COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

County Manager's Office

DATE:

February 4, 2002

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 5, 2002

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

John L. Maltbie, County Manager

SUBJECT:

Legislative Report No. Three

   

1.

Questions of the adequacy of airport security began immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Two months after the airliner attacks, Congress and the Administration reached agreement and on November 19, 2001 The Aviation Transportation Security Act was signed into law.

 

That law requires:

·

Almost all of the nation's airports to put federal employees in charge of security screening for the next three years, after that individual airports have the right to opt out of the federalized system and request screening be handled by private contractors, state or local law enforcement;

·

Federal employees working at security checkpoints would fall under the Department of Transportation but would not be offered the same civil service protections as other federal employees;

·

All employees would have to be U.S. citizens;

·

A nine-month phase in period was set; and

·

A handful of airports would be part of a pilot program involving private security companies.

 

A new passenger fee of $2.50 per leg with a maximum of $5 per one-way airline trip was imposed in order to pay for the enhanced security. And a new federal agency called the Transportation Safety Administration was created in the Department of Transportation to oversee and administer the new federalized security program.

 

S. 1829 (Feinstein, Hollings and Boxer) would enact the 'Airport Security Personnel Protection Act' to provide for the transition employment eligibility for qualified permanent resident alien airport security screeners until their naturalization process is completed within one year. This measure would require the Immigration and Naturalization Service to expedite the naturalization process.

 

This legislation is currently before the Senate Judiciary Committee

 

Discussion

It is estimated that at least 25 percent of the 28,000 airport security screeners in the nation's 419 commercial airports are non-citizens; about 80 percent of the 873 screeners at San Francisco International Airport are non citizens; in Los Angeles, estimates are 40 percent of the baggage screeners are non-citizens; the numbers are similar at San Jose and Oakland airports.

 

According to Senator Feinstein this legislation would ensure the continued employment of qualified airport security screeners. "I do not believe that all non-citizens can or should be able to meet the stringent requirements of the airport security legislation. But to the extent that those who are well-qualified and near citizenship can continue their employment while their naturalization applications are being adjudicated, it will be a great help to the many airports in which they are employed."

 

Vision Alignment:
Support for S. 1829 keeps the commitment to Realize the potential of our diverse population and supports goal (1) Our diverse population works well together to build strong communities, effective government and a prosperous economy.

 

Recommendation:
Attached for your consideration is a resolution in support of S. 1829 (Feinstein) Airport Security.

 

2.

State Budget Update

 

On Wednesday, January 30, 2002 the Legislature acted to cut nearly $2.2 billion in California's current year spending. These cuts include numerous local projects, including $200,000 to complete the North County homeless Shelter, $300,000 to construct the East Palo Alto YMCA, $200,000 for the Crystal Springs Trail Extension, $197,000 Coyote Point Park playground safety equipment and a take-back of $100,000 for the Sawyer Camp Trail water connection.

 

These reductions and the impending state budget crisis were discussed on Friday, January 25, 2002 at your annual Legislative Conference with participation of State Senators Byron Sher, Jackie Speier and Assemblyman Joe Simitian and 130 local government officials, non-profit partners, labor and representatives from the business community. Following a brief summary of the Governor's Proposed 2002-03 State Budget including $12.5 billion in proposed reductions, a dialogue was initiated between the delegation and those in attendance. The following is a summary of the 14 issues discussed during that exchange:

 
 

1.

Local crime laboratory funding should be continued for the 3 full years for a total of $90 million;

 

2.

Adequate funding to maintain services and operations should take priority to administrative costs;

 

3.

Government agencies should strengthen partnerships with non-profits and business community;

 

4.

Housing element credit for congregate housing;

 

5.

Return local property taxes to local agencies to meet local needs and priorities (ERAF);

 

6.

Equity adjustment to state child care eligibility requirements, term and family fees;

 

7.

Equity adjustment for library funding;

 

8.

Appreciate transportation assistance for local projects but also require operation assistance;

 

9.

Eliminate mandates that result in increased cost to local government operations;

 

10.

Request transportation funding for the Dumbarton Rail;

 

11.

Make the unemployment benefits increase (1/1) retroactive to more fairly coincide with the down turn in the economy;

 

12.

Examine immigration laws and regulations;

 

13.

Evaluate the impacts of the Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Air Act on transportation project funding in the Bay Area; and

 

14.

Vigilant monitoring state budget actions or "tricks" that could result in increased shifts to local governments in program responsibilities and costs or efforts to use new funds to supplant rather than supplement.

 

At the conclusion of this program, there was agreement to pursue these issues as a San Mateo County Legislative Agenda along with advocacy of local projects in Sacramento on Wednesday, May 22, 2002.

 

In part, the annual Legislative Conference provides an important educational forum to better inform the San Mateo County community to the shared roles, responsibilities and funding of public services by local, state and federal governments. This informative 2-hour session will be aired on PenTV Channel 26 on:

 
 

Friday, February 1 @ 3:00 p.m.
Monday, February 4 @ 10:00 p.m.
Monday, February 11 @ 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 14 @ 9:00 p.m.

 

I will continue to provide you the most current information on the critical state budget deliberations.

 

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