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It is a pleasure for me to serve as SCAG's new president, and I look forward to working with each of you during the new program year. We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Supervisor Gary Ovitt for his outstanding leadership during the past year. I am very excited about the potential for SCAG this year, with many worthwhile opportunities for us to take advantage of, and I look forward to increasing our regional presence as we expand existing relationships and foster new partnerships.
The 8th Annual Regional Housing Summit: "The Reality of Housing Market Uncertainty: Navigating the Course" took place on May 21 at the Mission Inn in Riverside with nearly 200 people attending. The Summit moderator was El Centro Mayor Jon Edney, and special thanks go to Ventura Deputy Mayor William Fulton, Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge and Rialto Councilmember Deborah Robertson for participating in the elected officials panel discussion. As part of the Housing Summit, SCAG hosted the 2nd Annual Compass Blueprint Awards luncheon. Our thanks go to 1st Vice President Harry Baldwin, Mayor of San Gabriel, who presented awards to 17 plans and projects that were recognized for their innovative and visionary planning efforts. Photos from the day's activities are available here.
In addition, KTLA-Channel 5's Pacesetters talk show aired a program featuring SCAG's Housing Summit on Sunday, June 8. El Centro Mayor Jon Edney, Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge and SCAG staff participated, and a photo from the taping is available here. To watch the show, please visit: ktla.trb.com/community/news/pacesetters.
On May 22, SCAG co-hosted the Center for Sustainable Suburban Development's 2008 Annual Conference: "Clearing the Air: Issues and Strategies for Future Progress" at the Mission Inn in Riverside. The conference brought together numerous elected officials, developers and others to tackle policy issues related to air quality and meeting emissions requirements and included the panel, "An Issue of Health," moderated by Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata.
Thank you to all who attended the Annual Regional Council Retreat at the beautiful Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa on June 5-6. The focus of this year's retreat was on leadership for today and tomorrow, with several interactive discussions on the goals and objectives for many of our program areas, including aviation, goods movement, greenhouse gas emissions and the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). I am very pleased to announce the election of El Centro Mayor Jon Edney to the position of 2nd Vice President, and we also elected Larry McCallon, Highland Councilmember, and Carl Morehouse, Ventura Councilmember, to serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the CEHD Committee. Mike Ten, South Pasadena Councilmember, and Gregory Pettis, Cathedral City Councilmember, were named chair and vice chair, respectively, of the TCC Committee. We had very productive work sessions but also made time for a boat tour of Lake Arrowhead and an enjoyable reception and dinner on the first day of the retreat. To view photos from the retreat, please click here.
Finally, you may notice the newly redesigned SCAG web site, which launched last month! You will see some changes as we continue to migrate all of the content to its new home, with improved navigation and better coordination of the programs and resources SCAG offers. We hope the new web site will provide you with a quicker and more efficient experience in our continuing efforts to serve you better.
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Executive Director Report
by Hasan Ikhrata
In previous reports, I indicated that we would be working on the agency's strategic plan and the vision for our future. The time has come to begin that process.
As we plan for our future, it is important that SCAG gather information about its intellectual assets, as this agency's human resources are vitally important to the ultimate success of SCAG. One proven strategy for gathering this information is an organizational survey. An organizational survey taps the wisdom of individuals at all levels in the organization to identify possibilities and certain problems that may not have previously been considered.
This month we will begin conducting an organizational survey with the assistance of a consulting firm, Win-Win Workplace Solutions. More specifically, a series of individual interviews with a representative, cross-sectional sample of Regional Council members and staff will be conducted in confidential settings by Win-Win's consultants. These structured interviews will offer SCAG Regional Council and staff the opportunity to provide input and help shape SCAG's strategic agenda. The anonymous "voices" captured in this survey will be used by the organization as part catalyst and part compass for defining the future direction for SCAG.
For the complete Executive Director's Report, please click here.
SCAG Action Report
SCAG ELECTS NEW CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FOR TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE (TCC) On June 5, the TCC elected Councilmember Mike Ten of South Pasadena as Chair and Councilmember Greg Pettis of Cathedral City as Vice Chair.
TCC APPROVES 2008 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM The TCC released the Draft 2008 Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) for public review and comment on transportation projects in the RTIP spanning the six-county SCAG region. Three public hearings on the Draft RTIP will be held throughout the region in June in Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties. The Draft RTIP and details about the public hearings can be found at www.scag.ca.gov/RTIP.
NEW LEADERSHIP NAMED FOR COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (CEHD) COMMITTEE The CEHD committee elected Highland Councilmember Larry McCallon as Chair and Ventura Councilmember Carl Morehouse as Vice Chair for the fiscal year 2008-2009.
SCAG CREATES FISCALIZATION OF LAND USE SUBCOMMMITTEE The CEHD committee approved staff recommendation of a Fiscalization of Land Use Subcommittee to meet once a month for three months to determine the potential for a fiscalization of land use work program. The Subcommittee will consider possible approaches to study and initiate change regarding the current state tax system that "fiscalizes" certain land uses and local decision making, and the item will be included on the agenda for the August 2008 Regional Council meeting. No action items were reported for the Energy and Environment Committee (EEC), which did not have a quorum.
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SCAG's 2008 Draft Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) calls for a 30-day public review and comment period on transportation projects spanning the six-county SCAG region.
