HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/19/1993, 3 - ESTABLISHING THE CITY LEGISLATIVE ACTION PROGRAM AND PRIORITIES FOR 1993.' il���I1�1IIlIlyIII,IIII,I�IIIII VJ r MEETING GATE:
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mmmmm Iwo COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ITEM NUMBER:
FROM: Ken Hampian, Assistant City Administrative Officer
Prepared by: David Gray, Administrative Analyst
SUBJECT: Establishing the City Legislative Action Program and Priorities for
1993.
CAO RECOMMENDATIONS:.
(1) Review and approve the proposed approach for a more formal, ongoing City
Legislative Action Program.
(2) Adopt a resolution establishing the City Legislative Action Program and Priorities
for 1993.
(3) Discuss and provide further direction on Councilmember participation in legislative
briefings, and with respect to improved contact with the County Board of
Supervisors.
DISCUSSION:
Background
In the past the City has lacked a formal, ongoing program to influence the decisions of
other elected officials such as federal representatives, members of the State Legislature
and members of the Board of Supervisors. Opportunities to positively influence legislative
outcomes by communicating a City position were sometimes lost due to inadequate
monitoring, the length of Council Agenda lead time, and insufficient supporting
information.
Instead, the City relied on occasional, ad hoc City actions, or on the actions of the
League of California Cities to represent the interests of cities to the State Legislature.
However, an important part of supporting League actions is the direct contact individual
cities have with their elected representatives. This is also true at the federal and county
levels. Given the ever - increasing impact on our city of decisions. made by these other
levels of government, a more proactive and effective direct City effort is needed.
In considering the best approach, the League describes its recommendations for
legislative action in an article entitled, "16 Ways to Take Part in the League's Lobbying
Effort" published in the March 1988 /Western City (Attachment 1). Key recommendations
include: #4 Be able to act quickly; #5 Send letters, not resolutions; #6 Be able to act
more quickly; #7 If your city has special clout, use it; #8 Say 'Thanks "; #11 Meet
regularly with your legislator; and #13 Collaborate with community groups.
The purpose of this recommendation is to implement a program in support of League
efforts based on these concepts. With the Council's adoption of the "City Legislative
Action Program and Priorities for 1993 ", the City will have an improved ability to quickly
il�H� ►b►►I►VIIIIIIIIIP° �����II city of san ; s OBISPO
COd.lNCIL AGENDA REPORT
take City positions on key issues, more effectively influence the decision making process
of other elected officials, and assure consistency with Council policy and priorities.
Suggested legislative priorities identified by staff are contained in Attachment 2, Exhibit
"A" Priorities. More information on these priorities, the process used to identify them and
and how they will be used in the City's Legislative Action Program can be found in a later
section of this report.
Past Process
In short, it has not been the City's practice to formally establish legislative priorities on key
issues and hold regular meetings with other elected officials at the Federal, State and
County levels to emphasize the importance of these priority issues to the City, as
recommended by the League.
Council and staff have relied principally on the League of California Cities' weekly
Legislative Bulletins summarizing the status of significant state and major federal
legislation important to cities. Often, quick actions consistent with League policies and
resolutions were requested of cities. On occasion, the League would fax a Legislative
Alert to the City Administrative Officer urging immediate action. Several times recently
information was received from an industry or professional association, such as the
California Transit Association, urging quick City action.
Historically, formal agenda reports would be taken to the Council on only the "biggest
issues." Often, by the time Council took action, key opportunities to influence outcomes
were lost due to the somewhat unpredictable and fast -paced nature of the State legislative
process.
More recently, because of the need to act quickly in response to critical state issues, a
more informal practice evolved to enable us to act on recommendations from the League.
Typically, a letter was drafted by Administration Department staff based solely on
information supplied by the League, signed as soon as possible by the Mayor, and faxed
to the appropriate elected official(s). Copies of the letter were provided to the Council
and the League. Each issue was not taken to the Council formally, if staff could
reasonably assume that the position recommended by the League was consistent with
either past Council actions, or staff's understanding of the Council's point of view.
Although somewhat efficient and effective, the approach is too informal, lacking "upfront"
Council direction on process, policy and priority issues. Also, supporting information from
City departments and collaborating community groups (Attachment 1, #13) on the effects
of passage of the legislative measure were often not included, limiting the persuasiveness
of the correspondence. As mentioned previously, a program for regular, organized
contact with legislators at various levels of government to reinforce our priorities has also
not been in place.
II��►�►�ii��►►Illlllulu► ���III city Of San ' - Is OBISPO
mo COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Recommended Process
The Council's role in the past legislative process can be enhanced through the formal
adoption of a resolution establishing the City's Legislative Action Program. The
recommended program will:
Formalize a process for taking timely action on key Federal and State legislative
activities;
2. Establish City legislative priorities so that actions can be better focused; and
3. Assure regular face -to -face contact with other elected officials.
To assure that these efforts are consistent with Council policy and priorities, the resolution
authorizes actions which conform with: Recommendations of the League's weekly
Legislative Bulletin and the occasional League Legislative Alert for State and Federal
legislation; resolutions supported by the Council and adopted by the League at the
Annual Conference (Council Reading File); and the legislative priorities adopted by
Council resolution (Attachment 2, Exhibit "A ").
Within these parameters, the process is intended to work as outlined below:
Process for Action on State /Federal Legislative Activities. Upon receipt of a
communication from the League, the Administrative Analyst assigned by the City
Administrative Officer will review the information and identify a few key items for quick
action consistent with City legislative priorities. City departmental staff knowledgeable on
the issues will be asked to provide draft response letters with supporting information by
a date or time certain. The draft responses will be reviewed by the Administrative Analyst
and approved by the City Administrative Officer. Following CAO approval, each letter will
be prepared for signature by the Mayor or, in her absence, the Vice - Mayor.
The signed letter will then be faxed to the appropriate elected officials as indicated by the
League. Copies of the letters will be provided to each Council member, to the League
Sacramento office, and to regional departmental policy committee representatives as
recommended by the League. Replies received by the Mayor will be copied for
distribution to the recipients indicated above.
As noted above, legislative action will be limited to official League positions and as
specified in Attachment 2, Exhibit A. Any important issue clearly outside those
parameters will be brought to the full Council for consideration prior to providing a
response. Where the Council position is not clear, a position will not be taken unless
there is time to bring the matter to the City Council for the determination of a City
position. If individual Council Members become aware of other issues, then they should
bring these matters to the attention of the full Council, which can direct staff to either
prepare a letter of response or a staff analysis for further consideration.
li��imtiu►lullllllllll� °a���lll city of San . ,S OBISp0
Nii% COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City Legislative Priorities. Responding to requests for legislative action can be an
extremely time consuming activity, unless guided by some sense of priorities. In order
to focus our State, Federal, and County efforts, staff has prepared a recommended list
of priorities for Council consideration and approval.
To prepare the list, departments were asked to provide the Administration Department
with their recommendations on legislative priorities. Administration compiled the total list
of suggestions received from departments and presented the draft list to the Management
Team to produce a final list of legislative priorities. The final staff recommendations
appear in Attachment 2, Exhibit "A ". It is suggested that Council Members review, and
if appropriate revise, the list prior to adoption of the program.
Once adopted, these legislative priorities will be the centerpiece of the City's Legislative
Action Program. They will also serve as the focus for the City's face -to -face contact with
other elected officials.
Face -to -Face Contact with Other Elected Officials. Following adoption of the City
Legislative Priorities for 1993, Department Heads will be asked to produce short briefing
papers which define their issue(s) and propose a course of action which can be pursued
by the City through other elected officials. This will typically involve support for legislation,
regulatory change or grant award which achieves the City's goals.
Meetings will be scheduled with elected officials to personally discuss the briefing papers
and receive a response to the proposals. Copies of the briefing papers will be provided
to the Council and other elected officials in advance of the meetings. It is staff's goal to
hold a face -to -face meeting with Representative Huffingtori, Senator Hart and
Assemblywoman Seastrand during 1993. A tentative meeting has been scheduled with
Assemblywoman Seastrand on March 5 in City Hall.
It is staff's recommendation that Council attendance at the meetings be limited to two.
Councilmembers may wish to express a preference for a particular meeting so that all
Councilmembers may participate at different meetings during the year. As an alternative,
the entire Council could meet with the State Legislator if the meeting is properly noticed
as a public meeting.
It is recommended that formal Joint Meetings and Joint Study Sessions between
Members of the City Council and Members of the Board of Supervisors be held to
discuss and make recommendations on issues of mutual interest. In addition, informal
meetings between the Mayor and the Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors are also
recommended. Staff requests Council direction on pursuing these recommendations, or
other ideas for establishing more consistent and active communication with County
elected officials.
city of San " _ IS OBISPO
WiN COUNCIL. AGENDA REPORT
Relationship to Other Lobbying Efforts. Staff suggests that the collaborative efforts
recommended by the League in the 16 Ways" (Attachment 1, # 13), relating to community
groups (e.g., Chamber of Commerce, Land Conservancy) be included in the Legislative
Action Program. Areas of mutual interest may be identified and an effort made to
coordinate contacts with public officials to increase the impact and persuasiveness of the
City's positions.
Staff also suggests that City efforts be coordinated with similar efforts made by other local
governmental entities such as the County of San Luis Obispo, Channel Counties Division
of the League of California Cities (Attachment 3), City Managers Association of San Luis
Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, Mayor /Managers Group of San Luis Obispo County,
and the San Luis Obispo County Council of Governments. There is clearly "strength in
numbers" when issues of mutual interest are mutually pursued. Conversely, areas of
conflict may be identified to be neutralized or avoided in future efforts. A number of
efforts are already underway to better coordinate City efforts with those of other entities.
CONCLUSION:
The City Legislative Action Program must be somewhat simple and straightforward to be
effectively implemented and efficiently managed. The "16 Ways" developed from League
experience are a useful model of what to do. How well we do it is based on the City's
decision to set a reasonable number of legislative priorities and to rely on the knowledge,
skill and abilities of Councilmembers and staff to implement it.
The Legislative Action Program presented here is designed to meet the City's needs
within existing resources. It is a good beginning that will represent this City's interests
and will be improved as we gain experience by more actively participating in the legislative
process.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. "16 Ways to Take Part in the League's Lobbying Effort"
2. City Legislative Action Program Resolution with Legislative Action Priorities in
Exhibit "A"
3. Draft Channel Counties Division 1993 Legislative Program
NOTE: Resolutions approved by the League of California Cities on October 13,
1992 are available for review in the Council Reading File.
Influencing
Legislation
V
1 Keep well informed.
The League's Legislative
Bulletin is the main legisla-
tive communication vehicle
between the League and its
members. Each Friday dur-
ing the legislative session,
the Bulletin is mailed to all
mayors, city managers and
city clerks in non - manager
cities. Cities which are part
of the League's CITYLINK
telecommunications network
can access the Bulletin on
Friday afternoons. (Addi-
tional subscriptions to the
Bulletin are available for a
modest charge by calling the
League at [9161444-5790.)
The Bulletin highlights
priority bills as they move
through the legislative pro-
League's Lobbying Effort
By the League Staff
The League of California Cities is a grassroots lobbying organization in the truest sense of
the word.
While many organizations rely heavily on their ability to raise funds to make campaign
contributions to legislators, the League is prohibited by law from doing so. Yet, over the
years, the League consistently has been able effectively to influence legislation affecting
cities, often despite well- monied opposition.
The reason) The League has two valuable assets which can far outweigh the impact of
campaign funds in the Legislature:
(1) A professional lobbying staff that provides solid information and tenacious
advocacy at the Capitol, and
(2) a well- organized membership of city officials committed to good government
who are recognized and respected as opinion leaders in their communities.
Members of the Assembly and Senate are well aware that your opinion carries weight with
the same voters who put them in office. And, they know the League can produce a -loud.
well- coordinated grass roots response when cities have a strong position on an issue.
How well the League is able to make use of the collective clout of its members is a direct
result of your willingness to make your voice heard in the Legislature, your response to the
League staff's requests for information, and the strength of the League's position on any
given issue.
That's why it's important for every single city to take an active, consistent, and continuing
role in the League's legislative effort. If your city isn't currently taking part in the League's
legislative program, the following tips can help you get started. If your city does participate,
take a look at these ideas to make sure you're touching all the bases.
cess. It also serves as a vehi-
cle for requesting action
from your city, such as occa-
sional requests for comments
regarding a particular bill's
impact on your city and fre-
quent requests for letters or
phone calls of support or op-
position to bills.
Information on bills not
included in the Bulletin can
be obtained by calling the
Legislative Hotline in the
League's Sacramento Office
at (916) 444 -5790.
To obtain copies of bills, the
fastest and easiest way is to
ATTACHMENT 1
call the Legislative Bill
Room at the state Capitol at
(916) 445 -2323. Request
bills by the bill number (AB
for bills originating in
the Assembly, SB _ for
Senate bills). Bill texts also
are available on CITYLINK.
Bills which already have
March 1988 1Western City
been signed by the Governor
should be ordered by their
chapter numbers (for exam-
ple: Chapter 123. Statutes
of 1984).
2Put someone in charge.
Make sure one staff person
is responsible for immediate
review of the Le_islative
Bulletin and for initiating a
tintcly response by your city.
In most cities this individual
is the city manager, an assis-
tant city manager or an as-
sistant to the city manager.
Often this person duplicates
the Bulletin for distribution
to council members and de-
partment heads and coordi-
nates follow up. During the
busiest periods of the legisla-
tive session. a response from
your city may be needed in
less than a week and occa-
sionaliv in one or two days.
so it is important that some-
one hale the responsibility
for coordinating your citv's
response.
3Take a position early
and follow through. Establish
a quick and simple procedure
to enable your city to take
positions on bills discussed
in the Bulletin and other
bills of interest to your city.
Cities use a variety of meth-
ods for determining their
positions on bills. In many
cases, cities adopt the
League position on a bill
unless the city manager (or
another staff person respon-
sible for tracking legislation)
recommends additional re-
view by the City Council.
Other cities may debate each
bill before taking a position.
The important point here is
that your city take a position
early in the legislative pro-
cess, when there is greater
Western City/March 1988
opp city to have an im-
pact the outcome of the
bill, and so you are prepared
to respond quickly to subse-
quent requests for action.
Most important: provide
follow-up responses as
requested throughout the
legislative session. Bills are
heard before several commit-
tees, but your letters do not
necessarily follow bills
through the process. What's
more, the League's position
and your city's position on a
specific piece of legislation
may change as the bill is
amended. Consequently, it
is vital that you continue to
respond immediately to
requests for letters, even
though you already may have
written a letter at an earlier
point in the process.
There's no need to worry
about writing your legislator
about too many biI Is. Re-
member, the Bulletin in-
cludes only a fraction of all
the bills introduced. Your
representatives need to hear
from you, or they're forced
to make decisions on impor-
tant local government issues
without knowing the impact
they will have on the cities
in their districts.
The importance of contact-
ing a legislator on time can-
not be overemphasized. The
most eloquent letter or phone
call to the Capitol does no
good if it arrives after a
vote. If your city has an
established position, you
should be able to send follow -
up letters as requested in the
Bulletin with little or no
delay.
Letters should be sent to the
chair of the legislative com-
mittee where the bill is
pending so your city's posi-
tion will be included in the
committee's written analysis
of the bill, where it will be
read by members of the
committee and members of
the Senate or Assembly
when the bill is heard on the
floor. Copies also should be
sent to the bill's a , your
legislators, commit«e mem-
bers and the League. The
Bulletin identifies the com-
mittee members to whom
letters should be sent. In
most cities, the mayor signs
the letter.
Because legislative staffers
file letters by bill number.
each letter you write should
cover only one bill and
should reference the bill
number in a separate line at
the top of the page. Other-
wise your letter may get lost
in the system.
(See "How to Write an Effec-
tive Lobbying Leiter" in this
issue of Western City for tips
on how to make your corre-
spondence on legislation
more effective.)
4Be able to act quickly.
Respond in a timely manner
to League requests for bill
review and letters, phone
calls or telegrams in support
or opposition. Keep track of
your positions and
responses.
5Send letters, not reso-
lutions. Legislators say city
council resolutions of sup-
port or opposition by them-
selves are not effective and
should nor be sent. Legisla-
tors seem to view the pas-
sage of resolutions as such a
commonplace activity of
cities that it is as meaning-
less as their own resolutions
sent to Congress. You may
want to refer in your letter to
a resolution, but don't send
the resolution, itself.
(See "How to Lobby Me" by
Assembly Member Tom Han-
nigan in this issue of Western
City for more information on
how legislators prefer to be
approached by city
officials.)
613e able to act more
quickly. Establish a proce-
dure for urgent (one-day)
action on bills.
Occasionally. a new bill is
introduced or an important
amendment is made or pro-
posed that requires iinmcdi-
ate response by cities. The
Legislative Bulletin will re-
quest that you take immedi-
ate action or the League staff
may call city officials in
cities in key legislative dis-
tricts and ask them to call
their legislators right away.
