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Chairman Linda W. Cropp at the request of the
Mayor A BILL IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Chairman Linda W. Cropp, at the request of the Mayor, introduced the following bill, which was referred to the Committee on Economic Development. To authorize the establishment of the Chesapeake Regional Olympic Games Authority as a joint mechanism of Virginia, Maryland (including Baltimore) and the District of Columbia to be activated only if the region is awarded the 2012 Olympic Games and to delineate the United States Olympic Committee and International Olympic Committee required jurisdictional commitments to be carried out, individually and collectively, by Maryland, Baltimore, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, when and if the region is awarded the 2012 Olympic Games. BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Chesapeake Regional Olympic Games Authority Act of 2001 ". Sec. 2. Findings. (a) The Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, the District of Columbia, and the City of Baltimore, hereinafter "Signatories," hereby enter into an agreement, as set forth below, for the purpose of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games. (b) For some time now, the State of Maryland (including the City of Baltimore), the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Virginia -- through the nonprofit organization known as the Washington/Baltimore Regional 2012 Coalition (WBRC 2012) -- have been actively engaged in national competition to win the U.S. Candidate City designation and, subsequently, the Host City designation and the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games. (c) Hosting the Olympic Games will provide several major, lasting, and unique benefits for all of the citizens of the Chesapeake region, including:
(d) Independent economic studies show that preparing for and hosting the Olympic Games will have a positive economic impact on the region, including:
(e) The citizens of the region have responded positively to WBRC 2012's efforts and solidly embraced the cause to host the Olympic Games, expressed in part by the endorsement of scores of local business, civic, governmental, academic, and amateur sports organizations, and by survey results that show:
(f) Through the submission of the region's official bid proposal to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) on December 15, 2000, WBRC 2012 reached a milestone in the process of capturing the Olympic Games by providing a 631-page logistical, operational, and financial blueprint for hosting the 2012 Games. (g) The bid proposal highlights the great venues and vistas found in our region and is developed around key principles, including:
(h) In addition to the region's bid proposal, the USOC and the International Olympic Committee ("IOC") require certain government guarantees and commitments in conjunction with hosting the 2012 Olympic Games, should our region win the U.S. Candidate City designation. (i) Our unique regional approach to winning the right to host the Olympic Games creates the added complication of determining which entities will provide the necessary guarantees. (j) It is incumbent upon WBRC 2012 and government leaders to move forward together now to craft the solution that best "lives regionalism" and maximizes the region's chances of winning the 2012 Olympic Games, and reaping the many benefits that come with this honor. (k) Given that all four jurisdictions -- Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Baltimore -- will host a significant number of events and reap substantial benefits, the most effective solution for all four jurisdictions is to enter into a single agreement that gives the USOC (and subsequently the IOC) a single focal point and a united front that reflects the regional nature of our bid. Sec. 3. Purpose. The purpose of this act is to create a Regional Authority to oversee the conduct of the 2012 Olympic Games, coordinated and managed by the local Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games ("OCOG"), and to assure that the region's guarantees and commitments accepted in conjunction with hosting the Olympic Games are fulfilled. Sec. 4. Definitions. For the purposes of this act, the term: (1) "United States Olympic Committee" and "USOC" shall mean the United States Olympic Committee, incorporated by Act of Congress on September 21, 1950, and having perpetual succession; (2) "International Olympic Committee" and "IOC" shall mean the International Olympic Committee, a body corporate under international law created by the Congress of Paris of 23rd June, 1894, and having perpetual succession; (3) "Olympic Games" shall mean any Olympic Games sponsored and governed by the International Olympic Committee and any other educational, cultural, athletic, or sporting events related or preliminary thereto; (4) "Bid Proposal" shall mean the bid formally submitted by WBRC 2012 to the USOC on December 15, 2000; (5) "U.S. Candidate City" shall mean the entity that has received the United States Olympic Committee's endorsement to submit to the IOC the sole bid from the United States for the hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games; (6) "Host City" shall mean the entity that has been selected by the International Olympic Committee to host the 2012 Olympic Games; (7) "WBRC 2012" shall mean Washington/Baltimore Regional 2012 Coalition, a not for-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Maryland, and its successors; and (8) "Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games," and "OCOG" shall mean the Committee formed by WBRC 2012 to organize and conduct the Olympic Games, if WBRC 2012 is selected by the IOC as the Host City in 2005. Sec. 5. Creation of the Regional Authority. The Signatories hereby provide the mechanism for the creation and termination of the Chesapeake Regional Olympic Games Authority, hereinafter "Regional Authority," which shall be an instrumentality of the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, and the City of Baltimore, and shall have the powers and duties set forth herein, and those additional powers and duties conferred upon it by subsequent actions of the signatories: (a) The Regional Authority shall come into existence by the force of this act when and if, and only if, the IOC awards the 2012 Olympic Games in year 2005 to WBRC 2012, as the U.S. Candidate City and the official representative of the Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, Baltimore region; (b) The Regional Authority shall, if ever brought into existence, cease to exist by the force of this act on January 1, 2014, unless extended by substantially similar future legislation passed by each of the Signatories; and (c) Until such time as the Regional Authority may be triggered into existence, the combined signatures of the Governors of Virginia and Maryland, and the Mayors of the District of Columbia and Baltimore, on any and all documents necessary and appropriate to the pursuit of the 2012 Olympic Games shall be deemed binding on future actions of the Regional Authority. For the purposes of this subsection:
