2025-2026
LEGISLATIVE
AND
REGULATORY
PLATFORM
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Overview
The Legislative and Regulatory Platform (Platform) is a guiding document comprising broad policy statements pertaining to a variety of issues that may impact the City. The Platform is intended to inform and assist the City Council and staff to pro-actively and timely address pertinent legislation in order to promote and protect the City’s interests. The Platform identifies the City’s legislative priorities and codifies a process that allows the City to maintain quick and sustained engagement on issues important to the City. Using this document as a guide, the City will adopt positions on specific legislation, regulations and budget proposals, and respond to requests for amicus curiae support when a pending lawsuit is likely to significantly affect a City priority.
The positions defined within this Legislative and Regulatory Platform reflect the goals and priorities of the City Council as well as its position on issues that are currently, or are anticipated to be, the focus of legislation or regulation at the state and federal levels. Adoption of the Platform authorizes the City’s active engagement to influence state and federal decisionmaking on legislative, administrative, regulatory and funding issues. Additionally, the Platform facilitates support of judicial advocacy consistent with the City’s priorities.
The Platform is a living document that will be adjusted as the City’s priorities and goals evolve over time. The Legislative and Regulatory Platform is reviewed annually and updated as necessary to be responsive to changes to state and federal legislative and regulatory environments, consistent with the City Council’s strategic priorities, or other factors deemed appropriate by the City to ensure its policy statements reflect the direction of the Council.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Table of Contents
Advocacy Process 4
Guiding Principles 7
Funding Priorities 8
Platform Policies 10-24
Administrative Services 10
Community Development 12
Economic Development 15
Governance and Transparency 16
Public Health and Environmental Control 17
Public Safety 20
Energy, Environment, Utilities, and Water 22
About Vernon 25
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Advocacy Process
1. Adoption of Positions
Issues Addressed in Platform. For advocacy positions that have already been vetted by Council and adopted in the Legislative and Regulatory Platform, City staff, in consultation with the City Administrator, or their designee, shall have the discretion to adopt positions on legislation or regulation without returning to Council for direction. Adoption of the Platform streamlines the legislative approval process by eliminating the need for repetitive concurrence and direction from the City Council on previously approved issues.
New Issues. In the case where a pending legislative/regulatory proposal falls outside of the scope of the approved Platform, or there is any ambiguity, that item will be placed on a Council agenda for review and consideration by the City Council. If the new policy position is approved by Council, it will be added to the Platform. City staff will then be authorized to advocate that position.
2. Legislative Action Process
✓ Using the Council-approved Platform as a guide, City Administration works closely with City lobbyists to continue day-to-day oversight and response to legislative matters and coordinates with each City department to review and approve advocacy to ensure consistency of advocacy citywide.
✓ City staff collaborates with the City’s lobbyists to understand and develop strategies to respond to pending legislation and regulations and to help identify funding for a diverse set of infrastructure projects. This ensures the City has the knowledge and opportunity to pursue directed funding.
✓ City staff participates in stakeholder organizations such as The League of California Cities, Gateway Cities Council of Governments (GCCOG), Vernon Chamber of Commerce, Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA), California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA), Los Angeles County Police Chiefs Association, and other governmental and professional associations to advocate on issues that are important to the City. This allows the City to have a stronger voice and greater potential to influence key policy and legislative matters.
✓ City staff will issue position letters, including updating such letters as legislation is amended and/or advances through the process. If a recommended position is consistent with the Platform, staff may draft a position letter for signature by the Mayor or other member of the City Council. The City Administrator and department directors may also sign position letters that are consistent with the Council adopted Platform, as approved by the City Administrator.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
✓ Occasionally, the City may choose not to send its own letter, but instead include the City name on a coalition letter of agencies sharing a mutual position on a bill. In this instance, a signature might not be necessary, but staff must still confirm if a position is consistent with the Platform prior to joining a coalition. All advocacy letters, including coalition letters, must be approved by the City Administrator or their designee for situational awareness and consistency across departments. ✓ City staff may respond to requests for amicus curiae support when the outcome of pending litigation is likely to significantly affect a City priority. An amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief is a written statement that provides information and recommendations to a court from entities who are not parties to the litigation and may be necessary to introduce concerns about broader potential impacts of a court decision.
