8I
Date: April 22, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: George K. Chen, Chair of the City Council State Legislative Advocacy Committee By: Carlos Huizar, Management Associate | [email protected] Subject: City Council State Legislative Advocacy Committee - Concur with Committee's Recommendation on a City Position Regarding State Legislation and Accept and File Meeting Minutes. Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the City Council State Legislative Advocacy Committee that City Council:
1. Concur with the Committee’s recommendation on a City position regarding State legislation; and
2. Accept and file the City Council State Legislative Advocacy Committee meeting minutes from April 14, 2025.
FUNDING
None required.
DISCUSSION
On April 14, 2025, the City Council State Legislative Advocacy Committee (Committee) convened to receive updates on the 2024–25 State Legislative Session and provide direction on pending legislation impacting the City.
Paul Gonsalves, the City’s State legislative advocate from Joe A. Gonsalves & Sons, joined the meeting virtually to present a comprehensive overview of significant bills, emerging policy trends, and State budget discussions.
Staff from the City Manager’s Office and Community Development Department provided a review of 19 key bills, categorized as support, oppose, or pending, based on their anticipated impacts on the City. The Committee reviewed and supported staff recommendations and now seeks concurrence from the full City Council on the following positions:
1 City Council
April 22, 2025
SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION AND RECOMMENDED POSITIONS
Planning and Zoning / Housing Policy
AB 650 (Papan) – Housing Element: RHNA Reform
Improves clarity and timing in the housing element review process.
Recommendation: Support
SB 79 (Wiener) – Transit-Oriented Development Ministerial Approval Overrides local zoning; mandates approval of up to 7-story projects near transit.
Recommendation: Oppose (Letter sent April 10, 2025)
SB 677 (Wiener) – Streamlining SB 9 Projects; Limits on Local Control Restricts objective standards and fee collection on small-scale housing projects.
Recommendation: Oppose
AB 736 (Wicks) – Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026
Authorizes a $10 billion bond for affordable rental and homeownership.
Recommendation: Support
AB 11 (Lee) – Social Housing Act
Creates a State authority to build housing with limited local input.
Recommendation: Oppose
AB 507 (Haney) – Adaptive Reuse Streamlining and Fee Exemptions Requires cities to ministerially approve office-to-housing conversions.
Recommendation: Oppose
AB 893 (Fong) – Faculty Housing in Campus Development Zones Expands ministerial approval for affordable housing near higher ed campuses.
Recommendation: Pending
AB 1061 (Quirk-Silva) – Historic Districts and SB 9 Eligibility Removes protections for historic districts under SB 9.
Recommendation: Oppose
AB 874 (Avila Farias) – Waiver of Local Development Fees Requires fee waivers for affordable housing with 55-year covenants.
Recommendation: Pending
AB 1154 (Carrillo) – ADUs and Junior ADUs: Parking and Ownership Prohibits parking and ownership requirements for certain small units.
Recommendation: Pending
2 City Council
April 22, 2025
SB 9 (Arreguin) – ADUs: Owner-Occupancy Prohibition
Prohibits cities from imposing owner-occupancy requirements.
Recommendation: Pending
Energy and Environmental Review
AB 303 (Addis) – Battery Energy Storage System Restrictions Imposes siting limits and environmental review for large energy storage systems.
Recommendation: Support
AB 609 (Wicks) – CEQA Infill Housing Exemption
Exempts qualified infill housing projects (up to 20 acres) from CEQA.
Recommendation: Pending
Community Services / Homelessness
SB 634 (Pérez) – Prohibition on Penalties for Homelessness-Related Acts Limits local authority to enforce basic survival-related ordinances.
Recommendation: Oppose
SB 569 (Blakespear) – Caltrans Encampment Coordination Requires Caltrans to collaborate with cities on homeless encampments.
Recommendation: Support
Revenue and Taxation
SB 346 (Durazo) – Short-Term Rentals: Parcel Reporting & Audit Authority Enhances city enforcement capabilities on transient occupancy taxes.
Recommendation: Support
Governance and Labor Relations
SB 707 (Durazo) – Brown Act: Remote Participation Requirements Mandates two-way telephonic or audiovisual participation at all public meetings.