In some cases your city may
not have an established posi-
tion on the bill. You'll need
a quick and simple method
to get that call made. t -su-
ally the mayor or a council
member makes the call.
71f your city has special
clout, use It. If your legisla-
tor is a member of a key
committee (i.e.. Local Gov-
ernment. Ways and Means.
Appropriations, etc.). it is
especially important that
your city respond to as many
bills listed in the Bulletin as
possible. If your city isn't
located in a key committee
member's district. %ou still
aren't off the hook: ei cry
letter counts.
8Say "Thanks." Remem-
ber to thank legislators regu-
larly and publicly for their
work, support, votes, etc.
Never discount the impor-
tance of a thank you; it
really can make a difference.
This is one of the most im-
portant things you can do
because so few people re-
member to thank their legis-
lators — and legislators
clearly remember those whc
do. Recognition dinners,
7
3-7
plaques presented at council
meetings. letters to the edi-
tor praising the responsive-
ness of legislators to local
needs can be effective public
ways of saving thank you to
your legislator.
Throughout the session, the
League staff keeps a track of
special assistance provided
by legislators on key bills.
The staff then sends letters
to cities within the legisla-
tors' districts, spelling out
these instances of special as-
sistance, and requesting that
cities themselves send letters
of thanks. If your city re-
ceives such a letter, be sure
to follow through.
A word of caution: Be very
wary of public criticism of
your legislator's actions.
Some assembly members
and senators rarely vote with
cities, yet come through on
crucial votes. Taking them to
task in a public forum for a
series of votes on relatively
unimportant issues can lose
their votes permanently op
much more vital issues. It's
much more effective to sit
down with a legislator in
private to discuss areas of
disagreement.
9 Keep the League staff
informed. Always send the
League copies of your letters
or telegrams. The staff needs
to know to whom to write,
when you write and what
you say. And. if you receive
a response from a member,
let us know about that, too.
The League's legislative staff
reads your letters and incor-
porates your arguments and
local circumstances into
their testimony. They also
cite your letters when they
talk with your legislators.
Western CitylMarch 1988
itTake part in
League policy development.
League positions are adopted
by the Board of Directors
after review by the League's
eight standing policy com-
mittees at their quarterly
meetings. If the League's
policy positions are to con-
tinue to be representative of
all the cities of California,
policy must be made bv_a
sampling of city officials
throughout the state. \lake
sure your regional and de-
partmental policy committee
representatives are aware of
your city's legislative
concerns.
(See "Working the League's
Policy Process" in this issue
of Western City for more in-
formation at how to became
involved.)
11 Meet regularly
with your legislator. Your
correspondence with your
legislator on issues impor-
tant to your city will be
more meaningful if you have
established art ongoing, per-
sonal relationship with him
or her. While, like most top
city officials, you probably
run into your legislators at
community events. make it
a point to meet formally at
least once a year with each
of your legislators to review
key League and city issues.
Breakfast or lunch meetings
are a good opportunity to
review with your legislators
their votes on key issues, to
discuss current or pending
legislation and to explain
issues of importance to the
League and your city. Be
sure to meet with Members
of Congress from your area,
as well. There is no s
tute for knowing you, .s-
lator and a key member of
his or her staff so that an
immediate and effective
contact can be made when
necessary.
121(now your legisla-
tor's staff. It's also helpful to
get to know your legislator's
staff. Frequently. you may
need to call the legislator to
impress upon him or her
your city's concerns. If you
cannot talk directly to your
legislator, a call to a Capitol
office staffer, whom you
know and who knows you, is
the next best thing. Be sure
to get acquainted with dis-
trict staff members as well.
13Collaborate with
community groups. Establish
positive links with commu-
nity groups to explore poten-
tial collaborative legislative
action. The local Chamber
of Commerce, League of
Women Voters. Taxpayers
Association and other busi-
ness. professional and com-
munity groups are natural
allies on certain issues. since
the health and well -being of
city government are in their
best interest as well as yours.
If you haven't already done
so, begin to build the poten-
tial for coalitions with these
groups in your community.
14Establish a work-
ing relationship with your
local media. Local editorial
support or opposition can be
extremely helpful on many
priority League bills, espe-
cially for cities in key legis-
lative districts. Consider
sending local editors copies
of the Bulletin with details
on local impact or other in-
formation on bills of interest
to our city. Some editors
welcome bylined opinion
editorials by city officials or
readily will run editorials
based on solid information
you provide on the local im-
pact of statewide or nation -
%%ide legislation. Providing
sample editorials also can be
helpful. Be sure to send the
League copies whenever
such editorials are printed.
