Agenda Item No. 13
Novembe
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council DATE: September 23, 2024 FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Kristin Eriksson, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Council Positions on November 2024 Statewide Ballot Measures
RECOMMENDATION
Receive a report on November 2024 statewide ballot measures relevant to City operations and supported by the League of California Cities and provide direction to staff on taking official positions on behalf of the City.
BACKGROUND
In March 2023, the Council adopted the City’s first Legislative Platform which outlines the City’s positions on priority issues that impact City operations. The Platform was then updated by the Council in February 2024, as shown in Attachment 1. Generally, the Platform is designed to authorize the City Manager to take positions on legislation that are consistent with the platform to allow for quick response communications, through opposition or support letters, to legislators when time is of the essence. However, the Platform requires that the City Council maintain sole authority to establish an initial position for any proposed legislation that would result in the matter coming before voters as a statewide ballot measure.
There are three statewide ballot measures included in the November 2024 election that may have impacts on the City’s operations and are consistent with both the City’s Legislative Platform and Council Goals shown in Attachment 2. These measures, described below, are supported by the League of California Cities (Cal Cities), which encourages support from all cities.
Proposition 4
Proposition 4 would allow the State to issue a $10 billion climate bond for funding to communities for various programs aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change. Examples of funding use include stormwater capture and reuse, local water conservation programs, state and local fire prevention, sea level rise mitigation and extreme heat mitigation. The FY 2023-25 Council Goals include Water Supply and Resiliency as one of the Other Important Goals. Additionally, the City’s Legislative Platform supports legislation that protects, increases and/or modernizes revenue streams for local priorities. Therefore, staff recommends the Council support Proposition 4.
Proposition 5
Proposition 5 would lower the voter approval threshold to 55% for bonds used for affordable housing, permanent supportive housing or public infrastructure. This is the same threshold as used for construction, rehabilitation and replacement of school facilities. The FY 2023-25 Council Goals include Housing and Homelessness as a Major City Goal and Building and Facility Improvements as an Other Important Goal. Additionally, as identified in the Facility Condition and Staff Report: Council Positions on November 2024 Statewide Ballot Measures Page 2 September 23, 2024
Needs Assessment presented to the Council in September 2023, the City’s facilities are aging with deferred maintenance needs and no longer have capacity to meet organizational and community needs. Necessary repairs or replacement of City facilities is estimated to cost between $15.3 and $27.5 million and the City does not have identified funding to meet these needs.
Therefore, staff recommends the Council support Proposition 5.
Proposition 36
Proposition 36 would increase penalties for repeat retail theft and repeal certain reductions in punishment enacted by previous Proposition 47. The measure would also redirect some drug possession offenders toward treatment, rather than incarceration, while increasing penalties for other drug-related crimes and adding fentanyl to the list of drugs to which felony charges may apply. The City’s Legislative Platform specifically supports legislation to add fentanyl to the list of illegal substances subject to the existing weight enhancements for criminal sentencing and supports any legislation that allows for greater crime reduction in the community. Therefore, staff recommends the Council support Proposition 36.
Other November 2024 ballot measures which do not appear to directly impact City operations are included in Attachment 3. Full ballot language may be found on the Secretary of State’s webpage:
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report or recommended actions.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1) Receive a report on November 2024 statewide ballot measures relevant to City operations and supported by the League of California Cities and provide direction to staff on taking official positions on behalf of the City; or
2) Provide alternative direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
Attachments
1. 2024 Legislative Platform
2. 2023-25 City Council Goals
3. Summary of 2024 Statewide Ballot Measures
City of Grover Beach
2024 Legislative Platform
Approved by City Council February 13, 2024
Contents
SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 1
1.1 General Purpose.......................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Authority ...................................................................................................................... 1
1.2.1 Adoption. .............................................................................................................. 1
1.2.2 City Manager Authority. ........................................................................................ 1
1.2.3 Limit to City Manager Authority. ............................................................................ 1
1.3 Distribution................................................................................................................... 1 SECTION 2 – GENERAL GOVERNMENT................................................................................. 1
2.1 Local Control................................................................................................................ 1 SECTION 3 – LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE...................................................................... 2 SECTION 4 – PUBLIC Safety .................................................................................................... 2
4.1 Emergency Response.................................................................................................. 2
4.2 Crime Reduction .......................................................................................................... 2
4.3 Victim’s Rights ............................................................................................................. 2 SECTION 5 – TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS....................................................... 3
5.1 General Infrastructure.................................................................................................. 3 SECTION 6 – RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT .................................................................. 3
6.1 Water Resiliency.......................................................................................................... 3
6.2 Organic Waste Disposal............................................................................................... 3 SECTION 7 – COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT........................................................................... 3
7.1 Housing and Homelessness ........................................................................................ 3
7.2 Commercial Cannabis.................................................................................................. 4
7.3 Travel and Tourism...................................................................................................... 4 1 SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION
1.1 General Purpose
The City of Grover Beach Legislative Platform (Platform) is adopted to formalize Council priorities and allow for expedient promotion of the City’s interests in legislative matters.
