1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: February 14, 2023
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Judie Wilke, Assistant City Manager
BY: Viviana Garzon, MPA, Administrative Analyst II
SUBJECT: Approval of the City of Burbank 2023 Legislative Platform
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the City of Burbank 2023 Legislative Platform.
BACKGROUND
A Legislative Platform is a summary of locally approved policy statements that provide a framework for a city’s response to state and federal legislation. As a full -service community, the City of Burbank (City) recognizes the need for active legislative engagement at the local, state, and federal levels to protect and enhance the interests of Burbank’s residents and businesses. Accordingly, City officials and staff maintain close relationships with Burbank’s state and federal representatives to advocate, influence, and monitor pertinent legislation.
The purpose of the proposed 2023 Legislative Platform (Attachment 1) is to clearly outline the position of the City on priority issues and matters that impact the City's ability to operate effectively, while allowing the consideration of additional legislative and budget issues that arise during the legislative session. Legislative advocacy efforts for the current session include the following:
• D epartment meetings with Emanuels Jones and Associates, a state advocacy firm, and a state legislative presentation to Council on October 4, 2022. • Weekly correspondence with both Emanuels Jones and Associates and David Turch and Associates in the form of emails, phone calls, and newsletters to share and track legislative issues important to the City.
CITY MANAGER’S
OFFICE
2 • Bi-monthly meetings and webinars with Cal Cities.
• Listservs and webinars from professional organizations to acquire information about legislation and projects pertinent to Burbank.
• W ritten correspondence to legislators.
In 2023, the City’s legislative advocacy efforts will build upon existing efforts to achieve the following:
• Actively maintain meaningful relationships with Burbank’s federal and state representatives and advocacy firms through teleconference or in-person meetings, written correspondence, and webinars.
• Facilitate community meetings with Burbank’s local and state representatives. • Track and influence legislation through the correspondence described above. • Collaborate, when appropriate, with the Cal Cities and the National League of Cities.
• Participate in legislative webinars and subscribe to relevant list servs to acquire information about legislation and projects pertinent to Burbank. • Facilitate meetings between the City’s advocacy firms - David Turch and Associates and Emanuels Jones and Associates – and the City’s Executive Team and staff, including City Council presentations from both firms.
DISCUSSION
The 2023 Legislative Platform contains topics that have the potential for county, state, and federal participation and provides the City’s legislative representatives and advocacy firms with a clear understanding of the City’s priorities. T he priorities outlined within the Platform have been drafted in consultation with the City’s advocacy firms and are intended to assist the City Council and staff to address legislation, promote City interests, and preserve local control and local legislative authority proactively and appropriately.
These priorities remain the same as last year’s platform and include the following: Airport, Budget & M unicipal Finance, Economic Development, Healthy Communities , Homelessness, Housing, Mandates, Libraries, Parks & Open Space, Public Employment, Public Safety, Social Justi ce & Equity, State & Federal Funding, Sustainability, Technology, Transportation & Infrastructure, Utilities (Energy and Water), and Veterans.
Each priority includes policy statements which articulate the City’s legislative goals by addressing major areas of interest , while providing flexibility to respond to any unanticipated legislation.
3 In addition to general grammatical, wording, sty listic changes, and a new design, staff added text in several sections to reflect the City’s position in additional areas. The changes include the following:
• The Healthy Communities section advocates for state and federal funding to provide adaptive sports, fitness, recreation, and outdoor activities for people with disabilities.
• The Libraries, Parks & Open Space section opposes legislation that has a negative impact on the administration of park and recreation services and resource management. This includes the sale of park lands and open space, and relaxations of park dedication fee requirements that provide no added protections or benefit to California's recreational consumer.
• The Mandates section opposes mandates that do not include funding for resulting costs of compliance, such as infrastructure costs for housing development mandates.
• Within the Energy section under Utilities, considering Senate Bill 1020 (Laird) signed by Governor Newsom in 2022, the City updated its support of the framework established by Senate Bill 1020 and Senate Bill 100 (DeLeon) which require renewable and zero carbon resources to supply 90% of all retail electricity sales by 2035, 95% of all retail electricity sales by 2040, and 100% of retail electricity sales by 2045 (or sooner).
• In addition, the Water section under Utilities a dvocates for state and federal funding for the construction of new water supply projects including desalination and importing water from water rich regions of the United States.
Position Letters from Council Members
For proposed legislation, either consistent wit h the City’s legislative priorities, with legislative positions the City has taken in the past, or with positions taken by Cal Cities , our current practice grants City staff the authority to prepare position letters for the Mayor’s signature. Items not within this framework nor addressed in the Legislative Platform will require further Council direction. Should a Council Member wish to send a position letter signed by all five Council Members, the Council Member must request Council approval of such letter by introducing an additional agenda item. Staff will then return with a first -step staff report for Council’s consideration. Legislative priorities may only address issues directly relevant to or impacting the provision of municipal services.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment and, as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
4 FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
CONCLUSION
In the City’s continued efforts to pr oactively and appropriately address legislation that promotes City interests and preserves local control and legislative authority, staff recommends City Council approve the 2023 Legislative Platform.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1 – Proposed 2023 Legislative Platform