15Stick with it.
Some issues — like bindine
arbitration for government
employee salaries — come
up year after year. Others —
like the tort reform measures
passed in the last session of
the Legislature — take years
to get through the Legisla-
ture, as faces change. as
consensus builds or as pres-
sure for action mounts. It's a
fact of life in public policy
that such things take time.
Your city's consistent partici-
pation in the process — year
after year — is essential to
long -term success in the
Legislature.
1617ollow the Golden
Rule. Approach legislators
the way you, as a city offi-
cial, want to be approached.
by your constituents — with
courtesy and respect.■
N
3-F,
How to Writ-d an Effective LLAying Letter
Use Four cites letter-
If you have a personal rela- Make it gas }' for legislative
Address lobbying
brad ,then comma-
icrosh;p „'irh the legislator, sn (fers to route your corre-
correspondence to
ill car;ng about your
rake a moment to ,Trite a spondence by indicafing
the chair i f the com-
citv's post t;oil nn a
quick, handwritten note to it 1101 bill you're addressing
mittee hearing the
bill.
draw' his or her attention to just bedmv the date of your
bill and to vmcr local
your letter. letter.
I(gislumr. Be sure to
send a cnpv oj%our
letter to the League's
Indicate unniediaiclY
which bill you're ad-
City of Emerald ay
legislative'sraf(crs,
so they cdn include
dressing by its bill
information on vnur
number (AB _.
P.O. Goa Any' Xcmber, Emerald 6ac CA. 9 DO
i ity's support or o -
op
if if it originates in the
March 1. 1988
position in their
Assembh•, SB _,
Senator Eleanor Higgenbotham
conun/free testi mony.
if it originates in the
California State Senate
Re: SB7777
Senate) and by an
State Capitol
identifying phrase.
Sacramento. California 95813
Get to the poinr of
Dear Senator Higgenbotham.
)our letter quickh:
"
your support for or
In man committees,
I'm writing to register the City of Emerald Bay's concern with SB7777, concerning
oppos;r;on to the
staff »members file
landfill regulations. which is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Ways and Meaas
bill.
correspondence ac-
Committee on Wednesday March 23. Our City Council has voted pnan imously to ask
cording to the date
you and the other members of the committee to reject the measure.
of a bill's nett hear-
Be sure you make
in 1 you know the
g' f
Our concerns with the bill are threefold:
clear ' for it hom
date, be sure to in-
11 The bill's requirement that all landfills in the state be landscaped so they
you re speaking.
chide it. Including
cannot be seen from the air at an altitude of 2000 feet will he very rogtIN.fn
such information will
%Ve estimate that such landscaping at our three current landfills will cost about
help ensure your let-
5400.000. approximately one -tenth of the ci(y's annual budeet.
rer is read in time to
Underline or iialicize
have an impact.
'_) The bill's requirement that such landscaping be complete by December. 1989. is
sparingh• to empha-
unrealistic. Our parks maintenance department has been unable to identify any
sl_e innportani
permanent vegetation which grows quickly enough to meet this deadline.
points.
Provide concrete,
3) While we acknowledge there may be some areas of the state where such
credible information
landfills create an unsightly nuisance from the air• this is not true in Emerald Bay. The
on the impact o pro-
P of
closest commercial airport is 150 miles away, and the closest general aviation airfield
Be sure to be clear
posed legislation on
is 70 miles away. We estimate no more than three flights cross over our landfill in a
about what action
and
Four city —and on
year. Similar conditions exist in most of the rural areas of the state. Therefore. since
You „'ant the le sla-
g•
the voters
this issue is not a statewide problem, we believe this is an issue best left to local, not
for rake.
statewide, regulation.
to
city.
N'e urge you to oppose this le�i�lation.
Sincerely yours.
?JohnfEer%votert/
Mayor. City of Emerald Bay
P.S. The following organizations also oppose SB7777:
The League of California
Cities, the
California Landfill Operators, the Californi
i Association of Landscape
Archite
is, the California Trial Lawyers Association, a
id Mothers Against Drunk
_-
Driving
Later ... If the legislator
does what you ask her to, be
sure to send a letter thanking
her for her yore.
