TO:City Council
FROM:Al Adam, Councilmember
Bob Engler, Councilmember
DATE:June 10, 2025
SUBJECT: 2025 Southern California Association of Governments General Assembly and Conference - Update
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Receive report.
2. Find that receiving said report is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Direct and indirect costs are included in Adopted FY 2024-25 General Fund Budget.
BACKGROUND:
Founded in 1965, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is a Joint Powers Authority under California state law, established as an association of local governments and agencies that voluntarily convene as a forum 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 in an area covering more than 38,000 square miles. The agency 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 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
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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.
On May 1-2, 2025, more than 800 local leaders representing 191 cities from throughout Southern California convened for SCAG’s 2025 annual Regional Conference and General Assembly. The event, held at the at the JW Marriott in Palm Desert, CA, marks the 60th Anniversary of SCAG. Councilmembers Al Adam, Bob Engler, and Legislative Affairs Manager Mina Layba attended.
Councilmember Adam was appointed as the City’s voting delegate, and Councilmember Engler as the alternate.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
The SCAG Conference and General Assembly consists of two-day proceedings as follows:
I. REGIONAL COUNCIL MEETING
A. Public Comments: No public comments.
B. Scholarship Committee Report: The Committee received 150 applications.
Awards were given to ten students from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties.
C. Consent Calendar: Approved.
D. Legislative Update: Javiera Cartagena, Government Relations Director, announced that in February SCAG attended the National Conference of Regions in Washington D.C. where staff gained valuable insights from Capitol Hill and planning organizations across the country. In April, SCAG staff and board members held meetings in Sacramento with the Governor’s Office and legislative leadership. Key discussion topics included the cap-and-trade program, tariffs, and preparations for the World Cup and Olympics.
E. Business Representative Report: Lucy Dunn, CEO Orange County Business Council, provided highlights on the State’s economy. Financial markets are volatile due to tariffs. Small businesses are having a hard time adjusting. The housing market is stagnant. Consumer confidence is struggling. Shipments to ports are slowing down.
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F. Salute to Outgoing Regional Council Members: Council members who are termed out of office or not returning to the Regional Council were acknowledged for their service.
G. Executive Director Report: Kome Ajise, Executive Director, shared SCAG is working with the freight industry and metropolitan transit agencies in preparation for the Olympics to address traffic concerns. A transportation demand management meeting was held to schedule practice runs for the 2026 World Cup. SCAG published the final report on Smart Cities and Mobility Innovations program. SCAG awarded this Regional Early Action Planning grant to assist with housing production and facilitate implementation of the 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).
II. GENERAL ASSEMBLY/BUSINESS MEETING
A. Welcome: Curt Hagman, President, welcomed delegates. Andrew Masiel, Regional Tribal Council Representative, provided a welcome from the Cahuilla tribal nation and introduced the bird singers from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
B. Acknowledgement from SCAG Sponsors: Diamond sponsor Southern California Edison showcased a video highlighting the value of their employees in restoring electricity during emergencies.
C. Executive Director Report: Kome Ajise, Executive Director, welcomed delegates to SCAG’s 60th anniversary conference and presented a special video highlighting the organization’s accomplishments from each decade. He reviewed challenges of the past year, noting the SoCal wildfires. He announced that approximately 75 percent of the 2024-25 Connect So Cal implementation strategies have been reached.
D. Remarks from Retired Executive Director: Hassan Ikhara, Director Emeritus, welcomed delegates, reflected on his memories of SCAG’s growth as a leading organization for Southern California.
E. Regional Council Presidents Recognized: Kome Ajise, Executive Director, acknowledged past regional council presidents for their service.
F. Public Comments: None.
G. Adoption of Resolutions: Adopt the Resolution No. 25-673-1 Approving the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Final Comprehensive Budget - Approved.
H. Consent Calendar: Approved.
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I. Ratification of Board Officers: Approved.
