REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Re-Appointment of Councilmember Gustav Larsson to the Boards of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency and the Bay Area Regional System Financing Authority to Serve a Four-Year Term from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2023
Report
BACKGROUND
The Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) is an independent agency that was created in 2003 pursuant to Assembly Bill 2058. Sunnyvale was one of the agencies that took part in creating BAWSCA and appoints one director to the BAWSCA Board of Directors. The San Francisco Regional Water System Financing Authority (the Authority) was created in 2002 by the State legislature to assist in funding the San Francisco regional water improvements. Councilmember Gustav Larsson has been serving on the Boards of BAWSCA and the Authority since appointed by the Council on April 7, 2015, and his term is set to expire on June 30, 2019.
EXISTING POLICY
Council Policy Manual
Policy 7.4.12 Council Appointments to Intergovernmental Agencies
I. The City Council appoints members to a variety of intergovernmental agencies to represent the City's interests and to influence policies and regulations of other agencies
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is not a project for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). It does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may results in a potentially significant impact to the environment. (CEQA Guidelines section 15378 (b)(4)) and it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines section 15378 (b)(5))
DISCUSSION
On January 24, 2019, the City received a letter from BAWSCA requesting a director appointment to the BAWSCA and the Authority Boards (Attachment 1). The only requirement to be appointed to these boards is that the appointee be a registered voter residing within the boundaries of the member public entity whose governing board appoints him or her. There are good reasons to suggest that the appointee be a City councilmember. Most, but not all, of the directors are elected officials (Attachments 2 and 3 provide the current lists of Board of Directors for each agency). The issues before BAWSCA and the Authority are often of a policy nature. Other agencies have appointed councilmembers, mayors, former councilmembers, former mayors, agency directors or CEOs. The Director from the California Water Service Company service area is an officer of the company, appointed by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. The representative for the Stanford University service area is a Stanford employee appointed by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
Under Assembly Bill 2058 each director shall be appointed to a four-year term. However, some directors have removed themselves when they left their respective governing boards, but that has been a voluntary action. Some have stayed on and been reappointed even after leaving office.
While there are two boards requiring appointment, the work of both Boards is closely related and the service areas overlap. The BAWSCA Board of Directors currently meets bimonthly, in the evenings, on the third Thursday of the month in January, March, May, July, September and November. The Authority meets only once or twice a year. When held, the Authority meetings occur on the same nights as the BAWSCA meetings. All the cities and water districts have appointed the same individual to serve on both boards of directors.
FISCAL IMPACT
This action does not have any fiscal impact. The City pays assessments to BAWSCA as a member and wholesale water charges to San Francisco. These functions are unaffected by this action.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Re-appoint Councilmember Gustav Larsson to the boards of both the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency and the San Francisco Regional Water System Financing Authority.
Staff
Prepared by: Mansour Nasser, Water & Sewer Systems Division Manager
Reviewed by: Ramana Chinnakotla, Director, Environmental Services
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. BAWSCA Letter Requesting Director Appointment to the Boards of BAWSCA and the Financing Authority (January 24, 2019)
2. 2019 BAWSCA Board of Directors Roster
3. 2019 Financing Authority Board of Directors Roster