12
Include significant, related
information in a postscript —
often the best read porrion of
a letter.
Keep your letter short. A
succinct, one -page letter it-ill
have more impact than a
longer one. If you have docu-
mentation of the bill's impact
on your city, enclose it, but
keep the letter short.
Elected officials prefer to
hear from other elected offi-
cials, unless they have a per-
sonal relationship with the
correspondent. While staff
members may prepare corre-
spondence, a letter will have
nnore impact, if an elected
official signs the letter.
Act promptly. Too many
good lobbying letters arrive
after o rote already has been
taken.
March 19881IVestern City
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C O L T; -!4 LI C L O R2 7
GL
RESOLUTION NO. (1993 Series)
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CITY LEGISLATIVE ACTION PROGRAM
AND PRIORITIES FOR 1993
WHEREAS, it is vital to the fiscal health and the self determination of the City to
effectively communicate with State legislators and Federal representatives in order to
favorably influence the adoption of State and Federal legislation, regulations and grant
requests; and
WHEREAS, the League of California Cities conducts an effective legislative analysis
and influential advocacy program on behalf of cities for State issues and major Federal
issues; and
WHEREAS, with four County Supervisors representing different portions of the city,
it is imperative that the City develop an improved system for regular communication with
the Board of Supervisors; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to be proactive and involved in the governmental
decision making processes directly affecting the City legislative priorities identified in
Exhibit "A" and other selected issues as recommended by the League of California Cities;
and
WHEREAS, the City must have an efficient process in place which allows for a
rapid response that effectively communicates the interests of the City to other officials;
and
WHEREAS, a key component of the City's Legislative Action .Program is face -to-
face meetings between City representatives and elected officials at the Federal, State and
County levels, and coordination with similar efforts made by other local government
entities.
ATTACHMENT 2
-/[
Page Two
Resolution No. (1993 Series)
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of San Luis
Obispo does hereby establish the Legislative Action Program and Priorities for 1993 to
take positions on legislation generally consistent with the resolutions and
recommendations of the League of California Cities and inclusive of the legislative
priorities identified in Exhibit A attached hereto.
Upon motion of , seconded by
and on the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
the foregoing resolution was adopted this
ATTEST:
City Clerk
APPROVED:
(4CftyAministrat ve Officer
ttor ey
g:legprogr
day of , 1993.
MAYOR PEG PINARD
J -/07-
EXHIBIT A: CITY LEGISLATIVE ACTION PRIORITIES FOR 1993
■ Promoting continued and increased funding sources for Transit
■ Obtaining new funding sources to expand low and moderate income
housing
■ Supporting added City authority over cable television service
■ Supporting legislation to transfer ownership of Salinas Reservoir to local
government
■ Supporting Panetta legislation on coastal preservation
■ Requiring funding of new water /wastewater regulations
FINANCE
■ Balancing the State Budget without further loss of City revenues
■ Protecting the City from loss of revenues due to State mandates
■ Strengthening opportunities for local fiscal independence
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
■
Solving the difficulties of implementing, and compliance with, State General
Plan Housing Element law
■ Ensuring representation for cities on regional air quality boards
■ Reducing city costs for jail booking (SB 2557)
■ Preserving City's authority to investigate police misconduct
■ Increasing City authority to regulate group homes for juvenile offenders
3!3
■ Continuing support for disaster preparedness /earthquake awareness
■ Supporting grant requests for Regional Hazardous Material Response
Team, disaster preparedness, and training facility
TRANSPORTATION
■ Increasing transportation funding (including transit, bicycles, others)
■ Reforming Worker's Compensation
■ Preserving the fiscal integrity of PERS
■ Opposing binding arbitration and expansion of the "Peace Officers' Bill of
Rights"
PUBLIC WORKS
■ Redefining prevailing wages as "average" local wages
■ Streamlining Federal and State process for funding street projects
■ Amending Subdivision Map Act to require improvements to.infrastructure for
lot line adjustments
■ Supporting recreational programming, particularly community child care
program development and incentives
■ Supporting funding for protection of natural resources (e.g., the Morros)
and open spaces
UTILITIES
■ Providing funding for reclaimed water programs
■ Supporting clean water grant programs
Jvw
■ Establishing local ownership of the Salinas Reservoir
■ Expediting County development of the Nacimiento Project
■ Increasing local funding of the Transit Transfer Center
■ Retaining County offices in the downtown area
■ Revising local emergency medical service response
■ Completing the Airport Area Master Plan
■ Improving solid waste management (reduce, reuse, recycle)
■ Opposing State Water allocations that would encourage urban -like
development in areas adjacent to the City limit
■ Developing cooperative approaches for providing services on a regional
- basis
CHANNEL COUNTIES DIVISION
1993 LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Once again the State of California is anticipating a revenue shortfall, estimated at $10
billion. The Channel Counties Division Executive Committee proposes the division adopt
a program "Cementing a Relationship with our Legislators" to reduce any attempts to secure
needed revenues from our cities. The following is the suggested program structure:
1) With the assistance of the City Managers Group, cities should identify and document
financial impacts they are experiencing independent of any State action.