The General Assembly ratified the following FY 2025-26 Officers:
President: Cindy Allen, City of Long Beach
First Vice President: Ray Marquez, County of San Bernardino Second Vice President: Jenny Crosswhite, City of Santa Paula J. Executive Director’s Report: Kome Ajise, Executive Director, thanked and acknowledged SCAG staff. SCAG’s priorities for the upcoming year will be supporting transportation coordination for Olympic Games, ongoing response to Los Angeles County communities impacted by the January wildfires, and preparing for economic uncertainty with federal budget cuts and tariffs. This year's video-in- review covered key projects, including Connect So-Cal's, REAP funding reductions, the lead-up to major sporting events in Los Angeles (Olympics, Super Bowl, World Cup), and the region’s response to the Los Angeles County wildfires.
K. Presidents Report: Curt Hagman, President, reviewed SCAG’s accomplishments for 2024-2025. SCAG focused on initiatives to address clean transportation, resiliency and goods movement. SCAG hosted the 2024 Southern CA Economic Update, they worked with stakeholders on “return to work” collaboration, they hosted mobile tours of intermodal-transportation in other regions, and they attended world conferences on clean transportation to learn about new transit models.
L. Adjournment: General Assembly is adjourned until the 2026 meeting scheduled for May 7-8, 2026, in Palm Desert.
III. CONFERENCE PROGRAM
A. Special Presentation: SCAG acknowledged retired Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, (31st District) for her leadership in promoting transportation, goods movement, and mobility in Southern California.
B. Swearing in of New SCAG President: LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn administered the oath of office for new SCAG Regional Council President, Cindy Allen, Councilmember, City of Long Beach. President Allen gave her acceptance speech and shared her top priorities: goods movement; clean air, and clean energy.
C. Sustainability Awards Program: The following agencies were recognized:
· Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability: City of Baldwin Park- Homeless Reduction Initiative
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· Active, Healthy and Safe Communities: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority-Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project
· Carmen Ramirez Award for Equity: City of Santa Ana- Environmental Justice Action Committee Formation
· Clean Cities: Alternate Fuels and Infrastructure: City of Moreno Valley- Evolution Moreno Valley
· Green Region Initiative: San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments- Green Region Initiative
· Housing Innovation: City of Victorville: Victorville Wellness Center · Plan, Policy and Programs: City of Lancaster- Vehicle Miles Traveled Impact Fee Mitigation Program
D. Breakout Sessions Attended:
1. From Smart Cities to a Smart Region: Advancing Mobility Strategies and Technology Innovations
2. Strong Foundations: Housing Solutions in the Wake of Disaster
3. Fostering A Healthy Local Economy for All
4. Sustainable Infrastructure for Resilient Growth
E. Keynote Address, Tucker Bryant: As a former Google employee, he transitioned to a career in poetry. He shared his unique writing tools with leaders, emphasizing a concept called "write by erasing." He posited that every single word in writing is a deliberate decision, and advocated taking existing poems as a starting point, then erasing and rewriting sections to discover new meanings. This approach can be used by leaders in developing ideas or solutions. Letting go of initial ideas empowers leaders to discover new concepts.
F. Student Showcase Awards: College students from USC, UCLA and UC Irvine were honored with scholarships for their projects addressing wildfires, urban heat islands, and cybersecurity concepts.
G. Plenary Session: Creating a Regional Legacy For The 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics- Panelists from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the Cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles shared their planning efforts to host the 2028 Olympics. Panelists discussed the importance of collaboration and planning throughout the SCAG region to assure cost recovery and create economic benefit. The games will bring in $18 billion in revenue, create 2025 SCAG General Assembly and Conference- Update
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jobs and host 15 million visitors. There will be 80 venues and opportunities to commute to games through buses, street cars, and possibly water taxis. The Olympics will be concentrated along four main walkable sports parks in Los Angeles County. They foresee a need to borrow buses from neighboring cities, recruit over one hundred thousand volunteers, and rent facilities outside of Los Angeles County for teams to practice. Over 206 participating teams need "fan houses" during the Olympics. These hospitality spaces offer visiting teams a cultural hub with their customs, food, and language, helping them feel more at home during the games.
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
CMO:150-20\KM\H:\Common\City Council\Council Items\2025 Staff Reports\061025\SCAG General Assembly 2025 Staff Report.doc