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February 20, 2007
Local Alphabet Agencies
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| Local government is complicated. In particular it
is complicated where government boundaries mix. A good example
is our highway system that is part of many jurisdictions (federal, state,
county, and city all have a say). But locally there are a number of county/city
issues that involve multiple agencies.
Yesterday I posted about LAFCO. Another example is BCAG who now runs
our transit system (I've posted on BCAG is well). All of these agencies are especially complicated when you're on the outside looking in. When I run across a new agency or commission I usually try to find a web site for it, and see if the members are listed. A web site will always describe the mission of the organization. I recently ran across the Chico Urban Area Joint Powers Financing Authority in the City Council agenda for tonight. The agenda item is described like this... "a minute order authorizing the City Manager to execute a public improvements agreement with the Chico Urban Area Joint Powers Financing Authority to provide for the construction and installation of public sewer facilities in the Chico Urban Area, and authorizing any amendments to the agreement if required by the State to obtain a State Revolving Fund loan." In doing a search I found that Jane Dolan and Mary Anne Houx were appointed to this group in 2006, so I will just assume that Dolan and Kirk are now in the group (Houx passed away in December '06 and Kirk was elected to her seat in November). Who else is? I don't know, it's not information that's readily available. Chico Urban Area Joint Power Financing Authority seems to involved in one of the complicated state, county, city issues (our sewer system extension). This is also an important issue for taxpayers since efficient work on our sewers improves our ground water supply and will reduce cost to taxpayers and individual homeowners. There was a time recently when the County was planning for sewer expansion and the City was planning major road repairs, and the two governments weren't necessarily planning to dig up the same roads at the same time. You can imagine some city job fixing a road, and a year later the sewer crew comes in to dig it up again. I think they're more or less on the same page now. Much of the complexity in local government, including these local "alphabet agencies" seems to be mandated by state law. It might be useful if the City of Chico offered an annual workshop on local government jurisdictions and the purpose of the many agencies that seem to operate on tax-payer money. |
Posted by Lon at February 20, 2007 09:06 AM