1 CITY OF FOSTER CITY
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
PURPOSE
Foster City’ s State Legislative Platform affirms the City Council’s position on current issues with the potential to directly or indirectly impact the City . The Legislative Platform is a guiding document that the City will continue to work with constituents, legislative consultants, and elected representatives to promote and preserve the City’s interest at the State level.
In advance of each new legislative session – or each year should Council request , the City Council will consider modifying its platform by taking into consideration emerging and ongoing legislative trends, issues emerging locally that may require state policy reforms, Council’s annual strategic goals and priorities, or other factors deemed appropriate by the City to ensure its policy statements reflect the direction of the Council.
Below are the Guiding Principles and Policy Statements that will allow City staff to address legislative and regulatory issues in a timely manner, without precluding the consideration of additional legislative and budget issues that may arise during the legislative session.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
I. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Support measures that enhance the ability for Council to achieve its strategic goals and priorities. Monitor legislation that seeks to undermine the ability for Council to implement its vision and mission for the City of Foster City both in the near term and the future.
II. RETAIN LOCAL DECISION MAKING
Preserve and protect the City’s powers, duties, and prerogatives to enact local legislation and policy direction concerning local affairs and monitor legislation that preempts local decision-making authority.
III. PROMOTE FISCAL STABILITY
Support measures that promote fiscal stability, predictability, financial independence, and preserve the City’s revenue base. Support legislation that maintains or increases local decision-making authority and actions over local
2 government budgeting. Oppose measures that divert or eliminate local funds or create unfunded mandates /mandated costs with no guarantee of local reimbursement or offsetting benefits.
IV. SUPPORT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Support opportunities that allow the City to compete for its fair share of regional, state, and federal funding. Support funding for programs that benefit air quality, water quality, affordable housing, public safety, and public health.
LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM STATEMENTS
City Administration
1. Support legislation that promot es efforts to advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) organizational practices, policies, and procedures.
2. Support legislation that facilitates the ability of local government to share resources to increase efficiencies and decrease costs, including local efforts to address regional management of fire services.
3. Oppose legislation and ballot propositions that create new unfunded mandates to local governments and taxpayers or cause negative fiscal impact that affect local tax allocations or limit the ability of local governments to increase revenues.
4. Support long-term statutory solution s to adequately reimburse cities from the Vehicle License Fee (VLF) Swap of 2004 as well as short -term, temporary adjustments, and oppose attempts from the state of California that aim to claw back VLF revenues.
5. Oppose measures that reduce local decision-making authority over employee relations issues, including service contracting, or mandating new or enhanced local government employee benefits.
6. Support efforts to maintain fiscal solvency with respect to unfunded pension and retiree healthcare liability. Support efforts that decrease local costs.
Governmental Transparency and Public Access
1. Support legislation that balances increased public trust , increased civil and respectful civic participation and engagement, and access to public meetings while realizing the fiscal and operational constraints of local government.
2. Support legislation that would increase civil and respectful civic participation and engagement, including the continued allowance of legislative subcommittees, advisory committees, and commission s to participate virtually (post COVID-19 State of Emergency) without physical location posting requirements under the Ralph M. Brown Act.
3. Monitor and evaluate state proposals that create new mandates under the California Public Records Act without state reimbursement provisions.
3 Economic Development
1. Support policies, projects, programs, and regulations for diversifying Foster City’s primary economic base and facilitating investment that will result in strengthening local jobs and creating an environment that is attractive to current and emerging industries.
2. Support efforts to provide funding mechanisms and economic development tools including infrastructure investment, housing, and economic development.
3. Support economic development initiatives that preserve and enhance a positive business climate. Support measures that strengthen and diversify the local business tax base.
4. Support policies, programs, and regulations that allow for the continued disbursement of sales and use taxes which enhance and/or maintain the financial needs of Foster City.
Sustainability
1. Support legislation that provides funding opportunities for the City , for public transportation, housing, and economic development.
2. Support continued funding and incentives to local agencies to improve air quality through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and use of clean energy and technology.
3. Support policies, guidelines, incentives, and funding for programs that benefits air quality, water quality, infrastructure, and public health.
