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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLegislative Review - AB 850 (Canciamilla) Toll RoadsCITY OF PALM DESERT COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE ACTION ON AB 850 (CANCIAMILLA) AT ITS MEETING OF MARCH 22, 2005 DATE: April 14, 2005 CONTENTS: AB 850 Language Recommendation: By Minute Motion, concur with the action taken by the Legislative Review Committee at its meeting of March 22, 2005, and direct staff to prepare a letter of opposition for the Mayor's signature with regard to AB 850 (Canciamilla) relative to toll roads. Executive Summary: Passage of AB 850 would authorize the State Department of Transportation to enter into agreements for the operation of toll roads within the State of California. Background: Current law provides that until January 1, 2003, the State Department of Transportation was authorized to solicit proposals and enter into agreements with private entities or consortia for the construction and lease of no more than two toll road projects within the State. AB 850 would authorize the Department to enter into comprehensive development franchise agreements with public and private entities or consortia for certain types of transportation projects and would authorize tolls to be collected after the termination of the franchise agreement period, subject to approval of the California Transportation Commission. This bill would also require franchise agreements to allow the Department of Transportation to acquire by condemnation or negotiation the financial value of a competing toll facility if the Department opens a competitive State facility in the same corridor. The manner in which current franchise agreements for the use of toll roads within the State are administered does not benefit residents and guests who travel certain roads on an infrequent basis, since use is limited to vehicles with issued transponders. Fees collected for use of toll roads in whatever form would only service and maintain specific and limited highways where toll roads are constructed. It seems that the State's residents and visitors would be better served in this regard by the State Legislature using the funds specified by the State Constitution for the building, maintenance, and repair of public roadways rather than attempting to divert designated monies to the general fund to pay off existing debts through the sale and use of transponders. Therefore, the Legislative Review Committee recommends that the City Council oppose AB 850 and direct staff to prepare a letter stating that position to appropriate legislators for the Mayor's signature. PATRICIA SCULLY, CFEE SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST n /r I t /SHEILA R. GILLIGAN ASSISTANT CITY MA ER/PIO '1L )4zl-j PAUL S. UIBSON DIR OF FINANCE/CITY TREASURER ZW24�r CARLOS L. OeEGA CITY MANAGER AB 850 Assembly Bill - INTRODUCED Pagel of 3 k BILL NUMBER: AB 850 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY. Assembly Member Canciamilla (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Benoit) (Principal coauthor: Senator Runner) FEBRUARY 18, 2005 An act to amend Section 143 of the Streets and Highways Code, relating to transportation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 850, as introduced, Canciamilla. Toll road agreements. Existing law, until January 1, 2003, authorized the Department of Transportation to solicit proposals and enter into agreements with private entities or consortia for the construction and lease of no more than 2 toll road projects, and specified the terms and requirements applicable to those projects. This bill would instead authorize the department to enter into comprehensive development franchise agreements with public and private entities or consortia for specified types of transportation projects, as defined, subject to certain requirements and conditions. The bill would authorize tolls to be collected after the termination of a franchise agreement period, subject to approval of the California Transportation Commission. The bill would require a franchise agreement to allow the department to acquire by condemnation or negotiation the financial value of a competing toll facility if the department opens a competitive state facility in the same corridor. The bill would enact other related provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State -mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 143 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended to read: 143. (a) -Zho— Pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 30800) of Division 17, the department may solicit proposals , negotiate, and enter into comprehensive development franchise agreements with public and private entities, or consortia thereof, for the construction 1-1, _ ^ 4 1 a&&- +^ y ^+^ ^{-' +; ^ of transportation --cl�T ^ 4-4-- im; projects. mh—:I;Q ^r+-^^.+ ,, „^+ F..r. Z403.- As used in this section, " �7 transportation projects n means (1) shared high -occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes where HOVs are permitted free passage, (2) dedicated exclusive truck lanes, (3) mixed -flow toll lanes and free lanes, and (4) toll lanes for all vehicles other than HOVs .(b) For the purpose of facilitating those transportation projects, the agreements between the parties may include provisions for limiting the department http://info.sen.ca.gov/pubibill/asmlab 0801-0850/ab 850 bill 20050218_introduced.html 2/21/2005 AB 850 Assembly Bill - INTRODUCED Page 2 of 3 from initiating the opening to traffic of new competing state �+ highway facilities within the same transportation corridor, for the lease of rights -of -way in, and airspace over or under, these state highways, for the granting of necessary easements, and for the issuance of permits or other authorizations to enable t4 ^+., .,+; ty + the construction of transportation facilities supplemental to existing state-owned and operated transportation facilities. Facilities constructed by an entity pursuant to an agreement under this section shall, at all times, be owned by the -st.—" department as an operational part of the state highway system . The agreement shall provide for the lease of those facilities to the-griwate franchised entity for up to 35 years to recover private investments in the form of expended funds together with a reasonable rate of return on those funds, negotiated by the department with the contracting entity . In consideration therefor, the agreement shall provide for complete reversion of the privately constructed facility and the right to collect tolls to the-,statc department and any other government entity participating in the funding of the project, if any, at the expiration of the lease at no charge to the ^+^}^ department or other governmental entity - (c) The department may exercise any power possessed by it with respect to the development and construction of state transportation projects to facilitate the development and construction of transportation toll projects initiated pursuant to this section. Agreements for maintenance and police services entered into pursuant to this section may provide for F••" some form of negotiated reimbursement for services rendered by the department and other state agencies. The department may provide services for which it is reimbursed with respect to preliminary planning, environmental certification and review ,--axcd- preliminary design , design, right - of - way acquisition, and construction of these transportation projects. (d) (1) Agreements entered into pursuant to this section shall authorize the -p=i wa;e contracting entity to impose tolls for use of a facility constructed by it, and shall require that over the term of the -1i:6w franchise, that the toll revenues will be applied to payment of some or all of the capital outlay costs for the project, the costs associated with operations, toll collection, administration of the facility, reimbursement to the -}^}^ department or other governmental entity for the costs of ^}sRaa$c a4; -- services to develop and maintain the project, police services, and a reasonable return on investment to the private entity. The agreement shall require that any excess toll revenue either be applied to any indebtedness incurred by the private entity with respect to the project or be paid into the State Highway Account, or both. (2) The - . . . 1- -, }y `a -select•- collection of tolls for the use of these facilities ^1_^^11 4 ^ 4^^4-9 may be extended by the commission at the expiration of the franchise agreement. (e) The plans and specifications for each transportation http://info.sen.ca.gov/publbill/asmlab_0801-0850/ab 850 bill 20050218_introduced.html 2/21/2005 AB 850 Assembly Bill - INTRODUCED Page 3 of 3 : project constructed pursuant to this section shall comply with the department's then -existing standards for similar state transportation projects. A facility constructed by and leased to - F- -} s�— another entity shall, during the term of the lease, be deemed to be a part of the state highway system for purposes of identification, maintenance, enforcement of traffic laws, and for the purposes of Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code. (f) The assignment authorized by subdivision (c) of Section 130240 of the Public Utilities Code is consistent with this section. (g) Each franchise agreement entered into by the department shall include provisions authorizing the department to open competitive facilities to traffic within the designated corridor subject to the department exercising its police power to either acquire by condemnation or negotiation the remaining net fair market capitalized value of the toll franchise period equivalent to the projected lost annual income for the remaining term of the competition protection afforded by that agreement. The annual payments shall be determined by a projection of the average increase of net income over the previous five years of tolled operations, or less than five years if there have not been a full five years of consecutive operations of the facility. To the extent that the toll facility does not suffer a loss of net income equivalent to that projected in each year, the sum paid at the end of that fiscal year on June 30 shall be adjusted so that the department's payments are reduced accordingly. http://info.sen.ca.govlpublbilllasmlab 0801-08501ab 850 bill 20050218 introduced.html 2/21/2005