BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 946
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 946 (Huff)
As Amended June 5, 2014
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :37-0
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 8-0
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|Ayes:|Achadjian, Levine, Alejo, | | |
| |Bradford, Gordon, | | |
| |Melendez, Mullin, Rendon | | |
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SUMMARY : Makes changes to the composition of the Orange County
Sanitation District (OCSD) board of directors. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Modifies the composition of the OCSD board of directors, by
removing the current representation of the one member from the
Yorba Linda city council and instead adding representation for
one member of the Yorba Linda Water District's governing
board.
2)Clarifies that the composition of the board of directors
applies only to OCSD.
3)Finds and declares that a special law is necessary because of
the special circumstances surrounding the change in
composition of the OCSD governing body resulting from the
transfer of sanitation duties from the City of Yorba Linda to
the Yorba Linda Water District.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the governing body of a consolidated sanitation
district in Orange County, as specified, to be a board of
directors composed of all of the following:
a) One member of the city council of each city located
wholly or partially within the district's boundaries,
however, a city within the consolidated district, the
sewered portion of which city lies entirely within another
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sanitary district, shall have no representation on the
board;
b) One member of the county board of supervisors;
c) One member of the governing board of each sanitary
district, the whole or part of which is included in the
consolidated sanitation district; and,
d) One member of the governing body of a public agency
empowered to and engaged in the collection, transportation,
treatment, or disposal of sewage and which was a member
agency of a sanitation district consolidated into a
consolidated sanitation district.
2)Allows the governing body of the county and each city,
sanitary district, and public agency that is a member agency
having a representative on the board of directors of the
consolidated sanitation district to designate one of its
members to act in the place of its regular member in his or
her absence or his or her inability to act.
3)Prohibits any action from being taken at any board of
directors meeting unless a majority of all authorized members
of the board are in attendance.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS :
1)OCSD. AB 769 (Baugh), Chapter 51, Statutes of 1997,
established the composition of a governing board of a
sanitation district created by consolidation in Orange County.
Supporters of AB 769 argued for a specific governance
structure for OCSD to ensure equal and fair representation of
all municipalities and water and sanitary districts within the
consolidated sanitary district's boundaries. In 1998,
following the passage of AB 769, nine sanitation districts in
Orange County consolidated into a single agency, known as
OCSD.
According to OCSD, they are responsible for safely collecting,
treating and disposing of the wastewater generated by 2.5
million people living in a 479-square-mile area of central and
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northwest Orange County. The stated purpose of OCSD's
wastewater management program is to protect the public's
health, preserve the beneficial uses of the coastal waters,
and maintain air quality. The stated objective of operating
the treatment plants is to process and dispose of the treated
wastewater and the separated solids in accordance with
federal, state, and local laws. OCSD is currently governed by
a 25-member board of directors comprised of one county
supervisor, 20 city council members, three sanitary district
members, and one water district member.
2)Purpose of this bill. This bill makes changes to the
composition of the OCSD board of directors to remove one
member, a Yorba Linda city council representative, and add one
member, a Yorba Linda Water District representative.
3)Author's statement. According to the author, "The OCSD Board
of Directors is comprised of 25 members, representing
municipalities, water and wastewater agencies throughout North
and Central Orange County. The City of Yorba Linda held a
seat on the OCSD Board of Directors to represent ratepayers
within the City of Yorba Linda. However, in 2010 the City of
Yorba Linda transferred sewer service and responsibility to
the Yorba Linda Water District through a formal agreement. In
addition to transferring service and responsibility to the
Yorba Linda Water District, the City also agreed to relinquish
the OCSD Board seat to the Water District. By mutual
agreement of all parties involved including the OCSD, the City
of Yorba Linda and the Yorba Linda Water District, OCSD seeks
to substitute the Board seat held by the City of Yorba Linda
to allow representation for the residents of Yorba Linda by
the Yorba Linda Water District."
4)Arguments in support. Supporters argue that this bill
reflects a local agreement and provides an appropriate
solution to a governance issue created by the transfer of
local sewer services.
5)Arguments in opposition. None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Misa Yokoi-Shelton / L. GOV. / (916)
319-3958 FN:
0003914
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