MINUTES
Board of Directors of the
Clean Power Alliance of Southern California
Regular Meeting
Thursday, March 6, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
Meeting videos are available on CPA's YouTube Channel.
http://www.youtube.com/@CPApublicmeetings
Board members participated from the following locations:
Calabasas City Hall
Council Conference Room
100 Civic Center Way
Calabasas, CA 91301
Clean Power Alliance
Diana Mahmud Board Room
801 S. Grand Ave., Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Whittier City Hall
Admin Conference Room
13230 Penn Street
Whittier, CA 90602
Ventura County Government Center
Point Mugu Conference Room, 4th Floor
Hall of Administration
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA 93009
South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Conference Room
2355 Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 125
Torrance, CA 90501
CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
Chair Klein Lopez called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. and Gabriela Monzon, Clerk of the Board, conducted roll call.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Director Mahmud led the Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call
1 Agoura Hills Deborah Klein Lopez Chair Present
2 Alhambra Jeff Maloney Director Present
3 Arcadia Absent
4 Beverly Hills Julian Gold Alternate Present
5 Calabasas Ed Albrecht Director Remote
6 Camarillo Tony Trembley Alternate Remote
7 Carson Cedric Hicks Director Remote
8 Claremont Corey Calaycay Director Present
9 Culver City Yasmine-Imani McMorrin Director Present
10 Downey Absent
11 Hawaiian Gardens Absent
12 Hawthorne Alex Monteiro Director Present
13 Hermosa Beach Raymond Jackson Director Remote
14 Los Angeles County Absent
15 Malibu Marianne Riggins Director Remote
16 Manhattan Beach David Lesser Director Remote
17 Monrovia Edward Belden Director Present
18 Moorpark Chris Barrett Director Remote
19 Ojai Michelle Ellison Alternate Present
20 Oxnard Bert Perello Director Remote
21 Paramount Michelle Muller Alternate Remote
22 Port Hueneme Laura Hernandez Director Present
23 Redondo Beach Absent
24 Rolling Hills Estates Debby Stegura Director Remote
25 Santa Monica Absent
26 Santa Paula Jenny Crosswhite Director Present
27 Sierra Madre Robert Parkhurst Director Present
28 Simi Valley Rocky Rhodes Director Present
29 South Pasadena Diana Mahmud Alternate Present
30 Temple City Ed Chen Director Present
31 Thousand Oaks Absent
32 City of Ventura Absent
33 Ventura County Vianey Lopez Vice Chair Present
34 West Hollywood John Erickson Director Present
35 Westlake Village Ray Pearl Director Remote
36 Whittier Mary Ann Pacheco Director Remote
All votes are unanimous unless otherwise stated.
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approve Minutes from the February 6, 2025, Board of Directors Meeting
2. Adopt Resolution No. 25-03-081 to Approve CPA’s Government Claims Procedure Policy No. 2025-19
3. Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Mellady Direct Marketing for Printing and Mailing Services for a Total Not-To-Exceed (”NTE”) Amount of $1,000,000 Per Contract Year for a One-Year Term, with an Option to Extend for Two Successive One (1) Year Terms for a Maximum Of Two Additional Years for a Total NTE Amount of $3,000,000
4. Approve Energized Communities Innovation Fund Recipients - (i) Carson, (ii) Culver City, (iii) Oxnard, (iv) Santa Monica, (v) West Hollywood – and Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to Execute Participation Agreements with the Selected Member Agencies for a Total of $1,000,000 to Implement the Proposed Innovation Fund Projects
5. Receive and File Quarterly Financial Report
6. Receive and File Quarterly Risk Management Team Report
7. Receive and File Quarterly Member Agency Programs Report
8. Receive and File Monthly Bill Positions Report
9. Receive and File Monthly Community Advisory Committee Report Motion: Director Hicks, Carson
Second: Director Rhodes, Simi Valley
Vote: The consent agenda was approved by roll call vote.
