Plain English Breakdown
Reimbursement to local agencies depends on a future determination by the Commission on State Mandates.
Creating a New Group to Protect Land in Monterey Bay Area
This law creates a new regional group called the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority to manage money and projects for protecting land in three specific counties.
What This Bill Does
- Creates the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority with jurisdiction over parts of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties.
- Sets up a nine-member board made of county supervisors, city officials, and public members to run the group.
- Allows the authority to give money grants for projects that restore or protect natural land and open spaces.
- Gives the authority permission to collect fees, taxes, bonds, and gifts from both government groups and private donors.
- Requires the board to make rules for how the group works and to form an advisory committee.
Who It Names or Affects
- Residents and landowners in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties.
- Local city officials and county supervisors who serve on the new governing board.
- Public and private groups that apply for grants to work on land projects.
Terms To Know
- Stewardship
- The act of taking care of, protecting, or managing something over a long time.
- Benefit assessment
- A fee charged to property owners who receive a specific benefit from a local project.
- Joint powers agreement
- A formal contract that allows different government groups to work together on shared tasks.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law does not say exactly how much money the authority will collect or spend.
- It is unclear if local agencies must be paid by the state for their extra duties until a commission decides this later.
- The specific rules for which land projects get grants are not listed in detail.