✓ The Mayor will sign letters of support or opposition based on the City’s identified interests, the Mayor and other Council Members will advance City interests through individual and regional advocacy efforts, and the Mayor will act on requests from the City Attorney to join in friend-of-the-court briefs.
✓ City staff and Council Members may give testimony to legislative committees and other legislative and regulatory bodies.
✓ City staff and Council Members may meet with Members and/or staff of the legislature or with staff of Regulatory agencies.
✓ City staff will communicate matters of legislative importance to the City Council and City Commissions through periodic updates.
3. Advocacy Positions
Possible positions that can be adopted on legislation include:
Support. A support position indicates to the Legislature, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders that Vernon is in favor of the legislation in question.
Support if Amended. A support if amended position indicates to the Legislature, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders that Vernon is in favor of the legislation in question, if the requested changes are adopted.
Oppose. An oppose position indicates to the Legislature, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders that Vernon is against the legislation in question.
Oppose Unless Amended. An oppose unless amended position indicates to the legislature, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders that Vernon is against the legislation in question, unless the requested changes are adopted.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Neutral. A neutral position indicates to the Legislature, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders that Vernon has formally removed their prior adopted position due to changes being made to the legislation or proposal (e.g., a bill that the City had an “oppose unless amended” position on was amended to address the City’s concerns, therefore the City is formally withdrawing its opposition and moving to a “Neutral” position). A neutral position therefore indicates that the City is impartial on the legislation in question.
Watch. A watch is an internal position which indicates that Vernon is closely monitoring the legislation in question. Should factors change, the City reserves the right to adopt a formal external position as indicated above.
Support/Oppose In Concept. An in concept is an internal position which indicates that Vernon has a general policy position, but the legislation/regulation is pending critical details to solidify a formal position on the legislation in question. Should factors change, the City reserves the right to adopt a formal external position as indicated above.
Sponsor. A sponsor position indicates to the Legislature, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders that the City is not only in strong support of the legislation in question but is publicly leading the advocacy effort. This position is only used when a Member of the Legislature has agreed to author a specific legislative proposal on behalf of the City.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Guiding Principles
Below are the guiding principles and policy statements that will allow City staff to address legislative and regulatory issues in a timely manner without precluding the consideration of additional legislative, administrative, regulatory, and budget issues that may arise during the legislative session.
1. Preserve Local Control and Retain Local Decision-Making ✓ Support policies that allow the City to determine the future of its unique community, including its special mix of businesses and residents, through thoughtful planning and economic development policies. Oppose legislation that discriminates against or undermines the City’s unique status.
✓ Support policies that preserve the City’s powers, duties, and prerogatives to enact local legislation and policy direction concerning local affairs. Oppose legislation that preempts local authority.
2. Maintain and Enhance Economic Relationships
✓ Support policies that promote the ability to conduct operations in a way that maximizes value to the community, protects infrastructure investments, and strengthens the City’s deep partnerships with its strong industrial base.
3. Professional and Ethical Community Policing
✓ Support policies that increase collaboration and partnerships between law enforcement and the public while keeping our community a safe place to live and work.
4. Protect Public Health
✓ Support polices that ensure convenient access to health and wellness programming that help the City address health-related emergencies quickly and effectively.
5. Engagement
✓ Build and maintain productive long-term relationships and partnerships with Vernon’s state and federal elected delegation and policy leaders to facilitate productive engagement and advocacy for the City’s legislative, administrative, regulatory and funding priorities.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Funding Priorities
City staff seeks to develop outside state and federal funding opportunities for Vernon projects and programs.
We take the following approach to accomplish this:
✓ Developing relationships that will leverage funding opportunities by actively promoting Vernon projects that provide a mutual benefit for the City’s funding partners.
✓ Advocating with local and regional partners for projects and programs worthy of state and federal funding that deliver value to Vernon and Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) communities.
