Division 19.1. Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 19.1.

The Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority is hereby created. For the purposes of this division, "authority" means the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority.

The authority is a public instrumentality governed by the same board as that governing the Sonoma County Transportation Authority. The authority is, however, a separate entity from the Sonoma County Transportation Authority.

The authority, in cooperation with local agencies that elect to participate, may perform coordination and implementation activities, within the boundaries of Sonoma County, to assist those agencies in meeting their greenhouse gas emission reduction goals as set forth in resolutions and adopted plans and develop, coordinate, and implement programs and policies to comply with Chapter 488 of the Statutes of 2006 and other federal or state mandates and programs designed to respond to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. "Local agency," as used in this division, shall mean a county, city, whether general law or chartered, city and county, town, school district, municipal corporation, district, political subdivision, or any board, commission, or agency thereof, or other local public agency.

Activities authorized under Section 181003 shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
  (a) Reduction of energy consumption.
  (b) Coordination and implemention of energy efficiency projects.
  (c) Increasing efficiency of water use.
  (d) Utilizing carbon sequestration opportunities.
  (e) Administration of grants to local entities.
  (f) Alternative transportation options.
  (g) Measuring and quantifying ongoing greenhouse gas reductions.

The authority shall adopt rules for its proceedings consistent with the laws of the state.

A majority of the members of the authority constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business, and all official acts of the authority require the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the authority.

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

All meetings of the authority shall be conducted pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code.

The authority shall do all of the following:
  (a) Adopt an annual budget.
  (b) Adopt an administrative code, by ordinance, which prescribes the powers and duties of the authority officers, the method of appointment of the authority employees, and methods, procedures, and systems of operation and management of the authority.
  (c) Cause a postaudit of the financial transactions and records of the authority to be made at least annually by a certified public accountant.
  (d) Do any and all things necessary to carry out the purposes of this division.

The members of the authority shall be compensated as determined by the authority and shall be reimbursed for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in connection with performing authority duties.

(a) Notice of the time and place of a public hearing on the adoption of the annual budget shall be published pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code not later than 15 days prior to the hearing.
  (b) The proposed annual budget shall be available for public inspection at least 15 days prior to the hearing.

The authority may sue and be sued, except as provided by law, in all actions and proceedings, in all courts and tribunals of competent jurisdiction.

All claims for money or damages against the authority are governed by Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code, except as provided therein, or by other statute or regulation expressly applicable thereto.

The authority may apply for funds available to carry out its functions and may receive grants of funds to carry out its functions. All funds available to the authority shall be held in a separate account and accounted for independently. No transportation funds may be used for purposes of this division other than those activities of the authority related to transportation. No funding from the Traffic Relief Act for Sonoma County (Measure M), approved by voters in 2004 shall be used for the purpose of this division.

Nothing in this division shall supersede or interfere with activities, plans, or actions of other local agencies.

This division shall become inoperative on December 1, 2019, and, as of January 1, 2020, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2020, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.