The Report of the California Performance Review, released in August 2004, makes a number of sweeping recommendations that would affect the state’s seismic safety apparatus. Many existing boards and commissions would be reconstituted under new departments (such as Infrastructure, Natural Resources, or Commerce and Consumer Protection). Others would be eliminated or significantly scaled down. Among the affected bodies are (use the CPR website to search for details):

·         The Seismic Safety Commission

·         The Building Standards Commission (which adopts building codes)

·         The State Allocation Board (which affects school construction)

·         Architects Board

·         Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

·         Contractors State Licensing Board

·         Board of Geologists and Geophysicists

·         Historical Resources Commission

·         Etc.

At its August meeting, the EERI-NC Board of Directors approved the following resolution regarding proposed changes to the Seismic Safety Commission:

The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s Northern California Chapter supports the continuation of an independent panel of earthquake-safety experts whose role is to advise the governor and legislature on earthquake-related policy issues.

Chapter members Tom Tobin (lttobin@aol.com) and Arrietta Chakos (arrietta@sbcglobal.net) have volunteered to track this proposal. Their plan is given in the table below. Interested members should contact them directly with comments or questions.

Hearings on the CPR are being held through out the state (see http://cpr.ca.gov/ for a schedule). The actions of EERI-NC members can make a difference if they act before the legislature takes up the matter in the new year.