EUNICE M. ULLOA CURTIS BURTON
Mayor CHRISTOPHER FLORES
MARC LUCIO
Council Members
KAREN C. COMSTOCK DR. LINDA REICH
Mayor Pro Tem City Manager
CITY of CHINO
13220 Central Avenue, Chino, California 91710
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 667, Chino, California 91708-0667 (909) 334-3250 • (909) 334-3720 Fax
Web Site: www.cityofchino.org
September 10, 2024
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
ATTN: Legislative Unit, Brady Borcherding
[email protected]
RE: AB 2561 (McKinnor) Local public employees: vacant positions - Request for VETO
Dear Governor Newsom,
The City of Chino respectfully requests a veto on 2561 (McKinnor), which would require all local agencies to hold a public hearing on the status of vacancies before their governing board at least once per fiscal year. This will inherently create an expensive reimbursable state mandate, adding needless pressure on the state budget at a time of significant budget challenges. Based on conservative estimate of costs, AB 2561 will result in annual reimbursable costs of up to $13.5 million, or more - not including the additional reporting costs imposed upon agencies with bargaining units that experience vacancy rates exceeding 20%.
The City of Chino agrees with the author - the status quo is not sustainable. However, the measure does not address the root causes of low labor force participation rates in California across all sectors. Instead, the measure would create additional layers of bureaucracy t hat distract from meaningful efforts to recruit and retain the public sector workforce.
Labor Force Participation Rates and Barriers to Work
Vacancies are unavoidable for both the public and private sectors. A nonexistent vacancy rate for any duration of time is an unreasonable expectation in our modern labor market, particularly for public agencies that lack the financial resources to encourage recruitment and remote work flexibility enjoyed by many employers in the private sector. Public agencies have been frustrated by persistent high vacancy rates in certain fields despite genuine efforts to bolster the public sector workforce. It is an unfortunate reality that many of the contributing factors that affect public sector hiring are forces of the market that are outside of our immediate control. California’s growing workforce needs are constrained by the labor supply.
Local Public Agencies Are Addressing Labor Shortages Directly Every Day Local government decision makers and public agency department leaders recognize the impact that long-term vacancy rates have, both on current employees and those who receive services from those departments. The City of Chino is also competing with both the private sector and other government agencies to attract new talent.
Honorable Gavin Newsom
September 10, 2024
AB 2561 (McKinnor) – Request for Veto
P. 2
Despite these efforts, vacancies persist. If the true intent of AB 2561 is to provide a path for public agencies to reduce staff vacancies, diverting staff away from core service delivery and mandating they spend time preparing for public hearings on their vacancy rates will not achieve that goal. Adding another mandate on public agencies will not solve the problem this bill has identified. It is just as likely to create even more burn - out from employees who will be tasked with producing the very report this bill mandates.
Cities Are Committed to Partnership to Identify Better Solutions Local agencies are committed to continuing the work happening now between all levels of government and the workforce to expand pipeline programs, build pathways into public sector jobs, modernize the hiring process, and offer competitive compensation. The City of Chino cannot close its workforce shortages overnight.
It will take investment from educational institutions, all levels of government, and the private sector to meet the workforce demands across the country. We must use our limited human resources staff to hire and train employees rather than diverting resources to prepare for unnecessary public hearings that will tell us what we already know.
For these reasons, the City of Chino requests a veto on AB 2561.
Sincerely,
Linda Reich
City Manager
cc: The Honorable Tina McKinnor, [email protected] Laura Varela, League of Cities Regional Public Affairs Manager, [email protected] League of California Cities, [email protected]
EUNICE M. ULLOA CURTIS BURTON
Mayor CHRISTOPHER FLORES
MARC LUCIO
Council Members
KAREN C. COMSTOCK DR. LINDA REICH
Mayor Pro Tem City Manager
CITY of CHINO
13220 Central Avenue, Chino, California 91710
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 667, Chino, California 91708-0667 (909) 334-3250 • (909) 334-3720 Fax
Web Site: www.cityofchino.org
September 11, 2024
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
ATTN: Legislative Unit, Brady Borcherding
[email protected]
Subject: SB 450 (Atkins) – Housing development: approvals – Request for VETO
Dear Governor Newsom,
On behalf of the City of Chino, I request that you VETO SB 450. This bill will not create more affordable housing. Instead, it will widen an already paved road for developers and institutional buyers to purchase more land and homes and subdivide them, selling and renting them out at market rate in already dense neighborhoods and communities.
Considering the already high cost of land and housing units and the high labor and materials costs within the State's urban areas, it is unlikely that most of the new housing created under SB 450 will be financially affordable to middle-income or lower-income households. Rather, SB 450 will exacerbate unaffordability by taking away potential affordable housing locations. In some dense urban areas, residential parcels valued at $1.5 million may result in a lot split, with new housing units valued at $1.0 to $1.2 million each. With a surplus of high market-rate units and insufficient affordable homes, SB 450 will do nothing to alleviate the housing affordability issue. In fact, it will likely further alienate middle and lower-income households from entering the market and threaten those looking to achieve the American Dream.
Additionally, SB 450 does not allow a city to adequately address public health or safety concerns of the cumulative impacts of multiple SB 450 housing projects in a neighborhood or community. It makes i t e v e n h a r d e r f o r c i ti e s t o d e n y a n y p r o j e c t s b a s e d o n health or safety concerns and practically impossible to address any adverse physical environmental impacts. If California is supposed to be the leader in clima t e issu es, w h y do es t he en vir o nm en t t ak e a back s ea t t o d e v eloper s a nd ins tit u tio ns getting a free pass at making more money? Also, the cumulative impacts of several projects within a single neighborhood on public health or safety or physical environmental constraints could be very significant. This will further worsen parking and traffic problems. Moreover, it will prohibit and restrict Honorable Gavin Newsom
September 11, 2024
P. 2
emergency access of first responders and other emergency vehicles from responding to calls for service in increasingly dense neighborhoods.
Furthermore, having HCD oversight and enforcement authority over SB 9/SB 450 projects will remove local control or community input from voters and cities. There are no administrative review or appeal procedures and a complete lack of due process or checks and balances. Therefore, we implore you to vote NO on SB 450.
If you have any additional questions regarding the City’s opposition to SB 450, please contact my office at (909) 334-3290.
Sincerely,
Linda Reich
City Manager
EUNICE M. ULLOA CURTIS BURTON
Mayor CHRISTOPHER FLORES
MARC LUCIO
Council Members
KAREN C. COMSTOCK DR. LINDA REICH
Mayor Pro Tem City Manager
CITY of CHINO
13220 Central Avenue, Chino, California 91710
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 667, Chino, California 91708-0667 (909) 334-3250 • (909) 334-3720 Fax
Web Site: www.cityofchino.org
September 10, 2024
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
ATTN: Legislative Unit, Brady Borcherding
[email protected]
RE: SB 1037 (Wiener) Planning and zoning: housing element: enforcement - Request for VETO
Dear Governor Newsom,
The City of Chino regretfully requests a veto on SB 1037 (Wiener), which would allow the Attorney General to take legal action against a city and seek fines up to $50,000 a month for failure to adopt a compliant housing element or if the city does not follow state laws tha t require ministerial approval of certain housing projects.
Under existing law, cities can be subject to significant fines and penalties for violating certain housing laws. However, before fines are imposed, a city has the ability to correct the action. Additionally, enhanced fines are not imposed unless the city fails to follow a court’s order or acts in bad faith.
Contrary to the author’s assertion that fines will only be “ against cities that commit egregious violations of the law” and that “SB 1037 applies only in jurisdictions that have acted arbitrarily, not to cities that make good faith errors,” this measure leaves cities vulnerable to violations and hefty fines based on the Attorney General’s interpretations of “egregious” and “arbitrary.”
Unfortunately, as currently drafted, SB 1037 does not provide an opportunity for cities to correct an honest mistake or address a genuine difference in interpreting the law. Even those jurisdictions acting in good faith could be subject to significant fine s and be required to pay the Attorney General for all costs investigating and prosecuting the action, including expert witness fees and attorney’s fees.
The City of Chino believes that instead of creating new fines and penalties, lawmakers and the Department of Housing and Community Development should provide cities with clear guidance and technical assistance to help them finalize their housing elements and put those plans to work so much- needed housing construction can occur.
Honorable Gavin Newsom
September 10, 2024
SB 1037 (Wiener) – Request for Veto
P. 2
For these reasons, the City of Chino requests your veto on SB 1037. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Deputy City Manager Vivian Castro at [email protected] or 909-334-3307.
Sincerely,
Linda Reich
cc: The Honorable Scott Wiener (Via email: [email protected]) Laura Varela, League of Cities Regional Public Affairs Manager, [email protected] League of California Cities, [email protected]