AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: March 24, 2026
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Mandy Jiang, Senior Management Analyst
Magdalena Davis, Community Outreach Manager
Subject: REPRESENTATION FOR THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS AT THE
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS
REGIONAL CONFERENCE & GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Attachments: None
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council designate Councilmember Mary Wells as the City of Beverly Hills’ voting delegate and Councilmember Friedman as the alternate voting delegate, at the Southern California Association of Governments Regional Conference & General Assembly Meeting on May 7-8, 2026.
INTRODUCTION
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization, representing six counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura), 191 cities and more than 19 million residents. Once a year, SCAG convenes the General Assembly to bring together the official representatives of SCAG’s membership to set the agency’s agenda for the coming year and to vote on resolutions and bylaws.
If approved by the City Council, then Councilmember Mary Wells will be the City’s voting delegate to the SCAG 2026 Regional Conference & General Assembly Meeting with Councilmember Lester Friedman as the alternate.
DISCUSSION
SCAG was formed on October 28, 1965, when local elected officials from 56 cities and five counties convened to begin regional planning for Southern California’s future. Over the past five decades, SCAG has grown to become the largest council of governments in the nation, functioning as the federally designated metropolitan planning organization.
Meeting Date: March 24, 2026
The City of Beverly Hills is a member of SCAG. Each year, SCAG invites member cities to participate in its premier event, the Regional Conference and General Assembly. This year, SCAG will host its annual Regional Conference and General Assembly at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA on May 7-8, 2026.
Per SCAG’s bylaws, notice must be submitted to the organization at least 30 days before the General Assembly designating the City’s voting and alternate voting delegates. Each member city is entitled to one vote in matters affecting municipal or SCAG policy. At the 2026 General Assembly, voting delegates will vote on the following items:
• Consideration of Proposed Amendments to the SCAG Bylaws • Adoption of the Fiscal Year 2026-27 General Fund Budget and Membership Assessment Schedule, and Authorization to the Executive Administration Committee to Make Administrative Amendments to the General Fund Budget • Ratification of 2026-27 Slate of Elected SCAG Officers • Approval of Minutes of the General Assembly – May 1, 2025 By approving this item tonight, the City would designate Councilmember Wells as the primary voting delegate and Councilmember Friedman as the alternate voting delegate.
FISCAL IMPACT
Hotel accommodations and registration is provided by SCAG for the voting delegate. Registration is free for City elected officials and the City Manager. All other associated travel costs are funded within the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 approved budget for Policy & Management, City Council and Administrative Support, training and travel budget.
Keith Sterling,
Deputy City Manager
Approved By