DATE: June 14, 2022
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT
Presentation to the Hayward City Council by Legislative Advocacy Firm, Townsend Public Affairs, Inc., Providing an Update and Overview of the City’s Legislative Advocacy Efforts and Upcoming Relevant Legislation and the Legislative Advocacy 2021-2022 Annual Report
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council receives and provides feedback on 1) the presentation from Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. regarding the City’s efforts to advance its Legislative Program at the State Level and upcoming relevant legislation; and 2) the included 2021-2022 Annual Report prepared by Townsend Public Affairs summarizing recent accomplishments and upcoming legislation that aligns with the goals of the City’s Legislative Program (Attachment II).
SUMMARY
Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. (Townsend) has served as the City’s primary legislative advocate in Sacramento since 2009, and since 2017, its efforts on behalf of the City have been guided by the adopted Legislative Program. In that time, Townsend has secured $49.1 million in state funding and an additional $4.3 million in federal funding. In fiscal year 2022, Townsend has continued to assist the City in expressing its position on legislation, submitting grant applications, and securing state budget earmarks. Eric Thronson, Deputy Director at Townsend, will present Council with an update on the Legislative program for fiscal year 2022.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In July 2017, the Hayward City Council adopted the City’s first formal Legislative Program, designed to provide direction to staff and the City’s legislative advocates and serve as a foundation for any actions taken by the City regarding legislation, regulations, referenda, and ballot measures. The Legislative Program emphasized the principles of enhancing revenue sources and maintaining home rule authority. This original Program identified six areas in which the City would take a position on public policy: 1) Public Safety; 2) Transportation and Infrastructure; 3) Environmental Sustainability; 4) Finance and Human Resources; 5) Community and Economic Development; and 6) Education, Neighborhood, and Social Services. In December 2021, the Program was updated to incorporate two new policy areas: Immigration and Voting Rights. The revised program also reflects the prioritization of COVID-19 recovery and racial equity in the City’s work.
Under the guidance of the Legislative Program and in cooperation with City staff, Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. (Townsend) has assisted Hayward in advocating for its policy priorities at the state level and securing funding for programs ranging from transportation infrastructure improvements to affordable housing.
Townsend has been the City’s primary legislative advocate in Sacramento since 2009. Over that period, Townsend has secured $49.1 million in state and grants and budget earmarks, as summarized in Table 1, below. In addition, during that time, Townsend assisted the City in receiving an additional $4.3 million in federal public safety grant funding, as shown in the TPA Funding Success Schedule in Attachment II.
Table 1. Summary of State Grants and Budget Earmarks
Project Description
Year
Amount
Hayward Navigation Center
2021
$ 662,000
South Hayward Youth and Family Center Project
2021
1,000,000
Building Equity and Growth in Neighborhoods Program Grant 2016
460,000
Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant
2014
132,795
Caltrans Highway Safety Improvement Grant
2013
396,000
Statewide or Urban Transit Planning Studies Grant
2013
177,060
Proposition 1C: Infill Infrastructure Grant
2009
30,000,000
Proposition 1C: Transit-Oriented Development
2009
17,000,000
Total State Grants and Earmarks
$49,827,855
In calendar year 2022, Townsend has continued to work with Staff to advance the City’s interests. Recent highlights of these efforts include:
Expressing the City’s position on policy and legislation, including mitigating the impacts of the Tuolumne River Plan; support of the inclusion of $750 million in the FY 2023 budget for statewide library infrastructure grants; and support for legislation in the areas of traffic safety, housing, public health, and government transparency; Assistance with grants, including submission of the City’s $6.9 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant application in support of Mission Blvd corridor improvement projects; and coordinating with the City and regional partners to appeal the California Department of Housing and Community Development decision on the use of Homekey funds for scattered-site permanent housing development; and Assistance with budget earmarks, most notably working with Assemblymember Quirk to include a $5.5 million earmark supporting the City’s scattered-site housing efforts in the State’s FY 2023 proposed budget.
Additional details regarding past and current efforts on the City’s behalf, as well as highlights of upcoming legislation aligned with the City’s Legislative Program, are included in the 2021-2022 Annual Report (Attachment II) and the presentation provided by Eric Thronson, Deputy Director at Townsend.
FISCAL IMPACT
This is a work session item and does not have an immediate fiscal impact. Townsend provides state legislative advocacy services to the City through a contract totaling $60,000 per year. The General Fund share of the contract totals $28,000, with the remainder allocated to Special Revenue and Enterprise Funds. Townsend’s efforts have historically resulted in an increase to the City’s intergovernmental revenue in the form of grants and budget earmarks, but these revenues vary from year to year.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
The Legislative Program and Townsend’s advocacy efforts are intended to reflect and support all six Strategic Priorities as outlined in the current Strategic Roadmap: 1) Enhance Community Safety and Quality of Life; 2) Preserve, Protect and Produce Housing for All; 3) Confront Climate Crisis and Champion Environmental Justice; 4) Invest in Infrastructure; 5) Grow the Economy; and 6) Strengthen Organizational Health.
PUBLIC CONTACT
The agenda for this item was posted in compliance with the California Brown Act.
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to work with Townsend to advance the City’s interests based on Council guidance and the most recent Legislative Program update.
Prepared by: Rick Rivera, Management Analyst
Recommended by: Dustin Claussen, Director of Finance
Approved by:
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager