In accordance with the Policies & Project Descriptions for the Transportation Safety & Investment Plan, a Citizens Oversight Committee representing a diverse range of community interests was formed within 6 months of voter approval of Measure X in November 2016. Members of the committee were appointed to serve by the Transportation Agency's Board of Directors on March 22, 2017 and the following month the Board approved the Measure X Citizens Oversight Committee Bylaws which govern the committee. The Committee meets about four times per year to receive project and program updates and review the audit of the agencies receiving Measure X funds.
On January 15, 2019, members of the Measure X Citizens Oversight Committee members elected Paula Getzelman as Chair and Barbara Meister as Vice Chair of the oversight committee for a one-year term. After reviewing the bylaws with Agency counsel and consulting with the Committee Chair and Vice Chair, staff drafted modifications to the bylaws in April 2019 to change the committee's Chair and Vice Chair terms of office from one year to two years. Other proposed bylaws changes created a new Audit Subcommittee and Subcommittee Chair and clarified the rules for attendance, voting, communication and conflicts of interest.
The modified Committee Bylaws were supported by the Measure X Citizens Oversight Committee and approved by the Transportation Agency Board of Directors in August 2019. As a result, the terms of service for the Chair and Vice Chair expire on December 31, 2020. This action item calls for the nomination and the election of a Chair and Vice Chair of the Measure X Citizens Oversight Committee to serve effective January 2021 for a two-year term.
The Measure X Citizens Oversight Committee was formed in order to facilitate the Transportation Agency's Transportation Safety and Investment Plan and Retail Transaction and Use Tax Ordinance 2016-01. The Oversight Committee's purpose is to be an additional layer of accountability so that the public is assured that the Transportation Agency, the County of Monterey and the participating cities are operating consistent with the terms of the Ordinance.
The Committee's duties as defined in the Policies & Project Descriptions for the Transportation Safety & Investment Plan are as follows:
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Conduct independent audits to assure that funds are being expended in accordance with requirements of the Transportation Safety & Investment Plan;
- Review and make recommendations on any proposed changes to the plan, prior to the Transportation Agency Board consideration;
- Prepare annual reports regarding the administration of the program, to be presented to the Transportation Agency Board of Directors and available for public review.