REGULAR AGENDA
Action Items
10. Receive a Presentation on Board Stipends and Direct Staff to either:
Option 1: Bring an amendment to the “CPA Reimbursements for Board of Directors” policy for Board consideration to implement the provision of stipends for Board Directors and/or the Community Advisory Committee beginning in July 2025; or,
Option 2: Suspend consideration of the provision of stipends for Board Directors and/or the Community Advisory Committee until a later date.
Ted Bardacke, Chief Executive Officer, reported that the Executive Committee recommended that the full Board decide whether staff should amend the “CPA Reimbursements for Board of Directors” policy to implement the provision of stipends for Board Directors and/or the Community Advisory Committee beginning July 2025 or suspend consideration of stipends to a future date.
The Board was asked to express their support or opposition to stipends and to discuss related issues such as eligibility, which meetings would receive compensation, and the amount to be paid. Executive Committee members generally supported Board members receiving a stipend, with the proviso that Board members could opt out of receiving a stipend. The Committee also supported stipends being paid for Board and Committee meetings and that the low to middle range of the proposed level of stipend be considered. Mr. Bardacke presented a range of low, medium, and high fiscal impacts to the budget. The cost ranged from $40,000 a year to $215,000 a year.
Director Rhodes initiated the discussion by asking the Board to explain the problem we are trying to solve by spending more money. He noted that he needed clarity on this matter. Chair Klein Lopez asked Director Erickson to explain his reasons for initiating the stipend proposal. Director Erickson stated that member agency representatives should be paid to participate in meetings, review agenda packets, and travel time; all these efforts take time away from paying jobs and noted that CPA is a growing organization, and paying stipends is a matter of equity. He expressed confidence in staff to provide reasonable stipend rate options. Director Ellison expressed support and noted that some City Council members in her county are unhoused and could benefit from a stipend.
Director Calaycay opposed the proposal as one negative potential outcome would be City Council members competing for appointments that pay stipends, focusing on money rather than service. Director Calaycay also pointed out several issues that can occur if stipends contain automatic or annual adjusters. Director McMorrin supported the stipend proposal, stating the issue is one of equity and expressed that people should be paid for their work, noting that Directors who don’t need the money can opt-out. Director Maloney expressed support for stipends at the lower end of the scale for Board and Committee meetings but not for events. Directors Jackson, Stegura, and Lesser supported stipends with an opt-out clause.
Director Mahmud stated that South Pasadena supported $100 compensation for Board meetings for both directors and their alternates but not for committee meetings. The Community Advisory Committee should get a stipend, but public agency staff should not. Director Barrett stated his agreement with Director Mahmud’s opinions.
Director Gold supported the proposal to offer stipends, saying that the overall impact on the budget was sustainable, and that people should be compensated for the time they give to CPA. He also suggested the policy should include a definition of attendance, especially related to remote participation, and that CPA should publicize the new policy for transparency.
Director Trembley expressed support for board members' alternates to get a stipend but that the Executive Committee should decide whether members of the CAC get paid. The range should be $125 to $150, with a limit of two meetings per month and no pay for attending events, and no pay for agency staff. Director Perello supported a stipend, but not one greater than pay for a day’s work. He also noted that some City Council members get paid for their positions, and others do not. He supported opt-out and a limit on the number of meetings compensated.
Director Monteiro expressed his support for a mid-range stipend for all Board members and committees. However, he clarified that he favored a monthly stipend of $150, regardless of how many meetings the director attended. He also supported an opt-out clause and for CPA to issue a media release.
Director Pacheco stated she could vote either way, and that if stipends were paid it should be at the low end of the range. Staff clarified for her that Board members can get mileage reimbursement for travel to Board meetings. Director Albrecht expressed his support for stipends, noting that CPA Board members read large packets to prepare for meetings and travel to a meeting site. He added that staff could develop an option with an automatic cost-of-living increase. Director Belden suggested that staff find out how much utility companies pay their board members.
Chair Klein Lopez expressed support for stipends because preparing for CPA meetings takes time, and the cost does not have a large fiscal impact upon CPA.
She also acknowledged there are current and future member agency representatives, not in the room, who would benefit from a modest stipend.
