DATE:
February 8, 2022
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
City Manager’s Office
TITLE: Adoption of Legislative Platform for
2022
RECOMMENDATION
1. Adopt the Legislative Platform to guide the City’s regional, State, and Federal legislative advocacy efforts for 2022.
2. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Amending City Council Policy A-16, Representing the City on Regional Boards or Other Bodies, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 4 to the Council report).
BACKGROUND
On January 25, 2022, the City Council held a Study Session to provide input on the proposed legislative platform issues to guide the City’s legislative advocacy during the 2022 legislative session. The Study Session memo is included as Attachment 1.
Staff and Renne Public Policy Group (RPPG), the City’s legislative advocacy consultant , developed the proposed Legislative Platform based on input received during in-depth meetings with City Councilmembers and key staff from all City departments held from November 2021 through January 2022 . The platform consists of 11 issue areas with 97 policy statements, reflecting the most important legislative priorities and issues discussed during these meetings (Attachment 1).
ANALYSIS
2022 Legislative Platform
At the Study Session on January 25 , a majority of the Council indicated support for the following:
• The modification of two policy statements to include additional language;
Adoption of Legislative Platform for 2022
February 8, 2022
• The change of advocacy position from support or oppose to monitor/watch for four policy statements;
• The addition of eight new legislative policy statements; and
• Clarification that the State Legislative Platform may be used to address Federal matters.
Council also discussed Councilmember comments that for some policy statements it was unclear what specific legislation , as it is ultimately introduced or amended, would include and whether a support position would be appropriate. It was suggested that a support position for some legislation would depend on whether the legislation placed an unfunded mandate on the City or eroded the City’s control to set policy locally. Council directed staff to review the policy statements and recommend adding a footnote, where appropriate, that the support position was contingent o n there not being an unfunded mandate or an impact on local control.
• Staff conducted this assessmen t and has added a footnote to 18 policy statements in the issue areas of Homelessness, Housing and Community Development, Economic Development, and Water Quality and Water Supply.
In addition to the above input, staff proposes a new policy statement be added to the Economic Development issue area:
• Taking into account the vital importance of equitable ADA access, support legislation that would provide the needed education, financial resources , and access to ADA -compliance experts for the Mountain View business community.
Staff has incorporated the changes summarized above in Attachment 2 (red-line version) and Attachment 3.
Update to Council Policy A -16—Positions on Ballot Measures and Legislative Advocacy
During the Study Session, Council discussed an interest in clarifying how the City’ s Legislative Platform is used when Councilmembers are voting as members of regional boards. The Council agreed that Councilmember votes should be consistent with the City’s adopted Legislative Platform when the Councilmember was appointed to the regional board by the City Council and is , therefore, representing the City. Council requested that staff return with an update to Council Policy A-16 to incorporate language Adoption of Legislative Platform for 2022
February 8, 2022
to this effect. The proposed update is included in Section 2, Item 3, of Council Policy A-16 (Attachment 5).
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the adoption of the Legislative Platform program for 2022.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Do not adopt the Legislative Platform program for 2022.
2. Modify the Legislative Platform program for 2022.
3. Provide other direction.
PUBLIC NOTICING
Agenda posting with copies to State Senator Josh D. Becker (District 13), State Assembly member Marc Berman (District 24), and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (District 18).
Prepared by:
Christina Gilmore
Assistant to the City Manager
Approved by:
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager/
Chief Operating Officer
CG/1/CAM
608-02-08-22CR
201658
Attachments: 1. January 25, 2022 Study Session Memo
2. Legislative Program Platform for 2022 (Redline)
3. Legislative Program Platform for 2022
4. Resolution Amending City Council Policy A-16
5. Update to Positions on Ballot Measures and Legislative Advocacy— Council Policy A-16