Land Use

AB 2117 (Achadjian) – Request for Comment 
As introduced on February 20, 2014

AB 2117, by Assembly Member Katcho Achadjian, would eliminate the requirement that the noise element recognize the guidelines established by the Office of Noise Control.

CSAC is interested in comments from counties about the potential impacts of this legislation. AB 2117 is set for hearing before the Assembly Local Government Committee on April 2. 

Transportation 

SB 990 (Vidak) – Request for Comments
As introduced on February 20, 2014

SB 990, by Senator Andy Vidak, would require regional transportation planning agencies to program 5% of regional transportation improvement program funds to disadvantaged small communities. In programming these moneys, the bill would require regional transportation agencies and county transportation commissions to prioritize funding congestion relief and safety needs. For purposes of this measure, a disadvantaged small community would mean a city or census-designated place that has a population of 25,000 or fewer people and that has a median household income less than 80 percent of the statewide average.

CSAC is interested in comments from counties about the potential impacts of this legislation. SB 990 has been referred to the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, but has not yet been set for a hearing. 

SB 1048 (Roth) – Request for Comments
As introduced on February 18, 2014

SB 1048, by Senator Richard Roth, would exempt up to 1,000 pounds of additional weight added to a ready mix concrete truck in order to comply with State Air Resources Board (ARB) regulations from the total gross weight limits specified by current law. This legislation unfortunately does not take into account the purpose of current vehicle weight limits and could prove difficult to enforce.

CSAC has expressed concerns with this measure but are asking counties for feedback about the potential impacts of this legislation on the local road system. On the one hand, counties recognize that regulations requiring new technology and equipment on cement trucks can be challenging for truck operators. On the other hand, while this bill seeks to make an exemption for one type of heavy vehicle, it must be considered in the context of other potential changes. A federal study of the impacts of increasing truck weight limits is currently underway, and transit agencies in California are studying issues surrounding overweight transit buses.

AB 1048 has been referred to the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, but has not yet been set for a hearing. 

SB 1077 (DeSaulnier) – Request for Comments
As introduced on February 19, 2014

SB 1077, by Senator Mark DeSaulnier, would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to develop and implement, by July 1, 2015, a pilot program designed to assess specified issues related to implementing a vehicle-miles-traveled fee in California. The bill would also require the department to prepare and submit a specified report of its findings to the policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature no later than June 30, 2016. The bill would provide that these provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2018.

CSAC is interested in comments from counties on the potential pilot program in California. CSAC does have policy in support of new revenue for transportation infrastructure purposes, but it stops short at support for a new vehicle mile based user fee. SB 1077 has been set for hearing before the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on April 22. 

SB 1183 (DeSaulnier) – Request for Comments
As amended on March 24, 2014

SB 1183, by Senator Mark DeSaulnier, would authorize a city, county, or regional park district to impose, as a special tax, a point of sale tax on new bicycles, with the rate of the tax to be determined by the local agency. The bill would exclude from the tax bicycles with wheels of 20 inches or less in diameter. The bill would require the State Board of Equalization to collect the bicycle tax in a manner similar to the collection of local transactions and use taxes, and to transmit the net revenues from the tax to the local agency. The bill would require the local agency to use bicycle tax revenues for improvements to paved and natural surface trails, including existing and new trails, and for associated maintenance purposes.

CSAC is interested in comments from counties on this legislation. SB 1183 has been set for hearing before the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on April 9.