TO:City Council
FROM:David Newman, Mayor
Bob Engler, Councilmember
DATE:February 11, 2025
SUBJECT: Update on League of California Cities Winter Policy Committee Meetings - January 24, 2025
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Receive report.
2. Find that receiving said report is not a “project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Costs for City Council meeting attendance and staff time to prepare the report are included in Adopted FY 2024-25 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 that they may influence State policy decisions that affect cities.
Founded in 1898 on the principles of local control and interagency cooperation, Cal Cities has grown from a handful of public officials to include the voluntary membership of 478 California cities. Cal Cities 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."
Update on Cal Cities Winter Policy Committee Meetings - January 24, 2025 February 11, 2025
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DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
Cal Cities coordinates seven policy committees on a variety of topics including Public Safety, Community Services, Environmental Quality, and Revenue and Taxation. Every year, Cal Cities accepts applications for councilmembers to serve on these committees. Mayor David Newman was appointed to serve on the Environmental Quality Committee and Councilmember Bob Engler was appointed to serve on the Transportation, Communication, and Public Works Committee.
Both are representing the Channel Counties Division for the 2025 term.
Cal Cities hosts quarterly policy committee meetings. During COVID-19, the policy committees met virtually. In 2024, Cal Cities began hosting one in-person meeting in March. Now, Cal Cities is transitioning to two in-person meetings, one in Sacramento in January, one in Burbank in March, and a virtual meeting in June.
The January meeting was held on Friday, January 24, 2025, at the Sacramento Convention Center and included the following agenda:
A. Environmental Quality (EQ) - Mayor David Newman
1. Welcome: Cal Cities President Lynne Kennedy and Executive Director Carolyn Coleman welcomed committee members and thanked them for their service. Cal Cities leaders are meeting with newly elected legislators and leadership to share the organization’s priorities and interests.
2. Committee Orientation: EQ lobbyist Melissa Sparks-Kranz provided an overview of parliamentary procedures. Policy meetings operate in the spirit of the Brown Act but are not obligated to follow it. The committee reviewed Cal Cities’ guiding principles and 2025 priorities.
3. Adoption of Committee Workplan: The EQ committee reviewed their member survey results and adopted their workplan for 2025. The top three issues the committee will focus on are climate change/resiliency, energy/utilities, and disaster/emergency preparedness.
4. 2025-26 State Budget Update: EQ Lobbyist Sparks-Kranz reviewed the Governor’s budget proposal affecting EQ. The Governor proposes $2.5 billion for the first year of a multi-year expenditure plan to implement a $10 billion climate bond (Proposition 4). Proposition 4 funding will support climate and environmental programs in the following areas: safe drinking water, drought, flood, clean energy, wildfire, and extreme heat mitigation. The budget prioritizes extension of the cap- and-trade program beyond 2030 but may be used to offset deficits in future years.
Update on Cal Cities Winter Policy Committee Meetings - January 24, 2025 February 11, 2025
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5. Speaker, Natalie Kuffle, CA Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation: The speaker provided an overview of her department's functions to accelerate innovation and implement an artificial intelligence review of historic California Environmental Quality Act records.
6. Speaker, Sean Kennedy, Strategic Growth Council: The Speaker shared the Strategic Growth Council’s mission and focus on affordable sustainable housing in disadvantaged communities.
7. Los Angeles Wildfire Update: Cal Cities Public Safety lobbyist Joleena Vorhis shared that the State Legislature has begun introducing bills to assist with the recovery of the recent fires in Southern California. She provided an update on the percentage of containment for each incident. Cal Cities has convened a fire insurance working group. The group’s focus is on wildfire mitigation measures.
8. Legislative Update: Lobbyist Sparks-Kranz shared that the State Legislature may introduce bills to assist local agencies in monitoring and assisting with per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances or PFAS.
B. Transportation Communications and Public Works (TCPW) - Councilmember Bob Engler
1. Welcome: Cal Cities President Lynne Kennedy and Executive Director Carolyn Coleman welcomed committee members and thanked them for their service. Cal Cities leaders are meeting with newly elected legislators and leadership to share the organization’s priorities and interests.
2. Committee Orientation: After committee introductions, TCPW lobbyist Damon Conklin reviewed parliamentary procedures, guiding principles, and the meeting schedule for 2025.
3. Adoption of 2025 Work Plan: The committee discussed the outcome of the member survey and adopted its work plan.
4. Transportation Funding and Governor’s Budget: Legislative Analyst Office Senior Fiscal Analyst, Frank Jimenez, shared that the proposed transportation budget will remain the same. He anticipates the State general fund budget will go into deficit in future years.
5. Speaker, Lauren Prehoda, CA Department of Transportation (Caltrans) - Road Charge Program: The speaker provided an update on SB 1, the Road User Charge. Caltrans is still studying the methods for implementing the tax, using the States of Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington as models.
Update on Cal Cities Winter Policy Committee Meetings - January 24, 2025 February 11, 2025
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6. Speakers, Andy Chou and Roberta Jensen, Office of Bridge Design, Caltrans:
The speakers provided information on the Local Highway Bridge Program.
Although the new White House Administration recently froze the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the State anticipates having funding for local bridge repair and construction.
7. Legislative Update: Cal Cities is seeking relief from regulatory requirements to implement EV fleet as a result of the White House's reversal of EV production mandates. They are also seeking funding to support wildland urban interface infrastructure hardening.
C. Next Policy Committee Meetings: Friday, March 22, Burbank, CA.
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
CMO:150-20/ H Common: City Council/ Council Items/2025/ 021125/ Update on League of California Cities Winter Policy Committee Meetings Staff Report