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Agenda Item # 11

BOARD MEMORANDUM

RECOMMENDATION:

Ratify the appointment of Margaret Okuzumi to the Citizens Advisory Committee position representing the North County Cities.

BACKGROUND:

The CAC is a seventeen-member committee representing the city/county groupings of the VTA Board of Directors, specified community interests, and business and labor groups with an interest in transportation.  CAC advises the Board on issues of interest to the committee’s members and the communities and organizations they represent.  It will also serve as the oversight body for the 2000 Measure A Transit Sales Tax program.

The CAC bylaws require that a committee member must be a resident of Santa Clara County while on the committee and cannot hold elected public office.  The membership term is continuous, with the member serving until resignation or replacement by their nominating organization or the Board of Directors.

The process to fill CAC vacancies, as defined by the bylaws, is that Member Agencies, specified business and labor groups, and specific community interests appoint potential members for designated membership positions.  The bylaws also specify that vacancies that occur mid-term shall be filled for the remainder of the term by the body that made the original appointment.  In both cases, the Board of Directors must then ratify the appointment.

DISCUSSION:

One of the six CAC positions in the city/county groupings represents the North County Cities, which is comprised of Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.   This position has been vacant for sometime due to the resignation of their previous representative, Jack Going, who held it for several years but resigned due to relocating out of state.                       

Ms. Okuzumi, a Sunnyvale resident, has been very active with Bay Area transportation issues.   She currently is board president of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition in Oakland and also the executive director of BayRail Alliance.   She was a member of the Santa Clara County 1996 Measure B Citizens Watchdog Committee from 2000-2002.  The North County Cities group recommends the ratification of Ms. Okuzumi appointment.

If the Board of Directors ratifies this appointment, staff will prepare a letter for the Chairperson’s signature notifying the new CAC member of the their appointment.

ALTERNATIVES:

There are no alternative recommendations.   The Committee may make other recommendations to the Board of Directors.

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