Earthquake Safety Program Citizens' Oversight Committee
Citizens' Oversight Committee Overview
On November 2, 2004 Bay Area voters passed Regional Measure AA, which authorized BART to issue bonds for $980 million to make earthquake safety improvements to BART facilities in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties. The measure also required BART to establish a Citizens' Oversight Committee (COC) to verify that bond revenues are spent as promised.
The COC is comprised of five members selected from citizens of BART's districts. COC members may not be elected officials or BART employees or officials. The COC shall be comprised as follows:
- One member shall have expertise in seismic retrofitting.
- One member shall have expertise in auditing.
- One member shall have expertise in engineering.
- One member shall have expertise in public financing or project management.
- One member shall represent the community at large.
The duties and responsibilities of the COC are to:
- Review scheduling and budgeting of projects to be funded by the bond measure.
- Confirm that work is completed and bond funds are expended in accordance with the bond measure.
- Inform the public concerning the expenditure of bond revenues.
Members will serve a two-year term, without compensation.
Contact the Citizens' Oversight Committee
You may contact members of the Citizens' Oversight Committee via email at [email protected] or by phone at (510) 874-7478.
Citizens' Oversight Committee Meeting Agendas and Minutes
2021-2023 COC Agendas
December 7, 2022
May 18, 2022
January 19, 2022
July 21, 2021
January 13, 2021
2019-2021 COC Agendas
July 21, 2021
January 13, 2021
October 21, 2020
June 17, 2020
March 11, 2020
September 18, 2019
June 19, 2019
February 27, 2019
2019-2021 COC Minutes
July 21, 2021
January 13, 2021
October 21, 2020
June 17, 2020
March 11, 2020
November 20, 2019
September 18, 2019
June 19, 2019
February 27, 2019
2017-2018 COC Agendas
November 7, 2018
October 3, 2018
July 25, 2018
April 25, 2018
January 10, 2018
August 23, 2017
May 17, 2017
2017-2018 COC Minutes
November 7, 2018
October 3, 2018
July 25, 2018
April 25, 2018
January 10, 2018
August 23, 2017
May 17, 2017
2015-2017 COC Agendas
February 8, 2017
November 9, 2016
April 28, 2016
January 21, 2016
September 3, 2015
May 6, 2015
2015-2017 Minutes
February 8, 2017
November 9, 2016
April 28, 2016
January 21, 2016
September 3, 2015
May 6, 2015
2013-2015 COC Agendas
November 13, 2014
August 5, 2014
May 6, 2014
February 4, 2014
December 3, 2013
August 6, 2013
May 7, 2013
April 23, 2013
February 26, 2013
2013-2015 COC Minutes
November 13, 2014
August 5, 2014
May 6, 2014
February 4, 2014
December 3, 2013
August 6, 2013
May 7, 2013
February 26, 2013
2010-2012 COC Agendas
October 25, 2011
April 19, 2011
December 21, 2010
2010-2012 COC Minutes
October 25, 2011
April 19, 2011
December 21, 2010
2008-2010 COC Agendas
January 20, 2010
October 13, 2009
July 14, 2009
April 7, 2009
January 6, 2009
October 14, 2008
July 1, 2008
April 1, 2008
2008-2010 COC Minutes
January 20, 2010
October 13, 2009
July 14, 2009
April 7, 2009
January 6, 2009
October 14, 2008
July 1, 2008
April 1, 2008
2006-2008 COC Agendas
September 13, 2007
February 15, 2007
June 8, 2006
April 27, 2006
2006-2008 COC Minutes
September 13, 2007
February 15, 2007
June 8, 2006
April 27, 2006
The Citizens' Oversight Committee provided a report to the BART Board of Directors on:
Members
Clinton J. Loftman, Member, Auditing Expertise Seat 
Clinton Loftman holds the Auditing Expertise seat on the 2019-2021 BART Earthquake Safety Program Citizens’ Oversight Committee. Mr. Loftman has over 20 years of experience in real estate development, urban planning, community and economic development, and finance in the public and private sectors. He is currently a Development Program Manager for the Oakland Housing Authority, where he has financed and developed award-winning affordable residential and mixed-use real estate development projects.
He has been active in the Bay Area community including, among others, serving as charter member on the TreasureIsland Restoration Advisory Board, on the Boards of Directors of The Development Fund and San Francisco Beautiful, and as a judge for Stanford University’s Social Entrepreneurs Challenge Competitions.
Mr. Loftman has an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a Certificate in Urban Design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and a BA from Williams College.
Derek Schaible, Member, Seismic Retrofitting Expertise Seat 
Derek Schaible holds the Seismic Retrofitting Expertise seat on the 2019-2021 BART Earthquake Safety Program Citizens’ Oversight Committee.
Eric Tandy,Member, Engineering Expertise Seat
Eric Tandy holds the Engineering Expertise seat on the 2019-2021 BART Earthquake Safety Program Citizens’ Oversight Committee.
Sang Bak Lee, Member, Public Finance/Project Management Expertise Seat
Sang Bak Lee holds the Project Management Expertise seat on the 2019-2021 BART Earthquake Safety Program Citizens’ Oversight Committee. He is currently the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lee Intelligence Network Associates (LINA). LINA provides project and construction management consulting services to major engineering and construction companies with regional activity in North America, Asia and the Middle East. Their major clients include Bechtel Corporation in addition to other major engineering and construction firms. Prior to founding LINA, Mr. Lee was the Principal Vice President serving as Country Manager for Bechtel International in Korea. He also has 27 years of engineering and construction experience with Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco, 10 years with Hyundai Construction in Seoul, Korea, and 7 years with LINA in Orinda.
Karen Varnado, Member, Community At-Large Seat
Karen Varnado holds the Community At-Large seat on the 2019-2021 BART Earthquake Safety Program Citizens’ Oversight Committee. She is an entrepreneur who has taken risk and converted new ideas into market innovations. Created multiple new businesses, acquiring the resources, developing product, and seizing market opportunities. Ms. Varnado has an excellent track record in planning, organizing and innovating new services, products and business structures.
Ms. Varnado spent 20 years in Silicon Valley in global executive management positions where she honed her cross-industry expertise in consulting, sales, and business development. She served as Senior Vice President, Sales and Business Development for Zelerate Inc., an open source applications company where she helped take the company to a position of prominence in the e-commerce industry. Ms. Varnado was recruited by a Venture Capital firm to join Extensity, a start-up that had a successful IPO. She was also recruited by Oracle. During her eight and a half year tenure at Oracle, Ms. Varnado held various consulting, sales, and business development positions. As a director of Global Alliances, she built and managed worldwide partnerships, strategic business development efforts and sales and marketing programs, including Apple where she crafted and executed Oracle’s first retail agreement. Under her direction Oracle’s Intel platform revenues grew from $25 million to $250 million annually.
Ms. Varnado holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio.