HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES NO 047-03RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAKERSFIELD
ENCOURAGING THE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES, THE NATIONAL
LEAGUE OF CITIES, AND THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF MAYORS TO
SUPPORT LEGISLATION EARMARKED FOR GENERAL HIGH SPEED RAIL
FUNDING WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE CALIFORNIA SAFE,
RELIABLE HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER TRAIN BOND ACT OF THE 21ST
CENTURY AND THE FEDERAL YOUNG-OVERSTARR HIGH SPEED RAIL
BILL, AND SUPPORT CONTINUANCE OF ADMINISTRATION WITHIN THE
CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY.
WHEREAS, quick and efficient transportation systems are a necessary
component of the high quality of life of citizens throughout the United States, and
WHEREAS, as the populations within California and the United States
grow, the need for high-speed intercity rail transportation will become more critical, and
WHEREAS, the ever-increasing California population makes it imperative
to find alternative transportation systems to help clean the air and reduce the number of
miles traveled by automobiles upon streets and highways, and
WHEREAS, legislation at both the State of California and the federal
revels are intended to provide needed passenger rail transportation corridors, and
WHEREAS, the November 2004 General Election Ballot contains the
Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act of the 21st Century, which will
provide for the issuance of $9.95 billion of general obligation bonds, $9 billion of which
would be used in conjunction with available federal funds for the purpose of funding the
planning and construction of a high-speed train system in California and $950 million of
the bond proceeds would be available for capital projects on other passenger rail lines
to provide connectivity to the high-speed train system and for capacity enhancements
and safety improvements to those lines, and
WHEREAS, at the federal level the Rail Infrastructure Development and
Expansion Act for the 21st Century, commonly known as the Young-Overstarr High-
Speed Rail Bill, proposes bond funds of $36 billion dollars over a ten-year period to
complete a railroad passenger transportation corridor, and
WHEREAS, the California initiative and the proposed federal bill will
provide bond funding to support fast and efficient public transportation within California,
and
WHEREAS, California Governor Gray Davis has proposed the High
Speed Rail project responsibility and oversight be shifted from the California High
Speed Rail Authority to the California Department of Transportation, and
WHEREAS, development and implementation of the High Speed Rail
project is critical and responsibilities and oversight to the project should be sited in an
agency with a single focused purpose, and
WHEREAS, the League of California Cities, the National League of Cities,
and the National Conference of Mayors are support organizations for California cities
across the nation.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Council of the City of
Bakersfield that the League of California Cities, the National League of Cities, and the
National Conference of Mayors are encouraged to support legislation earmarked for
general high speed rail funding at the local and state levels with particular attention to
the California Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act of the 21 st Century
and the federal Young-Overstarr High Speed Rail Bill, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council supports the
continuance of the independence of administration of high speed rail funding and
programming issues within the California High Speed Rail Authority and opposes the
California Governor's proposal to place the Authority within the Department of California
Transportation.
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2
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by
the City CoLJn_Cj, l^,~f the City of Bakersfield at a regular meeting thereof held on
MAR ;~ zuu~ , by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
COUNCILMEMBER CARSON, BENHAM, MAGGARD, COUCH, H,^,~' S ~'3,N, SULL VAN, SALVAGGIO
COUNCILMEMBER
COUNCILMEMBER i"C;~"~---~-
COUNCILMEMBER
CITY CLERK and EX OFFICIO~f the
Council of the City of Bakersfield
APPROVED MAR 2,6 2003
By HARVEY L. HALL
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
BART J. THILTGEN
City Attorney
By: