Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District.

(1) The Transit District Law authorizes any city together with unincorporated territory, or 2 or more cities, with or without unincorporated territory, in either the Counties of Alameda or Contra Costa or both, to organize and incorporate as a transit district divided into 5 wards with specified powers and duties relative to providing public transit service. This bill would repeal the authority to form a transit district under these provisions and would recognize the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District as the district formed pursuant to this authority. (2) Existing law requires a local agency to comply with all applicable building ordinances and zoning ordinances of the county or city in which the territory of the local agency is situated and, for purposes of this provision, excludes rapid transit districts from the definition of a local agency. This bill would designate the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District as a rapid transit district, thereby excluding the district from the definition of a local agency for purposes of that provision. (3) Existing law vests the government of a transit district formed under the Transit District Law in the board of 7 directors, one from each ward and 2 at large. Existing law requires elections for the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District to be conducted in accordance with the Uniform District Election Law and requires any costs incurred by county officials to be paid by the transit district. Existing law requires the nomination paper for directors elected by wards to be signed by 50 voters of the respective ward, and requires the nomination paper for directors elected at large to be signed by 50 voters of the district. The bill would increase the number of signatures required for nomination papers for directors elected at large to 100 voters of the district. In lieu of signatures, the bill would authorize a nomination paper for directors elected by ward or at large to include a filing fee in the amount of $150. This bill would require the nomination papers to be filed with, and the in-lieu fees to be paid to, the county elections official in the county or counties in which the candidate is running. To the extent that the bill imposes additional duties on a county elections official in processing the nomination papers and in-lieu filing fees, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law authorizes the board of directors of a transit district formed under the Transit District Law to establish a retirement system for the officers and employees of the district, as specified, and prohibits the retirement system from applying to elective officers. Existing law authorizes the board to prescribe the terms and conditions upon which the officers and employees of the district or their beneficiaries are entitled to benefits and the amounts of those benefits. If a former employee of the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District is elected to the board, this bill would prohibit a retirement system from applying to their service on the board. (5) This bill would make other related changes including various changes to the organization and administration of the district and to the duties of the appointive officers of the district. (6) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Alameda and Contra Costa. (7) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.