Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council Regular Meeting of October 13, 2020
Title
CONSIDERATION OF ENDORSING MAYOR PRO TEM
JUSTIN MASSEY TO FILL THE WEST CITIES SECTOR SEAT ON
THE SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
GOVERNING BOARD
(City Clerk Eduardo Sarmiento)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council formally endorse Mayor Pro Tem Justin Massey to fill the West Cities Sector Seat on the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Governing Board.
Body
Executive Summary:
Rolling Hills Estates Councilmember, Judy Mitchel is retiring from the SCAQMD Governing Board. Mayor Pro Tem Justin Massey is running to fill the seat representing the Western Region of Los Angeles County. City of Long Beach Councilmember Rex Richardson is also running for the seat. The Los Angeles County’s City Selection Committee will call a meeting in the coming weeks to fill the vacancy.
Background:
South Coast AQMD's Governing Board adopts policies and regulations that promote clean air within its four-county area, the smoggiest in the nation. Federal and state law require that South Coast AQMD achieve clean air standards to protect public health. Before it makes decisions that affect local residents and businesses, South Coast AQMD must consider ideas and comments from the public. The opportunity to comment begins in public workshops and ends with a public hearing by the Governing Board where anyone can testify or present written comments. The Board usually meets at South Coast AQMD's Diamond Bar headquarters on the first Friday of each month.
The Board has 13 members. Ten are elected officials. Of these, four are county supervisors representing Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, elected to South Coast AQMD's Board by their Boards of Supervisors. Six are City Council members representing the cities in each county. Due to its size, Los Angeles County has two representatives, elected by respective city selection committees. The City of Los Angeles has one representative, selected by the Mayor of Los Angeles. The remaining three Board members are appointed by state elected officials; one by the Governor of California, one by the Speaker of the State Assembly, and one by the State Senate Rules Committee. The Governing Board seats are listed below:
Delegates representing the cities in each region elect their Governing Board member. There are 51 cities in the LA County Western Region. Members of the Governing Board must be City Council Members or Mayors in a city in the region. Judith Mitchell, City Council Member of Rolling Hills Estates, currently serves as the representative of the Western Region. She does not plan to run for re-election as a Councilperson, so she would no longer be eligible to sit in the seat representing the Los Angeles County Western region cities listed below.
Analysis:
Mayor Pro Tem Justin Massey is running to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Governing Board Member Judy Mitchell, Councilmember from Rolling Hills Estates. Judy Mitchell has served on the AQMD Governing Board since 2010 and has endorsed Mayor Pro Tem Massey in the race. The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) has also endorsed Mayor Pro Tem Massey (Attachment 1).
In the coming weeks, Los Angeles County’s City Selection Committee will call a meeting during which a representative for each city will vote to fill the seat. Mayor Campbell is the City of Hermosa Beach’s representative to the City Selection Committee.
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.
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.
• 4.2 Leadership in sustainability. Establish the City as a regional leader in sustainable development and encourage compact, walkable development patterns that conserve land resources, supports active transportation, reduces vehicle trips, improves air quality, and conserves energy and water.
• 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:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.
Attachments:
1. SBCCOG Letter of Endorsement
2. City of Long Beach Memorandum regarding nominee Rex Richardson
3. Link to History of Governing Board Members
4. Link to SCAQMD Governing Board 2020 Meeting Schedule
Respectfully Submitted by: Ann Yang, Executive Assistant
Concur: Eduardo Sarmiento, City Clerk
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager