CITY COUNCIL STATE LEGISLATIVE
ADVOCACY COMMITTEE
MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2025
10:30 AM
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 2
ROLL CALL
3 FLAG SALUTE
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 4 WELCOME AND
INTRODUCTIONS
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 5 AGENDA
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E ITEM 5A
RECEIVE UPDATE ON THE 2025 STATE LEGISLATIVE
SESSION AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON STATE
LEGISLATION.
6C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 7 AB 650
• Proposed to amend and significantly improve the housing element review process.
• Allows local jurisdictions to begin Housing Element update and planning six (6) months earlier, providing greater clarity, providing certainty to a difficult and complex process.
• Support good faith actors that are working through the housing element review process.
• Require HCD to provide written communication that identifies specific deficiencies in the proposed Housing Element draft and text or analysis.
Staff recommendation: Support
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 8 SB 79
• Requires cities to approve higher-density residential projects up to 7 stories near public transit stops via ministerial process.
• Does not need to comply with local zoning codes, can limit the use of local development standards on the proposed project, and allow transit agencies full land authority over residential and commercial development on property they own or lease.
Staff recommendation: Oppose ( Letter Sent 4/10/2025)
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 9 SB 677
• Limits local government’s ability to impose objective standards on SB 9 projects with 1,750 net habitable square feet in the floor area. • Eliminates local agencies’ ability to enforce:
Staff recommendation: Oppose
• Setback requirements.
• Height.
• Lot coverage.
• Floor area ratios.
• Any other standard that would limit residential
development capacity for these projects.
• Prohibits local governments from collecting impact
fees for projects less than 1,750 square feet.
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 10 AB 736
• Authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10 billion dollars to finance affordable rental housing and homeownership programs.
• Allows for the submission of the bond act to the voters at the June 2, 2026, statewide primary election.
Staff recommendation: Support
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 11 AB 11
• Create a state housing authority to build residential development in communities across California to meet the state’s RHNA goals for extremely low and very low- income housing.
• Does not need to comply with local housing elements approved by the state, follow local regulations, zoning codes or height limits. • The proposed housing authority only needs to consult with local jurisdictions’ preferences for the specific site of development, the number of stories, the number of units, or the development timeline.
Staff recommendation: Oppose
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 12 AB 507
• Requires local governments to ministerially approve adaptive reuse office-to- residential conversion projects statewide.
• Exempts adaptive reuse office-to-residential projects from all impact fees, except any impacts resulting from the site's change of use from non-residential to residential or mixed-use.
Staff recommendation: Oppose
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 13 AB 893
• Requires local agencies to ministerially approve a residential project for low- income faculty, staff, and students if the project is proposed on parcels within a one-mile radius of a main campus for a UC, CSU, California Community College, or private postsecondary educational institute.
• This bill makes a development that meets:
• Specified objective
standards.
• Affordability.
• Site criteria.
• Located within a zone where office, retail, or
parking are a principally permitted use a by
right use.
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 14 AB 893 (CONT.)
• Subject to streamlined, ministerial review processes depending on, and the affordability requirements applicable to the project.
• Requires HCD to undertake at least two studies on the outcomes of the act; to be completed on or before January 1, 2027, and another to be completed on or before January 1, 2031.
Staff recommendation: Pending
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 15 AB 1061
• Eliminates the historical district protections for SB 9 projects (urban lot splits on single-family zoned parcels).
• Local governments may only disallow the project if it is on a historical landmark.
Staff recommendation: Oppose
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 16 AB 874
• Requires local agencies to waive all fees or charges for a residential development project that has a 55-year regulatory agreement with at least 49% of the total units reserved for lower-income households at an affordable rent. • Only allows the local agency to collect fees to fund code enforcement, inspection services, or other fees to pay for enforcing local ordinances or state law.
Staff recommendation: Pending
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 17 AB 1154
• Prohibits local agencies from requiring parking on ADUs less than 500 square feet and remove owner-occupancy requirements for some Junior ADUs. • Minor code clean up in California Government Code Section 66322 for existing exemptions.
• Provision to remove owner-occupancy requirement for Junior ADUs that have separate sanitation facilities.
Staff recommendation: Pending
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 18 SB 9
• Not urban split lots or urban dwellings, same numeration. • Prohibits local agencies from requiring owner occupancy requirements on existing or new ADUs.
• This measure is a code clean up to be consistent with ADU law.
Staff recommendation: Pending
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 19 AB 303
• Revises the permitting review process for Battery Energy Storage Systems facilities.
• Denies any pending applications as of the effective date of AB 303. • Provide objective separation requirements and would impose a state-mandated local program to review proposed development projects that include a battery energy storage system at the local agency level.
Staff recommendation: Support
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 20 AB 609
• Exempts a housing development project that meets certain conditions on sites up to 20 acres from the requirements of CEQA.
• Requires a local government, to require the development proponent to complete a phase I environmental assessment as a condition of approval.
Staff recommendation: Pending
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 21 AB 639
• Prohibits a local jurisdiction from adopting a local ordinance, or enforcing an existing ordinance that imposes civil or criminal penalties to the following:
• A person who is homeless for any act immediately related to homelessness or any act related to basic survival; or
• A person who is assisting a person who is homeless with any act related to basic survival.
• Current law prohibits a state agency from adopting or enforcing any rule or a violation of which can result in the imposition of a fine or imprisonment, or both, unless by a statute.
Staff recommendation: Oppose
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 22 SB 569
• This measure requires Caltrans to develop locally tailored plans for homeless encampments on state-owned land. It would also require the department to establish advisory committees in each Caltrans district, set clear timelines, speed up the contracting process, and provide additional funding to better help transition people into shelter and services.
Staff recommendation: Support
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 23 SB 346
• Require short-term rental facilitators to provide the Assessor Parcel Number of a short-term rental listing to the City
• Provides cities audit authority for transient occupancy taxes collected and remitted by short-term rental facilitators.
Staff recommendation: Support
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 24 SB 707
• The Ralph M. Brown Act requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a legislative body, as defined, of a local agency be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate.
• This bill would, until January 1, 2030, require a city council or a county board of supervisors to comply with additional meeting requirements, including that all open and public meetings include an opportunity for members of the public to attend via a 2-way telephonic service or a 2-way audiovisual platform, as defined, that a system is in place for requesting and receiving interpretation services for public meetings, as specified, and that the city council or county board of supervisors encourage residents to participate in public meetings, as specified.
Staff recommendation: Oppose
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 25 AB 339
• This measure would require the governing body of a public agency to give recognized employee organization no less than 120 days’ written notice before issuing a request for proposals, request for quotes, or renewing or extending an existing contract to perform services that are within the scope of work of the job classification represented by the recognized employee organization.
Staff recommendation: Oppose
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 26 AB 828
• Existing law authorizes a city, county, or city and county, with the approval of its legislative body by resolution after a public hearing, to acquire, sell, or lease property in furtherance of the creation of an economic opportunity, as defined. Existing law provides that this authorization is an alternative to any other authority granted by law to cities to dispose of city-owned property. This bill would revise those provisions to authorize a city, county, or city and county to, in addition to a sale or lease of property, otherwise transfer property under the above-described provisions to create an economic opportunity and would make related, conforming changes to these procedures. The bill would require the city, county, or city and county, to submit a report containing specified information to the Controller within 90 days after adopting the resolution approving the acquisition, sale, lease, or transfer of the property. The bill would also specify that these provisions are an alternative to any other authority or procedures for a city, county, or city and county to acquire, sell, lease, or otherwise transfer real property owned by a city, county, or city and county. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
Staff recommendation: Support
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 27 STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
•Receive an update on the 2025 State Legislative Session; and •Review and provide direction on a City’s position on pending State legislation
C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E 28C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E ITEM 5B
REVIEW AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON UPCOMING
DELEGATION TRIP TO SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
29C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
30C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E
CLOSING REMARKS
31C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E
ADJOURNMENT
32C I T Y C O U N C I L S T A T E L E G I S L A T I V E A D V O C A C Y C O M M I T T E E