Business, Transportation Secretary Unveils New Developments, Focus for CA Infrastructure

Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary Brian Kelly outlines the Governor’s Reorganization Plan at the Chamber’s 2012 Legislative Summit. Photography courtesy of Michael J. Elderman.

Discussion focused on reforming the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and funding for more infrastructure projects as Chamber members exchanged ideas and priorities with Acting Secretary Brian Kelly of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency at the Chamber’s 2012 Legislative Summit. Secretary Kelly announced several expected changes to restructure economic development and transportation that will provide better, more effective services to Californians.

In a roundtable prior to the Summit, the Chamber urged the Secretary to push for greater reforms to CEQA’s environmental review process and expediting the delivery of critical infrastructure projects to the region. The discussion also centered on how to continue progress in transportation now that fewer funds exist from Proposition 1B, an approximately $20 billion bond approved by voters in 2006 that has greatly improved congestion relief, goods movement, air quality, and the safety and security of the transportation system.

After the roundtable, Chamber Chairman Brian Hawley of Luminex Software, Inc., stressed, “With Inland Southern California’s explosive population growth, the region needs more infrastructure. We are not just talking about more jobs through construction, but faster transportation corridors will mean greater opportunities for businesses to move goods, expand services, and reach new markets.”

Secretary Kelly stated in his address at the Summit that as of July 1, 2013, the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency will be broken down in specific agencies in order to focus the broad scope of its current objectives. In particular, the new California Transportation Agency, led by a cabinet-level secretary, has the potential to focus on and develop long-term solutions to the state’s funding shortfall for its transportation system. This shift is part of Governor Jerry Brown’s Reorganization Plan, which aims to streamline state governance and service delivery to California residents.

Secretary Kelly stated that the agency would refocus its activities towards the specific goals for transportation and infrastructure development rather than the myriad of responsibilities it currently has. Kelly noted, “We will focus on our areas of expertise and then be able to deliver projects faster and more efficiently.”

In addition, the Reorganization Plan proposes to relocate the California Small Business Development Centers, Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, the California Film Commission, the Office of Tourism and the Small Business Guarantee Loan Program from the Business, Transportation & Housing Agency into the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).