CITY OF VISALIA
2022 STATE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
The Legislative Platform sets forth the City’s goals and priorities for the 2022 State Legislative Year. It includes policy statements that provide direction to staff and the City’s Legislative Advocates during the year and sets forth recommendations on positions the City may take on a variety of issues that could be addressed in the upcoming legislative s ession. Guided by the Platform, staff can effectively respond to new legislation in a timely manner. It allows the Mayor, City Council or the City Manager to send letters to the Legislature with positions consistent with the Platform. The Platform also provides a vehicle for summarizing the City Council’s position on priority issues without precluding the consideration of additional legislative and budget issues that arise during the legislative session.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Support legislation that provides governmental decision making at the local level where it provides the most effective, efficient results.
Support reforms in the State-local fiscal relationship that will improve the City’s ability to finance and efficiently administer both mandated and discretionary services while opposing legislation that creates mandates without State funding sources to carry them out.
Support legislation to preserve and build the City’s job base and to improve the regulatory climate for private enterprise and infrastructure development.
Support State investment in local infrastructure; tax and financial incentives that will encourage the sustainability and growth of new and existing businesses in the City.
Support public safety measures, including funding programs, designed to enhance the City’s efforts to protect its citizenry.
LOCAL CONTROL
Support legislation that promotes local land use authority and that authorizes and incentivizes, but does not mandate, the formation of regional alliances.
Oppose legislation that withholds local transportation funds, or funds of any kind, in lieu of complying with any State mandates.
Support a flexible approach to addressing climate change that uses fiscal and other incentives to meet technically achievable and practical goals in reducing emissions.
Support reforms that simplify, consolidate, standardize, reduce or eliminate data-gathering and reporting requirements imposed on cities.
Oppose legislation that proposes restrictions on the city’s ability to address the issue of homelessness within our community.
Support legislation that provides additional state funding and other resources for the city to address the issue of homelessness within our community.
Oppose legislation that would require prevailing wage on additional projects not already subject to prevailing wage.
8 PUBLIC WORKS & TRANSPORTATION
Support legislation pertaining to the Americans’ with Disabilities Act (ADA) in California, particularly as it relates to requirements for ADA improvements and provides an “opportunity to cure” before litigation may be initiated.
Support legislation that provides distribution of necessary State funding for road, highway and public transit projects at the city’s discretion.
Support legislation that provides additional new funding for both road maintenance and capacity increasing projects and is funded by a variety of state funding sources including, but not limited to, the state General Fund and funds from the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Fund.
Oppose legislation that shifts taxation from fuel sales taxes, constitutionally guaranteed for local transportation, to excise taxes, which are not similarly protected.
Support the maintenance of the State Public Transportation Account and Proposition 1B allocations specifically intended for Transit.
Monitor legislation and other proposals that could impact the planning, funding and development of the High Speed Rail in California, and specifically a Kings-Tulare station conveniently accessible to Visalia residents.
Support full funding for the State Aeronautics Division of the California Department of Transportation to ensure that there is the aeronautical infr astructure statewide to support economic development, especially in jurisdictions where general aviation access can be an economic stimulus.
Support State appropriations or bond measures that develop alternative fuel infrastructure on Highways 5 and 99 through the Central Valley such as LNG for heavy trucks, CNG, and BEV charging stations.
Support State appropriations to fund programs to expand facilities for storing, banking, replenishing, conveying, distributing, conserving, and reclaiming water, and for flood control and storm water management.
Monitor and oppose legislation and/or regulations that create undue burdens or costs on groundwater recharge with recycled wastewater.
Support legislation that improves efficiencies in the California Public Utilities Commission’s processes.
Support legislation that allows the sharing of water use information between public and private entities in an effort to comply with the State Water Resources Control Board’s mandatory conservation target for the City of Visalia.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Support programs, funding and legislation designed to enhance local and regional efforts to maintain public safety, including gang prevention and suppression.
Support State funding for staff training and equipment in Fire Safety.
Support funding for regional coverage by the City’s Type 1 Regional Haz-Mat team.
9 Support additional funding for Central Valley counties for AB 109 prison realignment purposes.
Monitor legislation regarding police use of force and mandated body cameras for police officers.
