Agenda Item #16.1
For Council Meeting of January 7, 2025
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JASON NUTT, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: 2025 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Communications and Intergovernmental Relations Office that the Council, by resolution, adopt the City’s 2025 Federal Legislative Platform.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
City staff have identified federal legislative priorities in a proposed 2025 federal legislative platform for consideration by the City Council. Defined priorities, approved by the City Council, will help communicate the City’s federal legislative and funding priorities to the City’s Federal Legislative Delegation, relevant Congressional committees, regional and federal agencies.
BACKGROUND
Since 2018, the City has been actively working with our contracted federal lobbyist team in Washington, D.C., MMO Partners, to engage our federal representatives and federal government agencies on our City’s policy, recovery and resiliency needs.
The City will have multiple opportunities to secure funding during the second year of the 118th Congressional session, which includes the 2024-2025 federal funding cycle, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
To prepare for these activities, staff has identified federal legislative priorities in the proposed 2025 federal legislative platform for consideration by the City Council. The priorities focus on the following core areas:
Wildfire Prevention and Resiliency
Surface Transportation
Water Infrastructure, Conservation and Energy Resiliency Climate Change and Sustainability
Housing, Homelessness and Economic Development
Public Safety
Education, Families and Children
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
On January 30, 2024, the Council adopted the 2024 federal legislative platform.
On January 24, 2023, the Council adopted the 2023 federal legislative platform.
On January 25, 2022, the Council adopted the 2022 federal legislative platform.
On February 2, 2021, the Council adopted the 2021 federal legislative platform.
ANALYSIS
The statements outlined in the proposed 2025 Federal Legislative Platform (Exhibit A) intend to help communicate the City’s federal legislative and project priorities to the California Federal Legislative Delegation, Congress, regional and federal agencies.
City staff, in coordination with MMO Partners, will monitor federal legislation, funding opportunities, administrative and regulatory proposals. Staff will work closely with MMO Partners to take appropriate action, when necessary, in alignment with the approved 2025 Federal Legislative Platform and in compliance with the City’s existing Legislative Advocacy Council Policy No. 000-40, to advance and/or safeguard the City’s priorities in Washington, D.C.
The City’s legislative team met with representatives from all departments to review the current federal legislative platform and propose changes for 2025. MMO Partners also joined those meetings to gather feedback from City staff. MMO Partners provided feedback and analysis regarding the proposed issue areas and priorities in the legislative platform.
FISCAL IMPACT
Not applicable.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, the proposed action is not a “project” subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it does not have a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. In the alternative, the proposed action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the project may have a significant effect on the environment.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution / Exhibit A – 2025 Federal Legislative Platform
PRESENTER
Jason Nutt, Assistant City Manager
2025 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
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