(a) The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is hereby created, as a local area transportation planning agency, and not as part of the executive branch of state government, to provide regional transportation planning and development for the area of Santa Cruz County. The commission may be known by any other name it chooses and is the legal successor to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, established pursuant to Section 29535, for all purposes, including those set forth in Section 67941.
(b) The governing body shall be composed of all five members of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, one member for each of the cities in the county, appointed by each city, and three members appointed by the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District.
(c) The appointing authority, for each regular member it appoints, and the board of supervisors for each of its members, may appoint an alternate member to serve in the place of the regular member when the regular member is absent or disqualified from participating in a meeting of the governing body.
(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 664, Sec. 124. Effective January 1, 2003.)
(a) The commission has the power of eminent domain and the power to preserve, acquire, construct, improve, and oversee multimodal transportation projects and services on rail rights-of-ways within Santa Cruz County in any manner that facilitates recreational, commuter, intercity, and intercounty travel. An action in eminent domain to acquire property or property interests within any incorporated city or within the unincorporated area of the county may not be commenced unless the governing body of the affected city or county has consented by resolution to the acquisition.
(b) The commission may contract for any services that accomplish its purposes.
(Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 472, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2002.)