TO:City Council
FROM:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
DATE:January 28, 2025
SUBJECT: 2025 Southern California Association of Governments General Assembly - Delegate Representative
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Designate Councilmember Al Adam as the Delegate Representative and Councilmember Bob Engler as the Alternate Representative for the City at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Conference and General Assembly, which will take place May 1-2, 2025.
2. Find that designating a delegate is not a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guideline Section 15378(b)(5).
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. The City’s annual SCAG membership dues are included in the Adopted FY 2024-25 General Fund Budget and cover the cost for attendance at the SCAG General Assembly.
BACKGROUND:
Founded in 1965, SCAG is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) under California state law, established as an association of local governments and agencies that voluntarily convene to address regional issues. Under federal law, SCAG is designated as a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and under state law, as a Regional Transportation Planning Agency and a Council of Governments.
The SCAG region encompasses six counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura) and 191 cities within those counties covering more than 38,000 square miles.
SCAG develops long-range regional transportation plans, including Sustainable Communities Strategy and growth forecast components, regional transportation improvement programs, regional housing needs allocations, and a portion of the
2025 SCAG General Assembly - Delegate Representative
January 28, 2025
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South Coast Air Quality management plans. In 1992, SCAG expanded its governing body, the Executive Committee, to a 70-member Regional Council to help accommodate new responsibilities mandated by the federal and state governments, as well as to provide more broad-based representation of Southern California’s cities and counties. With its expanded membership structure, SCAG created regional districts to provide for more diverse representation. The districts were formed with the intent to serve equal populations and communities of interest.
Currently, the Regional Council consists of 86 members.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
From May 1-2, 2025, over 1,000 local leaders from Southern California will convene for SCAG’s 60th Annual Regional Conference and General Assembly. The conference and General Assembly will be held at the J.W. Marriott in Palm Desert. The conference brings together state and local elected officials, business and civic leaders, transportation and environmental stakeholders, and local government staff. The program will also feature the 2025 SCAG Sustainability Awards, which recognizes exemplary transportation and land use projects in the region.
SCAG requires that the City formally designate a delegate and alternative representative to attend the General Assembly. Councilmember Adam will represent the City as the voting delegate. Councilmember Engler will serve as the alternate representative. Both have been actively involved in SCAG Committees and Ventura Council of Governments.
A copy of the staff report must be submitted by February 2025, so SCAG can officially publish Councilmember Adam and Councilmember Engler to the list of delegates.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goal:
B. Provide municipal government leadership which is open and responsive to residents, and is characterized by ethical behavior, stability, promoting public trust, transparency, confidence in the future, and cooperative interaction among civic leaders, residents, business representatives, and staff, while recognizing and respecting legitimate differences of opinion on critical issues facing the City.
PREPARED BY: Mina Layba, Legislative Affairs Manager
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