Recommendation: Oppose
AB 339 (Ortega) – Notice Requirements for Contracted Services Increases required notice to unions before outsourcing services.
Recommendation: Oppose
Surplus Land / Economic Development
SB 828 (Cabaldon) – Land Use: Surplus Land and Economic Opportunity Expands cities’ authority to transfer surplus land for economic development.
Recommendation: Pending
3 City Council
April 22, 2025
The Committee is requesting City Council’s concurrence on the above legislative positions and to accept and file the April 14, 2025 meeting minutes. These positions support the City’s efforts to protect local control, ensure responsible development, and advocate for sustainable housing, community services, and economic development policies at the State level.
ATTACHMENTS
1. April 14, 2025 State Legislative Advocacy Committee Meeting – Agenda Packet
2. April 14, 2025 Meeting Minutes
4
TorranceCA.Gov | Facebook | X (Formerly Twitter) | Instagram
TORRANCE CITY COUNCIL
STATE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
COMMITTEE
AGENDA
Monday, April 14, 2025
REGULAR MEETING
10:30 AM
LeROY J. JACKSON COUNCIL CHAMBER
3031 TORRANCE BLVD.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Manager’s office at (310) 618-5880. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [28CFR35.102-35.104 ADA Title II]
Direct questions or concerns to the City Council at (310) 618-2801, City Manager at (310) 618-5880, or the individual department head prior to submission to the City Council. Parties will be notified if the complaint will be included on a subsequent agenda.
PARTICIPATE BEFORE THE MEETING by submitting a public comment on the OneMeeting Public Portal at https://torranceca.primegov.com/public/portal?fromiframe=true. Hard copies of public comment may be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office during regular business hours. All comments submitted before 9:00 a.m. on Monday, April 14, 2025, will be published for public review prior to the meeting. Comments received after the deadline, but prior to the adjournment of the meeting will be added to the record.
The agenda was posted on the Public Notice Board at 3031 Torrance Blvd and on the City’s Website on Thursday, April 10, 2025 /s/ Rebecca Poirier
1. CALL TO ORDER
____ Mattucci ____ Kaji ____ Chair Chen
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Committee Member Kaji
3. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
4. REPORT OF STAFF ON THE POSTING OF THE AGENDA
5
TorranceCA.Gov | Facebook | X (Formerly Twitter) | Instagram
5. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
5A. City Manager and Community Development – Receive Update on 2025 State Legislative Session and Provide Direction on State Legislation. Expenditure: None.
Recommendation of the City Manager and Community Development Director that the City Council State Legislative Advocacy Committee receive an update on the 2025 State Legislative Session and review and provide direction on the City's position on pending State legislation.
5B. City Manager - Review and Provide Direction on Upcoming Delegation Trip to Sacramento, California.
Expenditure: None.
Recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council State Legislative Advocacy Committee review and provide direction on upcoming delegation trip to Sacramento, California.
6. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
7. CLOSING REMARKS
8. ADJOURNMENT
6 7
8 9
10 11
12 13
14 15
16 17
18 19
20 21
22 23
24 25
26 27
28 29
30 31
32 33
34 35
36 37
38 39
40 41
42 43
44 45
46 47
48 49
1 of 3
April 14, 2025
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE
CITY COUNCIL STATE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE
1.CALL TO ORDER
The State Legislative Advocacy Committee Meeting convened in a regular meeting on April 14, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. in the LeRoy J. Jackson Council Chamber.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Chen, Committee Member Mattucci, Committee Member Kaji Also Present: Mayor George Chen, Assistant City Manager Danny Santana, Management Associate Carlos Huizar, and Planning Associate Adrian Perez
2.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Committee Member Kaji.
3.WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
Chair Chen welcomed those in attendance and introduced staff presenting:
Management Associate Carlos Huizar and Planning Associate Adrian Perez.
4.REPORT OF STAFF ON THE POSTING OF THE AGENDA
Management Associate Carlos Huizar reported that the agenda was posted on the Public Notice Board at 3031 Torrance Boulevard and on the City’s website on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
5.ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
5A. City Manager and Community Development – Receive Update on 2025 State Legislative Session and Provide Direction on State Legislation.
