As a 40-member joint powers authority, OCCOG serves as an official sub-region of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG).

OCCOG through its Board of Directors of elected Orange County representatives, its representatives on SCAGs Governing Board and policy committees, and its Technical Advisory Committee provides a coordinated mechanism for Orange County technical and policy recommendations to be issued on SCAG plans and programs and on behalf of its member agencies.  Key areas of activity include:

• protecting Orange Countys interests in SCAGs adoption of a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation to local jurisdictions in the six-county SCAG region;
  
• protecting a local, bottoms-up development of the Orange County Projections, which represents Orange Countys official growth forecast for local, countywide and regional planning;
  
• adopting the Orange County official growth forecast, which is now required by statute to be used for RHNA allocations and for regional transportation planning; and,
  
• providing input and recommendations on new requirements relating to SB 375 and its Sustainable Communities Strategy, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by shifting future and higher-intensity growth near transit stations and facilities.

An Information Sheet that summarizes background information on OCCOG is provided in Attachment 2.

Forty agencies are currently members of OCCOG. Member Agencies include all Orange County cities, the County of Orange, Orange County Transportation Authority, the Transportation Corridor Agencies, and Orange County special districts, including the Orange County Sanitation District and the Independent Special Districts of Orange County

Proposal

It is important for AQMD to have a voice in the OCCOG proceedings, to represent the agencys clean air policies and activities.  Staff recommends that the Board adopt the attached resolution and authorize the Chairman to execute an amended agreement with the OCCOG, with annual dues in the amount of $5,000, which allows AQMD to continue as a voting member and be represented by the Orange County Representative on the AQMD Board.

Resource Impacts

Funding is available in the Legislative & Public Affairs Memberships account of the  FY 2009-10 Budget.

Attachments (EXE, 1.7m)

Resolution (Attachment 1)
Amended OCCOG JPA (Exhibit A)
OCCOG Information Sheet (Attachment 2)