CITY OF GROVER BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 6
Placement: Consent
Meeting Date: September 22, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Kristin Eriksson, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Approval of AB 650 Support Position Letter
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the Mayor to send a letter supporting the Governor’s signing AB 650 (Planning and Zoning: Housing Element: Regional Housing Needs Allocation).
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 January 2025, as shown in Attachment 1. Generally, the Platform is designed to authorize the City Manager or Mayor 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, when there is legislation with application to the City that does not fall within the Platform, the City Council must provide authorization to take an official position on behalf of the City.
Every five to eight years, local governments are required to adopt a blueprint outlining where developers can or cannot build residential developments within their respective communities and obtain certification from the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Local governments plan for their fair share of housing development as determined through the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process. As part of this complex process, local governments submit in their housing elements a variety of essential data, actions, and programs to promote fair, equitable, and affordable housing in their community. The City’s current Housing Element covers 2020-2028 and will need to be updated beginning in FY 2026-27.
During the current 6th RHNA cycle, local governments have experienced various challenges in obtaining Housing Element certification from HCD. Some of the challenges include a short timeline for completing these complex documents and responding to HCD’s feedback, a lack of clarity regarding what the state expects from local governments when reviewing additional housing element drafts, and the introduction of new requirements late in the housing element review process.
In response to these difficulties, Assembly Member Papan introduced AB 650 (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB650). AB 650 would address these issues by allowing local governments to begin updating their Housing Elements six months earlier. The bill would also require HCD to provide specific text and analysis that must be included in the housing element to remedy deficiencies, ensuring that local Staff Report: Support for Governor Signing AB 650 Page 2 September 22, 2025
Multi-Year Goals
☐ Public Safety and Community Services ☒ Economic Development and Housing ☐ Community Infrastructure ☒ Financial and Organization Sustainability Council Priorities
☐ Water & Wastewater Infrastructure ☐ Community Engagement governments are not penalized when HCD identifies additional deficiencies not previously identified in prior review letters. AB 650 was sponsored by Cal Cities and approved unanimously by both the Assembly and Senate and is on the Governor’s desk for signature.
Given the City’s interest in clarity and certainty in the complex Housing Element process, staff recommends the Council authorize the Mayor to send a letter of support to the Governor urging signature of AB 650.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no funding impacts to this staff report.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1) Authorize the Mayor to send a letter supporting the Governor’s signing AB 650; or 2) Do not authorize the letter of support; or
3) Provide alternative direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2025 Legislative Platform
2. AB 650 Letter of Support
City of Grover Beach
2025 Legislative Platform
Approved by City Council January 27, 2025
Attachment 1
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 ............................................................................................................. 3 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.
• Support legislation that allows for a future, voter-approved, SLOCOG transportationspecific revenue measure to be waived from the 2% local sales tax limits in San Luis Obispo County.
• 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. 3 • 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.
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.
4 • 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.
• 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
Mayor Kassi Dee Mayor Pro Tem Robert Robert
Council Member Jules Tuggle, Council Member Kathy McCorry-Driscoll, Council Member Clint Weirick Matthew Bronson
City Manager
154 South Eighth Street Grover Beach, California 93433 www.groverbeach.org (805) 473-4550 September 23, 2025
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor, State of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 650 (Papan) Planning and Zoning: Housing Element: Regional Housing Needs Allocation.
Request for Signature
Dear Governor Newsom,
The City of Grover Beach respectfully requests your Signature on AB 650 (Papan), which would allow local governments to begin updating their housing element six months early, provide greater certainty, and reduce ambiguity in the housing element review process.
Since 1969, California’s local governments have planned and selected sites for housing at all income levels through the housing element portion of a local government’s general plan. Every five to eight years, local governments are required to adopt a blueprint outlining where developers can or cannot build residential developments within their respective communities and obtain certification from the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Local governments plan for their fair share of housing development as determined through the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process. As part of this complex process, local governments submit in their housing elements a variety of essential data, actions, and programs to promote fair, equitable, and affordable housing in their community. Currently, local jurisdictions are planning and zoning for nearly 2.5 million additional homes statewide.
During the current 6th RHNA cycle, local governments experienced various challenges in obtaining certification from HCD. Some of the challenges include a short timeline for completing these complex documents and responding to HCD’s feedback, a lack of clarity regarding what the state expects from local governments when reviewing additional housing element drafts, and the introduction of new requirements late in the housing element review process.
AB 650 would address these issues by allowing local governments to begin updating their housing element six months early. The bill would also require HCD to provide specific text and analysis that must be included in the housing element to remedy deficiencies, ensuring that local governments are not penalized when HCD identifies additional deficiencies not previously identified in prior review letters.
Attachment 2
AB 650 would also provide greater clarity and certainty to the housing element process, helping to ensure that all jurisdictions adopt a certified housing element on time. Additionally, the measure will help local governments facilitate the creation of more housing by providing resources that enable cities to obtain state approval for their housing plans, thereby creating more certainty for developers hoping to build in California.
As a small city with limited funding and staff resources, any streamlining or clarity for the increasingly work-intensive and complicating housing element process is critical. Our city has been a cooperative partner with the State in advancing housing and wishes to continue that cooperative relationship and to be in compliance without undue hardship or burdens related to the housing element process.
For these reasons, the City of Grover Beach respectfully requests your Signature on AB 650 (Papan).
Sincerely,
Kassi Dee
Mayor
City of Grover Beach
cc. The Honorable Senator Laird
The Honorable Assemblymember Addis
Dave Mullinax, League Regional Public Affairs Manager (via email) League of California Cities, [email protected]