CITY OF GROVER BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 9
Placement: Business
Meeting Date: January 26, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Kristin Eriksson, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: State Legislative Update and Review of 2026 Legislative Platform
RECOMMENDATION
Receive a presentation on State legislation adopted in 2025 and provide direction for and approve the 2026 City of Grover Beach Legislative Platform.
BACKGROUND
Legislation at the State and Federal level often affects cities’ revenue sources, mandated services and local control of governance. The purpose of a City Council-approved Legislative Platform is to clearly set forth the City’s positions on priority issues that impact City operations. Often, the timeframe to respond to proposed legislation does not allow for full Council approval at the next City Council meeting. Therefore, the Legislative Platform will authorize the City Manager and/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. The priorities expressed in the platform are also intended to assist the Council and staff to appropriately address legislation to promote the City’s interests. 2025 Legislative Update
The City works with Cal Cities to track legislation that impacts local government. In line with the established platform, the City issued one letter of support in 2025 for AB 650 – Planning and Zoning: Housing Element: Regional Housing Needs Allocation. The City also issued two letters of opposition to the following bills in 2025:
1) SB 79 – Transit-oriented Development
2) SB 634 – Local Government: Homelessness
The letters of support or opposition are shown in Attachment 2. In addition, staff reviewed several bills and made note of some which will impact City operations and provided planned actions, as summarized in Attachment 3.
2026 City of Grover Beach Legislative Platform
Similar to previous platforms, the proposed 2026 Legislative Platform is designed to express highlevel priorities for the City to allow the City to effectively respond to proposed legislation throughout the year. The platform is organized in the following topic-based categories and informed by the advocacy priorities established by Cal Cities shown in Attachment 4:
Staff Report: Legislation Update and 2026 Legislative Platform Page 2 January 26, 2026
1) General Government - Generally supports local control to address local needs and opposes State preemption of local authority and unfunded or underfunded mandates; 2) Local Government Finance – Generally supports legislation protecting or enhancing City revenues and opposes unfunded mandates, restrictions on revenues and restrictions on contracting for cities;
3) Public Safety – Generally supports funding and support for emergency response and crime reduction programs;
4) Transportation and Public Works - Generally supports funding and expedited processes capital and infrastructure projects, supports funding for key water supply projects, and funding for implementation of organic waste disposal requirements; 5) Community Development – Generally supports funding and programs to address homelessness, supports legislation to reform cannabis regulations and supports protection of transient occupancy tax revenue.
Staff recommends one change from the 2025 Legislative Platform to include support for legislation to extend operations at Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) or to reinstate a unitary tax on DCPP or provide other financial mitigation, in keeping with the Council’s approval of support for the County’s request for such legislation at the January 12, 2026 meeting. This proposed change is shown in tracked changes in Attachment 1.
The second possible change for the Council’s consideration is whether to include opposition to legislation that increases the maximum allowable truck weights and/or longer twin-trailer trucks, which the Council asked staff to consider at the January 12, 2026 meeting. While such trucks are not likely to directly impact City operations, opponents of such proposed federal legislation contend that allowing larger and two-trailer trucks on state highways would increase the frequency and severity of collisions with large trucks resulting in increased injury or death. Local agencies who have indicated opposition to such legislation include the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office and the City of San Luis Obispo and national organizations include the National League of Cities and International Association of Chiefs of Police. This change is also shown in tracked changes in Attachment 1 and will be included in the platform should the Council direct staff to do so.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no funding impacts to this staff report.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1) Receive a presentation on State legislation adopted in 2025 and provide direction for and approve the 2026 City of Grover Beach Legislative Platform; or 2) Provide alternative direction to staff.
Staff Report: Legislation Update and 2026 Legislative Platform Page 3 January 26, 2026
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
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026 Proposed City of Grover Beach Legislative Platform (tracked changes)
2. 2025 Legislation Impacts Summary
3. 2025-26 Cal Cities Advocacy Priorities
City of Grover Beach
2024 2025 Legislative Platform
Approved by City Council February 13January 27, 20242025 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 ..........................................................................................................332 SECTION 5 – TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS....................................................... 3
5.1 General Infrastructure.................................................................................................. 3
5.2 Transportation................................................................................................................ 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 Formatted: Normal, Tab stops: 6.4", Left,Leader: … +
Not at 0.61" + 6.49"
Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, (Asian) +Body
(Calibri), Check spelling and grammar
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 extends operations at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant and reinstates the unitary tax previously applied to the DCPP or provides for alternative financial mitigation for the region
• 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.
Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.5", Space After: 8 pt, Line
spacing: Multiple 1.08 li, No bullets or numbering
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.
5.2 Transportation
• Oppose legislation that increases the maximum allowable truck weights and/or allowing longer, twin-trailer trucks.
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.
Formatted: Space After: 0 pt
Formatted: List Paragraph, Bulleted + Level: 1 +
Aligned at: 0.25" + Indent at: 0.5"
4 • 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.
• 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. 2025 Legislation Impacts
General Government
Human Resources
• AB 339 – Local Public Employee Organizations: Notice Requirements. Requires public agencies to provide no less than 45 days’ written notice before issuing an RFP/RFQ or renewing or extending an existing contract to perform services within the scope of work in a job classification represented by a recognized employee organization. o Impact: Staff will implement this requirement in any applicable solicitations or contract renewals. This could cause delays in related projects or services. • SB 827 – Local Agency Officials: Training. Expands local agency officials required to complete ethics training to include all department heads and requires newly appointed officials to receive the training within six months of commencing service or by January 2028 if already in service. Also requires all local agency officials to receive at least two hours of fiscal and financial training at least once every two years. Requires local agencies to post instructions and contact information for requesting training records on its website and retain records of the training for five years. o Impact: Staff will seek appropriate training and will provide the instructions and contact information on the City’s website once available. Staff will ensure all officials complete required training within the deadlines and will maintain records as required.
Brown Act
• SB 707 – Open Meetings: Meeting and Teleconference Requirements. Requires legislative bodies to provide public attendance via two-way telephonic service or AV platforms. Requires that agendas for meetings be translated to any language spoken jointly by 20% of more of the population in any city. Also requires bodies to provide the provision of law that any member relies upon to participate in a meeting via teleconferencing in the minutes.
o Impact: The City’s current meeting practices comply with this bill and staff will continue compliance.
Other
• SB 482 – Roster of Public Officials: Local Government. Requires cities to submit an updated list of local elected or appointed officials to the Secretary of State for publication no more than 120 days after each general election.
o Impact: Staff will implement this requirement in future general elections. • SB 333 – Transactions and Use Taxes: San Luis Obispo Council of Governments. Allows SLOCOG to impose a transactions and use tax at a rate not to exceed 1% for general Attachment 2
and special purposes, subject to voter approval, without being considered for purposes of the combined rate limitation of 2% above State transactions and use tax. o Impact: SLOCOG will consider placing a 0.5% transactions and use tax on the 2026 ballot for transportation funding. If approved by voters, the measure will not impact the City’s ability to increase sales taxes.
• AB 538 – Public Works: Payroll Records. Requires local agencies to obtain certified payroll records from a contractor and make them available when requested. o Impact: Staff will comply should such a request be received. This will incur modest expense if requested.
Public Safety
Personnel Requirements
• AB 992 – Peace Officers. Requires police officers hired on or after January 1, 2031 to obtain specified college degrees, including a degree in modern policing, within 36 months of obtaining their basic certificate from the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training.
o Impact: Once the requirement is effective, the City will have several significant impacts. Recruitment may become more challenging as the added education requirement could reduce the pool of qualified applicants, potentially increasing vacancies and overtime costs. The City may also face increased financial strain as we continue to offer tuition assistance, incentives, or partnerships with colleges to help officers meet the requirement. Additionally, police training and professional development will shift, with new officers balancing coursework alongside patrol duties, which may affect early career availability but could improve long-term performance. There are also equity and diversity considerations, as the education requirement could disproportionately impact candidates from underserved backgrounds unless cities provide adequate support. Lastly, the Police Department will experience increased administrative and compliance responsibilities, including tracking educational progress and ensuring officers meet statutory timelines. On a positive note, the law may lead to higher professional standards and improved policing outcomes through enhanced critical thinking, communication, and decision-making skills Transportation and Public Works
Water Resiliency
• SB 105 – Budget Acts: Proposition 4 Allocation. Amends prior Budget Acts and appropriates $3.3 billion consistent with Proposition 4 – The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, including $1.18 billion in funding for water resilience.
o Impact: Could potentially provide funding for future water supply or water delivery enhancement projects.
• Transportation and Public Works
Community Development
General Plan/Housing Element Requirements
• AB 996 – CA Resources: Sea Level Rise Plans. Clarifies that sea level rise information, assessments, or plans can meet the sea level rise plan components required in law for coastal governments and establishes a voluntary process to seek early consultation with the Coastal Commission to receive written recommendations on what would preclude approval of a Local Coastal Plan (LCP) for purposes of the sea level rise update. o Impact: No immediate operational change or new mandate than what already exists. The City may continue to operate under its current certified LCP. Instead, AB 996 improves how cities can comply with SB 2721 (2023) and take advantage of early coordination with Coastal staff on processing and funding a future LCP amendment. Staff will coordinate with Coastal staff on this effort to ensure compliance of the LCP with sea level rise information by 2034. • AB 610 – Housing Element: Governmental Constraints: Disclosure Statement. Requires local agencies, beginning in the 7th RHNA cycle, to disclose any new or amended governmental constraints adopted during the previous housing element or anticipated to be adopted within the first three years after a housing element is deemed compliant with State law if there is a published agenda to consider adopting, amending or increasing government regulations on housing development.
o Impact: Cities were already required to identify and address governmental constraints in Housing Elements. AB 610 gives HCD clearer authority to evaluate whether a city’s analysis and corrective actions are adequate and realistic to result in actual housing production. AB 610 does not mandate new housing policies; it requires transparency and accountability when City actions make housing harder to build.
Operationally, AB 610 does not trigger immediate changes to City permitting, fees, or regulations. Instead, it affects how future policies and code amendments are evaluated and documented. As the City prepares the 7th Cycle Housing Element and considers future Development Code updates, staff must ensure that new or amended regulations affecting housing are clearly disclosed, justified, and, if identified as constraints, paired with a realistic strategy for mitigation or removal. This improves Housing Element defensibility, reduces exposure to state 1 SB 272 requires that by January 1, 2034, local governments in the coastal zone address sea level rise through one of the following: An LCP amendment that includes a compliant Sea Level Rise Plan, or participation in an approved regional or subregional shoreline resilience plan. enforcement actions, and helps maintain eligibility for state housing and infrastructure funding.
• AB 670 – Planning and Zoning: Housing Element: Converted Affordable Housing Units.
Beginning 2027, requires local agencies to report more information in their Annual Progress Reports (APR) to HCD. This measure also authorizes local governments to include in their count up to 25% of their RHNA allocation for low-, very low-, extremely low-, or acutely low-income households, the number of units in an existing multifamily building that were converted to affordable housing by imposing long-term affordability covenants and restrictions.
o Impact: No immediate operational impact. This is a reporting and accounting tool.
However, beginning in 2027, City staff will incorporate the additional reporting requirements included in AB 670, including 1) units converted from market-rate to deed-restricted affordable housing, income levels served, and length and enforceability of affordable covenants.
Permitting
• SB 79 – Housing Development: Transit-oriented Development. Beginning July 1, 2026, requires local agencies in urban transit counties to approve qualifying housing projects within a half mile of specific transit stops with limited or no environmental review and public engagement at a height of five to nine stories, with a density of 80 to 120 dwellings per acre.
o Impact: Requires further analysis and coordination with the State and City Attorney. An “Urban Transit County” is defined by SB 79 as a county with more than 15 passenger rail stations (Government Code Section 65912.156.q). San Luis Obispo County maintains three (3) rail stations and therefore is not considered an “urban transit county”. A “Transit-oriented Development Stop” means a “Major Transit Stop” (MTS) defined by Public Resources Code as “an existing rail or bus rapid transit station.” Based on the existing characteristics of the Grover Beach train station, City staff have maintained that it should not be designated as such. If staff’s interpretation and assumptions are correct, there would be no operational impact associated with this legislative change.
However, if the State maintains it is a Major Transit Stop, any site zoned for residential, mixed, or commercial development, within one-half or one-quarter mile of the stop may be allowed to have a transit-oriented housing project in accordance with Government Code Section 65912.157.a. Additionally, it would tie those projects to SB 35 ministerial approval under Government Code Section 65913.4; in other words, qualifying projects do not go to the Planning Commission or City Council and are considered administratively by staff for eligibility, compliance with applicable objective standards, and issuing approval. • AB 507 – Adaptive Reuse: Streamlining Incentives. Requires local agencies to approve adaptive reuse projects ministerially after July 1, 2026. Exempts qualifying adaptive reuse projects from all impact fees not reasonable related to impacts resulting from the change of use from nonresidential to residential or mixed-use. Projects must meet specified affordability requirements to qualify.
o Impact: An “Adaptive Reuse Project” is the conversion of an existing, legally constructed nonresidential building to a residential or mixed-use residential development, without demolition of the structure, that meets specified eligibility and affordability criteria.
This bill would deem an adaptive reuse project a use by right in all zones, regardless of zoning of the site, and subject to streamlined, mandatory, ministerial approval. There are no rezoning requirements associated with this legislative action; however, Development Code clean-up may be required to ensure there are no conflicts with AB 507.
Beginning July 2026, this legislative action will increase staff’s administrative approval workload, require interdepartmental coordination, development of standardization checklists, and staff training on eligibility and qualifying projects The City may elect to adopt an adaptive reuse ordinance, which could specify process and requirements applicable to these types of projects, and would require those to comply with all objective planning standards found in the ordinance; but, applicants may still be allowed to use AB 507 until such time.
Preparation of an ordinance would require significant staff time and resources and should be balanced with current Council priorities including completion of the Circulation Element, and preparation of the 7th Cycle Housing Element. • AB 712 – Housing Reform Laws: Enforcement Actions: Fines and Penalties. Allows a court to fine a local jurisdiction $10,000 for violations of housing reform laws defined as “any law or regulation, or provision of any law or regulation, that establishes or facilitates rights, safeguards, streamlining benefits, time limitations, or other protections for the benefit of applicants for housing development projects, or restricts, proscribes, prohibits, or otherwise imposes any procedural or substantive limitation on a public agency for the benefit of a housing development project.” The Attorney General or HCD must provide written findings 60 days before fines commence, giving local agencies a chance to correct the violation first.
o Impact: No operational impact unless enforcement action is taken against the City. This bill clarifies what, under State law, constitutes a violation of State housing law. It expands HCD’s authority to identify and escalate violations, and increases financial consequences (i.e., $10,000 for violations of housing reform laws) for noncompliance or delayed compliance.
Most importantly for the City to keep in mind to maintain compliance with State housing laws is that Housing Element programs are binding commitments, not aspirational goals. State housing laws are enforced as written, not afforded any measure of flexibility in how they are interpreted. Procedural delay of housing development projects can now, with this bill, be construed as violations subject to enforcement.
