Drafter
Clerk 01/19/2011
title
AN ORDINANCE replacing the transit advisory and accessible services advisory committee with the transit advisory commission; and amending Ordinance 11431, Section 7, as amended, and K.C.C. 28.94.140, recodifying K.C.C. 28.94.140 and adding a new chapter to K.C.C. Title 2.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The existing transit advisory committee and accessible services advisory committee provide the transit division, the King County executive and the King County council with community and bus rider perspectives on similar transit policy issues.
B. The transit division faced significant funding shortfalls due to the national recession requiring adoption of a 2010-2011 biennial budget that included job losses, fare increases, use of reserves and significant cuts to transit programs.
C. The transit division continues to face significant financial challenges, which likely will require significant reductions in transit service, unless new revenue sources can be secured.
D. Combining the transit advisory and accessible services advisory committees would result in cost savings through a reduction in staff time, duplication of effort and costs attendant to organizing and supporting advisory committees.
E. Consolidation of the transit advisory and accessible services advisory committees will not diminish the value of information provided to the transit division, the executive, or the council; nor will consolidation limit committee members' ability to represent transit riders throughout the county including persons with disabilities and elderly persons.
SECTION 2. Ordinance 11431, Section 7, as amended, and K.C.C. 28.94.140 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
The ((transit public involvement model employed by the)) King County department of transportation shall ((consist of three)) employ a transit public involvement model to promote the transit division's responsiveness and accountability to the community. The department of transportation shall provide staff support for the transit public involvement model, which shall include the following major elements:
A. Sounding boards, which are geographically, topically or community-based groups convened for a limited time to consider specific transit topics. ((Designed to promote the transit division's responsiveness and accountability to the community it serves, s))Sounding boards shall ((work with)) be established by the transit division to ((help plan and problem-solve in)) provide advice on identified ((areas of concern such as)) issues including, but not limited to, transit service changes ((and capital improvements)). Sounding boards shall ((be established by the transit division, supported by the department and the transit advisory committee and)) provide ((feedback)) information to the transit advisory ((committee)) commission, local jurisdictions, ((sub-area)) subarea transportation forums as well as the transit division, the executive and the council. For major planning exercises such as service changes, sounding boards may make consensus recommendations to the transit advisory ((committee)) commission and the transit ((general manager who, in consultation with the King County council and the transit advisory committee, shall appoint its members to include one member of the transit advisory committee and to otherwise reflect community diversity and the range of affected interests.)) division.
B. ((An accessible services advisory committee that shall advise the transit general manager, the executive, the council, local jurisdictions, sub-area transportation forums and the transit advisory committee on transit matters of concern to the elderly and persons with disabilities. The committee shall have fifteen members recruited by the department of transportation, appointed to two-year terms by the executive and confirmed by the council. Seven of the initial fifteen members shall be appointed to one-year terms and all subsequent appointments shall be for two years. Committee appointments shall reflect the diversity and geographic distribution of county residents. The committee shall adopt by-laws, elect a chair and vice-chair to one-year terms, adopt an annual work plan and meet in open public sessions as often as needed to complete the work plan. The annual work plan shall include issues of interest to the committee as well as all items requested by the council or the transit division. Committee support shall be provided by department of transportation staff.
C. A)) 1. The transit advisory ((committee)) commission, which is a permanent body that shall((: 1. A))advise the transit ((general manager)) division, the executive, the council, local jurisdictions and ((sub-area)) subarea transportation forums on transit issues and policy((;
2. Function as a sounding board for updates of the six-year transit development plan;
3. Participate in an annual transit open house convened by the transit division to inform the public of available transit services and promote transit ridership;
4.)), including matters of concern to the elderly and persons with disabilities. The transit advisory commission shall advise the division on the inception and development of long-range planning efforts, and ((S))serve as a resource for ((inter-jurisdictional)) transit promotion. ((and coordination;
5.)) 2. As of the effective date of this ordinance, the commission shall have up to thirty members who were appointed by the executive and confirmed by the council to serve on either the transit advisory committee or accessible services advisory committee. These initial members may serve for the remainder of the terms for which they were appointed to the transit advisory committee or accessible services advisory committee. The executive shall not appoint individuals to fill vacancies in these positions if the result would be to exceed the membership limits in subsection B.3 of this section.
3. Except as otherwise provided in subsection B.2 of this section, the commission shall ((H))have ((fifteen)) eighteen members who are((: a.)) appointed by the executive and confirmed by the council to two-year terms.
a. Nine members shall be transit riders((; b.)), recruited by the department of transportation to reflect the diversity and geographic distribution of county residents((;
c. appointed by the executive and confirmed by the council; and
d. appointed to staggered two-year terms with seven of the initial fifteen members appointed to one-year terms and all subsequent appointments for two years;)).
b. Nine members shall be persons with disabilities or elderly persons, or be associated with an agency that works with disabled and elderly persons, recruited by the department of transportation to reflect the diversity of the communities they represent and types of disabilities, as well as consideration of the geographic distribution of county residents.
4. The commission shall:
((6.)) a. ((A))adopt by-laws, ((annually)) elect a chair and vice-chair to quarterly terms and adopt an annual work program, which shall include issues of interest to ((the committee)) transit riders and issues related to accessibility and ACCESS services for elderly and disabled riders as well as all items requested by the council or the transit division;
((7.)) b. ((M))meet ((monthly or)) as needed to complete the work plan and address other issues as they arise; and
((8.)) c. ((D))designate one member to serve on each sounding board ((and consider issues arising from the work of the sounding boards; and
9. Be supported by staff from the department of transportation)).
5. The transit advisory commission may establish standing and ad hoc subcommittees to review issues that, in the commission's discretion, require in-depth study. The subcommittees shall report to the transit advisory commission and are not authorized
to take actions independent of the commission.
SECTION 3. K.C.C. 28.94.140 is recodified as a new chapter in K.C.C. Title 2.