TIM McOSKER
Councilmember, 15th District
200 N. Spring St., Room 475 Los Angeles, CA 90012
August 21, 2025
Ms. Jacki Bacharach
Executive Director
South Bay Cities Council of Governments
357 Van Ness Way, #110
Torrance, CA 90501
RE: City of Los Angeles, Council District 15: Alternate Member Request Dear Ms. Bacharach:
As the representative of the 15th Council District of the City of Los Angeles, I represent the communities of Watts, Harbor Gateway, Harbor City, San Pedro, and Wilmington. My district is the only one in the City of Los Angeles that falls within the jurisdiction of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG). As the City’s sole voice within this body, it is imperative that a representative of my district is always present at proceedings to advocate for the residents I serve.
The 15th Council District encompasses five distinct neighborhoods and is home to over 260,000 residents. Due to its size and geographic scope, my ability to attend every meeting of the SBCCOG is sometimes limited. Under the current Joint Powers Authority rules, I would be required to have another member of the Los Angeles City Council attend in my place when I must be absent. Still, given that my colleagues’ districts are equally large and complex, this is difficult to accomplish.
The responsibilities and scope of my role, as well as the size of my district, are more akin to those of a Los Angeles County Supervisor than my Council counterparts in the other cities on the SBCCOG. To ensure my district has consistent representation on the SBCCOG Board of Directors, I respectfully request that Council District 15 of the City of Los Angeles be allowed to designate a non-elected alternate to attend and vote on matters on my behalf, similar to the system used by the County Supervisors.
I hope that you will consider my request to amend Joint Powers Authority Section 5(a)(2), which governs the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, to allow Council District 15 to appoint a non-elected alternate to the Board of Directors to represent me as the Councilmember when I am not available to attend. Should you have any questions or require further information, please contact Aksel Palacios, my Director of Port & Capital Projects, via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Tim McOsker
Councilmember, 15th District