Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JUNE 18, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS TO METRO’S SERVICE COUNCILS
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
APPROVE nominees for membership on Metro’s San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, South Bay Cities, and Westside Central Service Councils (Attachment A).
Issue
ISSUE
Each Metro Service Council (MSC) is comprised of nine Representatives who serve 3-year terms. The terms of three of the five Council’s nine seats expire annually on June 30; incumbent Representatives can serve additional terms if re-nominated by the nominating authority, or new nominees may be forwarded. All nominations are confirmed by the Metro Board.
Background
BACKGROUND
MSCs were created in 2002 as community-based bodies that improve bus service and promote service coordination with municipal and local transit providers. The MSC bylaws specify that representatives who live, work, or represent the region should have a basic working knowledge of public transit service within their area and understand passenger transit needs. To do so, each Representative is expected to ride at least one transit service per month.
The MSCs are responsible for convening public hearings to receive community input on proposed service modifications, rendering decisions for proposed bus route changes, and considering staff recommendations/public comments. All route and major service changes approved by the MSCs will be brought to the Metro Board of Directors as an information item. If the Metro Board moves an MSC-approved service change to an action item, the MSCs will be notified of this change before the next Service Council monthly meeting.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The individuals listed below have been nominated by each of the Councils’ nominating authorities. If approved by the Board, they will serve for the three-year terms specified below. A brief listing of qualifications for new nominees and the nomination letters are provided in Attachments A and B.
For reference, should these nominees be appointed, the 2023 American Community Survey demographics and 2023 Metro Ridership Survey demographics for the region are compared to each Council’s composition. The sex/gender composition for Los Angeles County is taken from 2022 Census Quick Facts; Census data includes a question that intends to capture current sex; there are no questions about gender, sexual orientation, or sex at birth. This is denoted by an asterisk in the “non-binary/non-conforming” and “prefer to self-describe/decline to state” fields within the tables below.
Lastly, the attendance record over the July 1, 2022-June 30, 2025 term is provided for all incumbent candidates; the June Service Council meetings had not yet been held at the time this report was prepared.
Gateway Cities Service Council
A. Martin Fuentes, New Appointment
Nominated by: Gateway Cities Council of Governments
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
B. Juan Muñoz Guevara, Reappointment
Nominated by: Gateway Cities Council of Governments
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
Attendance: Of the 19 meetings held during Councilmember Muñoz Guevara’s tenure, he has attended 17 (89%).
With the appointment of these nominees, the Gateway Cities (GWC) Service Council membership will compare to the region’s demographics and ridership as follows:
The gender makeup of the GWC Service Council will be as follows:
San Fernando Valley Service Council
C. Antoinette Scully, Reappointment
Nominated by: Third District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
Attendance: Of the 20 meetings held during Councilmember Scully’s tenure, they have attended 15 (80%).
With the appointment of this nominee, the San Fernando Valley (SFV) Service Council membership will compare to the region’s demographics and ridership as follows:
The gender makeup of the SFV Service Council will be as follows:
The percentages reflect the nine seats on the Council; there will be two vacancies remaining on this Council as two nominating authorities, City of The Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments, did not forward nominations for the seats.
San Gabriel Valley Service Council
D. Jose Sanchez, New Appointment
Nominated by: Cities of Montebello, Monterey Park, and Rosemead
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
E. Elena Garza, New Appointment
Nominated by: San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
F. Roberto Álvarez, Reappointment
Nominated by: Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger
Attendance record: Of the 14 meetings held during Councilmember Álvarez’s tenure, he has attended 7 (50%).
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
With the appointment of these nominees, the San Gabriel Valley (SGV) Service Council membership will compare to the region’s demographics and ridership as follows:
The gender makeup of the SGV Service Council will be as follows:
South Bay Cities Service Council
G. Andrea Reilly, New Appointment
Nominated by: South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
H. Roye Love, Reappointment
Nominated by: South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
Attendance record: Councilmember Love has served on the Council since February 2011. Of the 29 meetings held during his most recent three-year term, he has attended 26 (90%).
I. Courtney Alicia Miles, Reappointment
Nominated by: South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
Attendance record: Of the 7 meetings held since Councilmember Miles was appointed, she has attended 7 (100%).
With the appointment of these nominees, the South Bay Cities (SBC) Service Council membership will compare to the region’s demographics and ridership as follows:
The gender makeup of the SBC Service Council will be as follows:
Westside Central Service Council
J. Steven King, Reappointment
Nominated by: City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
Attendance record: Of the 7 meetings held since Councilmember King was appointed, he has attended 6 (85%).
K. Chelsea Byers, Reappointment
Nominated by: Westside Cities Council of Governments
Term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
Attendance record: Of the 8 meetings held since Councilmember Byers was appointed, she has attended 6 (75%)
With the appointment of these nominees, the Westside Central (WSC) Service Council membership will compare to the region’s demographics and ridership as follows:
Table does not add to the exact number of Councilmembers as it incorporates each race that Councilmembers self-identified with; some current Councilmembers identify as multi-racial.
The gender makeup of the WSC Service Council will be as follows:
The percentages reflect the nine seats on the Council; there will be one vacancy remaining on this Council as the nominating authority, City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, did not forward a nomination for the seat.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Metro recommends appointing Service Council members who represent the diverse needs and priorities of the respective region’s demographics. To further encourage nominating authorities to nominate individuals who closely reflect the region and its ridership, Metro staff shares Service Council membership race/ethnicity and gender demographic makeup compared to that of the residents with each nomination request. This practice resulted in greater diversity of race/ethnicity and gender over the last several years of the Service Councils. However, approximately half of LA County residents and Metro riders are women, and work is still required to achieve gender equity in some of the Service Councils. Staff will continue to share demographic information and encourage nominating authorities to consider gender equity when considering individuals for nomination.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled _Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through operational activities that will improve and further encourage transit ridership, ridesharing, and active transportation. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Approval of this recommendation supports the following Metro Strategic Plan Goal: 30 Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The alternative to the recommendation would be for the nominees not to be approved for appointment. This would reduce the effectiveness of the Service Councils, as it would increase the challenges of obtaining a necessary quorum for this Service Council to formulate and submit its recommendations to the Board. It would also result in the Service Council having a less diverse representation of its service area.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to monitor the major contributors to the quality of bus service from the customer’s perspective and share that information with the Service Councils for use in their work to plan, implement, and improve bus service as well as the customer experience in their areas. Staff will also continue to work with the nominating authorities to obtain nominations for the remaining vacant seats.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - New Appointee Nomination Letters
Attachment B - New Appointee Biography and Qualifications
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Dolores Ramos, Senior Manager, Regional Service Councils, (213) 922-1210
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 418-3034
