Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: October 9, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager
Submitted by: Carmen Nichols, Assistant City Manager
Subject: League of California Cities 2024 Resolution
BACKGROUND
City Council Policy 1.01 City Council Reorganization, Committees and Appointments provide guidelines for the appointment to City Council committees and outside organizations. The goal of the appointments is to build knowledge, experience, and develop regional relationships. Section (3)(k) of the policy assigns the League of California Cities (Cal Cities) delegates, which are the Mayor as primary and Vice Mayor as alternate. At the Annual League Conference General Assembly, the delegate votes on pending Cal Cities resolutions. The Cal Cities 2024 General Assembly will be held October 18, 2024. During the General Assembly, voting delegates debate and consider general and petitioned resolutions forwarded by the Resolutions Committee. Potential bylaws amendments are also considered at this meeting.
DISCUSSION
The City of Glendora introduced a resolution titled the “Fair and Equal Treatment of All Governmental Officials at All Levels” for review by the Cal Cities General Assembly. The resolution is supported by the mayors from the cities of Arcadia, Azusa, La Verne, Lomita, and Rancho Palos Verdes, meeting the five individual member threshold for submission.
The resolution calls for the California Legislature to enact laws that ensure all rules apply to elected officials equally, regardless of agency or level of government. The language in the resolution states that the California Legislature imposes rules limiting authority or regulating the conduct of local municipal officials that do not apply to officials at the State level. Examples provided in the resolution are as follows:
•Unequal application of the open meeting rules codified in the Ralph M. Brown Act. •California Environmental Quality Act exemptions for State public facilities but not local facilities.
League of California Cities 2024 Resolution
October 9, 2024
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•Contribution limits aimed at preventing “pay-to-play” practices that do not apply to members of the State Legislature.
•Limitations around campaign contributions, bank accounts, and campaign committees only applicable for local elected officials.
Attachment 1 includes a detailed analysis developed by Cal Cities staff, as well as additional examples where the State is exempted from other requirements.
The resolution calls on the Governor of the State of California and the elected members of the California Legislature to adopt a policy stating that they shall not enact a law or regulation that applies solely to elected officials of cities and counties, unless it also applies equally to State elected officials.
Although the City’s Legislative Platform (Platform) does not provide a position for each of the above-mentioned examples in the proposed resolution, it provides statements promoting the need to maintain local control and equality among different levels of government. An action item under General Government Section J (1) of the Platform states that the City will “support legislation that recognizes the need to conduct the public’s business in public and that extends the application of the Brown Act to the State” This position directly supports one example provided by the City of Glendora’s proposed resolution and acknowledges the overarching matter of equality in regulating the activities of state and local officials. Additionally, Section D (2) states the City will “support the efforts of neighboring agencies and organizations who seek to accomplish initiatives that align with the City Council’s Goals and Objectives, Legislative Platform, City programs and projects, and other compatible proposals at the discretion of the City Council.” Staff recommends an action by the City Council in response to Cal Cities request that legislative bodies review the resolution in advance of the General Assembly vote.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no budget impact as a result of this action.
RECOMMENDATION
Review the City of Glendora’s proposed League of California Cities 2024 Resolution No. 1 and approve a support position.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Cal Cities 2024 Resolution Packet
REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None