Sec. 6. Regional Authority Composition; Terms of Service; Order of Business; Accounting; Advisory Committee. (a) The Regional Authority shall be composed of 11 Voting Members, as follows:
(b) Reasonable efforts shall be made to ensure that appointments of Voting Members and Advisory Members appointed under subsection (g) of this section:
(c) Voting Members shall not be financially compensated for their service on the Regional Authority; such service shall be considered voluntary. Voting Members may be reimbursed by the Regional Authority for normal and customary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. (d) The terms of the Voting Members of the Regional Authority shall be as follows:
(e) The Regional Authority shall hold meetings in accordance with the following:
(2) Special meetings of the Regional Authority may be called by resolution of the authority, by the chairman or vice chairman, or upon the written request of at least three Voting Members of the Regional Authority; (3) Written notice of all meetings shall be delivered to each Voting Member, not less than three days prior to the date of such meeting in the case of regular meetings and not less than twenty-four hours in the case of special meetings;
(6) The Regional Authority shall establish rules and regulations for its own governance, not inconsistent with this act. (f) The Regional Authority shall:
(g) The Regional Authority shall form a Regional Authority Advisory Committee, which shall be comprised of representatives ("Advisory Members") from each of the local jurisdictions substantially impacted by hosting the Olympic Games in the region, in a manner to be determined by the Regional Authority. Sec. 7. Compliance with Local Law. The Regional Authority shall make every effort to comply with the local laws of each of the Signatories to this act, regarding disclosure, appointment, and open meetings. Sec. 8. Funding of the Regional Authority. (a) The OCOG will provide reasonable funds for the operation of the Regional Authority and the conduct of its business in accordance with the provisions of this act. (b) For the purposes of this section, payment of any insurance premiums incurred by the Regional Authority under the authority granted to it by section 9 shall not be considered operations funds referred to in subsection (a) of this section. The OCOG shall pay only such insurance premiums as are reasonable. (c) The OCOG shall not be responsible for any financial liability that the Regional Authority may incur under section 9. (d) The Regional Authority shall submit to the OCOG a planned budget for the Regional Authority's next fiscal year, adopted consistent with section 6(d)(2), no less than 90 days before the beginning of the next fiscal year. Sec. 9. Regional Authority Oversight of the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games; Additional Powers. (a) The Regional Authority, in recognition of its oversight responsibility over the OCOG, shall have access to:
(b) The Regional Authority shall have the power to enforce OCOG budgetary and planning changes when:
(c) The Regional Authority, in recognition of its duties as overseer of the OCOG, shall:
(d) The Regional Authority, in its financial oversight and safeguard role, shall ensure:
(e) The Regional Authority, in order to facilitate its oversight responsibility over the OCOG, shall have the additional powers:
Sec. 10. Indemnification. (a) Any liability incurred by the Regional Authority, not covered by insurance under section 9(c)(4)(C), shall be further indemnified by the Signatories of this act, in proportion to the 35 relative economic benefit currently expected to accrue to each Signatory from hosting the 36 Olympic Games, as follows:
(b) Each of the signatories to this act may provide for its share of any possible liability in any manner it may choose, as befits each signatory's independent commitment. Sec. 11. Commitments of Signatories. (a) As appropriate to its individual jurisdiction and specific role in hosting the 2012 45 Olympic Games, each Signatory agrees to:
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, any financial obligation or liability that the District of Columbia may incur by virtue of this act is subject to the availability of appropriations authorized by Congress at the time the obligation or liability is created. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, any provision of this act that grants the Regional Authority any authority, power, duty or function that conflicts with the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973, Pub. L. 93-198, including, without limitation, sections 6, 8, and 9, shall be approved by Congress prior to the exercise of that authority, power, duty or function by the Regional Authority. Sec. 12. Effective Date. (a) This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of a veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), approval by the Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority as provided in section 203 (a) of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995, approved April 17, 1995 (109 Stat. 116; D.C. Code § 47-392.3(a)), a 30-day period of Congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Code § 1-233(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Resister; or (b) Enactment of substantially similar legislation by each of the Signatories, whichever last occurs. |
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