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7 Beacon Awards for efforts in supporting greenhouse gas reduction and sustainability were presented to the Cities of Palmdale, Sacramento, Los Altos, South San Francisco, Piedmont, Rancho Cucamonga, and Maywood.
Cities for Workforce Health Awards and $5,000 grants were bestowed upon the Cities of Azusa, Tracy, Salinas, Tulare, and Santa Barbara.
Helen Putnam Awards were presented to member cities for their achievements in specific initiatives:
City of Buellton, Economic Development Through the Arts City of Eureka, Community Services and Economic Development City of Gonzales, Ruth Vreeland Award for Engaging Youth in City Government City of Laguna Niguel, Public Safety
City of Lakewood, Enhancing Public Trust, Ethics, and Community Involvement City of Modesto, Internal Administration
City of Montebello, Health and Wellness Programs
Town of Paradise, Planning and Environmental Quality
City of Pismo Beach, Public Works, Infrastructure, Transportation City of Placentia, League Partners Award for Excellence in City-Business Relations City of Redondo Beach, Housing Programs and Innovations Antonio Villaraigosa, newly appointed CA Infrastructure Advisor, addressed the delegates. California is expected to gain $100 billion in infrastructure investments from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Half will be “passed through” to the State, while another $50 billion will be available in eligible grant funds. As the CA Infrastructure Advisor, he will ease permitting times. Regional projects are the State’s priority. Special consideration will be given to projects that support helps reduce GHG and creates jobs. He will seek input from cities and create transparency and dashboards.
Keynote Speakers:
1. Jill Ellis, Head Coach for World Cup winning U.S. Women’s Soccer team, spoke on the theme “We Can’t Do It Alone: Leading with Courage.” She shared stories on her success as coach and lessons learned as a woman. When she began her career, she chose “passion over paycheck.” She shared that coaching helps people realize dreams. Leadership is a form of empowering people and helping them grow. Her daily mantra is “one day better.” Success is an aggregation of marginal gains. She recommends that we should surround ourselves with people better than you. It is important to lead with truthfulness and empathy, while building a connection. In her new role as General Manager for San Diego Wave FC, a professional soccer team in San Diego, she has developed a new mentoring program for the next generation, especially for young women.
Item No.13B
Update on League of California Cities Annual Conference, September 7-9, 2022 September 27, 2022
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7 2. Dr. Lande Ajose, Vice President, Walter and Esther Hewlett Chair for Understanding California’s Future, and Senior Fellow of the Public Policy Institute of California, shared her perspectives on “The Future of California.” Dr. Ajose posed the question, “Is the California dream dying considering the cost of living, wildfires, climate, and economy?” She shared data, trends and long-term challenges that must be addressed to keep the California dream alive. Although the population is decreasing, so are birthrates. Immigration is also declining. California is now a majority minority state. The State needs to look at marginalized communities and population who are at risk for not being able to survive the cost of living and climate impacts. Most of the people leaving the state do not have the education needed to maintain a job that pays enough to survive.
This past recession it took only two years to recover. Unfortunately, job losses were greater for those who did not have education. Bolstering the educational system and providing greater access to education will help those remain viable in the state and support equitable recovery.
Conference Breakout Sessions Attended:
· Land Use, CEQA and Affordable Housing Covenants
· Fire Chief’s Department Meeting
· Ending Poverty in California Cities
· Going Green by 2025: Implementing SB 1382
· Cannabis and Economic Development
· EV Infrastructure at No Cost: Can’t Get Better Than That · An Essential Breakdown for Development Impact Fees
· CalPERS: Continuing on the Path to Sustainable Pensions · Five Steps to Take Before Applying for Federal Infrastructure Funding · Fixing Prop 47
· Lessons Learned from the Most Destructive Fires in California History · On-street Dining Risks: Managing Tensions between Safety and Supporting Businesses
· Creative Solutions to Reduce Homelessness
Election of New Officers
2023 Cal Cities officers were installed and provided both outgoing and inaugural comments:
Board President - Ali Sajjad Taj, Councilmember - City of Artesia First Vice President - Dan Parra, Councilmember - City of Fowler Second Vice President - Lisa Middleton, Mayor - City of Palm Springs Immediate Past President - Cindy Silva, Councilmember - City of Walnut Creek Newly elected Board President Taj provided his remarks as incoming chair.
General Assembly - Conference Resolutions
Item No.13B
Update on League of California Cities Annual Conference, September 7-9, 2022 September 27, 2022
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7 The following bylaw changes and resolutions were discussed at the General Assembly/Annual Business meeting. Mayor Engler represented the City as the voting delegate.
A. Bylaw Amendments:
1. Formalize oversight of the Resolutions Committee by establishing the Second Vice President as the chair of the committee, while retaining the President’s authority to appoint the vice chair of the committee.
2. To ensure a more inclusive Nominating Committee, add one committee member appointed from among the Caucus Directors and one additional committee member appointed from among the At-Large Directors for a total of 13 committee members.
In addition to those recommendations identified by the Governance Committee and approved by the Board, Cal Cities staff identified various non-substantive revisions to the Cal Cities bylaws:
1. Clarify that, unless the Board establishes otherwise, the Cal Cities President appoints the chair of Board-established committees.
2. To avoid confusion and clarify organizational responsibilities, remove “Treasurer” from the title of the Second Vice President.
3. To promote consistency, replace the term “Board member(s)” with “Director(s).” The amendments passed with the required two-thirds vote.
B. Resolution Introduced ‘By Petition’
1. Resolution of the League of California Cities to Support a Ballot Measure to Strengthen Local Planning Authority.
The resolution passed with referral to the 2023 Housing and Community Development Policy Committee for further study.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goal:
B. Provide municipal government leadership which is open and responsive to residents, and is characterized by ethical behavior, stability, promoting public trust, Item No.13B
Update on League of California Cities Annual Conference, September 7-9, 2022 September 27, 2022
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7 transparency, confidence in the future, and cooperative interaction among civic leaders, residents, business representatives, and staff, while recognizing and respecting legitimate differences of opinion on critical issues facing the City.
PREPARED BY: Mina Layba, Legislative Affairs Manager
CMO:150-20\KM\H:COMMON\Council Items\2022 Staff Reports\092722\092722 Cal Cities Annual Conference Staff Report
Item No.13B