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01-21-2014 - City of West Covina 2014 Legislative Platform0 0 City of West Covina Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: I: Christopher J. Chung City Manager AGENDA ITEM NO. 4 DATE January 21, 2014 Chris Freeland, Deputy City Manager/Community Services Director SUBJECT: CITY OF WEST COVINA 2014 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions: 1. Adopt the proposed 2014 Legislative Platform to support/ oppose county, state, and federal legislation as appropriate; and 2. Oppose Assemblyman Roger Hernandez' proposed legislation to require all General Law cities, including West Covina, with a population greater than 100,000 to institute City Council elections by district DISCUSSION: Each year, the State Legislature introduces legislation that affects the City of West Covina and other municipalities. In the past, City staff would agendize those pieces of legislation as requested by the City Council or as requested by our legislative advocates (League of California Cities, Joe Gonsalves and Sons, etc.). In 2011, the City of West Covina adopted a Legislative Platform to provide an outline on the fundamental legislative issues of importance to the City of West Covina. This Legislative Platform improved and streamlined the City's efforts to provide the City's legislative advocates and local elected officials with immediate responses on the City's position to support/oppose legislation being developed at the county, state, and federal levels. The Legislative Platform also allowed West Covina to have a greater voice in legislation. City staff is presenting the 2014 Legislative Platform for the City Council's consideration. With the adoption of the Legislative Platform, City staff will have clear direction from the City Council on the legislative priorities of the community and will have the authority to prepare timely letters in support/opposition, with the City Manager's approval. The following are the procedures that the City will utilize: • Upon approval of the Legislative Platform by the City Council, staff shall continue to monitor all pertinent legislation. • Staff will respond with letters of support/opposition to those legislative proposals deemed eligible based on the adopted Legislative Platform. Letters will contain the Mayor's signature, with copies distributed to the City Council. • The City Manager shall review all correspondence before it is issued to confirm appropriateness. • Any legislation of importance that are not clearly defined in the adopted Legislative Platform will be referred to the City Council Leadership for direction. • Adjustments to the adopted Legislative Platform will be presented annually to the City Council for review and may be amended at anytime by the City Council. Attached is the proposed 2014 Legislative Platform (Attachment No. 1) that outlines the positions that the City of West Covina finds of significance to the community. Specifically, the City will support legislation that enhances and maintains local control, including but not limited to: protecting and secure local government funding/finances; improving public safety; redevelopment elimination clean-up language; increasing transportation infrastructure investments; local public meeting procedures and transparency; fair and community friendly environmental regulations; land -use planning; and other issues of importance to municipalities. The City will oppose legislation that takes away local control from municipalities, negatively impacts the City's funding and other items contained in the City's legislative platform, and any legislation that will reduce the City's ability to provide quality services to the community. City staff will also develop position letters in support or opposition to legislation addressing matters that has recently been voted upon by the community. In 2009, West Covina voters overwhelmingly rejected Measure D, which would have instituted City Council elections by district (No: 63%, Yes: 37%). Assemblyman Roger Hernandez is proposing legislation that would require all General Law cities, including West Covina, with a population greater than 100,000 to institute City Council elections by district. Since the community recently voted against a local measure to do the same, City staff would develop a position letter in opposition to Assemblyman Hernandez' legislation to require City Council elections by district. ALTERNATIVE: If the City does not wish to adopt a Legislative Platform, City staff can bring back each individual legislative bill for the City Council's consideration. Chris Freeland Deputy City Manager/Community Services Director Attachment: Attachment No. 1 — 2014 Legislative Platform 0 0 Attachment No. 1 2014 Legislative Platform 1. General a. Support legislation that protects local control and funding of vital community services, including but not limited to improving public safety, land -use planning, increasing transportation infrastructure investments, fair and community friendly environmental regulations, and the development of transparency measures of public meetings and other public disclosure requirements that are shared equally between elected and appointed officials at both the city and State governments. b. Support legislation to preserve local measures that a majority of residents have vote in support of, and oppose legislation that would mandate programs that a majority of residents have voted in opposition to. 2. Public Safety a. Support legislation that aims to strengthen local law enforcement efforts to prevent crime and prosecute those committing a crime. b. Support legislation that enhances consequences for those convicted of vandalism of public property (i.e. graffiti). c. Support legislation that provides for additional funding sources dedicated to public safety programs (911 systems, interoperability, fire suppression, medical response, etc.), services, and personnel. 3. Transparency and Disclosure Laws a. Support legislation that recognizes the importance and intent of the Brown Act to conduct the public's business in public. b. Oppose legislation that prevents the privacy rights granted to individuals under the U.S. and California Constitutions. c. Support legislation that requires State elected and appointed officials to be subject of the same disclosure and transparency laws that they require of local municipalities, schools, and special districts. 4. Finance/Budget a. Support legislation that proposes to further secure local govermnent funding sources such as community development block grants (CDBG), property taxes, sales tax, transient occupancy taxes, and Prop. 42 and other transportation dollars. b. Oppose legislation that proposes to divert local government funds to the State or other entity. c. Support legislation to reduce the long-term costs of health and benefit costs of personnel. d. Support legislation to require the State of California to pay cities for un-funded mandates and to suspend those mandates when funding/reimbursements are not available. e. Oppose legislation that adds further regulations on cities without funding to implement those programs. 5. Public Works and Transportation a. Support legislation that provides funding for local, regional, and state-wide transportation and public works infrastructure improvements. b. Support legislation that permits general law cities to use design -build contracts for public works projects. c. Oppose legislation that places undue hardship on local governments to implement new environmental regulations. d. Support legislation that provides increased funding opportunities for municipal environmental programs and sustainable energy projects. e. Support legislation that provides fiscally responsible policy for renewable energy programs. 6. Redevelopment/Housing and Planning a. Support legislation that corrects the many faults or vagueness contained in AB 1X26 and AB 1484 (Redevelopment Elimination Legislation), especially the preservation of City -Agency loans, agency assets, eliminating unnecessary liabilities and legal expenses, etc. b. With the elimination of redevelopment, support legislation that provides additional tools to cities to provide business development and retention, and job creation to generate economic stimulus. c. Support legislation to remove blight in communities throughout the State and to preserve development opportunities unique to West Covina (i.e. former BKK Landfill site). d. Support legislation that increases local control over group/residential care facilities, their location, and oversight. e. Support legislation that enhances the City's ability to enforce municipal codes for businesses operating outside their approved land use and without a Conditional Use Permit. f. Support legislation that recognizes homelessness as a statewide issue that disproportionately impacts specific communities and that the State and federal agencies provide the necessary funding and resources to assure local governments have the ability to address the needs of the homeless in their communities.