Growing concerns over SB 1087 has building industry calling for reform

The Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) issued a statement yesterday calling for “a further review into Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)”, citing growing concerns over transparency, elected-official oversight, regional representation and accountability.

The catalyst of the request – Senate Bill 1087 (Cabaldon). Legislation designated a “Housing Killer” by California’s homebuilding industry continues to be sponsored by the exact government agency charged with planning Southern California’s housing needs through the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).

“SCAG cannot demand that cities plan for more housing through RHNA while sponsoring legislation that makes those homes more expensive and harder to build,” said BIASC CEO Jeff Montejano in the statement. “That contradiction should concern every city and county in Southern California.”

Opposition to the bill continues to grow, not only from the private sector, but public as well, including:

• Orange County Board of Supervisors – adopted an Oppose Unless Amended position.
• Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) – withdrew its support and moved to Neutral.
• Orange County Council of Governments (OCCOG) – voted to Oppose SB 1087.
• San Bernardino County and transportation leadership – withdrew support.
• Riverside County Leadership – withdrew support.

In the private sector, the Southern California Leadership Council, Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed), Inland Empire Economic Partnership, Rebuild SoCal Partnership, Orange County Business Council, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, Construction Industry Air Quality Coalition and BIASC all oppose the bill.

“Look at who is speaking up – counties, transportation agencies, councils of governments, employers and major regional business organizations,” Montejano said. “If a regional authority continues advancing a policy after significant parts of the region it represents have rejected that policy, we have to ask a basic question: Who is SCAG representing?”

Despite regional consensus collapsing, SCAG Chairman and City of Chino Hills Vice Mayor Ray Marquez has refused requests to convene a meeting allowing the elected Regional Council to debate and vote on whether SCAG should continue sponsoring SB 1087. For the BIASC, that refusal highlights a larger governance problem.

“The bill changed. The coalition changed. Yet SCAG’s position has not changed, and its elected board has not been given the opportunity to reconsider it,” Montejano said. “There is something fundamentally wrong with that structure that needs to be addressed.”

The BIASC has said it will begin engaging cities, counties, elected officials, business organizations, housing leaders and regional stakeholders to examine SCAG’s governance and pursue meaningful reform, with the intent of making SCAG more transparent, responsive and accountable to the local governments it serves.