State and Federal Funding Requests/Projects
(not in order of priority)
✓ Roads and street improvements
✓ Acquisition and development of open space, parks and recreation equipment ✓ Cybersecurity technology and IT infrastructure improvements needed to comply with state and federally mandated regulations and laws
✓ Fleet electrification including vehicles, charging facilities, tools, and training ✓ Technologies and projects that modernize and improve water treatment and expand conveyance capacity and create water access redundancy to create resiliency to climate impacts and other natural disaster events including power supply disruptions and other threats
✓ Sewer repair and main replacement
✓ Support compliance with organics diversion
✓ Pursue federal infrastructure funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act for battery storage and hydrogen power projects ✓ Projects that fund water and recycled water infrastructure improvements, including service extension to provide water service to all residents and businesses within the City
✓ An Emergency Operations Center and emergency preparedness and prevention programs
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Initiatives
Promoting economic stimulus and infrastructure investments:
✓ Projects that provide jobs especially in the areas of energy, water, transportation, public safety and community development.
✓ Assistance for business attraction, expansion, retention, and formation.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Platform Policies
Administrative Services Goals
To protect the ability of the City to make decisions unencumbered by onerous policies and regulations that are costly and/or restrictive in how they must be implemented regarding areas of Finance, Human Resources, City Clerk, Information Technology and Purchasing; to ensure the City’s positions regarding pension reform are clearly articulated by providing input and expertise in response to future legislative efforts.
Administrative Services Policy Statements
Clerk
1. Streamline Transparency. Support legislation, policies and regulations that maintain transparency and simplify the administration of public records, election code, and Brown Act provisions.
2. All Mailed Ballot Elections. Oppose legislation, policies and regulations that impede a City or County’s ability or authority to conduct an all-mailed ballot election.
Finance
3. Property Tax Equity. Support legislation that seeks to address the inequitable allocation of property taxes to “No and Low” property tax cities.
4. Redevelopment Funding. Support legislation to implement any new or alternative approaches to replace redevelopment funding mechanisms.
5. Per Capita Funding Alternatives. Support policy or funding mechanisms that are based on daytime population versus residential population.
6. Pension Reform. Support efforts that engage and include local government in future pension reform discussions and legislation. Support legislative action that improves the long-term stability of CalPERS and the ability of local governments to mitigate and manage with flexibility its pension obligations. Oppose legislation that restricts public employees’ pension investments based on criteria other than the return of the portfolio.
7. Local Tax Authority. Support the City’s ability to preserve its authority to renew and/or adjust its Utility User Tax (UUT). Oppose legislation that would dictate the manner in which UUT can be used. Oppose legislation that preempts or reduces local discretion over locally imposed taxes.
8. Municipal Bonding. Support legislation that restores the federal tax exemption for advance refunding bonds as a critical cost-saving tool for local governments. Oppose Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
any effort to eliminate or cap the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds, one of the few tools left for local governments to finance large capital projects.
9. Unfunded Mandates. Oppose legislation that would impose state-mandated costs for which there is no guarantee or realistic expectation of local reimbursement or offsetting benefits.
Human Resources
10. Collective Bargaining. Support legislation and measures that protect the City’s rights in the collective bargaining process. Oppose legislation that puts local governments at a disadvantage in the collective bargaining process, impose binding arbitration, or circumvent the collective bargaining process.
11. Workers Compensation Reform. Support legislation that reforms the worker's compensation system to lower employer costs while continuing to protect employees.
Information Technology
12. Data Security. Oppose legislation that would require public agencies to share information in public settings that could be used by groups or individuals with malicious intent to compromise the systems, services or private information of public employees or citizens.
13. Advanced Technologies. Support legislative initiatives and pursue funding to promote the use of data and advanced technologies to create efficiencies, promote economic development, enhance utility operations, and solve other sustainability challenges.
14. Emergency Communications. Support legislation and regulations that ensure emergency communication capabilities and interoperability for information technology and public safety departments and agencies.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Community Development Goals
To act on legislation that would affect the City’s ability to amend and implement its General Plan policies and/or restrict local control over development or impose new regulations that will increase development costs and place greater demands on the City’s General Fund.
Community Development Policy Statements
Building Inspection
15. Regulatory Adoption and Local Enforcement. Promote public health and safety in building construction through responsible legislation that adopts building codes through the regulatory process and allows for local control of enforcement.
Housing
16. Housing Element/RHNA Process. Support legislation that increases flexibility and local control in the state housing element/ Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process and streamlines environmental statutes. Oppose legislation that revamps the current RHNA process by reducing local control and/ or giving greater authority to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to oversee and enforce regional housing goals and determine a methodology for allocating housing needs to regions and local jurisdictions; and, that links housing element certification to nonhousing grant sources.
17. Housing Production. Support legislation that provides funding and other financial support for the production of affordable and market-rate housing to balance necessary community demographics.
18. Market-Rate Housing. Support legislation that would facilitate a local government to sell/privatize existing housing developments at a fair market price.
19. Mixed and Adaptive Reuse. Support legislation that promotes mixed-use developments and adaptive reuse.
20. Streamlining Requirements. Support streamlining of the requirements for the types of projects that can be funded with state and federal funding.
21. Housing Assistance. Support legislation and appropriations that fully fund assistance for affordable housing, prevention and solutions to homelessness, and community investment funding, including the federal Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)/Section 8, Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Land Use
22. Local Planning for Growth. Support legislation that strengthens local control in the areas of transportation and land-use policies and assists local governments in integrating new growth.
23. Adaptive Reuse. Oppose legislation that would interfere with the City’s ability to ministerially approve and streamline industrial and commercial projects, including adaptive reuse.
24. Industrial Zoning. Oppose legislation that discourages industrial zoning.
25. CEQA. Oppose legislation that strengthens or increases requirements for CEQA.
Support legislation that revises the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to streamline the environmental review process to improve timelines for project approvals and avoid costly duplicative steps while maintaining critical environmental protections, and limit the abuse of CEQA.
26. Zoning Setbacks. Oppose legislation that applies a one-size-fits-all approach to setback requirements for new and existing warehouses, manufacturing or logistics centers.
27. Regulation of Alcohol and Cannabis. Oppose legislation that usurps local government’s authority to restrict or regulate the sale, manufacture, and use of alcohol and cannabis.
Parks, Open Space and Recreation
28. Recreation Programs. Support legislation and measures that fund recreation, fitness, wellness, and prevention programs.
29. Recreation Facilities. Support legislation and funding for parks, recreation, and library programs, services, and special events.
30. Acquisition and Development. Support legislation and initiatives that provide adequate and consistent funding to support property acquisition, development, operation and maintenance of parks, open space, recreation, bike trails, and libraries.
31. Encampments. Support legislation that assists local agencies with funding and/or resources for addressing clean-up and hauling of items from encampments.
32. Tree City. Support legislation and/or funding mechanisms that would allow for expansion of the City’s tree canopy.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Public Works
33. Road Maintenance. Support legislation that provides additional funding for local roadway maintenance, transportation and infrastructure.
34. Clean Fleets. Support legislation and advocate for reasonable Advanced Clean Fleet rules, targets, and exemptions for medium and heavy-duty vehicles needed for emergency response and service restoration.
35. Sewer Maintenance and Repair. Support legislation and/or funding mechanisms for sanitation infrastructure upgrades.
Transportation
36. Incentivize Public Transit. Support legislation that provides tax incentives for people who use public transit and other alternatives to driving a single-occupant personal vehicle.
37. Walkable & Bikeable Community. Support legislation that promotes walkable and/or bikeable communities.
38. Regional Coordination. Support legislation and funding mechanisms that promote or facilitate interregional transportation projects and cooperation.
39. Freight and Passenger Rail. Support funding for rail grade separations, rail efficiency improvements, and other means of reducing the local impacts of regional freight and transportation systems.
40. Transportation Infrastructure. Support legislation that provides ongoing and sustainable transportation infrastructure funding, including funds for the preservation and maintenance of streets and roads.
41. Transportation Revenues. Oppose legislation that reduces, restricts, or eliminates transportation revenues for transportation purposes or creates new unfunded state and federal mandates on transportation projects.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Economic Development Goals
To act on legislation that affects the City of Vernon’s ability to create a vibrant business and community environment that enhances the quality of life for its residents, promotes employment opportunities, and provides outstanding potential for its businesses and partners to thrive. To provide exceptional facilities, programs, services, housing and economic opportunities in a safe environment. To create a vibrant economic development environment by forming effective partnerships for the purposes of acting on legislation that encourages and assists with the development of jobs, businesses and industry sectors and maximizes social and economic opportunities.
Economic Development and Business Partnerships Policy Statements
42. Competitive Advantage. Oppose legislation and measures that create competitive disadvantages for businesses at local and state levels.
43. Emerging Technology. Support legislation that will help further diversify Vernon’s economic development goals and objectives. This includes measures that promote the development of emerging technologies.
44. Business Assistance. Support legislation that restores funding mechanisms to promote continued economic development, including initiatives to provide financing for business assistance loans, no-interest loans, facade improvements and infrastructure improvements, including exterior improvements such as public art pieces, roadways/sidewalk improvements, landscaping and more.
45. Tax Increment Financing. Support legislation that returns local government's ability to enact property tax increment financing or implements any new or alternative approaches to replace redevelopment funding mechanisms.
46. Business Incentives. Support legislation that promotes, enhances and provides incentives for business retention and expansion, while ensuring California’s business environment remains an economically viable and competitive destination with national and global markets.
47. Workforce Development. Support legislation that supports the development and expansion of higher education institutions, including new private institutions and satellite campuses of national universities, as an important segment of growth, workforce, and economic development throughout the state.
48. Tax Sharing Agreements. Oppose legislation that impedes the ability of local governments to enter into mutually beneficial tax-sharing agreements with other local governments.
49. Sales Tax Allocation. Support legislation allowing for the allocation of sales tax based on the location of the origination of the sale and the location of the destination the item being sold.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Governance and Transparency Goals
To act on legislation to promote transparency, accountability and ethical culture in government organizations, and to uphold and reinforce these principles through the enactment of policies and practices that promote openness in decision-making, clarity in governmental processes, and public participation in the affairs of governance. The City’s advocacy reaffirms its unwavering commitment to promoting transparency, integrity, and good governance across all sectors of public life.
Governance and Transparency Policy Statements
50. Preempting Local Authority. Oppose preemption of local authority, whether by county, state or federal legislation or ballot measures.
51. Civic Engagement. Support legislation that encourages public participation and removes barriers to civic engagement. Local governments are best positioned to understand their communities' unique needs and concerns and can effectively engage residents in the decision-making process.
52. Remote Participation in Commission Meetings. Support legislation that permits members of advisory/non-decision-making bodies to virtually participate in meetings without physical location posting requirements.
53. Local Transparency. Support legislation that increases local government transparency.
54. State Transparency. Support legislation that requires transparency, consistency, and accountability at the state level.
55. Balance Access with Operational Constraints. Support legislation that balances increased public trust, confidence, and access to public meetings while realizing the fiscal and operational constraints of local government.
56. Streamlined Meaningful Permitting. Support legislation and regulations that streamline state and federal permitting processes and require agencies to consider the economic impacts and equities of mitigation measures.
57. Regulatory Redundancy. Support legislation that would purge laws and regulations that are redundant and/or no longer applicable or necessary.
58. Consideration for Daytime Populations. Support legislation that modifies traditional funding opportunity criteria to reflect the unique nature of the City of Vernon, which could include factors such as day-time population. Cities provide services to everyone in the city, not just residents of a city.
59. Other Negative Impacts. Oppose legislation that would negatively impact the City’s finances, responsibilities, legal authority, operations, programs, services, or infrastructure.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Public Health and Environmental Control Goals
To act on legislation and regulatory action to promote and increase public health and wellness, enhance public health, and safeguard the environment from harmful pollutants and climate change-related impacts. As one of three cities in the state with its own public health department, the City’s goal is to provide excellence in core public health functions, including infectious disease surveillance and control, community health assessment and planning, health promotion, and policy development, specialty clinical services, and environmental health protection and enforcement activities.
Public Health and Environmental Control Policy Statements Health
60. Local Health Department. Support legislation and/or administrative action that facilitates the City of Vernon’s Public Health and Environmental Control Department to incorporate medical services to operate as an independently operating health entity.
61. LHD Regulatory Development. Support legislative or regulatory action that acknowledges/qualifies local public health department designation based on daytime population served because public health services are provided to the public, not just residents in a city.
62. Workforce Development. Support legislation to strengthen the Public Health workforce development including recruitment and retention of registered environmental health specialists.
63. Behavioral Health. Support legislation that enhances and improves mental and behavioral health services.
64. Funding Preparedness, Response and Recovery. Support funding to local health department jurisdictions in support of preparedness, response, and recovery activities in the event of an infectious disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic, and natural or manmade disasters.
65. Equitable Access to Care. Support policies, legislation, and funding to further increase access to quality care, particularly for those individuals and families who rely on safety net programs.
66. Barriers to Basic Needs. Support policies and legislation that reduce barriers to accessing basic needs, including but not limited to, housing, food and healthcare.
67. Intervention and Treatment Programs. Support regional initiatives that encourage mental health treatment programs, funding for substance use treatment, and homelessness intervention efforts instead of incarceration-only solutions.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
68. Health and Wellness. Support funding for the implementation of programs that promote community wellness at the neighborhood level.
Environmental Control
69. Solid Waste and Recyclables. Support legislative proposals that maintain and enhance local authority and flexibility to regulate solid waste and recyclables.
70. Waste Disposal. Support legislation that promotes the proper and cost-effective disposal of solid, hazardous, and medical waste.
71. Responsibility. Oppose legislation that makes local municipalities solely financially responsible for the removal, abatement, or mitigation of hazardous materials.
72. Air Quality Monitoring. Support legislation and funding proposals for air quality monitoring standards when implemented with best available science and technically feasible.
Environmental Remediation
73. Identify and Assess Contaminated Sites. Support legislation and funding mechanisms that provide local agencies with the resources and tools necessary to conduct preliminary site assessments, collect environmental data, and identify potential risks to public health and the environment.
74. Local Ordinances. Support legislation that empowers local governments to create and enforce regulations related to the identification, assessment, remediation, and redevelopment of contaminated sites within their jurisdictions.
75. State and Federal Collaboration. Support legislation and regulation that fosters effective partnerships between local, state, and federal authorities to ensure consistent and efficient oversight of contaminated sites.
76. Necessary Funding. Support legislation and funding streams to support local efforts in assessing, remediating, and redeveloping contaminated sites. Support empowering local governments with greater authority in these areas.
77. Expedient Identification. Support legislation and regulation that improves public health and environmental protection by allowing for quicker identification and remediation of contaminated sites so that the City can minimize risks to human health and the environment.
78. Economic Development. Support legislation and funding mechanisms for remediation of contaminated sites to return property to beneficial use, revitalize communities, and create jobs.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Sustainability
79. GHG Reductions. Support the development of reasonable policies, strategies, and programs to protect the environment, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase energy efficiency, and increase the use of alternative/ renewable energy sources.
80. Local Policies. Influence state legislation and regulatory initiatives that would impact local government’s ability to set local policies relating to environmental sustainability, including but not limited to building standards and land-use planning.
81. Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). Support the state's goals for increased use of all types of zero-emission vehicles and support funding that goes towards refueling infrastructure.
Allow for flexible standards for fuel diversity in fleet and emergency response vehicles that require traditional fuel due to technology, range, power outage, and terrain issues.
82. Flexible Environmental Compliance. Support state and federal legislation that prioritizes the environment and provides the flexibility to balance the needs of the community.
83. Electrification. Support technically feasible electrification policies and programs for the built environment to reduce emissions, improve air quality and promote safety.
84. Recycling and Organics. Support county, state and federal funding and permitting support to help comply with solid waste mandates for recycling and organics recovery and processing.
85. Recycling Preprocessed Materials. Support state initiatives that incentivize manufacturers to recycle preprocessed materials, particularly plastics from recycling processors. Promote the development of new markets for bulk recyclable materials to ensure the industry's long-term stability and viability of municipal curbside recycling.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Public Safety Goals
To act on legislation that hinders the City’s ability to protect and enhance the safety and quality of life for Vernon residents, businesses, customers and partners by providing effective responses to all service requests; to promote programs that minimize risk and maximize the safety for the entire community; and to deliver community risk-reduction programs and exceptional solutions as a cohesive team and in a collaborative manner.
Public Safety Policy Statements
86. Health and Wellness. Support legislation that promotes funding for training, health and wellness of peace officers and first responders, including trauma intervention programs.
87. Retail Theft. Support legislation that increases penalties for repeat organized retail, property and commercial theft crime offenders.
88. Aggregation Across Jurisdictions. Support legislation that allows the aggregation of theft across multiple jurisdictions.
89. Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis. Support legislation that prevents and reduces drug-related crimes while providing the funding tools needed to combat the opioid and fentanyl crisis—including the creation of substance abuse education and treatment programs.
