Westside Cities Council of Governments (Click to Return Home)

REGULAR MEETING OF THE
WESTSIDE CITIES SUMMIT/COG

MEETING NOTES

May 9, 2003
Culver City City Hall

Present:

Beverly Hills:  Vice Mayor Mark Egerman; Staff: Mark Scott, Don Oblander, Maria Rychlicki.
Culver City:  Mayor Alan Corlin, Councilmember Carol Gross; Staff: Mike Thompson, Carol Schwab, Deborah Fancett, Heather Iker, Steve Cunningham, Felicia Brannon.
Santa Monica:  Mayor Richard Bloom, Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McKeown; Staff: Susan McCarthy, Gordon Anderson, Kate Vernez.
West Hollywood: Councilmember John Heilman; Staff: Paul Arevalo, Joan English, Bryan Cook.
Los Angeles: Staff: Aaron Gross, Councilmember Cindy Miscikowski; Miriam Jaffe, Councilmember Jack Weiss
Malibu: Staff: Katie Lichtig

Other Attendees:  Paul Taylor, Kaku Associates; Jody Hall-Esser facilitated the meeting. 

Mayor Corlin welcomed the group.
The minutes of the meeting of February 28, 2003 were distributed and received and filed.
Item 3D was moved forward.

MTA Westside Central Service Sector Update

Katie Lichtig, City Manager, City of Malibu, requested that the City of Malibu be considered for rotation representation on the MTA Westside Central Service Sector.

There was no comment on this request, but it was noted that it would be taken under advisement.

Westside Cities Mobility  - Next Phase 

Paul Taylor, Kaku Associates, discussed the MTA SRTP and current funding limitations to implement the Westside Mobility Study Action Plan.  Mr. Taylor also discussed methods to increase revenues for the SRTP, including sales and gas taxes, traffic impact fees for development, and congestion pricing.  He then identified the Westside Cities’ defined needs of greater corridor capacity, linkage of activity centers, transit expansion and multimodal improvements.  The Westside Mobility Study Action Plan for Transportation Improvements was then presented. 

Mayor Pro Tem McKeown expressed concern regarding capacity enhancements, stating that he did not support wider freeways and surface streets, but the implementation of additional mass transit instead.  He then inquired about a Resolution of support for the Expo Line. 

Councilmember Gross inquired if there was additional feedback from the MTA and expressed support for a busway that could be implemented sooner with fewer impacts. 

Councilmember Heilman addressed the need for individual Councils to approve the project application, discussed project prioritization of new transit opportunities, and stated that he was not strongly opposed to highway expansion alternatives.  Councilmember Heilman then stated that land use and parking incentives should not be part of the Westside Cities’ proposal to the MTA and that the multimodal transportation projects should be downplayed.  Lastly, he stated that additional funding should be pursued through lobbying for joint transportation fees and a countywide sales tax measure. 

Steve Cunningham discussed SB 314 (Murray) which allows L.A. County to raise ˝ ˘ sales tax for 5 years with a sunset clause to fund transportation capital projects. 

Susan McCarthy discussed the benefits and cost of a light rail project, stating that in the long run a light rail system will move the maximum number of people for the lowest operating cost. 

Kate Vernez stated that the MTA has listed light rail as the preferred alternative.  She then suggested joint efforts of the Westside Cities for future funding of the projects noted on the Action Plan.

Mark Scott suggested that the costs for the various Action Plan projects needed to be determined to put the projects in context. 

Submission of Mobility Study as a Candidate for Award by the Westside Urban Forum 

Councilmember Gross thanked staff for submitting the Mobility Study for award consideration.

Joint Projects

Councilmember Heilman asked that the City Staffs meet to determine what the cities are doing and discuss collaborative opportunities, such as recreation staff collaboration on a joint recreation needs study or economic development staff to collaborate on a strategy to reduce poverty in the Westside.

Mayor Pro-Tem McKeown suggested including a cooperative effort for implementation of development fees to fund transportation projects or working together on an ordinance for an electronic waste recycling program.

Councilmember Gross noted that the County of Los Angeles currently has an electronic waste and recycling ordinance and requested a future Agenda Item on the Energy Efficiency Project currently being conducted by other Westside cities.

Mayor Bloom stated that he would like to see the list further expanded to include more cooperative efforts and suggested that the joint projects be prioritized.

Jody Hall-Esser suggested that the City Managers might be able to prioritize the list for discussion at a future meeting.

Mayor Pro Tem McKeown inquired how information is shared between City Attorneys regarding ordinances of mutual interest and benefit, such as the Los Angeles electronic waste recycling ordinance.

Mark Scott discussed how staff from various jurisdictions work together on issues of common interest and stated that these networks of information must be utilized to communicate to others to get things done.  He further stated that the Westside Cities COG provides one such avenue of communication.

Susan McCarthy suggested that greater effort could be expended to communicate to the District Offices of Los Angeles.

Legislative Update AB 136 (Kehoe) Workers Compensation Legislation

State Legislative Proposals for State/Local Fiscal Reforms: Oppose AB 1221

Susan McCarthy discussed AB 136 and recommended that the COG take a joint position of opposition.

Councilmember Heilman moved that the COG take a position of opposition to AB 136 and AB 1221.  He further stated that it was important that the COG acknowledge that the concept of AB 1221 (sales tax/property tax swap) has some merit, but provides no protection, and recommended a position of opposition as currently written.

Councilmember Gross recommended that a letter be issued from the COG expressing their concerns regarding AB 1221.  Some of the Westside Cities affirmed that a position of opposition to AB 136 had already been taken by their City Councils.

Paul Arevalo suggested that their lobbyist draft a letter expressing COG concerns regarding AB 1221.

Los Angeles Proposal to extend Cold Weather Homeless Shelters

Mayor Bloom discussed the Cold Weather Homeless Shelter Program and suggested that the COG can assist in program coordination.  He further recommended a year-round program and suggested that the Los Angeles staff attend a future COG meeting to discuss the program.

Councilmember Gross discussed the homeless problem in Culver City and its relationship to the use of the Armory as a cold weather shelter as well as the work being done to address the issues, and conveyed her community’s concern about year-round shelter programs.

Susan McCarthy stated that the Westside Cities support the New Directions facility at the V.A. and suggested that COG maximize the use of the V.A. program and focus on past successful collaborations to address the homeless problem.

Mayor Bloom expressed support for the Los Angeles effort.

Councilmember Heilman suggested that the COG could, as a group, express the need for additional shelter beds year-round and work with local services to meet the need.

Carol Schwab requested information from the Westside Cities regarding ordinances they may have in place addressing homeless issues and concerns.

Good of the Order:

Jody Hall-Esser reiterated the following COG direction to City Managers and staff:

The meeting adjourned at 1:50 p.m.

The next meeting is scheduled during the 1st week in September 2003 to hear a presentation from Michael Josephson.