The Draft RTIP lists all transportation projects proposed over a six-year period (2008/2009 - 2013/2014) and identifies project scope, specific funding sources and funding amounts for each project. Projects include state and local highway improvements, and transit and rail improvements. The RTIP is developed to implement the programs and projects in the 2008 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which was adopted by SCAG on May 8, 2008.
SCAG will host three public hearings to obtain public comments on the Draft RTIP in Riverside, Los Angeles and Orange Counties:
- Thursday, June 12, at 10 am at SCAG's office in Riverside: 3600 Lime Street, Suite 216, Riverside, CA 92501. Video conference will be available.
- Thursday, June 19, at 10 am at the SCAG Los Angeles Office: 818 West 7th Street, 12th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Video conference will be available.
- Wednesday, June 25, at 10 am at the Orange County Transportation Authority's offices.
The Draft 2008 RTIP is available on SCAG's web site, noticed in numerous newspapers and distributed to more than 40 libraries throughout the region.
For more information, please visit www.scag.ca.gov/RTIP or contact Pablo Gutierrez at (213) 236-1929. |
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Legislative Update
Caltrans has established a statewide working group charged with developing a platform and legislative strategy for the next federal transportation authorization bill. SCAG is fully participating in this effort, which has grouped authorization issues into the following broad topics: Transportation Safety; Highway Trust Fund; Goods Movement; Environmental Stewardship; Streamlined Project Delivery; and Increased State/Regional Flexibility.
These efforts will culminate in a final policy platform with accompanying fact sheets for each topic, which will be presented to the Congress later this summer. SCAG will continue to provide input in the development of this document and will accompany Caltrans Director Will Kempton and other state transportation leaders to Washington DC to introduce this important initiative to federal lawmakers.
On June 5, the Regional Council voted to take an 'Oppose' position on SB 375 (D-Steinberg), a bill which seeks to implement provisions of AB 32 (D-Nunez), landmark legislation passed in 2006 mandating the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. SB 375 would achieve this reduction by requiring Metropolitan Planning Organizations such as SCAG to develop a Sustainable Communities Strategy as part of its Regional Transportation Plan to direct growth to achieve lower vehicle miles traveled. Many local government jurisdictions have expressed concern that the bill encroaches on land-use authority of cities and counties, and many transportation commissions believe that the bill does not adequately protect from its GHG reduction mandates those future transportation projects that have been approved for funding in whole or in part by voter-approved sales tax measures. For these reasons, SCAG has taken an oppose position to SB 375. SCAG will organize a trip of the regional transportation commission CEOs and Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata to meet with Senator Steinberg to share the concerns of our constituencies with respect to this important bill.
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News from the Subregions
The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) wants to help its cities respond to the number of actions taking place in the state of California regarding climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG). SBCCOG has created a staff position to assist cities to complete baseline inventories of green house gas emissions, with the goal for each city to develop a Climate Action Plan leading to the creation of a South Bay Climate Action Plan. Programs to implement the action plan will be established working through the South Bay Energy Savings Center operated by SBCCOG. SBCCOG will fund this effort cost-effectively through a small special assessment ($1,500-$7,000) that each city has agreed to pay based on population.
The City of Riverside announced its new role as an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. A very select number of organizations in California are Smithsonian Affiliates. Riverside will enjoy greater access to Smithsonian collections and resources and will partner with the Smithsonian and other Affiliates on projects designed to broaden perspectives on the arts, science, history and world cultures.
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Upcoming Events
SCAG's offices will be closed on Friday, July 4, in observance of the Independence Day holiday.
As a reminder, the Regional Council, EEC, CEHD and TCC Committees will be dark during July. We look forward to seeing you at our next Regional Council meeting on August 7.
To view other upcoming events, please click here.
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Did You Know?
- The City of Imperial is a Desert Southwest community located in the center of Imperial Valley connecting Los Angeles, CA, Phoenix, AZ, and Mexicali in Mexico. Recently, the City embarked on a redevelopment project aimed at enhancing Downtown Imperial. Under the direction of the Downtown Redevelopment & Gateway Beautification Committee, the Downtown Imperial Redevelopment Master Plan will provide urban design guidelines through a community-driven process. Next month, Imperial will celebrate its 104th city anniversary with its 5th Annual Hawaiian Luau and City Birthday Celebration.
- The City of West Hollywood is known as the "Creative City" for its diverse collection of businesses in art, design and architecture. Considered by many to be the West Coast center of the interior design industry, West Hollywood recently hosted the 11th Annual Art & Design Walk showcasing a series of special events and receptions at more than 300 high-end interior design showrooms, art galleries, specialty shops and boutiques. Spanning just 1.9 square miles and bordering Beverly Hills, the City was incorporated on November 29, 1984. Santa Monica Boulevard, the City's main street, is one of the most traveled streets in Southern California and part of the historic Route 66.
- Founded at the turn of the 20th century, the City of Beaumont in Riverside County served as a welcome stopping-off point for early travelers making their way through the Mojave desert to Los Angeles and later for Los Angeles residents eager to vacation in Palm Springs. Located in the San Gorgonio Pass, Beaumont – which means "beautiful mountain" in French – was incorporated in 1912. Today, with a population of approximately 30,000, the City continues to attract newcomers with its mountain vistas, clean, crisp air, and the abundance of cherry and apple orchards. From June 5 – 8, Beaumont will hold the 90th Cherry Festival at Stewart Park at 9th Street and Orange Avenue.
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