Expenditure: None
Management Associate Carlos Huizar and Planning Associate Adrian Perez introduced this item to the Committee using slides and provided an overview of key state legislation. Staff presented recommendations to support, oppose, or monitor more than twenty bills. Paul Gonsalves from Joe A. Gonsalves & Sons, provide an update on the state legislative session.
Mayor Chen asked whether the $362 million state surplus referenced in the Governor’s January proposal was the result of using the Rainy Day Fund.
Planning Associate Adrian Perez confirmed that $7.1 billion from the reserve was proposed for use, although the Legislature believes the state is still facing a significant deficit.
Mayor Chen asked staff to clarify several housing bills with significant local impacts. Planning Associate Adrian Perez explained that staff recommends 50 2 of 3
opposing SB 79 and SB 677 due to density requirements and loss of local land- use control.
Committee Member Mattucci expressed concern with AB 507, which would allow adaptive reuse of office buildings into residential units by right. He stated support for a modified version of the bill that allows for local review but opposed the current over-the-counter approval concept.
Mayor Chen emphasized the potential financial implications of AB 507 and supported preserving public hearings and local oversight. Assistant City Manager Danny Santana noted the bill could eliminate development impact fees for such projects, significantly affecting city revenues.
Committee Member Kaji asked how AB 893, which supports by-right housing near colleges, would affect Districts 1 or 3. Staff responded that additional research would be required to determine the impact area.
Chair Chen raised questions about AB 828, a bill requiring a fair market value explanation and Council approval for public land transfers. Planning Associate Adrian Perez confirmed this bill relates to surplus land law and that staff supports it.
Committee Member Kaji expressed strong opposition to SB 707, which modifies Brown Act requirements and would mandate hybrid meetings. He noted this could impose substantial technological costs on cities.
Mayor Chen asked whether the City’s experience with Caltrans encampments would align with SB 569’s requirements for localized plans. Management Associate Carlos Huizar confirmed the City has jurisdictional challenges working on state-owned land and noted the bill’s alignment with ongoing issues along PCH and Hawthorne.
Committee Member Mattucci stated he supports staff recommendations and emphasized the need for flexibility in responding to housing mandates.
MOTION: Committee Member Mattucci moved to concur with staff’s recommendations on all legislation, except for AB 828, which is to be marked as “staff support – pending.” Committee Member Kaji seconded. The motion carried by a vote of 3-0.
5B. City Manager – Review and Provide Direction on Upcoming Delegation Trip to Sacramento, California. Expenditure: None
Management Associate Carlos Huizar introduced this item and presented details about the City’s upcoming advocacy trip to Sacramento scheduled for April 28– 30, 2025. The delegation will meet with legislators to discuss project priorities and state grant opportunities. Topics of discussion will include:
•WWII Veterans Memorial Wall project
•Discovery Park improvements
•Olympic and World Cup pre-event opportunities
51 3 of 3
•Public safety and park funding
Committee Member Kaji asked whether the trip would be held in person.
Management Associate Carlos Huizar confirmed it would be.
Committee Member Kaji expressed concern about the effectiveness of past trips, calling the meetings “a joke and a waste of taxpayer money.” Mayor Chen asked which Councilmembers would attend. Carlos Huizar confirmed the delegation will include Councilmembers Kaji, Sheikh, Mattucci, and Mayor Chen.
Carlos Huizar noted that itinerary planning is underway and will be finalized soon.
MOTION: Committee Member Kaji moved to concur with staff’s recommendation.
Committee Member Mattucci seconded. The motion carried by a vote of 3-0.
6.PUBLIC COMMENT
Chair Chen asked if there were any members of the public that wished to speak under the Public Comment section. No members of the public wished to speak at this time.
7.CLOSING REMARKS
Management Associate Carlos Huizar thanked the Committee and City staff for their input. He stated that a follow-up committee meeting may be held after June 15 to discuss updates or new legislation. Finalized position letters will be sent to state representatives following City Council approval.
8.ADJOURNMENT
At 12:00 p.m., Committee Member Kaji moved to adjourn the meeting. Committee Member Mattucci seconded. The motion carried by a vote of 3-0. 52