TO:City Council
FROM:Bob Engler, Councilmember
Mikey Taylor, Councilmember
DATE:May 9, 2023
SUBJECT: League of California Cities Channel Counties Division Meeting - April 28, 2023
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Receive report.
2. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Direct and indirect costs are included in Adopted FY 2022-23 General Fund Budget.
BACKGROUND:
The League of California Cities (Cal Cities) is an association of California city officials who work together to enhance their knowledge and skills, exchange information, and combine resources so they may influence policy decisions that affect cities.
Founded in 1898 on the principles of local control and interagency cooperation, the League has grown from a handful of public officials to include the voluntary membership of 479 California cities. Today, the League and its member cities are working hard to strengthen the effectiveness of their advocacy efforts. Cal Cities' mission statement reflects this commitment to "restore and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all Californians".
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2 DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
Cal Cities coordinates quarterly Channel Counties Division meetings to bring together local officials from San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties. At the meeting, members discuss regional issues and coordinate legislative efforts. The City of San Luis Obispo hosted the recent division meeting, held at the Madonna Inn. Councilmembers Bob Engler and Mikey Taylor; and Legislative Affairs Manager Mina Layba attended.
I Education Sessions
Host City of San Luis Obispo (SLO) offered two optional educational programs prior to the dinner meeting. Councilmember Engler and Legislative Affairs Manager Layba attended.
A. Partnership with SLO Museum of Art: City of SLO presented their partnership with the SLO Museum of Art. The presentation included a tour of public art and local murals. The City of SLO began their arts program in 1990. After their development of an Arts Master Plan in 2021, City of SLO began its partnership with SLO Museum of Art or SLOMA. Under the oversight of the Parks and Recreation Department, the City works with SLOMA on local public art. City of SLO contributes 1 percent of their annual Capital Improvements Project budget, collects in lieu fees and private donations to fund installations.
City of SLO’s role is to develop programs and focus on local artists, while SLOMA provides art expertise and procures art from outside of the community. They consider art as a form of tourism. Public art takes the form of murals and painted utility boxes. Some art installations are coordinated by community groups. Some property owners in the downtown area create voluntary murals they maintain.
Public art outside of the partnership must be approved by a local arts committee.
One way to keep art current is through living art, which takes the form of annually changing murals at the SLOMA building or rotating sculptures at local parks loaned by artists.
B. Downtown Redevelopment: City of SLO and the SLO Business Improvement Association conducted a walking tour and discussed ways they have redeveloped their downtown.
· New high-end hotel replacing an old parking structure. · Recognition of historic communities.
· Decorative alleyways and staircases to connect streets and shopping centers. · Parklets for outdoor dining with street striping.
· Buffered bike lanes.
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2 · Events including weekly farmers markets, summer concerts, and the annual Sip and Saunter wine/beer event.
· Downtown banners and decorative lighting.
· Inclusion of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, their local university, in their downtown through a downtown extension/learning building.
City of SLO shared the importance of the Clean and Safe program to the vitality of their downtown. Downtown ambassadors are employed to provide daily cleaning services on downtown streets and alleyways. They remove graffiti, trash, clean public benches, etc. They also provide informal outreach to homeless. The program is supported by donation and business improvement fees. In the future, City of SLO expects to develop a cultural arts district and include more infill housing.
II Dinner Meeting
A. Welcome/Swearing In of New Division Chair: City of SLO Mayor Erica Steward welcomed everyone to the meeting. Cal Cities President Ali Taj, Councilmember from the City of Norwalk conducted the official swearing-in ceremony for Mayor Erica Stewart as new Channel Counties Division Chair. Carolyn Coleman, Cal Cities Executive Director conducted roll call of cities in attendance.
B. Keynote Speakers:
1. Assemblymember Dawn Addis (30th-Morro Bay)- Assemblymember is serving her first term on the legislature after serving as Morro Bay Councilwoman and former teacher. Member Addis shared that many of her colleagues have never served in local office and do not understand the role of cities in moving the State forward. She is proud to take on that role.
She shared a number of bills she introduced including tax credits and support displaced mobile home park residents impacted by the winter storms; housing for community college students; support to help low-income seniors gain access to senior care facilities; kelp preservation in the ocean which supports agriculture; and offshore wind energy.
One big accomplishment she shared was the creation of a Central Coast Caucus. With thirty members of the legislature coming from Los Angeles, she felt there was a need for representation by the five-county coastal region. The Caucus will advocate for coastal resiliency funding and support of the key transit route, the U.S.101. She serves as the Chair with Senator Monique Limon of Santa Barbara as Vice Chair.
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2 2. Jason Rhine, Housing Lobbyist- Cal Cities: Lobbyist Rhine provided a short legislative update of what was happening in the Capitol. The legislature has important deadlines. This week is the last week to introduce fiscal bills in the house of origin. May 19 is the deadline for non-fiscal bills to be introduced. The Governor will be introducing his May Budget Revision. The $22 billion deficit will likely grow to $30-50 billion.
Cal Cities is advocating for housing and homelessness funding. Cities need permanent on-going funding and Cal Cities is asking the legislature to set aside $3 billion annually. The Senator Pro Tem has included $1 billion in the Senate budget for the Housing Assistance Program. Negotiations between the legislature and the governor will determine the outcome of this funding. Special hearings will be held in May on fentanyl bills. Cal Cities is still opposing key housing bills that impact local zoning such as SB 423.
C. Division Updates:
1. Cal Cities Update: Channel Counties Division Public Affairs Manager Dave Mullinax announced the Division will be busy next year opposing the Business Road Table ballot measure that will impact local taxation authority. Public Affairs Manager introduced corporate sponsors or League Partners, Enterprise Cars, Best Best and Krieger, and Southland, who were in attendance.
2. Community Services Policy Committee Report: Division representatives to the Community Services Policy Committee provided background information about the committee. Two big items the committee is discussing are the fentanyl crisis and universal transitional kindergarten (TK) in public schools.
3. Soapbox Statements for Division Members: Representatives from cities shared successes or announcements:
· Oxnard announced their May Strawberry Festival and passage of a 1.5 cent local sales tax measure. The local tax could be in jeopardy with Business Road Table ballot measure.
· Atascadero announced their sales tax measure passed in 2022 to help public safety funding.
· Port Hueneme shared they are now offering outdoor youth programs like surfing and fishing to help prevent youth delinquency.
· SLO introduced the creation of a new Homelessness Mobile Crisis Unit which has helped reunite homeless individuals with families.
· Camarillo invited the division to tour their fully operational desalination plant. · Grover Beach introduced their Cabins for Change program. · Santa Maria invited the Division to attend their Strawberry Festival. · Paso Robles announced they received a $15M federal grant for a recycled water project.
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2 · Goleta announced their Lemon Festival in October.
· Pismo Beach reminded the Division to attend Taste of Pismo event and shared that they received a $15M federal grant award for a recycled water project. · Morro Beach announced their wastewater treatment facility project is complete. · Thousand Oaks announced the approval of 1,000 new housing units. · Atascadero invited the Division to attend their summer Brew at the Zoo event.
4. Announcements/Upcoming Events: Next Channel Counties Division Dinner will be held in Santa Barbara County in June. City and date to be determined.
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, 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
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