County to Pilot Public Policy Discussions to Precede Board Meetings

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a new “cluster meeting” framework aimed at encouraging more public participation in policymaking discussions.

Cluster meetings consist of county department staff, community-based organizations and members of the public, with participants gathering to discuss motions being brought forth to the Board of Supervisors.

On Oct. 22, the board directed the CEO and county attorneys to report back with a strategy for improving existing public meetings.

The report, submitted on Dec. 11, recommended that board motions be introduced a week ahead of its meetings and discussed at one of the five existing clusters — Operations, Community Services, Family and Social Services, Health and Mental Health Services, and Public Safety.

Supervisor Holly Mitchell called on her peers to support the pilot program testing the cluster meeting structure, which she said would be implemented with no cost and no new staffing.

“We are proposing this process in particular because it’s compatible with the existing schedule for filing motions and publishing board agendas so there’s limited additional administrative burden,” Mitchell said.

She added that the cluster process would increase the public’s say in policy discussions, beyond the current structure of people simply showing support or opposing motions at the board meetings when the items are voted upon.

The cluster meetings would take place on Wednesdays, preceding board meetings the following Tuesday.

According to the motion, the structure aligns with upcoming compliance requirements under recently approved Measure G, which will extend the agenda posting timeline from 72 hours to 120 hours starting in 2026.

However, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath criticized the time constraints that would accompany the one-week filing period and offered amendments calling for motions to be filed to the clusters two weeks prior to board meetings.

The changes will take effect for all policy motions introduced for the board meeting on Jan. 21, 2025, and will remain in effect through Aug. 12, 2025.

This revised process aims to enhance the inclusivity, efficiency and transparency of the board’s policymaking, while maintaining the integrity of the county’s legislative framework, the motion states.