2 Impacts from recent and newly proposed State actions should also be documented.
A list of possible State options for taking revenue from cities will be distributed to
each city, based upon the best available information.
3) Share information individually with our respective legislative representatives by
sending letters to Sacramento on a regular basis.
4) In concept, cities or groups of cities will request meetings with legislators or top staff
in the district between February and June, so as to establish the cumulative impacts
of budget "takings" on our division.
5) Division Quarterly Meetings shall be utilized to share experiences and successful
strategies with our members.
6) The Division shall inform the State League Directors of our plan and coordinate with
other activities presently ongoing.
7) Identify opportunities for additional revenues from existing sources and authority to
seek new sources. We need to offer solutions. Be sure to let your legislator know
that as cities we are on the front lines making difficult and "politically unpopular"
decisions on a daily basis. We must all share in the pain.
Attachment:
Names and addresses of Legislators
ATTACH ENT 3
3 !f0
EXHIBIT A: CITY LEGISLATIVE ACTION PRIORITIES FOR 1993
(As Amended by Council 1/19/93)
■ Promoting continued and increased funding sources for Transportation
■ Obtaining new funding sources to expand low and moderate income
housing
■ Supporting added City authority over cable television service
■ Supporting legislation to transfer ownership of Salinas Reservoir to local
government
■ Supporting Panetta legislation on coastal preservation
■ Requiring funding of federally mandated programs, including new
water /wastewater regulations
FINANCE
■ Balancing the State Budget without further loss of City revenues
■ Protecting the City from loss of revenues due to State mandates
■ Strengthening opportunities for local fiscal independence
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
■ Oppose mandated State approval of local General Plan Elements, such as
implementing, and compliance with, State General Plan Housing Element
law.
■ Ensure representation for cities on regional air and water quality boards.
■ State /local impacts of economic conditions within our community
PUBLIC SAFETY
■ Reducing city costs for jail booking (SB 2557)
■ Preserving City's authority to investigate police misconduct
0
■ Increasing City authority to regulate group homes for juvenile offenders
■ Continuing support for disaster preparedness /earthquake awareness
■ Supporting grant requests for Regional Hazardous Material Response
Team, disaster preparedness, and training facility
TRANSPORTATION
■ Increasing transportation funding (including transit, bicycles, others)
PERSONNEL /EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
■ Reforming Worker's Compensation
■ Preserving the fiscal integrity of PIERS
■ Opposing binding arbitration and expansion of the "Peace Officers' Bill of
Rights"
PUBLIC WORKS
■ Redefining prevailing wages as "average" local wages
■ Streamlining Federal and State process for funding street projects
■ Amending Subdivision Map Act to require improvements to infrastructure for
lot line adjustments
PARKS AND RECREATION
■ Supporting recreational programming, particularly community child care
program development and incentives
■ Supporting funding for protection of natural resources (e.g., the Morros)
and open spaces, including public information on State ballot measures
UTIUTIE
■ Providing funding for reclaimed water programs
■ Supporting clean water grant. programs
■ Supporting solid waste management which includes advance disposal fees
and /or increased recycled content
WOREMMM
.................
■ Establishing local ownership of the Salinas. Reservoir
■ Expediting County development of the Nacimiento Project
■ Increasing local funding of the Transit Transfer Center
■ Retaining County offices in the downtown area
■ Revising local emergency medical service response
■ Completing the Airport Area Master Plan
■ Improving solid waste management (reduce, reuse, recycle)
■ Developing cooperative approaches for providing services on a regional
basis
■ Promote consistency between the City and County General Plans, especially
by opposing urban-like development in areas adjacent to the City limits.
\Iegproga