The Platform is designed to guide the Council and staff in taking appropriate action on legislative proposals and actions in the State and Federal governments.
1.2 Authority
1.2.1 Adoption - The Platform is developed with input from all City departments and is adopted by the City Council annually.
1.2.2 City Manager Authority – The City Manager or designee may take actions to support or oppose proposed legislation without prior approval of the City Council when consistent with the platform, provided that the City Council may set or change the City’s established position on any specific legislation even it inconsistent with this Platform’s general position.
1.2.3 Limit to City Manager Authority – The City Council will maintain sole authority to establish an initial position for any proposed legislation that would result in the matter coming before voters as a statewide ballot measure, such as California constitutional amendments, a statewide bond measure, or a measure amending a previously-approved statewide ballot measure.
1.3 Distribution
Upon the Council’s annual approval, the Legislative Platform shall be distributed to California’s U.S. Senators, U.S. Congressmembers, as well as all California State Constitutional offices representing the City, all California State Senator(s) and Assemblymember(s) representing the City, the National League of Cities and the League of California Cities.
SECTION 2 – GENERAL GOVERNMENT
2.1 Local Control
• Support legislation that enhances local control for various permitting, land use, contracting and discretionary actions and allows cities to address the needs of local communities within a framework of regional cooperation
• Oppose legislation that preempts local authority and impedes the City’s ability to address community needs.
• Oppose legislation that imposes unfunded or insufficiently funded mandates by the State.
2 SECTION 3 – LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE
• Support legislation that protects, increases and/or modernizes revenue streams for local priorities.
• Support legislation to provide full and prompt reimbursement to all local agencies for all state-mandated programs and/or infractions and losses associated with local revenue shifts.
• Support legislation that creates streamlined and less competitive funding opportunities for cities with smaller budgets, geographical size and population, such as the City. • Support legislation that fully funds positions in State and Federal agencies that can accelerate the prompt administration of funding and reimbursements from those agencies to the City.
• Support legislation that sustains funding for grants awarded by the State or Federal government.
• Oppose legislation that mandates new duties, responsibilities or obligations to a City under state realignment.
• Oppose legislation that increases the threshold for voters to pass new or increased state or local taxes needed to fund local services and infrastructure. • Oppose legislation that eliminates or restricts control of or creates barriers to the City’s revenue sources.
• Oppose legislation that restricts the City’s ability to contract for goods or services or otherwise increases costs of contracting for goods or services.
SECTION 4 – PUBLIC SAFETY
4.1 Emergency Response
• Support legislation to provide funding for disaster prevention efforts, emergency response planning, and training and equipment for response and recovery efforts. • Support legislation to develop and implement statewide-integrated public safety communication systems.
4.2 Crime Reduction
• Support legislation to allow for greater crime reduction in the community. • Support legislation to add fentanyl to the list of illegal substances subject to the existing weight enhancements for criminal sentencing.
4.3 Victim’s Rights
• Support legislation increasing the rights of victims of crimes. 3 SECTION 5 – TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS
5.1 General Infrastructure
• Support legislation providing funding for revolving loan fund programs to assist with financing capital costs of infrastructure improvements, including facility replacements. • Support legislation to expedite project delivery processes and expand project delivery methods for use by all cities for facilities and infrastructure. • Support legislation that secures state and federal fees and taxes originally programmed for roadway repairs, highway congestion management and transportation improvement projects.
• Oppose legislation that slows, impairs or eliminates funding for public infrastructure.
SECTION 6 – RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
6.1 Water Resiliency
• Support legislation and administrative actions that provide funding or grant programs for energy and water efficiency improvements.
• Support legislation that provides funding for key water supply and infrastructure grant and loan programs.
6.2 Organic Waste Disposal
• Support legislation that provides additional funding or other assistance to implement organic waste disposal requirements.
• Support legislation providing funding for smaller cities to pursue carbon neutral solutions.
SECTION 7 – COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
7.1 Housing and Homelessness
• Support legislation to streamline all types of housing development while protecting the City’s permitting, fees and regulatory processes.
• Support legislation to providing funding mechanisms for infrastructure needed for housing development.
• Support legislation providing funding for homeless services and shelter projects and operations.
• Support legislation to allow the City more flexibility in creating shelters and temporary and permanent housing.
4 • Support legislation to provide funding for cleanup efforts as a result of homeless encampments.
7.2 Commercial Cannabis
• Support legislation that provides for reforms of regulatory barriers to the legal cannabis industry
• Support legislation that allows for the sale of food and non-alcoholic drinks at cannabis retailers that permit onsite consumption of cannabis products.
7.3 Travel and Tourism
• Oppose legislation that would reduce or eliminate online travel agencies or platforms from collecting and remitting Transient Occupancy Tax to local jurisdictions.
City of Grover Beach
FY 2023-25 City Council Goals
MAJOR CITY GOALS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY PROMOTION. Strengthen and maintain a businessfriendly environment, implement strategies that build upon existing efforts in business retention with a focus on vulnerable sectors and populations, pursue business attraction and commercial development especially on West Grand Avenue, expedite permit processing, and promote tourism and hotel development.
HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS. Work with developers and non-profits in efforts to increase housing availability with a focus on affordable housing; continue partnerships with regional agencies and organizations to address homelessness and related sheltering issues in the city and region, including supporting completion and operation of temporary shelter facilities in the City.
PUBLIC SAFETY. Ensure quality police, fire and emergency medical services by providing proper support, including implementation of a new fire services structure and funding, training and leadership development resources to meet service demands and growing challenges in such areas as homelessness, behavioral health, and social justice; and continue to engage with regional agencies, local businesses and the community in these efforts.
STREET MAINTENANCE AND COMPLETE STREETS. Continue to complete Measure K-14 street improvements on arterials and local streets; create a maintenance plan and related funding for improved streets; pursue opportunities to design and build safer, more pedestrian and bicycle friendly “complete streets” by incorporating where feasible bicycle lanes, sidewalks, street lights, crosswalks, trees/landscaping and other traffic calming design strategies.
OTHER IMPORTANT GOALS
BUILDING AND FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS. Support city programs, operations and assets by ensuring that our public facilities, including parks and buildings, are maintained, improved and expanded to meet community needs into the future; strategically develop priorities and funding plans by evaluating deferred maintenance, safety, health, accessibility, energy, and long-term needs.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. Continue a strong commitment to transparency and public participation in our city government through existing and new programs, initiatives and events designed to encourage community members, including youth, engagement in key community decisions; formalize our practices by adopting and implementing a public participation plan and policies.
WATER SUPPLY AND RESILIENCY. Meet existing and long-term water needs through by studying water resiliency alternatives and other regional efforts and by continuing water conservation; identify other feasible strategies to ensure long-term water resiliency.
ADDRESS AS RESOURCES PERMIT
CITY AND SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP. Establish a framework for communication between city officials and local public TK-12 education partners' that operate within the city supporting a Community Schools model that provide benefits for our youth, families, and the community 24/7 through more intentional alignment. Maximize each jurisdiction’s existing facilities and programs in partnership that benefits all, and discuss potential parallel policy options for shared adoption.
CODE COMPLIANCE. Prioritize the City’s code compliance program to quickly and effectively enforce our existing ordinances, including tree related issues like maintenance and removal permits.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. Pursue carbon neutral solutions to develop a greener Grover Beach through plans, policies and City operations.
Attachment 2
Other November 2024 Statewide Ballot Measures
Proposition 2
Proposition 2 would allow the State to issue $10 billion in bonds for construction and modernization of school facilities.
Proposition 3
Proposition 3 would amend the State Constitution to remove outdated language from prior Proposition 8, which defined marriage as between a man and woman, to match current law regarding who can marry. This would not provide for any change in who can marry.
Proposition 6
Proposition 6 would amend the State Constitution to remove a provision that allows jails and prisons to impose involuntary servitude to punish crime. This would prohibit prisons and jails from disciplining inmates for refusing to work.
Proposition 32
Proposition 32 would raise the minimum wage to $17 immediately and $18 in January 2025 (the increases would be delayed by one year for employers with 25 or fewer employees). The proposition would then require minimum wage increases in line with inflation in subsequent years.
Proposition 33
Proposition 33 would repeal the prohibition of local ordinances limiting initial residential rental rates for new tenants or rent increases for existing tenants in certain residential properties.
Proposition 34
Proposition 34 would require certain health care entities to follow new rules about how they spend revenue earned from a federal drug discount program. The proposition would impose penalties for failure to comply.
Proposition 35
Proposition 35 would make an existing tax on managed healthcare insurance plans permanent to provide revenue for Medi-Cal services. The tax would otherwise sunset in 2027.
Attachment 3