ABAG Governance
Formed by a Joint Powers Authority in 1961, ABAG is a voluntary membership and advisory organization with limited statutory authority. The agency is governed by a General Assembly and Executive Board with standing and interagency committees. An elected official from each of the nine counties and 101 member cities and towns serves as a delegate to its General Assembly, which determines policy annually, adopts the annual budget and work program, and reviews the policy actions of ABAG's Executive Board. ABAG convenes its General Assembly once every year in April. Conference attendees include Bay Area elected officials, civic and business leaders, and researchers from leading academic institutions to identify and address land use planning, sustainability, and other policy issues that impact the entire region. The 38-member Executive Board meets bimonthly to make operating decisions, appoint committee members, authorize expenditures, and recommend policy.
ABAG Meetings and Agendas
All meetings are open to the public. Upcoming meeting agendas and past minutes are posted at
http://abag.ca.gov/meetings. Videos of some ABAG meetings
are available at http://regional-video.com/.
Executive Board
The Executive Board usually meets the third Thursday of every other month. Of the 38 voting memberships on the Executive Board, 35 are appointed to reflect the population size of each Bay Area county. The president, vice president, and immediate past president also serve as voting members of the Executive Board. Advisory, non-voting members representing state or federal agencies may be invited to serve at the pleasure of the Executive Board. County representatives are selected by their boards of supervisors. City representatives are appointed by the mayors of member cities in each county. (Those officials representing the City of Oakland and the City of San Jose are appointed by their respective councils; the City of San Francisco representative is appointed by the mayor.) Each of these appointing authorities may appoint alternates to the members selected.
Standing Committees
Administrative Committee
The Administrative Committee acts for the Executive Board in a month when the Board does not meet or in an emergency when a quorum of the Board cannot be convened. It also studies and submits reports and recommendations to the Executive Board on such matters as may be assigned by the Board.
Finance & Personnel Committee
The focus area of this committee includes the proposed annual budget prepared by the Executive Director; annual audit of financial affairs for the Association; financial and budgetary status of the Association and reports to the General Assembly. The committee also advises on personnel rules and regulations; salary and benefits plans; and diversity and business opportunity reports. In addition, the Finance & Personnel Committee serves as Board of Directors for ABAG, Inc. and ABAG Finance Corp. and manages other matters assigned by the Executive Board, including litigation; and investigations related to complaints against Board Appointed Executives.
Legislation & Governmental Organization Committee (L&GO)
The L&GO provides to the Executive Board recommendations for ABAG's legislative program; studies proposals affecting regional organization; advises on proposed amendments to the Association's Bylaws; provides recommendations for Association policy on regional, state and national issues, and handles other matters as assigned by the Executive Board.
Regional Planning Committee (RPC)
Provides oversight to the Executive Board on matters related to the preparation and implementation of the Regional Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area. Components of the plan include environmental management, housing, and infrastructure planning. The RPC receives input on special plans and reports from planning task forces or other regional agencies, and advises on comprehensive planning policies and procedures, along with other matters as assigned by the Executive Board.
All Committees
For a full listing of the standing committee membership and other ABAG committees click here (PDF)
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