Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 24, 2024
Subject
SUBJECT: REVISION OF METRO SERVICE COUNCIL BYLAWS
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
ADOPT the revised Service Council Bylaws (Attachment A).
Issue
ISSUE
The Bylaws of Metro’s Service Councils were last updated in 2011. Since then, Metro has adopted policies and programs that affect the Service Councils, such as the NextGen Bus Plan and the Advisory Body Compensation Policy. This update incorporates Metro policies and clarifies the functions and responsibilities of the Service Councils, which have also evolved since the last iteration of the Bylaws, which were approved in 2011. The Service Council Bylaws state that amendments are subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
Background
BACKGROUND
The Board created the Governance Councils in 2002 to guide the Service Sectors. The Governance Councils were given the primary role of conducting public hearings and reviewing and approving proposed bus service changes to the bus routes operating from the divisions their General Managers oversaw, regardless of where the bus routes operated. Service Council members are nominated by the regional nominating authorities and appointed by the Board of Directors.
In Fiscal Year 2010, the functions performed by the Service Sectors were recentralized. These changes were memorialized in the 2011 update to the Bylaws, including oversight of the General Managers, removing their duties and budgets, and re-centering the five Service Sector staff and headquarters to be within Metro Gateway headquarters. Operations, Service Planning, Scheduling, Labor Relations, and Safety functions were realigned, and the primary role of the Councils was preserved, as were the requirements for membership and the nominating authorities and process.
Adopting the Service Council’s NextGen Bus Plan recommendations by the Metro Board in October 2020 necessitated updating each Council’s bus line assignments. This presented an opportunity to update the bylaws to incorporate Metro policy changes and better reflect Service Council practices and functions, as well as incorporate the restructured bus network assignments and upgrade Councilmember compensation in accordance with the Advisory Body Compensation Policy adopted by the Metro Board in September 2021.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The current Bylaws state that each of the five Councils must approve changes to the Bylaws by a supermajority vote, which then must be brought to the Board for approval. The proposed changes were periodically shared with the Service Councils for feedback, and a final draft was shared at their Quarterly Meet and Confer on November 8, 2023. The Service Councils recommended modifications during the review process, such as strengthening the language regarding transit use, incorporating ethics training requirements, and providing periodic updates to the Metro Board, further improving the document. They were then taken to each of the Service Councils for approval.
The San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley Service Councils voted on the approval of the revised Bylaws at their March 2024 meetings; the South Bay Cities and Gateway Cities Service Councils voted at their April 2024 meetings, and the Westside Central Service Council voted at their July 2024 meeting. These Revised Service Council Bylaws presented have been reviewed and approved by at least a two-thirds supermajority of each of the five Service Councils.
The significant changes to the Bylaws are as follows:
• Clarification that the Service Councils have the authority to convene public hearings for Title VI major changes in rail service;
• Align with the Advisory Body Compensation Policy, including upgrading the tier of compensation from Advise to the Advise and Prepare tier;
• Incorporate completion of biannual AB 1234 Ethics Training and annual completion of the Statement of Economic Interest (Form 700);
• Update the allocation of bus lines to each region to reflect the NextGen Bus Network; clarify the determination of the primary and secondary authority of bus lines;
• Update staff position references, such as changing Board Secretary to Board Clerk;
• Clarify and formalize requirements and processes for public meetings, hearings, and events convened by the Service Councils to ensure that locations, dates, and times are conducive to maximizing public participation;
• Formalize the reporting relationship between the Service Councils and the Metro Board;
• Better reflect actual practices such as the annual work plan adoption, annual evaluation of the performance of Service Council staff, and resignation of Councilmembers;
• Reinforce the goal of appointing Councilmembers that reflect the region's demographics and riders.
This revision of the 2011 Service Council Bylaws better reflects the Service Council's operations, incorporates best practices for community outreach and engagement efforts, and references Metro policy changes that affect the Service Councils.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
There is no safety impact from this action.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adopting the revised bylaws and the new compensation tier would increase the current stipend payment amount from $100 to $150 per eligible member per meeting. A total of $13,000 has been budgeted under Project No. 100035 for Advisory Body Compensation for FY25; the needed budget is $50,000. Additional funding will be transferred from other projects, reflecting a net zero budget change.
Impact_to_Budget
IMPACT TO BUDGET
Measure R, Measure M., and TDA Administration funds are the source of funds for this action. These funds are not eligible for rail and bus operations.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Metro's Service Councils' work is intended to benefit Metro bus and rail system riders and the communities where those services are operated. The revisions to the Service Council Bylaws help address more equitable and accessible participation and compensation for MSC representatives.
The revisions also clarify and formalize the requirements for Service Council meetings and events, requiring that they be held at locations accessible by Metro service, with a preference for locations with frequent service and at times and days conducive to maximizing public participation.
This update to the Service Council Bylaws also updates the allocation of bus lines by the Service Council region, ensuring that any significant bus service changes are brought to the Service Council that best represents their ridership.
Lastly, this update includes recommendations that address one of Metro's Equity Platform pillars, Listen and Learn: Supporting More Equitable Community Engagement. This update to the Bylaws specifies that as much as possible, representatives nominated by the region’s nominating authorities and appointed to the Councils by the Board of Directors shall be selected to reflect the demographic profile of the region and the region’s ridership, as well as a broad spectrum of the interests and geographic areas of the region over which the Service Councils have jurisdiction; multiple representatives from the same jurisdictions are strongly discouraged. The inclusion of this goal will support broader representation in each Service Council.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Approval of this recommendation supports the following Metro Strategic Plan Goals:
2. Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system
3. Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
An option is not to approve the Metro Service Council Bylaws update. This option is not recommended as the Bylaws should be modified to reflect the reality of the existing functional alignment of Metro with the Service Councils, the Service Councils’ processes and functions as reflected in practice, and to incorporate Metro policies that have been adopted since the 2011 iteration of the Bylaws.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon adoption, staff will distribute a copy of the adopted Bylaws to all Service Council Members and nominating authorities.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Revised Service Council Bylaws
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Dolores Ramos, Senior Manager, Regional Service Councils, (213) 598-9715
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 418-3034