Chapter 3. Administration of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 12. >> Chapter 3.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 130052, each commission at its first meeting, and thereafter annually at the first meeting in January or at such other date as the commission may determine, shall elect a chairperson from its members who shall preside at all meetings, and a vice chairperson who shall preside in his or her absence. In the event of their absence or inability to act, the members present, by an order entered in the minutes, shall select one of their members to act as chairperson pro tempore, who, while so acting, shall have all of the authority of the chairperson.

The commission shall establish rules for its proceedings consistent with the law of the State of California.

A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and all official acts of the commission, except as otherwise provided in Section 130102.5, shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the commission.

In the case of the San Bernardino County Transportation Commission, its official acts shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the members representing the cities and a majority of the members of the board of supervisors if this is requested by either a majority of the members representing the cities or a majority of the members of the board of supervisors.

The acts of the commission shall be expressed by motion, resolution, or ordinance.

(a) All meetings of the commission shall be conducted in the manner prescribed by the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950), Part 1, Division 2, Title 5 of the Government Code).
  (b) All meetings of the citizens' advisory committee and technical advisory committee shall be held pursuant to Section 54952.3 of the Government Code, and no other provision of the Ralph M. Brown Act shall apply to meetings of these committees.

The commission shall:
  (a) Adopt an annual budget and fix the compensation of its officers and employees.
  (b) Adopt an administrative code, by ordinance, which shall prescribe the powers and duties of commission officers, the method of appointment of commission employees, and methods, procedures, and systems of operation and management of the commission.
  (c) Cause a postaudit of the financial transactions and records of the commission to be made at least annually by a certified public accountant.
  (d) Appoint, not later than July 1, 1977, a citizens' advisory committee, which membership shall reflect a broad spectrum of interests and all geographic areas of the county. Members of the staff of the commission, as determined by the commission, shall be available to aid the citizens' advisory committee in its work.
  (e) Appoint a technical advisory committee of representatives from all of the transit operators, all of the cities and the county, and the Department of Transportation, and such other advisory committees it deems necessary.
  (f) Do any and all things necessary to carry out the purposes of this division.

Notice of time and place of the public hearing for the adoption of the annual budget shall be published pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code, and shall be published not later than the 15th day prior to the date of the hearing. The proposed annual budget shall be available for public inspection at least 15 days prior to the hearing.

The commission shall appoint a full-time executive director who shall act for the commission under its direction. The commission may appoint such officers as it deems necessary to carry out its duties and functions.

(a) Each member of a commission may be compensated at a rate not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) for any day attending to the business of the commission, but not to exceed four hundred dollars ($400) in any month, and the necessary traveling and personal expenses incurred in the performance of his duties as authorized by the commission. Members of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority shall be compensated pursuant to subdivision (b).
  (b) Each member of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority shall be compensated at a rate not exceeding one hundred and fifty dollars ($150) for any day attending to the business of the authority, but not to exceed six hundred dollars ($600) per month, and other expenses which are directly related to the performance of duties as authorized by the authority.

Notwithstanding Section 130108, the Board of Directors of the Orange County Transportation Authority may allow members of the board necessary traveling and personal expenses incurred in performance of duties authorized by the board and may allow members per diem compensation at the maximum rate of one hundred dollars ($100) per day, not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) in any calendar month, for attending board meetings and for performance of any other services for the authority as authorized by the board.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), the commission shall enter into a contract with the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System, and the board shall enter into that contract, to include all of the employees of the commission into that retirement system, and the employees shall be entitled to substantially similar health benefits as are state employees pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 22750) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
  (b) For purposes of providing retirement benefits, the commission may contract with the retirement system that the employees of the county in which the commission is located are members of in lieu of contracting with the board.
  (c) Each person employed by the Orange County Transportation Commission on January 1, 1992, may, no later than February 1, 1992, elect to either remain a member of the Public Employees' Retirement System or become a member of the Orange County Employees Retirement System. All persons who become employed by the commission after February 1, 1991, shall be members of the Orange County Employees Retirement System.

Upon creation of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, and on the effective date of a contract with the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System, existing balances in the Ventura County Association of Governments Account in the Public Employees' Retirement Fund shall be transferred to the commission's account in that fund.

(a) For employees of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority not in a bargaining unit represented by a labor organization, the authority shall establish retirement benefits pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 30400) and Article 2 (commencing with Section 30430) of Chapter 4 of Part 3 of Division 10.
  (b) Retirement benefits for employees of the authority and any organizational unit of the authority in a bargaining unit represented by a labor organization shall be established pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 30450) of Chapter 4 of Part 3 of Division 10.
  (c) Retirement benefits for employees of the authority and any organizational unit of the authority in a bargaining unit represented by a labor organization that was created on or after January 1, 1999, for the purpose of representing managerial employees or supervisorial employees, shall be established pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement between the authority or any organizational unit of the authority and that labor organization.