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RECOMMENDATION:

Approve amending the Citizens Advisory Committee bylaws to provide that half of the member terms commence in even-numbered years and the remaining half in odd-numbered years, as specified.

BACKGROUND:

The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is a sixteen-member committee representing business, labor, environmental and other community groups with interest in transportation and the five city/county groupings that compose the geographical representation areas of the VTA Board of Directors.  It advises the Board on issues of interest to the committees members and the communities they represent.

The CAC bylaws specify the membership term for each Committee member as two years, commencing on July 1 of even-numbered years.

The CAC bylaws specify that any amendment to the CAC bylaws must be approved by a majority of its authorized membership and by the VTA Board of Directors.

DISCUSSION:

In its future role as the oversight body for the 2000 Measure A Program, the CAC will require an experienced, informed and stable membership with which to advise the Board of Directors on complex transportation issues.  Due to the current CAC appointment cycle of all memberships expiring at the same time, the potential exists that a large number if not a majority of members will leave at the same time.  Experience also shows that on average, six months to one year is required for the nominating body to select and nominate a replacement member.

Staff recommends that the CAC bylaws be amended to provide that half of the sixteen member terms commence in even-numbered years and the remaining half in odd-numbered years, as specified on the attachment.  The membership term of each member will remain at two years; only the effective date will change.

The Board of Directors will also be asked at its September 2002 meeting to approve CAC appointments for the new term.  To implement the staggered appointment cycles, up to eight appointments will be for a one-year term, so the term would expire in an odd-numbered year.  This in a one-time only action; at the end of the special one-year term, the aforementioned membership positions will revert to the standard two-year term.

  ALTERNATIVES:

The Committee may choose to reject or modify the amendment to stagger the appointment effective dates of CAC terms.

  FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no fiscal impact associated with amending the CAC bylaws.