Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
JANUARY 18, 2024
Subject
SUBJECT: COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL (CAC) QUARTERLY UPDATE
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE quarterly status report on the Community Advisory Council (CAC).
Issue
ISSUE
This receive and file report is a Board-directed quarterly update on community advisory council (CAC) activities from September 27, 2023, through January 4, 2024.
Background
BACKGROUND
Per state statute, Metro must appoint a citizens’ advisory committee, whose membership “shall reflect a broad spectrum of interests and all geographic areas of the county.” The CAC prefers to be referred to as the Community Advisory Council as it better reflects their constituency.
Per the bylaws adopted by the CAC, the group is to consult, obtain, and collect public input on matters of interest and concern to the community. It will communicate the CAC’s recommendations concerning such issues to Metro. Issues may also be assigned to the CAC by Metro for its review, comment, and recommendation.
The CAC meets in General Assembly monthly on the Wednesday evening before the Metro Board of Directors Meeting. The CAC’s elected officers meet as an Executive Committee on the first Friday of each month to lead the overall coordination, administration, and future planning for the CAC. The CAC and its subcommittees are subject to Brown Act policies and regulations.
The CAC is currently comprised of a total of 22 active/voting Members. CAC Members are directly appointed by the Metro Board of Directors and serve at the pleasure of their appointing Director.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Since the October 2023 update to the Board, the CAC General Assembly convened three times to discuss matters related to Metro business directly with key agency staff working on critical programs, projects, operations, and agency initiatives. Additionally, the CAC hosted their annual holiday “Meet and Greet” in December to hear key agency updates from Metro Board Leadership and Metro Executive leadership.
As a result of the CAC’s monthly meetings during this reporting period, staff have coordinated interdepartmentally to secure key Metro updates as requested by CAC and to ensure the comments expressed by CAC Members in draft meeting notes are considered and incorporated where feasible into the team’s analysis.
See Attachment A for a listing of CAC Members’ individual inputs on requested Metro topics from this reporting period
EQUITY PLATFORM
CAC Members represent diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, viewpoints, perspectives, and priorities. Of the 22-member committee 63% identify as Black and Indigenous People of Color. Collectively, the members highlight the demographics and realities facing our Metro riders and customers across the County. Over recent years, the CAC has increasingly become more diverse in terms of race/ethnicity and gender and is comprised of several Members that utilize Metro and partially Metro-funded services (such as Access Services, local municipal operators’ services, etc.) and/or regularly ride our transit system. Additionally, some of the CAC Members are differently abled - increasing greater equity of representation further. At present, there are seven women out of 22 total members (31%) serving on the CAC, with one woman recently needing to resign due to scheduling conflicts with other essential priorities. This greater diversity of the CAC is due in part to Metro staff encouraging members of the public to seek appointment via the Metro Board of Directors and the Board making these appointments to this important state-mandated advisory body.
CAC members’ feedback on matters related to Metro programs, projects, and initiatives is important and continues to be valued by staff.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Metro staff will continue to support the CAC and keep the Metro Board apprised of their activities, as desired by the Metro Board.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - CAC Members’ Inputs
Prepared_by
Prepared by:
Danielle Valentino, Manager, Community Relations, (213) 922-1249
Patricia Soto, Director, Community Relations, (213) 922-7273
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by:
Yvette Rapose, Deputy Chief Customer Experience Office, (213) 418-3154
Jennifer Vides, Chief Customer Experience Office, (213) 922-4060
