Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council Regular Meeting of June 11, 2019
Title
EVALUATION OF THE CITY’S CALIFORNIA CONTRACT
CITIES ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP AND CONSIDERATION OF
MEMBERSHIP WITH INDEPENDENT CITIES ASSOCIATON
(City Manager Suja Lowenthal)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Evaluate and provide direction on the City’s membership with California Contract Cities Association (CCCA); and
2. Consider and provide direction on membership with Independent Cities Association (ICA) for FY 2019-20.
Body
Background:
The City has been a member of CCCA since April 2017. Councilmember Duclos recently attended the CCCA Annual Municipal Seminar in May 2019 in Indian Wells, California. During this time, an altercation took place between two Councilmembers from the City of Commerce concurrent with their attendance at the Annual Municipal Seminar. The altercation descended into a seven-person brawl, leaving one attendee hospitalized. The CCCA Executive Board voted to immediately suspend the agency membership of the City of Commerce until further notice. A similar incident took place at the 2018 Annual Municipal Seminar involving a Councilmember from the City of Compton.
Out of concern that these incidents are symptomatic of a larger issue with the organization, Councilmember Duclos requested at the May 28, 2019 City Council meeting under “Other Matters” that the City Council bring back an item at a future agenda to consider withdrawing the City’s membership from CCCA (Attachment 1). He also stated that ICA is currently running much better and seems to be a better fit for the City. Councilmember Duclos’ request was supported by Councilmember Massey and Mayor Armato.
At the September 13, 2016 City Council meeting, the Councilmembers voted to withdraw membership from ICA due to concerns that the organization was not being managed well and it was no longer beneficial for the City to continue membership (Attachment 2). The vote to withdraw membership came with the understanding that Councilmembers could still attend ICA Seminars as a non-member City and that membership to ICA could be re-evaluated in the future.
General Plan Consistency:
This report and associated recommendation have been evaluated for their consistency with the City’s General Plan. Relevant Policies are listed below:
Governance Element: Goal 4. A leader and partner in the region. As a small community in a large metropolitan region, the City of Hermosa Beach understands and capitalizes on our role and responsibility to collaborate with other agencies and nearby jurisdictions on issues of mutual concern.
Policies
• 4.1 Regional governance. Play an active role in the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, the Southern California Association of Governments and other regional agencies to protect and promote the interests of the City.
• 4.3 Collaboration with adjacent jurisdictions. Maintain strong collaborative relationships with adjacent jurisdictions and work together on projects of mutual interest and concern.
Fiscal Impact:
Membership dues for CCCA each year is $2,596 and this amount is included in the proposed FY 2019-20 budget. Membership dues for ICA in 2015-16 was $823. This amount has not been included in the proposed FY 2019-20 budget.
Attachments:
1. Link to May 28, 2019 City Council meeting discussion (item 8)
2. Link to September 13, 2016 City Council meeting discussion (item 7b)
Respectfully Submitted by: Ann Yang, Executive Assistant
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Charlotte Newkirk, Accounting Manager
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager