Fremont City Council Meeting: 06/06/23 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: City Manager's Office
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Plans, Policies and Studies
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 4891) DOC ID: 4891
Updated: 6/1/2023 2:39 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
ADOPTION OF LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AND SUPPORT OF ASSEMBLY BILL 1657- Consideration and Adoption of the Legislative Framework and Authorize Mayor Mei to Transmit a Letter in Support of AB 1657 (The Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2024) to Assembly Member Buffy Wicks
Contact Persons:
Name: Geneva Bosques Amanda Gallo
Title: Director of Communications and
Legislative Affairs
Management Analyst II
Div/Dept: City Manager's Office City Manager's Office
Phone: 510-284-4094 510-284-4016
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The Legislative Framework outlines the City's priorities and principles for organizing the City's legislative interests at the Federal, State, and local level. The framework serves as a guiding document for staff to follow when responding to legislative areas of interest. Staff recommends Council adopt the Legislative Framework as the City's official legislative position until modified, and authorize the City Manager to implement the City's legislative work plan. Additionally, staff recommends Council consider authorizing Mayor Mei to transmit a letter on behalf of the City of Fremont in support for AB 1657 which would place a $10 billion dollar bond measure on the 2024 ballot to spur the production of affordable and supportive housing.
BACKGROUND: Since 2001, the City Council has formally adopted Legislative Guiding Principles and Priorities to guide the City's legislative advocacy efforts and related activities.
This updated proposed Legislative Framework document identifies the core policy, plans and advocacy positions (principles) which guide the City's priorities and forms the foundation of the City's efforts to work with local, regional, State and federal partners on issues of concern and interests to the City. Staff will return to the City Council with recommended modifications should the framework become outdated or require modifications.
The City of Fremont is a Cities, National League of Cities, United States Conference of Mayors, Association of member of many legislative and government entity advocacy groups, including but not limited to: League of California Bay Area Governments, California Fire Chiefs Association, California Park and Recreation Society, California Police Chiefs Association, and Joint Venture Silicon Valley. These organizations advocate on behalf of cities at the regional, state, and federal levels. In addition, the City of Fremont maintains professional contracts with Holland and Knight (Washington D.C.) and Townsend Public Affairs (Sacramento) to assist with direct legislative advocacy.
City staff regularly monitors and analyzes proposed legislation and its potential impacts to City services and operations. As an initial step to provide Fremont's input on legislation that may have an impact to City operations, staff attempts to work with local representatives to provide feedback and occasionally introduce or propose alternative solutions. Staff may also conduct limited advocacy through position letters, proposed amendments, or fo rmal comments at hearings should issues arise that could significantly impact core City services, Council Staff Report (ID # 4891) Meeting of June 6, 2023 Updated: 6/1/2023 2:39 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 2
operations or that help to advance the City Council's established priorities. As directed by Council, staff prioritizes efforts that clearly align with established policies and adopted plans.
Adopting a legislative framework guides and enables City staff and lobbyist efforts to actively advocate, influence, and monitor State and federal legislation that best represent Fremont's interests and minimizes the need for staff to request City Council direction on legislative issues as they arise. Following Council adoption, the City Manager and/or her designee shall implement the City's legislative framework. Annually, the City Manager shall review the resources and requirements of this program and recommend resources as necessary.
Pending legislation or regulatory issues that do not clearly fall within the adopted City legislative framework, or when there is disagreement in interpretation, will be brought back for Council consideration and action, on a case by case basis. Any statewide ballot measures the City Council would like to consider taking a position on would also be brought to Council for consideration.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The Legislative Framework prioritizes the City's legislative interests at the federal, state, and regional levels. At the City Council Retreat, held in February 2023, the Council reaffirmed three top priority policy areas for the City in calendar year 2023. Those priority areas include: 1) Continue to address homelessness in Fremont; 2) Focus on public safety; and 3) Foster the vitality of commercial corridors. Staff will prioritize tracking legislation supporting Council priorities, as well as other Council adopted policies and plans including, but not limited to, the City's General Plan, Climate Action Plan, Fremont's Mobility Action Plan, the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, etc.
In addition to the stated foundational priorities, policies and plans, staff is proposing to also focus City advocacy efforts on the following key legislative principles, which are considered core to City services:
• Fremont's Quality of Life;
• Protect Local Control;
• Keep Fremont Safe;
• Ensure Competitiveness through Strategic Economic Development • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Promote Investment in Transportation, and Infrastructure Maintenance and Rehabilitation:
• Prevent, Reduce and Eliminate Homelessness:
• Pursue Efforts to Create New Financing Tools to Support, Build and Preserve Affordable Housing;
• Promote the "Strategically Urban" Vision of the General Plan; • Advance Climate Action, Adaptation, and Resiliency;
• Improve Federal, State, Regional, County, and Local Coordination and Planning to Strengthen Community Disaster Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Resilience; • Strengthen Youth Programs, Services and Activities
• Smart City Initiatives
In the proposed Framework, each of these legislative principles includes a broad policy statement that articulates the City's major area of interest. As an update from last year’s document, the principles of Fremont's Quality of life, Smart City Initiatives, and Youth Advocacy have been added and the principle regarding Covid-19 was removed. With the Council Staff Report (ID # 4891) Meeting of June 6, 2023 Updated: 6/1/2023 2:39 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 3
overarching goal of improving quality of life and creating an equitable future for all residents of Fremont, staff continuously evaluates the legislative climate to identify new areas of legislative interest or concern and all attempts are made to avoid duplicating adopted policy.
2022 Legislative Session Highlights:
• Secured substantive amendments on key bills and submitted 11 position letters • Improved partnerships with representative offices
• Improved internal process with departments and improved communication • Funding Awards:
o State of California: Awarded $12M for the Sabercat Bridge/Trail/Museum project (Sen. Wieckowski & Asm. Alex Lee), $8M for the Central Park Multi-Use Center (Asm. Alex Lee) and $500,000 for the Housing Navigation Center (Asm. Alex Lee) o Federal: Awarded $1.5M for the commercial district Wi-Fi access project (Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Ro Khanna) and Fremont will be the recipient of East Bay Community Energy's project to develop microgrids at critical facilities
California’s two-year (2023-2024) legislative cycle began earlier this year with a record number of bills being introduced by State lawmakers. Key issues the City will be monitoring during this session include the State's budget, housing and homelessness, environment and climate change, health care, drugs (fentanyl crisis), and public safety. The City has also submitted several State and Federal funding requests for unfunded projects. Staff was recently notified that several of the City's project funding requests were selected by representatives to move to the next step of the process. Final approval is not likely until the end of 2023 or early 2024.
• State of California: $3M to support the Central Park Multi-Use Center (Asm. Alex Lee)
• Federal:
o $3M for the Automall Pkwy median project (Rep. Ro Khanna) o $1M for the Police Community Camera Program (Rep. Eric Swalwell) o $3M for the Central Park Multi-Use Center (Rep. Eric Swalwell)
Once adopted, under the direction of the City Manager, administration of the Legislative Framework will be managed by the Director of Communications and Legislative Affair s. The program administration and work plan are detailed in the Legislative Framework document.
Consideration of Support for AB 1657 (Wicks) The Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2024 Staff recommends as part of this item, that Council consider authorizing Mayor Mei to transmit a letter of support for AB 1657 which, if approved, would place a $10 billion bond measure on the March 2024 ballot to spur the production of affordable and supportive housing. In response to the proposed $712.5 million in cuts to programs and services to increase affordable housing and reduce homeless outlined in the Governor’s 2023 -24 May Revision to the State Budget, the League of California Cities is urging cities to sign on and support this legislation. Action on this bill is timely, as it has made it to the second house and is eligible to be heard in Senate policy committees beginning this week.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4891) Meeting of June 6, 2023 Updated: 6/1/2023 2:39 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 4
The major provisions of the bond include funding $5.25 billion to the Multifamiliy Housing Program (MHP), $1.75 billion to supportive housing administration through the MHP, $1.5 billion for programs to preserve or rehabilitate existing subsidized or unsubsidized rental housing, $1 billion to the CalHOME program and the My Home down payment assistance program, $500 million to the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing program and a dedicated program for tribes to finance housing. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Legislature to amend any law related to programs which have been allocated funds by the bond to further improve the efficacy and effectiveness of those programs and to reallocate funds authorized by the bond to effectively promote affordable housing in the state.
The proposed legislation is directly aligned with Council’s priority to address homelessness and due to the legislation potentially resulting in a statewide ballot measure, requires Council authorization.
Staff will continue to consult with legislative advocacy groups and governmental entities to stay abreast of high priority issues and provide updates and/or amendments as needed for Council review and direction.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
LINKS:
League of California Cities - https://www.calcities.org/
AB 1657 (Wicks) The Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2024 - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1657
ATTACHMENTS:
• City of Fremont Legislative Framework
• AB 1657 (Wicks) The Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2024 Support Letter
RECOMMENDATIONS: By motion:
1. Adopt the Legislative Framework.
2. Authorize the City Manager to implement the City's legislative work plan.
3. Authorize the City Manager, Mayor, or designee to transmit documents that are consistent with these guiding principles and priorities.
4. Authorize Mayor Mei to transmit a letter of support on behalf of the City of Fremont in support of AB 1657 to Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (14th District), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development.