BART Board to consider changes to committee system at a later meeting

The public would get improved information about meetings of BART special committees under changes to the committee system that were discussed by the BART Board of Directors at its June 9, 2011, meeting. The Board agreed it needed more information on the proposed changes and said the issue would be put on the agenda for a later meeting.

Currently there are 22 special committees, on topics ranging from sustainability to automatic fare collection to high-speed rail. There are also three Standing Committees under Board rules: Administration; Engineering and Operations; and Planning, Public Affairs, Access and Legislation. The Board is looking at ways to pare down the number of special committees, as well as changing how special committees tell the public about their work.  It has been proposed that meetings of any special committees be noticed consistent with the Brown Act, the 1953 state open meetings law. Notice for full Board and standing committee meetings is provided in the Board of Directors section of the BART website (www.bart.gov/board). 

More detail on the proposal that was discussed is available in the Board agenda packet (.pdf) for the meeting on Thursday, June 9, 2011.

Updated from story originally posted on June 7, 2011