REPORT:
South Bay Cities Council of Governments Proposal for State Legislation
to Expand the AQMD Governing Board
SYNPOSIS:
The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) is proposing state
legislation in 2006 to expand the AQMD Governing Board by adding one
additional city representative from each county, thus increasing the Board
to 16 members. This item is to recommend that the AQMD Governing Board
discuss and provide guidance to staff for further action.
COMMITTEE:
Legislative and Administrative, November 10, 2005, Discussed
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
Establish position on Proposed SBCCOG State Legislation to expand AQMD
Board.
Beatrice J.S. LaPisto-Kirtley, Chair
Legislative Committee
Background
Under existing law, the AQMD Board consists of 12 members, including one
member appointed by the cities in the western region of the County of Los
Angeles, and one member appointed by the cities in the eastern region of the
County of Los Angeles. Those specified cities are required to organize a
city selection committee and hold a public meeting in order to determine the
appointment from each region. The selected representative must be voted in
by both a majority of the cities, and a majority of population in those
cities.
Additionally, existing law specifically defines the cities that comprise
the western region of the County of Los Angeles, and those cities not
specified as included in the western region are to be included in the
eastern region for the purpose of appointing members to the AQMD Board.
Since this requirement was chaptered into law, new cities that have been
incorporated in western Los Angeles County are considered to be eastern
sector cities.
South Bay Cities Council of Governments Proposal
The SBCCOG has developed a proposal to reconfigure the AQMD Governing
Board by adding four additional city representatives to the existing Board.
This includes one additional representative from each of the four counties
in the AQMD’s jurisdiction, with the City of Los Angeles having its own
Board Member. This would bring the total number of Board Members to 16. In
December, the proposal, which also includes an unspecified realignment of
the western and eastern sector cities, was submitted to legislative counsel
in Sacramento to have bill language drafted. See attached Legislative
Proposal.
The SBCCOG consists of 15 cities: Carson, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne,
Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach,
Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Palos Verdes
Estates, Torrance, and the Harbor City/San Pedro areas of the City of Los
Angeles.
Discussion
The SBCCOG’s Proposal was discussed at the November meetings of the AQMD
Board’s Legislative and Administrative committees; and the Home Rule
Advisory Group. Further feedback was also received in December from the
AQMD’s Local Government and Small Business Advisory Group and the Ethnic
Community Advisory Group.
Also attached are recent actions taken on the SBCCOG Proposal by the Los
Angeles City Council’s Environmental Quality & Waste Management Committee on
December 12; the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) Major
Projects Committee on December 15; and the Gateway Cities Council of
Governments in Los Angeles County on December 7.
The various AQMD committee members, representing a wide spectrum of
interest groups from all regions and all stakeholders, were generally
opposed to the SBCCOG’s proposal. Some of the comments received are provided
below.
- Larger boards are usually more staff-driven and the board is less
involved in the actual decision making. Also, a quorum is more difficult
to maintain with a larger governing body.
- If a restructure is made, it should be based on the level of exposure
in the area, rather than population, because an area may be sparsely
populated, but the exposure of the people living in the area is greater.
- Since the Inland Empire is receiving much of the effects of air
pollution generated in the more western urbanized portions of the AQMD’s
jurisdiction, it is unfair to dilute representation of the eastern region.
- Creating additional Board Members would also incur additional costs
and raise fees, which would be a burden to the regulated community.
- It is better to form another advisory group composed of elected
officials and city representatives who can provide input to the Board on
air quality concerns within their communities.
- Expanding the Board to 16 or 20 members would make it more difficult
for Board Members to reach agreement and consensus on issues, since
approval needs to be secured by a majority of the members of the Board.
- Without expanding AQMD’s authority, this particular initiative makes
less sense, but with expanded authority, it may have merit and is a topic
for discussion and some serious consideration.
- No problem or issue has been identified that requires Board
reconfiguration.
- No new benefits or air quality improvements are going to arise from
expanding the Board.
- Because of demographics and the way the Board is configured today, the
western sector cities of Los Angeles County have no opportunity to be
represented if they disagree with the City of Los Angeles.
- The City of Los Angeles representative may not always represent the
issues of the SBCCOG’s member cities.
The following three governmental organizations within the AQMD’s
jurisdiction have also recently met, discussed and voted on the SBCCOG
Proposal.
- The San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) Major Projects
Committee voted on December 15 to support no change in the AQMD Board at
this time, regarding the SBCCOG’s proposal.
- The Los Angeles City Council’s Committee on Environmental Quality &
Waste Management voted on December 14 to support a resolution relative to
SBCCOG’s Legislative Proposal to expand the AQMD Governing Board by four
members.
- The Gateway Cities Council of Governments Board of Directors voted on
December 7 to support the SBCCOG’s Proposal to expand the AQMD Governing
Board by four members.
Recommendation
The Legislative Committee of the Governing Board recommends that the full
Board establish a position of support, oppose or neutral on the SBCCOG
proposal to expand the AQMD Governing Board. In addition, it is recommended
that staff be directed to convey that position to the Legislature and other
parties as warranted.
Attachment (DOC
36kb)
SBCCOG Legislative Proposal
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