Recorded May 31, 2025

LWVBA Biennial Council 2025

The League of Women Voters Bay Area held their Biennial Council Meeting covering its recent activities and future plans on May 31, 2025. The meeting covered topics including housing initiatives, regional planning, a proposed regional transportation measure, our Observer Corps, Public Health events series and the League's future plans. Attendees received updates on ongoing projects, discussed potential new initiatives, and were encouraged to participate in various League activities and provide input on future developments. For questions on any item below, contact us at lwvbayarea [at] gmail.com.

Keynote Speaker: The Status of BAHFA (part of MTC-ABAG)

The meeting began with a presentation by Danial Saver, Deputy Executive Director for Housing and Energy at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments. He explained the mission and accomplishments of the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) and highlighted BAHFA's role in financing housing production, preservation, and protection across the Bay Area, and discussed their recent strategic planning process, outlining four key modules focused on preparing for a potential regional housing revenue measure in 2028. The agency is currently funded through 2027 and lacks ongoing revenue sources, prompting efforts by Bay Area elected officials and stakeholders to make a budget request of $30 million from the pending state budget.

Daniel focused primarily on the BAHFA strategic planning process just beginning. It will involve engaging stakeholders through technical advisory groups and webinars, with an emphasis on learning from past experiences and scaling programs appropriately based on available funding. It work will most likely conclude in Winter 2026. He stated that the summer of 2026 is a pivotal moment for BAHFA.

Daniel shared on how to stay involved with BAHFA, including signing up for email lists, attending webinars, and participating in board meetings. He explained that Plan Bay Area 2050 and 2050+ supports both inner Bay Area densification and sensible growth in northern counties, while noting that current affordability challenges require broader regional solutions.

Sign up for updates on BAHFA’s strategic planning by clicking here.

LWV Membership Transformation Changes & LWVBA Outreach Program

The group discussed changes to League membership structure, where members will now pay directly to National League rather than local leagues, with a new dues structure of 20% local, 47% state, and 33% national. LWVBA is evaluating the level of Per Member Payment (PMP) to request from the Local League membership.

The Co-presidents are continuing their outreach to the Local Leagues with about half completed and will do follow-up meetings with local leagues on support needs for their Program Priorities such as Highway 37 Project, Program Planning, SB 36, and housing initiatives. I would delete all this bolded. We don’t monitor Hwy 37, only coordinate with the affected locals. SB 36 needs to be covered separately and ther term housing initiatives is confusing.

Developing a New Website: The League of Women Voters Bay Area discussed their plans for a new website launching in January 2026, built on the WIX platform, developed to improve regional communication and event connections and encouraged input from members on desired content and features. More to come soon.

Update on LWVBA Activities Supporting Program/Issues for Emphasis:

Senate Bill 63 (Wiener/Arreguin) Regional Transportation Measure -Enabling Legislation Update: Roma Dawson upated attendees on the status of SB 63. If approved by the state Legislature, it places a regional transit measure on the November 2026 to avert cuts in service for mass transit and authorizes a new half-cent sales tax in counties of Alameda and Contra Costa and San Francisco. (Duration of TBD) San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties may elect to opt in. Up to 10% of funds may be used to fund initiatives in the 2021 Bay Area Transit Transformation Action Plan. The Bill authors continue to work with the five counties, transit operators and other stakeholders to develop a consensus proposal that would be added to the bill by mid August.

LWVBA observed months of stakeholder and MTC meetings leading to the creation of this enabling legislation. The LWVBA board has taken no position. We voted to hold an educational forum with both supporters and opponents of SB 63 invited to participate. The date will be set after consultation with state legislative offices andother stakeholders. 

Bay Area Regional Plan 2050: Louise Rothman Riemer updated attendees about the Bay Area Regional Plan 2050, which aims to address common issues across nine counties through collaborative and sustainable approaches emphasizing equity, connectivity, diversity, health, and vibrancy. Louise outlined key priorities, including affordable housing, a well-functioning transportation system, inclusivity, environmental conservation, and economic growth.

Plan Bay Area: https://planbayarea.org/plan-bay-area-2050-plus

LWVBA Observer Corps: Jean Perry invited attendees to join the League of Women Voters Observer Corps, which monitors regional agencies and ensures transparency in government actions. Sherry Smith thanked Jean for her coordination efforts and encouraged more participation in the Observer Corps.  

Public Health Series: Marieann Shovlin presented updates on the Public Health Series, highlighting events on community health, chronic diseases, and upcoming topics like nutrition and the politics of health. She emphasized the importance of public health in the current environment and invited feedback on the series.

Regional Planning Study Update: Committee Chair, Kathleen Cha provided an update on the League of Women Voters Bay Area regional study, detailing the committee's work on regional planning and governance since 2022. She outlined the study's progress, including examining past studies, updating information on regional agencies, and conducting interviews with key decision-makers. The committee aims to enhance understanding of regional planning and governance. Kathleen outlined the creation of a study kit that will be mailed to local Leagues by August 1, 2025. The deadline for local Leagues to respond will be February 27, 2026 to allow adequate time for meetings and discussions. The board will make recommendations during LWVBA Convention 2026. 

2025-2026 Action Plan: 

Marieann discussed the 2025-2026 action plan, focusing on budget constraints due to changes in national funding, the development of a new website, and monitoring regional agencies. The Co-Presidents emphasized the importance of collaboration and transparency in achieving the League's goals.

Local League Outreach Program: Your Co-Presidents have been touching base with each of the 20 local Leagues in the Bay Area over the past few months  during their Board meetings – and we are not done yet! We have been sharing our Program priorities and getting Locals’ feedback on their priorities and asking them how LWVBA can support their activities and goals. As we have been gathering data, we will share later in the year. One area we want more feedback on is what you would like to see on out upcoming new website – and how you want to participate in our Observer Corps. So tell us!

Nutrition and Its Role in Solving the Health Crisis: The latest event in the Death vs. Dollars Public Health Series is on June 26 at noon via Zoom – Register here to join us for this most relevant and important presentation with Professor Robert Lustig from UCSF who will present on how nutrition can impact both long term physical and mental health and County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors President Otto Lee will discuss the Board's work in promoting nutrition programs and resources. Speakers will be followed by participant Q & A.

Click here for the LWV Bay Area Presentation

Click here for the BAHFA Presenation

Click Here for a printable version of the Agenda.