HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08181987 - S.2 TO'. ' BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Supervisor Torn Torl akson Contra
`Introduced August 11, 1987 for Board Action Costa
DATE: on .August 18, 1987 County
SUBJECT: ENFORCEMENT OF AUTOMOBILE REGISTRATION LAWS WU
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S ) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
a Request that the State Legislature, the CHP Commissioner,
and the California Highway Patrol institute a more vigorous and
aggressive enforcement program county-wide of California's automobile
registration. laws.
( 1) Send a letter to the CHP Commissioner requesting that
they consider conducting a pilot program in Contra Costa County of
intensified enforcement of automobile registration laws in terms of
out-of-state license plates and non-compliance with renewal
requirements.
( 2) a. Send a letter to Captain Ron Oliver, Commander for
Contra Costa County District of the California Highway Patrol,
requesting concentrated enforcement and recommending the assignment of
one additional full-time officer to this effort understanding that the
revenue generated through citations could possibly fund this position.
b. Initiate a program now of asking employers to
voluntarily comply with providing notification to out-of-state workers
and then to provide actual lists of such workers. Also, employers
could be asked to allow enforcement officers to enter construction
premises to pursue enforcement and tag non-complying autos.
(3) Send a letter to our county' s state legislators
requesting legislation to enable the CHP (and/or Sheriff) to impound
wages for registration compliance and smog certification compliance
and legislation to allow the Sheriff ' s Department (and city police) to
ticket and pursue compliance with the laws and also share in the
revenue generated by these citations.
r ( 4) Pursue legislation to exact greatly more severe
financial penalties for those who are violating these laws; and
.. particularly for those who ignore initial citations for compliance.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT; , YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON _ August 18, 1987 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER _
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE 90ARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: County Administrator ATTESTED
PHIL BATk7HELOR. CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
BY �.,,,I ,DEPUTY
M382:'7-83
August 18, 1987
Page TWO
• Solicit the cooperation of employers in providing lists
of new hires from out of state to the CHP (and/or the Sheriff) and
informing these employees formally (perhaps a notice attached to the
paycheck or enclosed with the paycheck) of California laws in this
regard. A standard letter could be developed which could be jointly
sent by the Board of Supervisors, California Highway Patrol and the
Sheriff to employers reported to have significant numbers of
out-of-state workers and requesting their full cooperation in bringing
about compliance of those workers. Refer to the County Administrator
to develop such a letter and coordinate with the Sheriff and Highway
Patrol.
• In addition, the extra enforcement staff efforts by the
CHP (and/or Sheriff) could and should include obtaining compliance of
California registered vehicles with renewal laws. Many "California"
drivers are also not paying their full share of taxes.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Many out-of-state workers are coming to our communities and
getting employment but are not complying with our state' s automobile
registration laws. I estimate the number of such non-complying
vehicles to now be many hundreds. The issues of public concern fall
into three categories here:
(A) The Board of Supervisor' s general concern about the
proliferation of out-of-state hiring, particularly in the construction
industry: This is displacing local workers thus contributing to
local unemployment plus loss of payroll expenditure and tax earnings
to our county. This trend is also resulting in service impact with
out-of-state workers who do not have adequate health benefits or who
subsequently become unemployed--who then seek welfare aid or become
part of the growing homeless population in our county.
(B) The issue of revenue: Non-compliance results in a
significant revenue loss to the county as well as ,to the CHP itself.
This is part of what I call the "freeloader syndrome" where
out-of-state workers are coming to our county for short term
employment, derive an income in our county, but do not contribute back
their "fair share" of tax revenue. A pilot program by the CHP could
do a lot immediately. Legislation is also needed that would allow the
Sheriff ' s deputies and city police officers to enforce vehicle
registration laws in terms of out-of-state license plates and provide
for a share of the revenues generated. It is my understanding that
the CHP is the only enforcement agency now enforcing out-of-state
vehicle registration laws. If these other enforcement agencies are
given a share of the revenues generated, it could provide the revenue
to fund whater staff is involved.
(C) The issue of air pollution: When vehicle registration
laws are ignored, smog checks are also ignored allowing vehicles that
are not checked for smog controls to contribute to our pollution
problems.
TT:gro
cc: Captain Ron Oliver, California Highway Patrol
Sheriff Richard Rainey
Lt. Hunt, California Highway Patrol
Lt. Snell, Sheriff' s Department