies include the County of Imperial, the
seven incorporated cities and the Imperial Irrigation District
within the Imperial Valley.
Writing in support of SB 607, the Automobile Club of Southern
California (auto club) points out that IVAG, because it is not a
county transportation commission, was unable to nominate
projects directly for Proposition 1B funding and, instead, had
to go through SCAG to have its projects submitted. The auto
club believes that "the stature of the new agency would be
enhanced with a clear transportation focus" for the Imperial
County region.
This bill would create ICTC and prescribe membership and
responsibilities parallel to the other county transportation
commission within SCAG.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
County of Imperial, Board of Supervisors (sponsor)
Automobile Club of Southern California
Imperial Irrigation District
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093