While the California Legislature was feverishly working last week to pass last- minute bills, California’s County Engineers were looking at ways to affect the future of California’s infrastructure.

Almost 150 public works directors and staff from 37 counties around the state convened in Sacramento for their 8^th Annual Policy Conference. With a focus on legislative policy development, the engineers tackled tough issues facing California’s public works departments, the public that they serve, and innovative ways to improve our declining infrastructure.

As an affiliate of the CSAC, the County Engineers Association of California (CEAC) provides expert opinions on all things related to public works — namely local roads, bridges, sanitary sewer systems, water resources and land use. While transportation-related issues are typically at the forefront of the association’s agenda, this year, conversion technologies took the limelight as SB 804 — authored by Senator Ricardo Lara and co-sponsored by CSAC and Los Angeles County — was successfully passed by the Legislature and is awaiting signature by the Governor.  A special thank you to Senator Lara for authoring the bill, and kudos to CSAC’s Cara Martinson, Los Angeles County’s Alan Fernandes and Pat Proano, and Mark Schleich, Santa Barbara County, for their hard work on making SB 804 a reality.

The County Engineers association is looking forward to kicking off their centennial celebration during the Annual Meeting to be held in conjunction with their county supervisors, November 19-22, 2013, in San Jose, Santa Clara County.