Complaints nationally and locally about accidents and near-accidents caused by drivers distracted by cell phone calls or texting led the City Council to create a Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee on Distracted Driving Prevention.  The committee's goals are to plan a coordinated campaign to raise awareness of the issue and to create a City ordinance complimenting the campaign that would include possible penalties and recommendations on enforcement methods. 

BMCC Sec. 2-224 provides that the Mayor appoint the 12 committee members with the consent of the Council.  A complete list of those nominated will be included in the Friday packet of Feb. 19, 2010.  The original resolution called for the ad-hoc committee to report its findings in March.  Because the committee is starting later than planned, it is also requested that the Council extend the deadline for the committee to report to May 24, 2010.

The Mayor and Council may:

• Approve the nominated committee members and extend the deadline for the committee to report; 
• Seek other committee members; or
• change the date for the committee to report.

There is no immediate financial impact from appointing the committee, but there may be additional enforcement costs and revenue for putting a new distracted driving ordinance into effect.

Staff recommends approving the committee members and extending the committee's reporting deadline to May 24, 2010.