Staff will continue to review its planning documents, policies, and programs, to ensure compliance with State housing law including but not limited to SB 35, Density Bonus Law, ADU laws, and now the Adaptive Reuse Laws under AB 507. • AB 130 – CEQA Exemption for Housing Projects. Creates a new CEQA exemption for a qualifying housing development project, which is defined by reference in Government Code §65905.5(b), including any permits, approvals, or public improvements required for the housing development project, if the project meets specified site and project criteria.
This bill also introduces various changes to the Housing Accountability Act (HAA) and parts of the Housing Crisis Act, including but not limited to, removal of the sunset clauses resulting in permanent protections under builder’s remedy and limitations on discretionary hearings. Expanded enforcement context to ensure compliance with statutory deadlines, resulting in actionable violations.
The bill also introduced several changes to the Permit Streamlining Act (PSA) to include ministerial (by-right) housing projects to be approved or denied within 60 days of a complete application. Failing to comply with the PSA timelines can be treated as a de facto disapproval and violate the HHA.
o Impact: There are no immediate workload increases, or mandatory new programs associated with this bill. AB 130 creates a new, broad CEQA exemption for qualifying infill housing projects. However, staff will need to monitor the 60- day ministerial approval deadlines and refine workflows and project tracking to ensure compliance for any qualifying housing projects
AB 130 has been in effect since June 30, 2025. The City has received a single request for consideration under the AB 130 CEQA exemption. Following review and coordination with the City Attorney, it was found that the project did qualify for the exemption. For future project consideration under this exemption, additional staff training and interdepartmental coordination will be critical to ensure resource and infrastructure impacts are identified and communicated to ensure appropriate conditions and/or mitigation. Staff continues to monitor ministerial housing projects for compliance with statutory deadlines.
Other
• SB 346 – Local Agencies: Transient Occupancy Taxes: Short-term Rental Facilitator.
Requires short-term rental (STR) facilitators, at the request of a city, to provide the property address of a short-term rental listing to a city and provides cities with audit authority for transient occupancy taxes collected and remitted by short-term rental facilitators.
o Impact: SB 346 has no operational impact unless the Council directs staff to use the authority under the bill as an enforcement and revenue-verification tool.
SB 346 affirms the City’s authority to audit TOT collected and remitted by STRs.
And requires STR facilitators to provide property addresses of all STR listings within city limits to the City upon request. An STR facilitator is an AirBNB-type platform or a local rental agency.
Should the Council wish the City to conduct an audit, the impact would be limited to staff time needed to request address-level data from STR facilitators, review that information against existing business license and TOT records, and coordinate with the Administrative Services Department, Code Compliance, and City Attorney, to ensure compliance. Based on existing staff workload, this level of monitoring would necessitate staffing increase unless the Council elects to pursue audits from a third-party vendor or consultant. For example, the City has contracted with HdL services in the past for similar tax audits.
League of California Cities 2025-26 Advocacy Priorities
1. Protect and enhance local revenues and expand economic development tools.
Californians are deeply concerned about affordability. Cities must safeguard local revenue streams, oppose unfunded mandates, and pursue new economic development tools that bolster local economies.
2. Strengthen partnerships with the state to improve public safety.
The progress cities have been making to strengthen public safety must be sustained.
Cities call on the state to respect the will of the voters and provide the resources needed to fully implement Proposition 36. Cities support sustained investments in police, fire services, and public works as a foundation of public safety.
3. Secure investments to prevent and reduce homelessness and increase the supply of affordable housing.
Secure ongoing funding to bolster all cities’ efforts to support unhoused residents and strengthen state and regional partnerships to expand access to wraparound services.
Secure ongoing funding to accelerate the construction of affordable housing and reform the Regional Housing Needs Allocation process.
Ensure cities have the flexibility and local decision-making authority to meet their community and state housing goals as well as reduce homelessness.
4. Strengthen climate change resiliency and disaster preparedness.
Support city efforts to prepare, prevent, and adapt to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change, including wildfires, drought, sea level rise, and other extreme weather events. Increase transparency and access to insurance policies, especially following a natural disaster.
Attachment 3