90. Inter-jurisdictional Task Forces. Support legislative and/or funding mechanisms that facilitate the creation and funding of inter-jurisdictional public safety task forces.
91. Technology. Support legislation that promotes proven crime-fighting technology, including enhanced protective equipment, body cameras, and automated vehicle license plate readers.
92. Business Watch Program. Support legislative and/or funding mechanisms that promote the creation of a Business Watch Program—which would enable a collaborative partnership with the business community to advance the shared goal of increasing public safety and crime reduction.
93. Emergency Operations. Support legislation and/or funding mechanisms that promote the creation and use of emergency operations centers. Support legislation that provides funding to local agencies for emergency planning, disaster training, preparedness, prevention, protection, mitigation, response, recovery, and resiliency to disasters, biological and environmental threats.
94. Unhoused Populations. Support legislative and/or funding proposals that facilitate homelessness and mental health partnerships across jurisdictions and to humanely address unhoused populations.
95. Enhanced Public Safety. Support legislative and/or funding proposals for additional police officers and enhanced public safety programs.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
96. Records Management. Support legislation and/or funding mechanisms that support the ability of the police department to maintain a robust and long-term record management system.
97. Canines. Oppose legislation that impedes the use of canines in public safety operations.
98. Traffic Safety. Oppose legislation that impedes the ability of peace officers to make traffic stops.
99. Controlled Substances. Oppose legislation that authorizes peace officers to use mindaltering substances, even when they are not on active duty. 100.Asset Forfeiture Funds. Oppose legislation that infringes on local law enforcement’s ability to collect and use asset forfeiture funds.
101.Encrypted Communication. Oppose legislation that restricts the police department’s ability to maintain encrypted communication when necessary to its fundamental operations.
102.Best Practices. Watch legislation that impacts best practices regarding law enforcement procedures.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
Energy, Environment, Utilities and Water Goals
To protect local control over how utilities provide services to customers; to protect our customers from state and federal legislation, policies, and regulations that have no clear benefit relative to cost; and to oppose legislation, policies, and regulations that create unfunded mandates and compliance requirements that negatively impact the utilities’ ability to provide their services and products in the most safe, reliable and cost-effective manner.
Energy, Environment, Utilities and Water Policy Statements Energy
103.Avoid Stranded Investments. Support legislation that facilitates hydrogen fuel blending for power generation in existing power plants to avoid stranded municipal investments in power plants still within their useful life. Support legislation that provides flexibility to maintain natural gas usage for grid reliability while complying with the State’s transition to renewable energy requirements.
104.Streamline Clean Power Mandates. Support legislation to phase-out the Renewable Portfolio Standard in favor of carbon-neutral energy policies to allow for greater flexibility in resource planning, diversity in eligible resources for reliability and risk mitigation, resulting in cost-effective investments, and financial savings from compliance with competing regulatory mandates.
105.Cap & Trade. Support legislation to maintain the current California Air Resources Board (CARB) allowance allocation schedule for electric generation and provide additional allowances for load shift in the natural gas sector. Vernon Public Utilities and SoCal Gas both provide gas service to Vernon businesses. When businesses switch to Vernon Gas, the associated emissions reduction allowances should also be switched. 106.Flexible and Cost-Effective Compliance. Support legislation that facilitates flexibility and cost-effective generation of electricity from renewable and carbon-neutral sources. 107.Energy Storage. Support legislation that facilitates the building and maintenance of utility-scale energy storage projects and funding mechanisms to enhance grid reliability.
108.Flexibility and Diversity of Energy Sources. Support legislation that promotes flexibility in resource planning and increases the reliability and stability of electrical grids. Support the inclusion of hydropower and small modular reactors as zero-carbon energy sources. 109.Net-Energy Metering. Support City Council authority over local net-energy metering programs and policies that encourage clean sources of energy while equitably allocating costs.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
110.Incentives for Clean Power Project Development. Support legislation to provide financial incentives such as advance refunding bonds, tax incentives, and other financial opportunities to reduce the cost of new and existing clean energy and energy storage projects.
111.Grid Regionalization. Support legislation and regulation that would allow for the costeffective and environmentally effective regionalization of electrical markets in the United States.
