Chapter 3.14
SCAQMD AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND1
Sections:
3.14.040 Administration of vehicle registration fee.
3.14.010 Findings.
The city of Aliso Viejo hereby finds and declares that:
A. The city is committed to improving the public health, safety and welfare, including air quality;
B. Mobile sources are a major contributor to air pollution in the South Coast Air Basin;
C. Air quality goals for the region established by state law cannot be met without reducing air pollution from mobile sources;
D. The South Coast Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) calls upon cities and counties to reduce emissions from motor vehicles consistent with the requirements of the California Clean Air Act of 1988 by developing and implementing mobile source air pollution reduction programs;
E. Such programs place demands upon the city’s funds; those programs should be financed by shifting the responsibility for financing from the general fund to the motor vehicles creating the demand, to the greatest extent possible;
F. California Health and Safety Code Section 44223, added by action of the California Legislature on September 30, 1990 (Chapter 90-1705), authorizes the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to impose an additional motor vehicle registration fee of $2.00, commencing April 1, 1991, increasing to $4.00, commencing April 1, 1992, to finance the implementation of transportation measures embodied in the AQMP and provisions of the California Clean Air Act;
G. Forty cents of every dollar collected under California Health and Safety Code Section 44223 shall be distributed to cities and counties located in the South Coast Air Quality Management District that comply with California Health and Safety Code Section 44223, based on the jurisdictions’ prorated share of population as defined by the State Department of Finance;
H. The city is located within the South Coast Air Quality Management District and is eligible to receive a portion of the revenues from the additional motor vehicle registration fees contingent upon adoption of this chapter;
I. The prorated share of the fee revenues for cities that fail to adopt an ordinance pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 44243(b)(3) shall be distributed instead to the jurisdictions within the district that have adopted an ordinance;
J. The city, after careful consideration, hereby finds and declares that the imposition of the additional motor vehicle registration fee by the SCAQMD to finance mobile source air pollution reduction programs is in the best interest of the city and promotes the general welfare of its residents. [Ord. 2010-126 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 2001-020 § 1].
3.14.020 Intent.
This chapter is intended to support the SCAQMD’s imposition of the vehicle registration fee and to bring the city into compliance with the requirements set forth in California Health and Safety Code Section 44243 in order to receive fee revenues for the purpose of implementing programs to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles. [Ord. 2010-126 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 2001-020 § 2].
3.14.030 Definitions.
As applied in this chapter, the following words and terms shall be defined as follows:
“City” shall mean the city of Aliso Viejo.
“Fee administrator” shall mean the finance director of the city or his/her designee.
“Mobile source air pollution reduction programs” shall mean any program or project implemented by the city to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles which it determines will be consistent with the California Clean Air Act of 1988 or the plan proposed pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Division 26, Part 3, Chapter 5.5, Article 5 (Section 40460 et seq.). [Ord. 2010-126 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 2001-020 § 3].
Cross-reference: definitions generally, AVMC 1.02.010.
3.14.040 Administration of vehicle registration fee.
A. Receipt of Fee. The additional vehicle registration fee disbursed by the SCAQMD and remitted to the city, pursuant to this chapter, shall be accepted by the fee administrator.
B. Establishment of Air Quality Improvement Trust Fund. The fee administrator shall establish a separate interest-bearing fund account.
C. Transfer of Funds. Upon receipt of vehicle registration fees, the fee administrator shall deposit such funds into the separate account established pursuant to subsection (B) of this section. All interest earned by the trust fund account shall be credited only to that account.
D. Expenditure of Air Quality Trust Fund Revenues. All revenues received from the SCAQMD and deposited in the trust fund account shall be exclusively expended on mobile source emission reduction programs as defined in AVMC 3.14.030. Such revenues and any interest earned on the revenues shall be expended within one year of the completion of the programs.
E. Audits. The city consents to an audit of all programs and projects funded by vehicle registration fee revenues received from the SCAQMD pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 44223. The audit shall be conducted by an independent auditor selected by the SCAQMD as provided in California Health and Safety Code Sections 44244 and 44244.1(a). [Ord. 2010-126 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 2001-020 § 4].
Cross-references: health and safety, AVMC Title 7; vehicles and traffic, AVMC Title 9.