City of Sacramento
Law and Legislation Committee Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2023-01679 7/23/2024 Consent Item 3.
Legislative Advocacy Correspondence
File ID: 2023-01679
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and file.
Contact: Consuelo Hernandez, Director of Governmental Affairs, (916) 808-7395, [email protected], Office of the City Manager Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Legislative Advocacy Correspondence
Date Bill/Subject Author Description of Issue Position Notes/Status 6/28/24 SB 1218 Newman Emergency Water Supplies Support Coaltion letter 6/19/24 Climate Bond Support Coalition letter
6/18/24 AB 2988 McCarty Sacramento County Courthouse Support 6/4/24 AB 2257 Wilson
Local government: property-related water and sewer fees and assessments: remedies Support Coalition letter
5/28/24 SB 867/AB 1567 Allen/Barcia Climate Resilience Bond Support if Amended Coaltion letter 5/3/24 Huffman Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act Support 4/15/24 AB 2200 Kalra California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act (CalCare) Support 4/9/24 SB 1218 Newman Emergency Water Supplies Support Coaliton letter 4/4/24 REAP 2.0 REAP 2.0 Funding
Request to the Legislature to reject a
proposed $300 million cut
4/1/24 SB 1139 Ashby SAFCA Urban Flood Protection Deadline Extension Support 3/28/24 AB 2236 Bauer-Kahan Eliminating Plastic Bags Support 3/28/24 SB 1110 Ashby Reasonable Enforcement of Water Use Efficiency Support Position Letters 2023-2024
2/2/24 LIWHAP Padilla LIWHAP Establishment Act Support
9/25/23 SB 51 Bradford Cannabis Provisional Licenses: Local Equity Applicants Request for Governor's
signature Signed by the Governor
9/25/23 SB 669 Cortese Veterinarians
Request for Governor's
signature Signed by the Governor
9/22/23 AB 28 Gabriel Firearms and Ammunition: Excise Tax Request for Governor's
signature Signed by the Governor
9/22/23 AB 40 Rodriguez Emergency Medical Services
Request for Governor's
signature Signed by the Governor
9/22/23 AB 316 Aguiar-Curry Autonomous Vehicles
Request for Governor's
signature Vetoed by the Governor
9/22/23 AB 350 Aguiar-Curry Regional Transportation Plans: SACOG Request for Governor's
signature Signed by the Governor
9/22/23 AB 645 Friedman Vehicles: Speed Safety Pilot Program Request for Governor's
signature Signed by the Governor
9/22/23 AB 1052 McCarty Sacramento Regional Transit District's Ballot Authority Request for Governor's
signature Signed by the Governor
9/22/23 AB 1078 Jackson Instructional Materials and Curriculum: Diversity Request for Governor's
signature Signed by the Governor
9/22/23 ACA 13 Ward Voting Thresholds
Request for Governor's
signature Signed by the Governor
9/22/23 SB 659 Ashby California Water Supply Solutions Act of 2023 Request for Governor's
signature Signed by the Governor
8/28/23 AB 316 Aguiar-Curry Autonomous Vehicles Support Vetoed by the Governor 8/28/23 ACA 13 Ward Voting Thresholds Support Signed by the Governor 7/11/23 AB 223 Ward Confidential Proceedings Support Signed by the Governor 7/11/23 AB 783 Ting Single-Use Restrooms Support Signed by the Governor 7/11/23 AB 957 Wilson Family Law and Gender Identity Support Vetoed by the Governor 7/11/23 AB 994 Jackson Law Enforcement: Social Media Support Signed by the Governor 7/11/23 AB 1078 Jackson Instructional Materials and Curriculum: Diversity Support Signed by the Governor 7/11/23 SB 372 Menjivar DCA Licensee and Registration Records Support Signed by the Governor 7/11/23 SB 760 Muratsuchi School Facilities: All Gender Restrooms Support Signed by the Governor 7/10/23 AB 1052 McCarty Sacramento Regional Transit District's Ballot Authority Support Signed by the Governor 7/7/23 AB 645 Friedman Vehicles: Speed Safety Pilot Program Support Signed by the Governor 6/23/23 AB 40 Rodriguez Emergency Medical Services Support Signed by the Governor 6/21/23 AB 28 Gabriel Firearms and Ammunition: Excise Tax Support Signed by the Governor 6/9/23 SB 407 Wiener Foster Care: Resource Families Support Signed by the Governor 6/9/23 SB 659 Ashby California Water Supply Solutions Act of 2023 Support Signed by the Governor 6/9/23 SB 511 Blakespear Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories Support Held in Assembly Appropriations
Committee
6/9/23 AB 350 Aguiar-Curry Regional Transportation Plans: SACOG Support Signed by the Governor 5/23/23 Regulation Change re the Striped Bass Slot Limit Coalition letter to California Fish and
Game Commission
4/11/23 Budget request to fund 30x30 Support
4/11/23 SB 511 Blakespear Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories Support Held in Assembly Appropriations
Committee
4/4/23 AB 735 Berman Workforce Development: Utility Careers Support Held in Assembly Appropriations
Committee
3/28/23 AB 285 Luz Rivas Pupil Instruction: Science Requirements: Climate Change Support Signed by the Governor 3/27/23
Budget request to fund the Local Equitable Access to Food (LEAF) Program Support Coalition letter
3/21/23
Budget request for Continued Assistance for Customer Water and Wastewater Arrearages Accrued During the Pandemic Support Coalition letter 3/21/23 AB 333 Nguyen Abandoned Vehicle Service Authorities Licenses and Permits Support In Assembly Transportation
Committee
3/6/23 AB 350 Aguiar-Curry Regional Transportation Plans: SACOG Support Signed by the Governor
SUPPORT
AB 2257 (Wilson): Local government: property-related water and sewer fees and assessments: remedies
The Honorable Thomas Umberg
June 4, 2024 • Page 2
June 4, 2024
The Honorable Thomas Umberg
Chair, Senate Committee on Judiciary
1021 O Street, Room 3240
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 2257 (Wilson) – Local government: property-related water and sewer fees and assessments: remedies
Position: SUPPORT
Dear Chair Umberg:
The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) and undersigned coalition of public agencies, associations, environmental and labor groups write to express our strong support for AB 2257, which would authorize public agencies to adopt procedures for the submittal and consideration of public comments regarding proposed water and sewer rates and assessments. The optional process proposed in this bill would facilitate dialogue and transparency between public agencies and their ratepayers and give agencies an opportunity to resolve concerns during the ratemaking process.
Public water and sewer agencies provide essential government services for the benefit of communities, agriculture, industries, and the environment. These agencies are responsible for ensuring a consistent and reliable water supply, safeguarding the quality of drinking water, planning, constructing, and maintaining critical infrastructure, and much more. With climate change presenting unprecedented challenges, these agencies also must adapt and enhance aging infrastructure to mitigate the impacts of increasingly frequent and severe climate-related events. Public agencies throughout California are making generational investments to build 21st Century infrastructure for a 21st Century climate.
The revenue necessary for public agencies to fulfill their essential government functions and adapt to a changing climate predominantly comes from service rates and assessments. While these agencies require financial stability to meet ever increasing demands, a rise in Proposition 218 litigation is making it increasingly difficult to ensure agencies can pass fair and reasonable rates to cover the costs of operations and investments.
Oftentimes, these suits are filed without first having raised concerns with the public agency during the public notice-and-comment process leading up to the decision to adopt rates or assessment. When litigants avoid raising concerns with proposed rates or assessments during the ratemaking process, the public agencies cannot endeavor to resolve the dispute and avoid litigation. The financial consequences of these lawsuits can be severe, as it is not uncommon for litigants to seek tens of millions of dollars in damages. Surprise lawsuits have the potential to undermine an agency’s ability to maintain stable budgets necessary to operate effectively.
AB 2257 would build upon Proposition 218’s existing procedural requirements by creating an exhaustion of administrative remedies procedure, that, if a public agency elected to follow, would require the timely submittal of written objections during an agency’s ratemaking process. Ratepayers would be required to state the particular Proposition 218 compliance concern, and public agencies would be required to provide to their board and the public with written responses to each comment received The Honorable Thomas Umberg
June 4, 2024 • Page 3
prior to acting on the proposed rate or assessment. Ratepayers would be required to participate in this process in order to challenge the agency’s adopted rates or assessments in court.
With a greater understanding of potential concerns and the agency's responses, the agency's board would have the opportunity to abandon its ratemaking/assessment proposal, change it (reduce it), or to better explain why it complies with Proposition 218's substantive limitations, before having to defend it in litigation. Additionally, if a public agency complies with the exhaustion procedures, the bill would specify documents that would be included in the administrative record, subject to certain exceptions, in the event of litigation.
AB 2257 would bolster the financial stability of public water and sewer agencies by creating a clear and robust public process that facilitates dialogue, transparency, and the opportunity to resolve issues and avoid costly litigation. Codifying a procedure that requires issue exhaustion in Proposition 218 litigation would protect both legislative and adjudicative functions by allowing a legislative body to hear the evidence, apply its reasoned discretion and expertise, and create an administrative record to facilitate judicial review. This would also foster better-informed administrative decisions, which benefit the objector, the public agency, and members of the public within the public agency’s jurisdiction. This is especially valuable in ratemaking cases in which evidence and policies are highly technical. It would also help agencies develop more defensible rates and build rapport and trust with their ratepayers.
For the reasons above, ACWA and undersigned organizations strongly support AB 2257 and respectfully request your “AYE” vote when the bill is heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee. If you have any questions about our position or this bill, please contact ACWA Senior State Relations Advocate, Kristopher Anderson, at [email protected] or (916) 441-4545.
Sincerely,
Kristopher M. Anderson, Esq.
Senior State Relations Advocate
Association of California Water Agencies
Chad Wegley
General Manager
Alta Irrigation District
Larry B. McKenney
General Manager
Amador Water Agency
David J. Coxey
General Manager
Bella Vista Water District
Tina Tyler-O'Shea
Board President
Brooktrails Township Community Services
District
Michael Quigley
Executive Director
California Alliance For Jobs
Jessica Gauger
Director of Legislative Advocacy & Public Affairs
California Association of Sanitation Agencies
Danielle Blacet-Hyden
Deputy Executive Director
California Municipal Utilities Association
Kristine McCaffrey
General Manager
Calleguas Municipal Water District
Norman Huff
General Manager
Camrosa Water District
The Honorable Thomas Umberg
June 4, 2024 • Page 4
Katie Valenzuela
Councilmember, District 4
Chair, Law and Legislation Committee
City of Sacramento
Natalie Rogers
Mayor
City of Santa Rosa
Mary Rogren
General Manager
Coastside County Water District
Ernesto A. Avila
Board President
Contra Costa Water District
James Lee
General Manager
Crescenta Valley Water District
Jennifer A. Spindler
General Manager
Crestline-Lake Arrowhead Water Agency
John Bosler
General Manager/CEO
Cucamonga Valley Water District
Daniel Muelrath
General Manager
Diablo Water District
Jan Lee
General Manager
Dublin San Ramon Services District
Joe Mouawad, P.E.
General Manager
Eastern Municipal Water District
Dennis Cafferty
General Manager
El Toro Water District
Mike Myatt
Senior Director, Climate Resilient Water
Systems
Environmental Defense Fund
Jack Bebee
General Manager
Fallbrook Public Utility District
Bruce Kamilos, P.E.