4. Support policies and funding measures to increase access and promote increased electrification and Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging infrastructure in Foster City.
5. Support legislation that promotes Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) and locally run Community Choice Aggregators (CCA) across California.
Hazard Mitigation
1. Support programs which provide funding for hazard mitigation projects, such as flood protection measures, including those identified in the FEMA-approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
2. Support funding of state efforts to update and prepare earthquake hazard mapping.
Solid Waste and Recycling
1. Support measures that maintain and /or enhance local authority and flexibility to regulate solid waste and recyclables.
2. Support measures that promote procurement and market development of cost- effective recyclable and recycled materials.
3. Support legislation that facilitates development of local and regional recycling and composting facilities that results in increasing diversion of waste toward recycling, 4 composting, and reuse.
Water Supply
1. Support and monitor legislation that would increase the availability of water supply and drought relief measures as well as increased funding for, water conservation, water reuse technologies, water recycling, local water storage , and other water supply technologies.
2. Support legislation or regulatory efforts that reflect the realities of persistent drought conditions and impacts associated with reduced water supply in support of meeting state mandated Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) targets.
Land Use Planning and Housing
1. Support efforts to strengthen the legal and fiscal capability of Foster City to prepare, adopt , and implement plans for orderly growth, development, beautification, and conservation of local planning areas.
2. Support housing measures that promote the preservation of existing affordable housing and development of new affordable housing . Monitor and evaluate measures which will impact local decision-making authority.
3. Support affordable housing funding opportunities that are made available to Foster City through statewide bond and grant efforts.
4. Monitor and evaluate measures which would undermine local land use and zoning regulations and the planning vision of Foster City that has detrimental public health and safety impacts on the community.
5. Support measures which meet the State’s planning goals in a collaborative manner with Foster City, ensuring communities evolve in a manner that reflects the will of our residents while protecting the public’s health, safety, and welfare.
6. Support all efforts to create efficiencies within CEQA while supporting local discretion and planning efforts to limit delays.
7. Support legislation that prevents CEQA lawsuits from being filed for any reason other than a bonafide environmental impact.
Parks, Open Space, and Recreation
1. Support legislation and funding opportunities ( e.g., federal and state park grant funds, conservancy grant funds, project mitigation funds, etc.) that helps cities build better, stronger communities by providing funding to improve air, water, parks, open space, natural resources, historic preservation, and arts and cultural resources.
2. Support legislation that seeks to preserve and enhance parks, open space , and recreational amenities within Foster City.
5 Public Safety
1. Support legislation that strengthens community-oriented public safety policies.
2. Support legislation that strengthens local law enforcement’s ability to prevent and fight crime, including funding to increase staffing, and procuring equipment and crime prevention tools to maintain public safety.
3. Support legislation that would deter and reduce repeat drug, organized retail, and property crime offenses.
Fire and Emergency Medical Services
1. Support local control of emergency medical services and ambulance services, including pre-hospital care and transport.
2. Monitor and evaluate legislation that reduces building and fire code standards aimed at protecting the health and safety of our residents.
Transportation
1. Support legislation that would maximize the effectiveness of funding for local transportation projects throughout the City where appropriate, including programs that facilitate transit-oriented development and enhanced pedestrian safety.
2. Support measures that allow for dedicated transportation-related tax revenues and ability of local agencies to finance local transportation programs and projects while protecting local transportation dollars from getting diverted or eliminated by the state.
3. Support joint planning efforts and projects with Foster City’s neighboring cities on traffic congestion relief projects.
4. Oppose efforts to raise Bay Area bridge tolls through state legislative proposals.
6 LEGISLATIVE POLICY
In alignment with City Council approved annually adopted strategic priorities, the intent of the Legislative Policy is to codify a process that allows the City to have quick and sustained engagement on legislative issues important to the City.
The City Manager or designee will identify and inform Council on proposed legislation and other policy-related matters that may have a direct and significant impact on the city’s fiscal, operational, and environmental health, and the overall quality of life enjoyed by Foster City residents and other stakeholders.
