SECTIONS 66900-66901 - California Statutes

GOVERNMENT CODE

SECTION 66900-66901

66900. The Legislature of California hereby ratifies and approves
the "Tahoe Conservancy Agency Compact" as set forth below.

66901. The provisions of this interstate compact executed between
the States of Nevada and California are as follows:

TAHOE CONSERVANCY AGENCY COMPACT
Article I. Findings and Declarations of Policy

(a) It is found and declared that the waters of Lake Tahoe and
other resources of the Lake Tahoe region are threatened with
deterioration or degeneration, which may endanger the natural beauty
and economic productivity of the region.
(b) It is further declared that by virtue of the special
conditions and circumstances of the natural ecology, developmental
pattern, population distribution and human needs in the Lake Tahoe
region, the region is experiencing problems of resource use and
deficiencies of environmental control.
(c) It is further found and declared that there is a need to
maintain an equilibrium between the region's natural endowment and
its manmade environment, to preserve the scenic beauty and
recreational opportunities of the region, and it is recognized that
for the purpose of enhancing the efficiency and governmental
effectiveness of the region, it is imperative that there be
established a governmental agency with power to acquire and hold
property in the Tahoe region in accordance with a regional plan of
resource conservation adopted by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

Article II. Definitions

As used in this compact:
(a) "Region," includes Lake Tahoe, the adjacent parts of the
Counties of Douglas, Ormsby, and Washoe lying within the Tahoe Basin
in the State of Nevada, and the adjacent parts of the Counties of
Placer and El Dorado lying within the Tahoe Basin in the State of
California, and that additional and adjacent part of the County of
Placer outside of the Tahoe Basin in the State of California which
lies southward and eastward of a line starting at the intersection of
the basin crestline and the north boundary of Section 1, thence west
to the northwest corner of Section 3, thence south to the
intersection of the basin crestline and the west boundary of Section
10; all sections referring to Township 15, North, Range 16 East,
M.D.B. & M. The region defined and described herein shall be as
precisely delineated on official maps of the agency.
(b) "Agency" means the Tahoe Conservancy Agency.
(c) "Governing body" means the governing board of the Tahoe
Conservancy Agency.

Article III. Organization

(a) There is created the Tahoe Conservancy Agency as a separate
legal entity.
The governing body of the agency shall be constituted as follows:
Five members appointed from the public at large by the Governor of
California and five members appointed from the public at large by
the Governor of Nevada. Not more than four of the members shall be
residents of the region.
(b) The members of the agency shall serve without compensation,
but the expenses of each member shall be met by the state which he
represents in accordance with the law of that state. All other
expenses incurred by the governing body in the course of exercising
the powers conferred upon it by this compact unless met in some
manner specifically provided, shall be paid by the agency out of its
own funds.
(c) The term of office of the members of the governing body shall
be for four years. However, of the first members selected four shall
be appointed to serve for four years, four shall be appointed to
serve for three years, and two shall be appointed to serve for two
years.
(d) The governing body of the agency shall meet at least monthly.
(e) The governing body shall elect from its own members a chairman
and vice chairman, whose terms of office shall be two years, and who
shall be subject to reelections; provided that a new chairman or
vice chairman may be elected by the agency before the expiration of
the two-year term for the fulfillment of that two-year term.
(f) A majority of the members of the governing body shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of the
agency. A majority vote of the members of the governing body present
shall be binding; provided that the vote of each member of the
governing body shall be individually recorded. The governing body
shall adopt its own rules and regulations and procedures.
(g) The agency shall establish and maintain an office within the
region. The agency may rent or own real and personal property and
equipment.
(h) Upon receipt of certified copies of the resolutions or
notifications appointing the members of the governing body, the
Secretary of State of each respective state shall notify the Governor
of the state who shall, after consultation with the Governor of the
other state, issue a concurrent call for the organization meeting of
the governing body at a location determined jointly by the two
governors.

Article IV. Personnel

(a) The governing body shall determine the qualification of, and
it shall appoint and fix the salary of, the executive officer of the
agency, and shall employ such other staff as may be necessary to
execute the powers and functions provided for under this act or in
accordance with any intergovernmental contracts or agreements the
agency may be responsible for administering.
(b) Agency personnel standards and regulations shall conform
insofar as possible to the regulations and procedures of the civil
service of the State of California or the State of Nevada, as may be
determined by the governing body of the agency and shall be regional
and bistate in application and effect; provided that the governing
body may, for administrative convenience and at its discretion,
assign the administration of designated personnel arrangements to an
agency of either state, and provided that administratively convenient
adjustments be made in the standards and regulations governing
personnel assigned under intergovernmental agreements.
(c) The agency may establish and maintain or participate in such
additional programs of employee benefits as may be appropriate to
afford employees of the agency terms and conditions of employment
similar to those enjoyed by employees of California and Nevada
generally.
(d) The agency's expenses may be paid out of agency funds acquired
by gift or donation and from any money received from rents or leases
of agency property; provided that the expenditure of the agency for
staff services shall not exceed 10 percent of the income from such
sources.

Article V. Agency's Powers

(a) The agency is hereby empowered to accept and hold private land
acquired through purchase, gifts, and exchanges. The agency shall
not develop nor shall it enter into any contract or agreement which
would result in the development of any land under its ownership or
control except in conformance with the adopted Tahoe Regional Plan.
(b) The agency is hereby empowered to initiate, negotiate, and
participate in contracts and agreements for the management of land
under its ownership or control with the state, the local governmental
authorities of the region, or the federal government and to enter
into any other intergovernmental contracts or agreements authorized
by state or federal law.
(c) The agency may acquire interests in land by means of land
exchanges and is authorized to enter into all alternatives to the
acquisition of fee interests in land including, but not limited to,
the acquisition of easements, development rights, life estates,
leases, and leaseback agreements. Land acquisition policy shall be
set by the agency.
(d) At the request of the agency, land or interests in land
authorized to be acquired by the agency under this compact, shall be
acquired by the California Department of General Services or the
Nevada state agency so designated by the agency.

Article VI. Finances

(a) The agency is authorized to receive gifts, donations,
subventions, grants, rents, royalties, and other financial aids and
funds from private and public sources. These sources shall constitute
the income of the agency, and the agency shall not be dependent upon
continuing governmental appropriations for its operating expenses.
(b) On or before December 30 of each calendar year the agency
shall establish the amount of money necessary to support its
activities for the next succeeding fiscal year commencing July 1 of
the following year. The agency shall set aside by June 30 from the
gifts, donations, rents, subventions, grants, or any other financial
resources available to it sums sufficient to support the agency's
activities for the succeeding fiscal year commencing on July 1.
(c) The agency may fix and collect fees for any services rendered
by it.

Article VII. Miscellaneous

(a) It is intended that the provisions of this compact shall be
reasonably and liberally construed to effectuate the purposes
thereof. The provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any
phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this compact is declared to
be contrary to the constitution of any participating state or of the
United States or the applicability thereof to any other government,
agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the
remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to any
government, agency, person or circumstance shall not be affected
thereby. If this compact shall be held contrary to the constitution
of any state participating therein, the compact shall remain in full
force and effect as to the remaining state and in full force and
effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.
(b) The agency shall have such additional powers and duties as may
hereafter be delegated or imposed upon it from time to time by the
action of the Legislature of either state concurred in by the
Legislature of the other.
(c) A state party to this compact may withdraw therefrom by
enacting a statute repealing the compact. Notice of withdrawal shall
be communicated officially and in writing to the Governor of the
other state and to the agency administrators.