1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: March 19, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Courtney Padgett, Assistant City Manager
BY: Cathryn LaBrado, Assistant to the City Manager
SUBJECT: Approval of the City of Burbank 2024 Legislative Platform
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the City of Burbank 2024 Legislative Platform.
BACKGROUND
As a full-service city, Burbank 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 2024 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 addi tional legislative and budget issues that arise during the legislative session. Ongoing legislative advocacy efforts includes the following:
• Annual Department meetings with the City’s state advocacy firm, Emanuels Jones and Associates.
• Annual Department meetings with the City’s federal advocacy firm, the Ferguson Group.
• Bi-weekly correspondence with both Emanuels Jones and Associates and the Ferguson Group in the form of emails, phone calls, and newsletters to share and track legislative issues important to the City.
• Guidance on funding opportunities from Emanuels Jones and Associates and the Ferguson Group.
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.
• Communication and correspondence with legislators via letters, meetings, and bi-annual visits to Sacramento and Washington D.C.
• Collaboration, when appropriate, with the Cal Cities and the National Le ague of Cities.
Accordingly, and in consultation with the City’s legislative advocacy firms, the statements outlined within the platform are intended to assist the City Council and staff proactively and appropriately address legislation to promote City interests and preserve local legislative authority when necessary.
DISCUSSION
The 2024 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. The priorities outlined within the Platform have been drafted in consultation with the City’s advocacy firms and are intended to assist Council and staff address legislation, promote City i nterests, and preserve local control and local legislative authority proactively and appropriately.
Priorities in the 2024 Legislative Platform r emain the same as last year 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.
In addition to general grammatical, wording, and stylistic changes, staff added text to the 2023 Legislative Platform (approved by City Council in January 2023) in several sections to reflect the City’s position in additional areas. The changes include the following:
Budget & Municipal Finance
An addition to this section includes advoca ting against the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act (November 2024 ballot), which significantly restricts the ability of cities to raise taxes and fees (including retroactively) and creates challenges for local revenue measurers. The League of California Cities (Cal Cities) is actively advocating against the measure. Supporting limitations on municipal liability has also 3 been added, which addresses the rising cost of insurance, legislative changes to personal injury tort law, and governmental immunity related to public improvements.
Economic Development
Additions include advocating for incentives to retain entertainment and animation industry jobs in California and supporting the addition of a physical space for an incubator or accelerator to encourage entrepreneurship.
Homelessness
An addition to this section is supporting increased funding to support physical and mental health services, safe parking areas, and strong referral systems in the City’s homelessness plan.
Housing
Additions include support for project-based vouchers for housing developments that meet Council goals and advocating for support services for individuals utilizing emergency, interim, or transitional housing. Items were also added to support legislation that addresses the rising cost of insurance in California and infrastructure f unding needed to meet local housing goals and state housing production mandates.
Libraries, Parks & Open Space
Items added include support for pro-animal legislation, animal welfare, and protection of animal shelter operations; support for cultural arts, resources for local arts and art venues; and support for maintaining access to reading, listening, and viewing material for youth in libraries.
Public Safety
Additions include support for equestrian safety, addressing increases in crime, strategies to address the fentanyl epidemic, and pedestrian safety. Advocacy for funding of body - worn and in -car cameras for pol ice officers was removed as the Burbank Police Department is fully funded for both body-worn and in-car cameras.
State and Federal Funding
An addition in this section is support for legislation to end the threat of sequestration of federal payments related to Build American Bonds (BABs) and refundable elective payment energy tax credits.
Sustainability
An addition in this section is support for electrification policies and programs for the built environment to reduce emission, improve air quality, and promote safety. Revised 4 sustainability mandate deadlines was removed from this section as it relates to COVID - 19 Pandemic and no longer applies.
Technology
Additions to this section include support for cyber security initiatives and opposition to the regulation of wireless facilities via state or federal legislation or policy.
Transportation/Infrastructure
Additions include updating language for the Interstate 5 North HOV/Empire Interchange item to reflect support for state and regional funding related to the railroad corridor that was negatively impacted by the project, advocating for funding to provide more education related to safe driving as described in the City’s Vision Zero Plan, and support for securing I-5 adjacent Caltrans property for community infrastructure.
Utilities – Energy
Additions in the Energy Section include supporting small modular reactors as a potential source of zero-carbon energy and increasing funding for community owned utilities’ public benefits programs to support disadvantaged communities.
Utilities - Water
An addition in this section includes protecting and increasing funding for community owned utilities’ public benefits programs to support disadvantaged communities.
Position Letters from Council Members
For proposed legislation, either consistent with the City’s legislative priorities, with legislative positions the City has taken in the past, or with positions taken by Cal Cities, the 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 the n 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.
5 FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
CONCLUSION
In the City’s continued efforts to proactively and appropriately address legislation that promotes City interests and preserves local control and legislative authority, staff recommends Council approve the 2024 Legislative Platform.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1 – Proposed 2024 Legislative Platform
Attachment 2 – Proposed 2024 Legislative Platform Redline Version