Law Gives Cities a Voice in County Air Quality Issues : Environment: The Board of Supervisors, which currently heads the pollution control district, is scheduled to address the matter today.

Under a new state law, cities in Ventura County will have a say for the first time in setting county policies intended to reduce air pollution and comply with state and federal laws.

All five county supervisors now make up the local Air Pollution Control District board. But by July 1, the county must add at least one elected representative from among the county’s 10 cities.

If county and city leaders cannot agree on the new composition of the board before July, the law requires that the board be made up of an equal number of county and city leaders.

The county Board of Supervisors is scheduled to take up the issue at its regular board meeting today.

Richard H. Baldwin, the county’s top air pollution official, said the July 1 deadline comes at a crucial time. By November, the county must adopt a far-reaching plan to reduce pollution emissions and must come into compliance with federal air quality standards by 2005.

“I want to figure out who the new board is so I can begin the education process as early as possible,” he said.

Supervisor Susan K. Lacey wrote a letter to fellow supervisors Dec. 14 laying out several options for adding city officials.

The options range from a five-member board with three supervisors and two city officials to a 15-member board with five supervisors and an elected official from each city.

But a group of elected city officials from throughout the county has written a letter to the Board of Supervisors suggesting that the Ventura County Organization of Governments become the new Air Pollution Control District board.

The letter, signed by Ventura City Councilman Greg Carson, described air quality as “one of the most pressing issues for each . . . government in the county.”

But Baldwin said that regional group cannot legally become the new board because it includes members from two cities in Los Angeles County--Agoura and Westlake Village.

Supervisor John K. Flynn said he favors adding just one or two city officials and continuing to hold the Air Pollution Control District meetings on Tuesdays when the Board of Supervisors meets.

“No one from any city has ever called me up and said, ‘John, we want to get on the APCD board,’ ” Flynn said. “It takes a long time to get up to speed on APCD issues and cities have never paid much attention to it.”

If more than one or two city officials are added, he said, it will require separate meetings.

“It’s going to add a cost to doing the business,” Flynn said. “And it won’t improve the air one bit. It’s a stupid piece of legislation.”

The bill, which was passed in October, was sponsored by Assemblyman Dan Hauser (D-Arcata.)

Yvonne Hunter, a lobbyist for the League of California Cities, said cities pushed for the legislation because they wanted more of a say in emission and land-use restrictions that could by imposed by counties to reduce air pollution.

“Isn’t it better to have them at the table instead of pounding on the door outside, wanting to get in?” Hunter asked.