State Water Project staffing for regulatory compliance, safety, and maintenance

May 20, 2011 - Thirty-Three Future-Year Positions Should Be Rejected. We continue to recommend rejection of the 33 positions requested for future years. The department states that they do not possess the capacity to hire and train all 123 new positi ons in a single year and thus will staff up over the course of three years.  
https://lao.ca.gov/Recommendations/Details/326

Proposed elimination of the Salton Sea Restoration Council

May 20, 2011 - (We note, however, that restoration efforts are anticipated to take place over 75 years.) Council Was Created in 2010 Legislation.   The Salton Sea Restoration Council was created by  Chapter 303,  Statutes of 2010 (SB 51, Ducheny),  following several years of discussion over the governance structure that would guide any Salton Sea restoration efforts.  
https://lao.ca.gov/Recommendations/Details/418

Funding for public safety technology modernization project

May 20, 2011 - It is premature to approve the budget-year funding until a new Special Project Report has been submitted to the California Technology Agency reflecting a rescoping of the project that is currently under development.
https://lao.ca.gov/Recommendations/Details/417

Staffing in Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR)

May 20, 2011 - During the  2010-11 budget year, the Legislature  approved a request by the  Administration for  17 positions that were intended  to enhance the regulatory program activities of DOGGR. However, these positions have only recently been filled, and some do not have start dates until June 2011.
https://lao.ca.gov/Recommendations/Details/421

Request for 10 positions to implement 33 percent Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS)

May 20, 2011 - The proposal provides that  the need to permit at least three  new major transmission lines  in the next few years as the basis for the request for four permanent transmission-related positions.  While this process is likely to be time consuming (and subject to litigation), the siting-related  work nonetheless will be completed at some finite point in the future.
https://lao.ca.gov/Recommendations/Details/422

Recommendations from our review of AB 32 zero-based budget submitted by Administration on May 4

May 20, 2011 - ZBB Shows Substantial Expenditures for Cap-and-Trade Development and Implementation in Budget Year.   In the current year, ARB  has a total of 32 positions which support the development and implementation of the cap-and-trade program at a cost close to $5 million.  
https://lao.ca.gov/Recommendations/Details/429

Adoption Assistance Program Rate Increase

May 20, 2011 - The Legislature could score this savings in the budget year or redirect the savings to Child Welfare Services (CWS).   (One key function of CWS is finding adoptive parents.) Ultimately, we believe the issue of whether to maintain parity between Foster Care and AAP rates is an important issue that should go through the regular policy bill process.  
https://lao.ca.gov/Recommendations/Details/416

Proposed $69 million cut directed at CSU is unjustified.

May 20, 2011 - To retroactively sweep departmental funds for a prior years ’ elevated estimate under Control Section 3.60 makes little sense because, in general,   there are no funds left to be swept.  If there was a prior-year overestimate under Control Section 3.60, the overestimated allocation from the state budget was spent during that prior year to operate departmental prog rams.
https://lao.ca.gov/Recommendations/Details/423

Eliminating California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC)

May 20, 2011 - CPEC ’s coordination efforts have been somewhat ineffective in recent years. The Governor has proposed to eliminate CPEC. (This is part of a larger proposal to eliminate, consolidate, o r reduce 43 boards, commissions, task forces, and offices.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Recommendations/Details/420

Use of federal incentive funds for implementation of Alternative Base Period

May 20, 2011 - We note that in the years beyond 2014-15,  it would also result in slightly higher debt service costs of approximately $6 million per year  until the state repays its outstanding federal loan. Conclusion.  
https://lao.ca.gov/Recommendations/Details/414