City of Fremont
2022 Legislative Guiding
Principles and Priorities
1 Legislative Affairs Program Overview
The Legislative Guiding Principles and Priorities represent a broad framework for the City’s legislative interests at the federal, State, and regional levels. This framework, adopted by City Council, informs the Fremont community and staff about the goals and policies that guide the City of Fremont in its legislative strategy. Each legislative priority includes policy statements that articulate the City’s legislative goals by addressing major areas of interest. The Legislative Guiding Principles and Priorities, once adopted by the City Council, will remain in effect until amended. The document is updated annually, and any changes must be formally adopted by the Fremont City Council.
On an annual basis, legislative guiding principles and priorities are developed based upon the established Fremont City Council annual priorities and other adopted policies or strategic plans.
Following the adoption of the guiding principles and legislative priorities, staff then develops work plan that includes advocating for legislation, regulations and funding that is consistent with the City’s vision, goals, and policies. Under the direction of the City Manager, staff works with legislative advocates at the federal and state level, as well as its legislative partner organizations to review and assess the interests and impacts of newly introduced legislation to determine the benefit to the city and its residents, and alignment with the City’s adopted framework. The City will strongly consider opposing any legislation or regulations that preempts local control, negatively affects the City’s budget, or imposes unfunded mandates on the City.
The Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs will have oversight over the City’s legislative platform and administer day to day legislative matters. Legislative Affairs staff also work with City departments to analyze legislative initiatives to determine the impact on the City. Efforts also include proposing alternate solutions to proposed legislation, and proposals to modify current statutes. In addition to monitoring and advocating, staff will provide regular updates to the City Council and legislative actions will be tracked on Fremont.gov.
2022 Fremont City Council Priorities
At the City Council retreat held in February 2022, the Council identified three top priority areas for the City in 2022. Those priority areas include: 1) Continue to innovate and find solutions to address and respond to homelessness in Fremont; 2) Enhance public safety; and 3) Increase the vitality of commercial corridors. These priorities serve as anchor for the all the City’s priority projects and policy actions throughout each calendar year, including the annual legislative framework.
2 Legislative Guiding Principles
The Guiding Principles represent the City’s adopted policies and plans and frames the City’s legislative advocacy efforts. The following documents may be found on the City’s website at www.fremont.gov or by accessing the links below.
City of Fremont General Plan
City of Fremont Climate Action Plan
City of Fremont Age-Friendly Action Plan
City of Fremont Mobility Plan
City of Fremont Parks & Recreation Master Plan
City of Fremont Trails Strategy Plan
City of Fremont Business and Economic Recovery Framework City of Fremont Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
Fremont Housing Element
Fremont Compassionate City Charter
Protect Local Control The City values its ability and authority to exercise local control, enable excellent public services and protect and enhance the quality of life for Fremont residents and businesses, and supports efforts to streamline regulations that simplify the job of running the City and opposes efforts that erode the City’s authority to control its own affairs.
Keep Fremont Safe The City supports legislation and policies that provide access and resources to provide quality police, fire, emergency management, disaster preparedness, mental health, emergency medical services, traffic safety, crime prevention and education, youth violence,, and delinquency prevention efforts for Fremont community members.
COVID-19 Response and Recovery The City supports legislation and advocacy efforts aiming to secure direct and flexible funding and resources for cities of all sizes so they can continue to protect residents from the pandemic, deliver essential services, support small businesses, and lead the recovery in our communities.
Ensure Competitiveness Through Strategic Economic Development The City embraces efforts to obtain funding for economic development, including planning and implementation of regional transportation; economic stimulus programs; workforce development initiatives; and small business entrepreneurship training and assistance.
Promote Investment in Transportation, and Infrastructure Maintenance and Rehabilitation The City supports legislation and policies that promote investing in the maintenance and rehabilitation of aging infrastructure and building new system capacity to support smart growth principles.
Prevent, Reduce and Eliminate Homelessness The City recognizes and values the importance of all residents having stable housing, access to jobs, ability to earn a livable and sustainable wage, and access to essential services. The City supports efforts and legislation that seeks to
3 alleviate the State’s large homelessness problem via funding and programmatic assistance (including expanded mental health and SUD resources) to cities and counties.
Pursue efforts to create new financing tools to support, build, and preserve affordable housing The City remains firmly committed to the production of high quality, affordable housing for a range of income levels and target populations such as families, seniors, homeless, and those with special needs.
Promote the “strategically urban” vision of the General Plan The City supports policies that promote a strategically urban mix of land uses and urban form in transit-rich areas.
Advance climate action, adaptation, and resiliency The City is committed to being a climate- ready community that works to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions; expand clean energy policies; improve community adaptation and resiliency to climate change; improve environmental standards and the regulatory process; and provide incentives and financial support for preservation of natural resources consistent with the City’s Climate Action Plan.
Improve Federal, State, regional, County, and local coordination and planning to strengthen community disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience. The City supports legislation and policies that provide resources and support to reduce community risks and increase capabilities to manage major emergencies when they occur. Significant community risks include catastrophic earthquake, climate-related emergencies (sea level rise, catastrophic wildfires, and flooding), and other human-caused and naturally occurring threats and hazards.
2022 Legislative Cycle Goals and Objectives
• Advocate for the City’s legislative interests at the federal, state, regional, and county levels.
• Inform and provide information to our legislators, City Council and staff on the legislative process and key issues and legislation that could have a potential impact on the City.
• Serve as an active partner and participant with other local governments, the League of California Cities, regional agencies, and local professional organizations on legislative/regulatory issues that are important to the City and our region. • Seek grant and funding assistance for City projects, services, and programs.
4 2022 Legislative Priorities
The City’s 2022 Legislative Priorities statements are organized under the following categories:
• Community Services
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Environmental Quality
• Governance, Transparency, and Labor Relations
• Housing, Community and Economic Development
• Public Safety
• Revenue and Taxation
• Transportation, Communications, and Public Works
Community Services_____________________________________________________________ Immigration Reform: Support immigration reform and legislation that provides opportunities for immigrants to achieve economic success and a pathway to citizenship.
Children and Youth: Support legislation that increases public funding to local jurisdictions and cities for the provision of effective programs and services for children and youth ages 0-24 years including: youth development programs, gang resistance and intervention programs, youth diversion programs, school-based and community mental health, and substance use education, treatment and recovery support services.
Family Resource Centers: Support funding for family resource centers, which provide comprehensive integrated programs to improve the quality of life and strengthen individuals, teens, and families through services and activities.
Economic Self-Sufficiency: Support legislation and public funding to cities and programs that integrate financial education and coaching with workforce training and paid apprenticeships leading to living wage careers matching the jobs of today.
Health Care Access: Support legislation and efforts that aim to promote health care reform to increase access to health care and Medi-Cal programs and reimbursements for all individuals, such as Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) and Targeted Case Management (TCM).
Mental Health: Support legislation that provides an increase in funding to cities for community education and public awareness campaigns that highlight the importance of mental health and wellness, as well as demonstrate the value to the community of early intervention and treatment for mental disorders, including substance abuse, and aligns with regulations requiring that health insurance policies treat substance use and mental health disorders.
Nutrition and Wellness: Support efforts to expand opportunities and funding for participation in programs that provide healthy food for individuals and families in need, especially those serving the most vulnerable, this includes opportunities for funding for the integration of community gardens at home-based locales. Support funding for specialized summer camps
5 where nutrition guidance and continued federal free summer lunch is included in K-12 programs.
Senior Services: Support the expansion of funding for community-based programs that serve seniors and supports cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security and other entitlement programs; oppose any funding cuts to Senior services.
Special Populations: Support legislation that funds and reduces barriers to the creation of affordable housing, and other supportive services for special populations such as people with health and mental health conditions, the elderly, unhoused residents, impairments, and/or disabilities.
Homelessness: Support legislation that is aligned with Housing First policies and solutions, funds, and reduces barriers to the creation of programs serving unhoused residents.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion____________________________________________________ Fairness in Government: Support legislation and efforts that assist publicly funded government institutions, to educate employees in the national standards and concepts of Cultural, Linguistic, Appropriate Services (CLAS), create organizational policies and procedures that incorporate the concepts of “Justice, Equity and Inclusion” in daily operations including hiring and employment practices, labor negotiations, contracting opportunities, and methods of service delivery to all residents.
Public Engagement: Support legislation and efforts that assist local governments to increase public engagement, and access to City services for historically marginalized communities of color and immigrant/ refugee backgrounds, and those who are acutely low income through funding incentives to use approaches that incorporate concepts of humility, privilege and inclusion related to race, culture, equity and income and inclusion concepts using racial equity best practices.
Partnerships: Support legislation and collaboration efforts that support partnerships to assist communities to have greater access and resources in education, criminal justice, environmental justice, health, housing, transportation, and economic success.
Racial Equity: Support legislation and initiatives that seeks to advance racial equity across all matters of local government and City services.
Equitable Education: Support legislation and initiatives that boost funding for local school districts, public institutions of higher education and for low income and historically marginalized students of color. This includes support for out-of-school time programs that help families thrive.
6 Environmental Quality___________________________________________________________ Landfill: Support legislation that supports the development of alternative technologies such as anaerobic digestion or mixed waste processing that result in waste diversion from landfills.
Litter Control and Abatement: Support legislation, policies, and advocate for funding opportunities to assist local governments in reducing trash and litter in the environment from sources such as single-use disposable products, illegal dumping and homeless encampments.
Recycling: Support legislation and program funding that supports current State waste diversion requirements and goals, as well as diversion measurement and reporting improvements that do not adversely impact the assessment of compliance efforts made by local jurisdictions.
Producer Responsibility: Support legislation that encourages companies to assume responsibility for the costs of products at end-of-life that would otherwise become a burden on local government.
Zero Emission Vehicles: Support legislation and policies that accelerate the transition to zero- emission vehicles and low carbon fuels, extend access to HOV lanes for EVs, and provide dedicated incentives and programming for low- and moderate-income Californians; designate revenues generated from greenhouse gas-related fees or taxes to local or municipal government entities; and support investments in municipal fleet electrification, including EV charging infrastructure and electric service upgrades.
Solid Waste: Oppose legislation that preempts local planning decisions regarding solid waste facility sites, preempts local solid waste fee setting authority, or imposes taxes or fees on local solid waste programs to fund State programs not directly related to solid waste management.
Compost Quality Initiatives: Support legislation and policies that help eliminate toxic chemicals and micro-plastics from composting processes, and encourage utilization of compost in various development, landscaping and agricultural settings.
Water Conservation and Stormwater Program Funding: Support legislation and policies that assist local government in meeting or exceeding established goals of reducing water consumption without preempting local planning decisions. Support legislation that assists cities to fund and comply with new and increasingly stringent storm water quality permit requirements.
Governance, Transparency, and Labor Relations______________________________________ Mandated Employee Benefits: Oppose legislation mandating local employee benefits that impose financial costs and administrative burdens on local governments.
Retiree Medical: Support legislation that expands the universe of employee self-funded medical benefits on a tax-advantaged basis under State law in coordination with programs and funding mechanisms developed under federal law. Oppose any legislation that would make participation mandatory in any program to pre-fund other post-employment benefit (OPEB) obligations.
7 Mandatory Social Security Coverage: Oppose mandatory Social Security coverage.
Social Security and Local Government Pensions: Support modifying legislation so that City employees are not penalized for work performed in addition to their local government service.
Workers’ Compensation: Support legislation that aims to reform system and lower costs for worker’s compensation. Oppose any new or additional workers’ compensation benefits.
Housing, Community, and Economic Development____________________________________ Economic Stimulus Programs: Support federal and State efforts and legislation that fund economic stimulus programs that align with Fremont’s economic base, including financial support for small business entrepreneurship training and assistance. Support legislation that stimulates economic development, which might include lower thresholds for bonds and other incentives.
Workforce Development: Support legislation and initiatives that provide resources for industries, training programs and other workforce development initiatives that drive creation of middle wage jobs for employees and residents in Fremont.
New Business Attraction: Support efforts to attract new business to the State that are revenue neutral to local governments and do not impact the limited revenues cities receive. Support the use of foreign-trade zones to encourage and expedite international trade in the U.S.
Maintain CA’s Competitiveness in Strategic Industries: Support programs and initiatives that can accelerate growth and maintain competitiveness in California’s advanced industries, which are each poised to generate a wave of economic growth and good jobs for the Bay Area and throughout California while providing innovative products that solve some of our biggest challenges
Market-Rate Housing Production: Oppose legislation that aims to penalize cities with state- approved Housing Element requirements, in cases where local market-rate housing production does not match State projections of need.
Affordable Housing Production: Support increases in federal and state funding in support of affordable housing to expand the production of affordable units.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Reform: Support CEQA legislation that continues to protect the environment and disclose environmental impacts, while reducing unnecessary costs and delays for projects that meet standards and are in support of local General Plan Housing Elements.
Pace of Land Use Policy Changes: Support legislation and funding opportunities that provide support to local governments to have sufficient time to adjust policies around new land use laws, guidance for implementation and evaluation of their success.
8 Public Safety___________________________________________________________________ Public Health Safety: Support legislation that ensures a robust and coordinated federal and state response to public health emergencies including funding support for the purchase of supplies for first responders to address a pandemic or other emergency. Oppose legislation that constrains the ability of counties or local cities to make determinations regarding closures based on local conditions.
Safe Schools: Support legislation that provides funding for school safety programs, including School Resource Officers (SRO’s), Safe Routes to School, School Climate initiatives, Crisis Intervention Counseling and mental health services on campuses for students and the requirement of automatic fire sprinkler systems installation.
Police Legitimacy and Procedural Justice: Monitor legislation related to local law enforcement’s use of force policies, law enforcement training standards, alternative responses to non-emergency calls, and other contemporary police best practice initiatives.
Interoperability and Use of Technology: Support funding for technology and interoperability initiatives to better facilitate coordinated and effective emergency and crime response by police, fire, EMS, hospitals, and non-public safety departments in cities and across regional jurisdictions.
Cannabis: Monitor legislation and research on the potential safeguards regarding the purchase, distribution, consumption and cultivation of cannabis.
Tobacco: Support legislation that regulates the sale of flavored tobacco products and e- cigarettes.
Human Trafficking: Support legislation that would provide funding to programs that raise public awareness about Human Trafficking and train law enforcement on handling and investigating Human Trafficking cases, and/or; identify, rescue, and provide services to victims of human trafficking, including the prosecution of Human Trafficking perpetrators.
Rail Safety: Support legislation that would promote rail safety improvements such as controlled brake controls and the expediting of real-time information to first responders. Provide additional funding for emergency personnel training to deal with rail safety issues in communities with rail lines.
Crime Mitigation: Support legislation that would deter, detect and prevent illegal activity producing harm within our community by individuals committing criminal acts such as catalytic converter thefts, unlawful possession of firearms, organized retail theft, hate crimes and dangerous driving behavior.
Revenue and Taxation___________________________________________________________ Lower Threshold for Local Taxes: Support a constitutional amendment to lower the threshold for approval of local taxes to either 55% (the same requirement schools now face) or to a
9 simple majority, especially to encourage economic and local development as well as to meet public safety needs.
Tax Exempt Status of Municipal Bonds: Oppose legislation that eliminates or places a cap on tax-exempt municipal bonds.
Equitable Allocation: Support legislation that provides stable dedicated revenue to support all City responsibilities and establishes a more equitable distribution of locally generated taxes (property, sales, e-commerce, technology applications, etc.).
Flexibility in Use of Funds: Support legislation that lifts restrictions on restricted funds to provide the highest levels of discretion to elected representatives to manage the financial affairs of their jurisdictions.
Community Access Preservation Act: Support legislation that preserves Public Access, Educational, and Government (PEG) channels and funding for PEG channels from cable and video providers and that changes the existing law to remove the distinction between "capital" and "operating" for use of PEG fees.
Transportation, Communication, and Public Works__________________________________ Transportation Funding: Support efforts to increase transportation funding which benefits mobility access for all, including those with disabilities, and advances priority projects. Support efforts to lower the two-thirds voter threshold for voter-approved funding measures.
Traffic Safety: Support allowing cities the discretion to use more effective methods of speed enforcement. Support policies that advance safety for all users of the transportation system.
Municipal Broadband Networks: Preserve local authority to deploy and operate municipal broadband networks, through either public-private partnerships or systems wholly owned by the municipality.
Sustainability: Support legislation, strategies and investments for alternative fuels and technology to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pollution.
Effective Project Delivery: Support policies that facilitate efficient and expedited project development and delivery processes.
10 City of Fremont Legislative Affairs Program Process
Legislative Affairs requests can be brought to the attention of the City through a variety of channels:
• State and Federal Legislative Advocates
• Fremont City Council Members
• City of Fremont Staff
• City Residents
• Elected Representatives
• League of California Cities
• Other Governmental Associations
All legislative requests for support or opposition will be directed to the City Manager’s Office. City staff will review the legislative request in coordination with any relevant departments to analyze whether the legislation aligns with the City’s legislative principles and priorities. If the legislation aligns with City priorities, City staff will then monitor and track the legislation, providing updates when necessary. Concurrent with this evaluation, the City Manager’s Office will recommend a position and course of action.
There are six main levels of Legislative Affairs program action, coordinated by the Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs and the City Manager.
1. Direction to lobbyists to advocate in support, support with changes, or opposition to legislation: City staff will notify lobbyists of the City’s position and direct them to take appropriate action with legislators. The City reserves the right to remain neutral on a given piece of legislation.
2. Draft or Sponsor Specific Legislation: City staff and legislative advocates will work with the City’s legislative representatives to articulate the City’s stance on a policy and to ensure said stance is codified in statute.
3. Mayoral correspondence with relevant legislators: City staff will draft a position letter for the City Manager and/or Mayor to review and sign. This letter will be distributed to the appropriate legislators.
4. Council approved resolution: If a legislative proposal or regulation arises that is not addressed by the adopted Legislative Guiding Principles and Priorities and it is determined that it may impact the City, City staff will draft a staff report and resolution for consideration by the full City Council. Approved resolutions will be forwarded along with a letter signed by the Mayor to the appropriate legislators.
5. Council outreach: A copy of all legislative letters will be distributed routinely to the City Council. City staff will draft talking points and other relevant information for Council Members to advocate on legislative program affairs matters on behalf of the City.
6. Travel to Sacramento or Washington, D.C.: City staff and/or Council Members may decide to advocate in person. Staff will coordinate with the appropriate legislative advocatess to organize meetings or attendance at other legislative events.