City May Be 5th to Join Regional Board
In the hopes of securing more grant money, especially funds for transportation projects, five cities are teaming up to form a regional Council of Governments.
The new board has already been approved by Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, Malibu and Westlake Village. The fifth city, Calabasas, is expected to authorize its mayor to sign off on the agreement when its council meets tonight, Calabasas City Manager Charles Cate said.
“We’ve always had a loose coalition of the cities,” Cate said. By formalizing the arrangement, he said, the cities will be “in a better position to compete” with other regions for government grants.
The Council of Governments will also coordinate planning, resource sharing and other programs.
One project regional officials are considering is a “smart shuttle” system that would use small vans to transport people around the area, Cate said.
The group has received an $18,000 grant from the Southern California Assn. of Governments to help cover start-up costs. Each member city will choose one of its council members to serve on the new board, Cate said, and the five city managers will sit on a technical advisory committee.
“It just adds more clout and more formality to an informal process,” Cate said. “To the outside world, it gives us more recognition.”
The council meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 26135 Mureau Road.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
