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Housing, Land Use and Transportation
For more information, contact DeAnn Baker at 916/327-7500, ext. 509, or dbaker@counties.org or Kiana Buss at 916/327-7500, ext. 566, or kbuss@counties.org.
Housing
AB 929 (Runner) – Support
AB 929, as amended April 9 by Assembly Member Sharon Runner, would increase the principal amounts of bonds the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) may have outstanding. Specifically, this bill would increase the total amount of bonds that may be issued by CalHFA by $2 billion and raises the allowable indebtedness of CalHFA from $11.15 billion to $ 13.15 billion.
Due to significant changes in the market conditions in the last year, rising interest rates, and prepayments slowing dramatically, CalHFA must issue new debt to meet demand for their successful loan programs. Rising housing costs are also requiring CalHFA to take on more debt. Current projections show CalHFA reaching their current cap in early 2009; therefore, it is essential that CalHFA be allowed to take on more indebtedness. For these reasons, CSAC supports AB 929.
This measure is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on June 19.
Land Use
AB 1019 (Blakeslee) - Support
AB 1019, as amended June 13 by Assembly Member Sam Blakeslee, would create a process for reallocating a county's share of the regional housing need to a city in the event that unincorporated land is annexed to the city.
This measure is also scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on June 19.
Transportation
AB 57 (Soto) – Request for Comment
AB 57, as amended June 1 by Assembly Member Nell Soto, would make permanent the requirement that the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Department of the California Highway Patrol, administer a "Safe Routes to School" construction program pursuant to authority granted under federal law and to use federal transportation funds for construction of bicycle and pedestrian safety and traffic calming projects.
AB 57 passed out of the Assembly and is currently awaiting a hearing in the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee.
SB 206 (Cox) – Sponsor
SB 206, as amended March 12 by Senator Dave Cox, would clarify in existing statute that every California county, regardless of population, is eligible to participate in the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act.
A recent opinion from the State Controller’s Office concluded that Section 20150.1 of the Public Contract Code prevents counties under 500,000 in population from using the act’s alternative bidding procedures. Twenty-three of the 32 counties participating in the act have a population of 500,000 or less and, therefore, cannot continue to participate in the program unless a statutory remedy is enacted. SB 206 offers the solution needed to allow these counties to continue to participate in the act’s program by declaring in statute that all counties, regardless of population, may use the alternative bidding process.
SB 206 is currently on the Assembly Floor Consent Calendar awaiting action by the entire Assembly.
SB 619 (Migden) – Pending
SB 619, as amended March 29 by Senator Carole Migden, would require that contract retention proceeds not exceed five percent of the payment of all contracts entered into after January 2008, between a public entity and an original contractor, between an original contractor and a subcontractor, and between all subcontractors.
Local agencies commonly reduce retention to 5% at 50% completion of public works projects, if adequate progress is being made and the contractor is acting in good faith. SB 619 would require local agencies to reduce retention regardless of the progress or good faith of the contractor, thus protect potential bad actors either unknown to the public agency or even known “bad actors.” Thus, this measure protects those contractors and places at risk the public interest and public funds. This bill also removes the authority of public entities to decide the appropriate amount of retention.
SB 619 is currently scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly Business and Professions Committee on June 29.
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION
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