Motion: Director Erickson, West Hollywood, for Option 1 Second: Director Mahmud, South Pasadena, for Option 1
Vote: Item 10 was approved by a roll call vote. Directors Calaycay and Rhodes voted No. Director Pacheco abstained.
Information Item
11. Receive Communications & Marketing Quarterly Update and 2025 Look Ahead Presentation
Cara Rene, Director of Communications and Marketing, shared details about CPA’s interactive webpage coming this summer, the 2024 Annual Impact Report, and results of the annual brand tracker survey. Ms. Rene highlighted enhanced engagement and communication ideas for 2025 to elevate CPA’s impacts and benefits to California. CPA aims to strengthen communications and marketing and enhance customers' understanding of clean energy.
A new brand campaign, “Change is Electric. Together We Power Potential,” will launch in the second quarter of 2025. It focuses on community, resiliency, and customer choice, boosting CPA's awareness, community impact, customer trust, and CPA’s position as a partner in making Southern California cleaner and more sustainable. Initiatives include a column by CEO Ted Bardacke, video storytelling, regional and national speaking engagements, and building relationships with local and national news media.
Director Belden recommended that the storytelling graphics feature dollar signs or other clear illustrations depicting customer savings. Director Monteiro expressed excitement over CPA’s look ahead presentation and staff’s upcoming attendance at the City of Hawthorne’s Earth Day celebration in April.
Director Mahmud suggested three-minute videos that can be shared during City Council meetings, encouraged outreach on LAist, and cautioned staff about using images of palm trees as they may evoke an adverse reaction after the recent wildfires. Director Parkhurst agreed with the palm tree imagery and congratulated staff for raising public awareness about CPA in Los Angeles County. He also encouraged staff to attend city council meetings and present in person. Director Perello also agreed about the palm tree imagery.
Director McMorrin encouraged the use of diverse images representing people of color and urban communities while also targeting new and emerging social media platforms like Bluesky. Director Lesser inquired how national politics regarding clean energy may be influencing CPA’s messaging, and staff responded that the brand campaigns and program marketing emphasize personal commitment to clean energy and acting at the local level as part of a network of communities that believe in the mission. Also, the CEO’s column will address larger-scale issues.
COMMITTEE CHAIR UPDATES
Director Hicks, Chair of the Legislative & Regulatory Committee, reported that the committee did not meet in February and extended an invitation to the committee’s next meeting on March 26, 2025.
Director Zuckerman, a member of the Finance Committee, reported on behalf of Chair Santangelo that the financial indicators were positive, highlighted a $13 million increase over budget increase in the net position and reaching 180 days of liquidity on hand.
Director Parkhurst, Chair of the Energy Committee, reported that the committee did not meet in February and informed the Board that the next Energy Committee meeting is on March 26, 2025.
MANAGEMENT REPORT
Mr. Bardacke reported that the Rexford and Desert Quartzite solar plus storage projects are now online, providing energy for 270,000 Southern California households. He reminded the Board that the CalCCA Annual meeting is on April 28-30, 2025, and CPA’s Annual Board Retreat is on June 13, 2025. Mr. Bardacke encouraged Board members to invite CPA’s Government Affairs staff to local Earth Day events in April. Staff has been actively working on measures for wildfire response and resiliency since the fires in Los Angeles in January. CPA has used community benefit funding to benefit community groups in the affected areas, and the Board will receive a report on fire-related issues in April.
BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
Director Calaycay expressed gratitude to Mr. Bardacke for attending a meeting with the President of Pomona Community College, who is working to increase green energy use on their campuses.
Director Belden encouraged CPA to help residents who will be rebuilding with the cost of installing solar panels on their roofs.
REPORT FROM THE CHAIR
Chair Klein Lopez encouraged Board members to attend the annual Board Retreat in June, emphasizing that it is the only occasion each year when representatives from all member agencies can gather in person. Director Crosswhite supported the Chair’s comments and praised last year’s Board Retreat for being thoughtful, well organized, and leading to ideas that the organization was now working on implementing.
ADJOURN
Chair Klein Lopez adjourned the meeting at 4:00 p.m.