General Manager
Florin Resource Conservation District/Elk Grove
Water District
Nicholas Schneider
General Manager
Georgetown Divide Public Utility District
Brian M. Olney
General Manager
Helix Water District
Hannah Davidson
Water Resources Specialist II
Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District
Paul A. Cook
General Manager
Irvine Ranch Water District
Jeremy Wolf
Legislative Program Manager
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
Ben Horenstein
General Manager
Marin Municipal Water District
Pat Kaspari
General Manager
McKinleyville Community Services District
Matt Hurley
General Manager
McMullin Area Groundwater Sustainability
Agency
The Honorable Thomas Umberg
June 4, 2024 • Page 5
Elizabeth Salomone
General Manager
Mendocino County Russian River Flood Control
& Water Conservation Improvement District
Kathryn Wuelfing
General Manager
Mid-Peninsula Water District
Justin Scott-Coe
General Manager
Monte Vista Water District
Nick Turner
General Manager
Montecito Water District
Jennifer Hanson
General Manager
Nevada Irrigation District
Kimberly A. Thorner
General Manager
Olivenhain Municipal Water District
Kyle Swanson
CEO/General Manager
Padre Dam Municipal Water District
Brian Lockwood
General Manager
Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency
Anthony L. Firenzi
Director of Strategic Affairs
Placer County Water Agency
Trent Taylor
Water Resources Manager
Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District
Betsy Miller
General Manager
San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation
District
Paul Helliker
General Manager
San Juan Water District
Matt Stone
General Manager
Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency
Albert C. Lau
General Manager
Santa Fe Irrigation District
Peter M. Rietkerk
General Manager
South San Joaquin Irrigation District
Justin Hopkins
General Manager
Stockton East Water District
Carlos Quintero
General Manager
Sweetwater Authority
Sean Barclay
General Manager
Tahoe City Public Utility District
Matthew Litchfield
General Manager
Three Valleys Municipal Water District
Deanna Jackson
Executive Director
Tri-County Water Authority
Jessica Self
General Manager
Union Public Utility District
Mark Tomko
General Manager
Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District
Gary Arant
General Manager
Valley Center Municipal Water District
The Honorable Thomas Umberg
June 4, 2024 • Page 6
Erik Hitchman
General Manager
Walnut Valley Water District
Craig D. Miller, P.E.
General Manager
Western Municipal Water District
cc: The Honorable Lori Wilson
Honorable Members, Senate Committee on Judiciary
Amanda Mattson, Counsel, Senate Committee on Judiciary
Morgan Branch, Policy Consultant, Senate Republican Caucus
June 18, 2024
Senator Thomas Umberg
Chairperson, Senate Committee on Judiciary
1021 O Street, Room 3240
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 2988 (McCARTY) SACRAMENTO COUNTY COURTHOUSE – SUPPORT
Dear Senator Umberg:
On behalf of the City of Sacramento (City), I write to express our support of AB 2988 (McCarty). AB 2988 would authorize the Judicial Council to sell the Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse if the sale complies with specified requirements.
The Schaber Courthouse in Sacramento will permanently close in January 2026. The goal of AB 2988 is to incentivize the development of affordable housing on the site. The City, Sacramento County, and California as a whole, has a lack of housing, particularly housing that is affordable to those earning lower incomes.
The City earned California’s first prohousing designation in 2022, and since then has continued to enact changes to further incentivize housing development. AB 2988 could aid the City in its efforts to create more housing, especially more affordable housing, by opening up this state-owned site and creating an opportunity to address our critical housing needs.
For the reasons stated above, the City requests your support of AB 2988. Should you have any questions about our support, please contact Consuelo Hernandez, Director of
Governmental Affairs, at 916-808-7395 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Katie Valenzuela
Chair, Law and Legislation Committee
June 19, 2024
The Honorable Mike McGuire, President Pro TemporeCalifornia State Senate1021 O Street, Suite 8518Sacramento, CA 95814 The Honorable Robert Rivas, SpeakerCalifornia State Assembly1021 O Street, Suite 8330Sacramento, CA 95814 Subject: California Needs a Climate Bond
On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we urge the Legislature to pass a climate bond. California has less than two weeks to place a climate bond on the November 2024 ballot.
We appreciate all the work the Senate and Assembly has done to get the climate bond close to the finish line. We recognize the bond will be between $9-10 billion but urge you to pass a climate bond that will help make critical climate resilience investments, balance regional priorities, and support the most vulnerable communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
With wildfires already burning across our state and extreme heat waves sweeping the nation, the devastating impacts of climate change are here, yet programs that prevent or mitigate megafires, devastating flooding, extreme heat, crippling drought, and sea level rise are deeply underfunded. Without intervention now, the cost of climate change is estimated to reach $113 billion annually by 2050 in California.
At the current rate of temperature increase, California could exceed that grim benchmark long before 2050. Last year's atmospheric rivers brought record snowfall, intense rain, and severe flooding that cost our state billions of dollars, and the damage is ongoing.
A climate bond will fund programs that prepare us for inevitable climate disasters, provide clean drinking water, conserve biodiversity, and save lives and billions of dollars.
We believe the voters will support a climate bond like this and ask you to give them a chance to express that support in November. We thank the Legislature for its historic leadership to protect California from the impacts of climate change. Now, it’s time to fund those actions and pass a climate bond.
Sincerely,
Jeannette Tuitele-Lewis, President/CEOBig Sur Land Trust Kim Kolpin, Executive DirectorBolsa Chica Land Trust
Elizabeth Forsburg Pardi, Director of External Affairs and PolicyThe Nature Conservancy Esther Oh, Director, Government AffairsCalifornia Academy of Sciences Bridget Fithian, Board of Directors, ChairCalifornia Council of Land Trusts Doug Johnson, Executive DirectorCalifornia Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) Tom Kirk, Executive DirectorCoachella Valley Conservation Commission Ariel Nessel, PresidentFood Solutions Action Tim Wigington, Vice President of Finance & PolicyThe Freshwater Trust Pepin Andrew Tuma, Legislative DirectorThe Good Food Institute Ana Ruiz, General ManagerMidpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) George Lang, Board ChairMountains, Recreation and Conservation Authority Charles Thomas, Executive DirectorOutward Bound Adventures Walter T. Moore, PresidentPeninsula Open Space Trust (POST) Anthony L. Firenzi, PE, Director of Strategic AffairsPlacer County Water Agency James Peifer, Executive DirectorRegional Water Authority Christoph Dobson, General ManagerSacramento Area Sewer District Katie ValenzuelaChair, Law and Legislation CommitteeCity of Sacramento Nadine Lamberski, D.V.M., Dipl. ACZM, Dipl. ECZM (ZHM)Chief Conservation and Wildlife Health OfficerSan Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Andrea Mackenzie, General ManagerSanta Clara Valley Open Space Authority Bridget Fithian, Executive DirectorSierra Foothill Conservancy Grant Davis, General Manager Sonoma Water
Frazier Haney, Executive DirectorThe Wildlands Conservancy Annie Burke, Executive DirectorTOGETHER Bay Area
June 28, 2024
The Honorable Buffy Wicks
Chair, Assembly Appropriations Committee
1021 O Street, Suite 8220
Sacramento, California 95814
RE: SB 1218 (Newman): Emergency Water Supplies - Support
Dear Chair Wicks:
We, the undersigned coalition of statewide associations, cities, water suppliers, business organizations, and regional stakeholders , are writing to express our support for SB 1218
The Honorable Buffy Wicks
Chair, Assembly Appropriations Committee
June 28, 2024
(Newman), which would enact a state policy to encourage greater investment in and development of emergency water supplies across the state.
California has always had a climate that cycles between periods of large amounts of precipitation and times of drought. With climate change, however, we are experiencing greater weather whiplash. As the state sees more rainfall and less snow, earlier snowmelt, more intense rain events, aridification, and increasingly more frequent droughts, the state should support every responsible tool to enhance water resilience.
While adherence to feasible water use efficiency standards will continue to play an important role in the face of climate change, water resilience for the future will also require California to maximize various innovative approaches to ensure sufficient water for the state’s ecosystem, urban, and agriculture needs in times of shortage.
The development of emergency water supplies — a water supply that has been developed by a water supplier to enhance its water supply reliability during times of drought or unplanned service or supply disruption, and is a supply in addition to the baseline water supplies that the agency draws upon during non -shortage times to meet water demands within its service area— is one tool that can aid the state in mitigating the impacts of more frequent droughts. Unfortunately, few water suppliers have made the investment in emergency supplies because the state has not formally recognized them.
SB 1218 seeks to remedy this by enacting a policy in the Water Code that recognizes emergency water supplies, encourages their development, and supports their use during times of drought or unplanned service or supply disruption. Importantly, SB 1218, as amended, clarifies that there will be no fiscal impact and the state will not be obligated to provide funding for the development of emergency water supplies. Water suppliers will be responsible for planning and investing in emergency water supplies, in so doing independently requiring them to allocate their own funding for the development of emergency water supplies.
Our coalition believes that such a policy will encourage greater investment in and development of emergency supplies— making communities more resilient, better able to withstand drought and flood, and more prepared to provide safe and reliable water supplies to residents, business, and the environment.
For these reasons, we strongly support SB 1218 and urge you and your colleagues to vote “Aye” on this important measure. Please feel free to contact Christine Compton with the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) at (949) 453-5338 or IRWD’s Sacramento advocate Alfredo Arredondo at (805) 598-9350 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Kris Murray
Executive Director
Association of California Cities – Orange
County (ACC-OC)
Julia Bishop Hall
Legislative Relations Manager
Association of California Water Agencies
The Honorable Buffy Wicks
Chair, Assembly Appropriations Committee
June 28, 2024
Danielle Blacet
Deputy Executive Director
California Municipal Utilities Association
Aaron Avery
Director of State Legislative Affairs
California Special Districts Association
Samuel K. Kim, P.E.
Public Works Deputy Director
City of Garden Grove
Mark Vukojevic
Utilities Director
City of Newport Beach Utilities Department
Bruce Houdesheldt
Mayor
City of Roseville
Katie Valenzuela
Councilmember, District 4, Chair, Law and
Legislation Committee
City of Sacramento
John Bosler, P.E.
General Manager
Cucamonga Valley Water District
David Youngblood, P.E.
General Manager
East Orange County Water District
Joe Mouawad, P.E.
General Manager
Eastern Municipal Water District
Dennis P. Cafferty, P.E.
General Manager
El Toro Water District
Greg Thomas
General Manager
Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District
Dave Coffaro
Interim CEO
Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce
Shivaji Deshmukh , P.E.
General Manager
Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Paul A. Cook
General Manager
Irvine Ranch Water District
Keith Van Der Maaten
General Manager
Laguna Beach County Water District
Jeremy Wolf
Legislative Program Manager
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
Harvey De La Torre
General Manager
Municipal Water District of Orange County
Ivy Brittain
Legislative Affairs Director
Northern California Water Association
Kim Thorner
General Manager
Olivenhain Municipal Water District
Jeff Ball
CEO
Orange County Business Council
The Honorable Buffy Wicks
Chair, Assembly Appropriations Committee
June 28, 2024
Jason Martin
Interim General Manager
Rancho Water
James Peifer
Executive Director
Regional Water Authority
Trent Taylor
Water Resources Manager
Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District
Robert Grantham
General Manager
Santa Margarita Water District
Rick Shintaku
General Manager
South Coast Water District
Victoria Hernandez
Executive Director
South Orange County Economic Coalition
Charley Wilson
Executive Director
Southern California Water Coalition
Matthew Litchfield
General Manager
Three Valleys Municipal Water District
Fernando Paludi
General Manager
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Michelle Reimers
General Manager
Turlock Irrigation District
Bart Broome
Assistant Officer for State Government
Relations
Valley Water
Craig Miller
General Manager
Western Municipal Water District
cc: The Honorable Members, Assembly Appropriations Committee The Honorable Josh Newman, California State Senate, 29th District Nikita Koraddi, Principal Consultant, Assembly Appropriations Committee Brent Finkel, Consultant, Assembly Republican Caucus