MINUTES

COG DIRECTORS MEETING

January 26, 2004

1. The meeting was called into order by Norm King, Chair, SANBAG, at 12:30pm.

2. Present at the meeting were:

Arielle Bourgart, Asst Director, Comty & Gov Affairs Contra Costa Transportation Authority

Susan Brown, San Diego COG

Ron Brumment, Executive Director, Kern COG

Ron DeCarli, Executive Director, SLOCOG

Pete Dehaan, VCTC

Gary Dickson, Exec Director, StanCOG

Phil Dow, Mendocino

Lark Dowds, STANCOG

Frank Flores, Deputy Exec Officer

Kerry Forsythe, VCTC

Julia E. Green, Executive Director, San Joaquin COG

Pete Hathaway, Sacramento COG

Mai Her, Staff, CALCOG

Jim Kemp, Executive Director, SBCAG

Norm King, Executive Director, SANBAG

Dan J. Kovacich, Executive Director, Shasta County RTPA

Eugene Y. Leong, Executive Director, ABAG

Mark Pisano, Executive Director, SCAG

Tom Quigley, Executive Director San Benito County Governments

Bill Reichmuth, Executive Director, TAMC

Don Rhodes, SCAG

Rusty Selix, Executive Director, CALCOG

Bob Stocker, TCAG

Linda Wilshusen, Executive Director, SCCRTC

David Yale, Director Regional Programs, LACMTA

Sue Zuhlke, Gov Relations Manager, OCTA

Susan Plown

Pete Hathoway

Randy Rentschler

3. Minutes approved from the November meeting.

4. Discussion of Governor's 2004-05 State Budget Affecting Transportation - (45 minutes)

Agencies are urged to communicate to the Governor and legislature on projects affected by budget cuts. They are to include important local priorities, details of their involvement, their support for continuing these projects, legal issues and other problems associated with deleting these projects and forward copies of these topics to their local legislators.

5. SAFETEA/TEALU - Help on the Way? - (20 minutes)

We are still gathering surveys as to who will be traveling to Washington and when. We will send out results as soon as it is compiled.

6. $15 Billion Bond - Possibility of Including Transportation - (5 minutes)

The Governor told the Department of Finance that the $2 billion from the 04-05 budget couldn’t be used to pay back transportation loans. This will be further discussed at the next meeting in March.

7. Jobs Housing Balance - (10 minutes)

In an effort to combine transportation and housing, there was a need to realize the important relationship between housing and transportation in order to attain favor of Secretary McPeak.

8. Regional Indicators - (20 minutes)

Staff of CALCOG agencies will collect reports to start collaboration with Nick Bollman to accumulate statistics of quality of life and regional indicators.

9. Master Fund Transfer Agreements

COG Directors questioned why grants needed to specify that regional agencies utilize state per diem expenditure limitations and why agreements had to be amended during the year. CALCOG staff was directed to present these concerns to Caltrans.

10. Combined Planning Grants - (10 minutes)

CALCOG will sponsor legislature to ensure that funds flow where the budget is delayed.

11. Survey of CALCOG Member Agencies on Board Membership - (5 minutes)

Results were sent out via email. Please contact Mai at mher@calcog.org for corrections or if you didn’t receive it.

12. April 15-16 - Annual Regional Issues Forum - (5 minutes)

Issues to discuss at the Annual CALCOG Regional Issues Forum, Monterey on April 15 and 16 – Structural Transportation Funding Crisis, State Agency Structural Issues, and Housing Issues.

A report from the Bay Area Council is available at http://www.bayareacouncil.org/pubs/pbr/pbr_mid.html. On this report, Secretary McPeak’s former organization graded bay Area cities on housing performance.

13. Adjournment at 2:25 pm.