Title
Recommendation to Approve the Legislative Agenda for the City of Alameda. (City Manager 2110)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Alameda (City) adopts an annual Legislative Agenda to guide the City’s legislative advocacy efforts during the year. By adopting a Legislative Agenda, staff, the Mayor, and the City Council and City Manager’s office are able to react quickly to most legislative issues as they arise, ensuring there is a formal City position on a variety of legislative matters. Having a Legislative Agenda in place also allows the City to continue to engage in legislative efforts that impact the organization and the community, should they be placed on the ballot for voters to consider.
BACKGROUND
The draft 2020 Legislative Agenda was reviewed by City department heads and includes department director feedback on legislative priorities and the majority of the 2020 Strategic Advocacy Priorities established by the League of California Cities. Reforming recently enacted criminal justice laws through the Police Chiefs/Grocer’s-sponsored criminal justice reform measure, which is eligible for the November 2020 ballot or other legislative action, is not included in this draft. However, support for this measure could be included at the City Council’s direction and that option is included in the alternatives section below.
Following City Council adoption, the City’s 2020 Legislative Agenda will be shared with our State and Federal representatives, and will be a road map for our advocacy efforts in coordination with our State and Federal lobbyists.
Issues that develop and are not covered by the approved 2020 Legislative Agenda, issues that may conflict with one another, or issues that are of significant and urgent in nature, will be brought to the City Council for consideration.
Previous versions of the Legislative Agenda were adopted on December 3, 2013, December 2, 2014, November 3, 2015, March 21, 2017, March 20, 2018, and May 7, 2019.
DISCUSSION
The general principle’s setting the foundation for the legislative agenda is that the City of Alameda will strongly consider opposing any legislation or regulations that preempt local authority, negatively affect the City’s budget, or impose unfunded mandates on the City. The City supports the use of incentives to encourage local government action, rather than the imposition of mandates. The City supports legislation that promotes social equity and enhances the quality of life and health of Alameda residents.
The City’s draft 2020 Legislative Agenda is divided into sections of interest to the City. Below are highlights of changes made to the approved 2019 Legislative Agenda.
• Following two City Council priority setting meetings, the General Principle of the Legislative Agenda was updated to include support for legislation that supports the current priorities identified by the City Council. We also included support for legislation that promotes social equity and enhances the quality of life and health of Alameda residents.
• Land Use: We included support for lowering greenhouse gas consumption and enhancing resilience.
• Transportation: We included support for measures that lower greenhouse gas emissions attributable to transportation and support and promotion of the City’s active transportation efforts.
• Public Safety and Homeland Security: We included the need for funding and resources for flood protection and resiliency projects that limit the risk of, and improve the recovery after, significant flood events. We also included support for legislative efforts to mitigate impacts of Public Safety Power Shutoff events.
• Health and Human Services: We added support for legislation that increases equity, improves the physical health, mental health, and well-being of Alameda residents, and promotes social equity. We added helping prevent youth vaping to our existing efforts to support the health, safety, and welfare of our community.
• Environment: We included support for legislation that promotes air quality and recycling to our existing list of environmental issues that are important to the City. We added support for additional resources to assist in the City’s implementation of the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan and to ensure our residents have access to convenient recycling facilities.
No substantial changes were made to the following sections: Base Reuse, Parks and Open Space, Revenue and Taxation, Employee Relations, and Affordable Housing. A redlined version of the approved 2019 Legislative Agenda is attached as Exhibit 1 and a clean version of the draft 2020 Legislative Agenda is attached as Exhibit 2.
In addition, to the City Council priorities, the City’s draft 2020 Legislative Agenda includes supporting the following League of California Cities’ 2020 Strategic Priorities:
1. Improve the supply and affordability of housing. Provide cities with financial tools to increase construction of housing, particularly for vulnerable populations, reform state regulatory barriers, and ensure cities retain flexibility based on the size, geography, demographics, impact mitigation, and land use needs of each community.
2. Advocate for increased funding and resources to prevent homelessness and assist individuals experiencing homelessness. Secure additional resources and flexibility to provide navigation assistance, emergency shelters, and permanent supportive housing and strengthen partnerships with stakeholders to ensure mental health, substance abuse treatment, and wraparound services are available for adults and youth at risk of - or already experiencing -homelessness in our communities.
3. Address fiscal sustainability. Raise awareness among stakeholders about the fiscal challenges cities face and work collaboratively to secure new revenue tools and flexible prudent policies to ensure cities are able to provide essential services to their residents while maintaining their ability to meet pension obligations.
4. Strengthen community and disaster preparedness, public safety, and resiliency. Improve community resiliency to disasters and environmental threats, and strengthen infrastructure stability and control, through expanding partnerships, including state and federal agencies, and securing additional resources and support for climate change adaptation, planning, preparedness, response, recovery, and sustainability in our cities.
5. Address public safety concerns of California cities.* Protect public safety by reducing access to firearms by the mentally ill. Support additional tools and resources to address critical community challenges such as homelessness, mental health, domestic violence, drug rehabilitation, human trafficking, and workforce development for ex-offender reentry.
*Note - The League of California Cities 2020 Strategic Priorities also identify the need to “reform recently enacted criminal justice laws - enacted by both statute and initiative - that have eroded public safety protections of California residents through the passage of the Police Chiefs/Grocer’s-sponsored criminal justice reform measure eligible for the November 2020 state ballot, or by equivalent reforms achieved through legislative action.” City Council consideration of taking a position on this League priority is included in the next section.
Recent Proposed Legislation
In addition to approving the draft 2020 Legislative Agenda, the City Council could consider taking a position on the following recent bills:
• Consider supporting the California Green New Deal (AB 1839), a policy framework to implement, through principles and goals, a commitment to reduce severe climate change impacts while protecting the public health and the environment, to overcome systemic racial injustice, and to ensure all California residents enjoy a 21st century standard of living without regard to their wealth or income.
• Consider supporting reforming recently enacted criminal justice laws through the Police Chief’s/Grocer’s-sponsored criminal justice reform measure eligible for the November 2020 ballot or other legislative action.
• Consider supporting future versions of SB 50 and how it is consistent with the City Council’s support of improving opportunities for affordable housing but also whether suggested amendments could be suggested in any support to ensure consistency with the City’s founding principles.
• Consider supporting the City of San Jose’s proposal to transform PG&E into a customer-owned utility, to improve access to the capital critically needed for grid safety and maintenance, and to better align the financial interests of the company with its ratepayers, joining a coalition of 185 elected officials.
ALTERNATIVES
• Approve the draft 2020 Legislative Agenda for the City of Alameda.
• Approve the draft 2020 Legislative Agenda with a position on recent proposed legislation.
• Make changes to the draft 2020 Legislative Agenda and approve as amended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from the adoption of the Legislative Agenda. However, pursuing these agenda items are intended to defend as well as promote the City’s financial stability.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action does not affect the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. This action is not a project under Public Resources Code section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines section 15378.
CLIMATE IMPACTS
There are no climate impacts from the approval of the 2020 Legislative Agenda. However, if the City chooses not to approve a Legislative Agenda, the City may not be able to act on legislation that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and has a positive climate impact.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the 2020 Legislative Agenda for the City of Alameda.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends approval of the City of Alameda 2020 Legislative Agenda. This provides valuable guidance when supporting or opposing legislation. In addition, this year we plan to bring bills for consideration in the event they are controversial on a State wide basis and there is consideration for the City of Alameda taking a position.
Respectfully submitted,
Sarah Henry, Public Information Officer
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1: Legislative Agenda - Redlined
2: 2020 Legislative Agenda