112.Wildfire Mitigation. Support legislation that promotes prevention and reduction of wildfire risk through responsible power management and promotes a risk-based approach to wildfire mitigation.
113.Resource Specific Mandates. Oppose resource-specific mandates that impact market prices for energy.
Environment
114.GHG Emissions Reductions. Support efforts that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring ratepayer benefits are commensurate with costs. 115.GHG Reporting and Compliance. Support only those statewide and federal greenhouse gas emission estimating, monitoring, and reporting mandates that provide demonstrated benefits to the environment and ratepayers. 116.Hydrogen. Support legislation that promotes the development of hydrogen projects and California’s Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) to pursue Department of Energy federal funding for a California Hydrogen Hub for air quality improvements from the transportation sector.
117.Meeting Sustainability Targets. Support legislation designed to assist local governments in meeting the State’s long-term energy and water conservation and sustainability targets.
118.Mandates for EV Fleets. Support legislation and funding for the procurement of mandated electric fleet vehicles within reasonable timelines. And, more importantly than necessary, supporting infrastructure. Advocate for fuel diversity of medium and heavy-duty fleet vehicles to provide reliable power during a state of emergency when electric charging may be unavailable.
Utilities
119.Cyber and Physical Security. Support legislation, regulation, and compliance regarding cyber and physical security to protect utility assets and operations.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
120.Smart Metering. Support legislative and/or funding proposals that promote smart metering as a conservation measure.
121.Regulatory Reporting. Oppose legislation that would require a local publicly owned utility to publish excessive information regarding the construction or operation of a utility in an untimely manner.
122.Industrial Conservation. Watch legislation requiring conservation without regard to community needs or based on residential population without regard for industrial usage.
Water
123.Conservation and Use-Efficiency. Support legislation that facilitates water conservation and water use efficiency while preserving the water rights and authority of local agencies. Support efforts that maintain local control over drought-related decisions that are consistent with VPU’s water resource management plan. 124.Groundwater. Support legislation that provides local government with the tools to produce groundwater.
125.Water Program Funding. Support legislation that provides funding for water, wastewater and storm water infrastructure; flood prevention, water resources planning and development; and water quality improvement.
126.Bay Delta. Support efforts that allocate the costs for Delta and statewide water infrastructure improvements to the parties that either impact the Delta or stand to benefit from those improvements, known as the “Beneficiary Pays Principle.” 127.State Tax on Water. Oppose legislation to establish a public goods charge or other permanent statewide tax on water to fund statewide water solutions. 128.PFAS/PFOS. Support legislative and regulatory policies that target source control and place clean-up responsibility on the manufacturers of PFAS substances (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) or manufacturers of products containing intentionally added PFAS.
129.Water Loss. Watch legislative proposals pertaining to leak detection and water loss. 130.CBMWD. Watch legislation pertaining to the Central Basin Municipal Water District.
Legislative and Regulatory Platform
(As of February 4, 2025)
About Vernon
Incorporated in 1905 as the first exclusively industrial city in the Southwestern United States.
Location
The City of Vernon is an industrial city of 5.2 square miles located several miles to the southeast of Downtown Los Angeles in Southern California.
Form of Government
The City of Vernon is a charter city that operates under the council-manager form of government. The five-member City Council is elected at large to serve five-year terms, with each member limited to two terms. The Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem positions rotate annually among Council Members in order of election.
Population
Vernon’s daytime population is 50,000. The City is home to more than 1,800 businesses that employ approximately 50,000 people, serving as a vital economic engine in the region.
Offering an environment uniquely friendly to business, Vernon is the home to industries including food and agriculture, apparel, steel, plastics, logistics and home furnishings.
Considering its largely industrial composition and 250 residents, the City has embarked on aggressive plans for its future as it moves towards increasing its residential population, more balanced land uses, and mitigating industrial impacts in the region.
City Operations
The City’s total budget for FY 2023-24 is approximately $369 million (the General Fund budget is approximately $80 million) Vernon has approximately 200 employees, and its departments include the Office of the City Attorney, Office of the City Clerk, Human Resources Department, Police Department, Finance Department, Public Works Department, Public Utilities Department (Electric, Natural Gas, Water and Fiber Optic service) and Public Health and Environmental Control Department.