This policy is not intended to limit the prerogative of individual Councilmembers from expressing their individual support for or opposition to any Local measure, or State proposition, State or Federal legislation, or grassroots advocacy actions. However, in doing so, the member should clearly state that th ey are speaking for themselves, not on behalf of the Council or the City.
Position Adoption
In consultation with the City staff, the City Manager or designee shall be permitted to exercise discretion to adopt a formal legislative position without taking item s to the full Council so long as the proposed position is clearly in alignment with the Council adopted Legislative Platform.
In the case where a pending state legislative proposal falls outside of the scope of the approved Legislative Platform or if there is any ambiguity , that item will be placed on a future Council meeting agenda for review and consideration by the full Council.
Legislative Positions
The City’s legislative positions, as further defined below, may be supported with additional advocacy efforts, including but not limited to:
• Position letters, including updating said letters as legislation is amended and/or advances through the process, fact sheets, and other legislative advocacy support materials.
• Preparing staff and councilmember testimony to legislative committees and other legislative and regulatory bodies; and
• In person meeting s and phone calls with members of legislative and regulatory agencies.
7 Possible positions that can be adopted on legislation include:
• Support – A support position indicates to the legislature, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders, that Foster City is in favor of the legislation in question. • Support if Amended – A support if amended position indicates to the corresponding legislature, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders, that Foster City is in favor of the legislation in question, if the requested changes are adopted. • Oppose – An oppose position indicates to the legislature, regulatory agency, and other stakeholders, that Foster City is against the legislation in question. • Oppose Unless Amended – An oppose unless amended position indicates to the legislature, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders, that Foster City is against the legislation in question, unless the requested changes are adopted. • Neutral – A neutral position indicates to the corresponding legislature, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders, that Foster City is impartial on the legislation in question and does not wish to take a position or has formally removed their prior adopted position due to changes being made to the legislation or proposal. • Monitor and Evaluate ( Watch) – Monitor and Evaluate is an internal position which indicates that the City of Foster City is monitoring and evaluating the legislation to assess technical and/or compliance issues without taking a formal position (as indicated above). Prior to the City adopting a formal position, the City can use this position to engage with legislators and provide technical feedback and even attempt to secure amendments to address clarifying issues. Should the City choose to adopt a formal position as the legislative process progresses, staff will bring forward the item and recommend a position for Council’s consideration.
Council Communication
In order to ensure that the full Council is apprised of the City’s position, the City Manager or designee shall notify the Council of an adopted legislative position . Furthermore, the City’s legislative consultant and/or staff shall provide monthly state legislative tracking documents outlining priority legislation , status, and the City’s position if one has been adopted. The City’s legislative consultant and/or City staff shall provide monthly written updates to the full Council during key state legislative deadlines throughout each year .
These updates are in addition to the comprehensive end -of-year report that is provided to the City.
Should Council review the list of positioned bills and wish to change its position, that item will be scheduled for discussion at a duly noticed public meeting. Following the meeting, a formal letter may be drafted and submitted to the relevant legislative policy committee to reflect the change in - or the removal of - a policy position.
In addition, City staff along with its legislative consultants commit to provid ing formal legislative updates to the Council during a regularly scheduled Council meeting at least three (3) times a year . These updates may include discussion on bills that are under 8 ‘monitor and evaluate’ status where staff is recommending that the Council adopt a formal position.
Using the approved Legislative Platform as a guide, the Legislative Policy outlines the formal process for responding to legislative proposals in a streamlined manner as follows:
1. Once a determination is made that a legislative proposal may impact the City based on the Council-adopted Legislative Platform, a letter outlining the City’s position (support, support if amended, oppose, oppose unless amended) will be drafted for the Mayor’s signature.
2. If the Mayor is unavailable and when time is of the essence, the Vice Mayor will sign the position letter.
3. If a legislative issue is not addressed in the adopted Legislative Platform but impacts the City, staff will place the matter on a City Council meeting agenda for consideration.
4. The position letter will be sent to the bill’s author, the City’s legislative representatives, League of California Cities (CalCities), and other stakeholders as deemed appropriate.
5. A copy of the final letter will be transmitted to the full City Council from the City Manager’s Office.