Monitor legislation that amends or attempts to remedy increasing crime rates that have resulted from the passage and implementation of Proposition 47.
Monitor the ongoing implementation of the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016.
FINANCE
Support legislation that would stabilize funding for the State’s pension programs.
Support State legislation which facilitates the local collective bargaining process and the City’s ability to fairly manage and compensate its employees.
Support legislation to provide greater authority to generate local revenues for discretionary services and to protect local revenue streams against State budgetary incursions.
Monitor the enactment of Workers’ Compensation reforms to ensure lower costs and increased effectiveness for employers and equitable benefits to employees.
Monitor legislation that would broaden the sales tax base, eliminate sales tax exemptions or reconfigure the sales tax system with the intent to consider the comprehensive impacts before taking a position.
Oppose legislation that would result in the reduction of local share of taxes with the primary focus of the legislation being a state issue or statewide program.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Support funding and incentives that promote smart growth and sustainable development at the discretion of the City.
Support legislation that creates clear, fair and equitable emission reduction goals that can be realistically achieved and do not infringe on local government land use authority.
Oppose legislation that eliminates local decision making authority on the use and disposition of carbon credits earned by the city.
Monitor legislation that requires carbon credit offsets for future development within cities like Visalia.
Support legislation that clarifies and simplifies state requirements for local General Plans.
Support legislation and grants that promote the development and funding of affordable, sustainable, and accessible housing within the City.
Support legislative efforts to establish an affordable housing program exclusively for cities, housing authorities and non-profit organizations to acquire existing multi-family dwellings to rehabilitate and create affordable units for qualifying families.
Support legislative efforts to increase the amount of state funding available for local affordable housing 10 projects.
Support legislation that establishes new neighborhood revitalization programs, appropriately focused on affordable housing, and the elimination of urban blight.
Oppose legislation that reduces or dilutes local government controls over land use decision making.
Oppose legislation to impose State regulations on federal programs such as CDBG, HOME, and NSP.
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Support streamlining of environmental regulations and permitting in order to reduce costs and unnecessary delays.
Water:
Support the retention of the City’s ability to manage programs efficiently, cost-effectively, and without excessive permitting requirements in carrying out State mandates for environmental protection and waste disposal.
Support State appropriations to fund programs and projects to expand facilities for storing, banking, conveying, distributing, conserving, and reclaiming water, groundwater recharge, and for flood control and storm water management.
Monitor legislation that makes any changes to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014. Any legislation should continue to support local control in the implementation of groundwater regulation.
Monitor legislation that aims to address long term groundwater sustainability.
Storm Water:
Monitor and engage in rule-making for legislation regarding the ability to treat storm drain systems as a utility.
Solid Waste:
Monitor and engage in legislation regarding landfill diversion and mandatory commercial recycling mandates.
Monitor and engage in rule-making for SB 1016, adopted in 2007, for changes to methods of calculating landfill diversion compliance from tonnages diverted from landfills to Pounds-Per-Person-Per-Day taken to landfills.
Monitor all recycling legislation, including but not limited to bills that impact household hazardous waste diversion, alternative daily cover and bottle and can recycling.
Monitor and engage in rule-making for SB 1383, which requires increasing organics recycling over the next several years.
Energy:
Support legislation that provides more local control and flexibility for use of rate-payer subsidized Public Goods Funds for energy efficiency and alternative energy projects.
Support increased funding of the California Solar Initiative and the California Energy Commission 1% interest loans for Energy Efficiency and Energy Generation Projects using Proposition 39 or other sources. 11
Support legislation that would compensate local government, businesses, and residents at market rates for alternative energy generation, including solar through feed-in tariffs.
Department of Toxic Substances Control:
Support legislation that places appropriate limits on the ability of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control to seek reimbursement from municipalities for exploratory PCE searches and activities.
Support a State allocation of bond funding for PCE groundwater management and clean-up.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Support legislation that reforms the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in a manner that reduces litigation and eliminates CEQA as a tool to stifle economic development in California.
Support legislation that is designed to provide local governments with the tools necessary to bolster economic development and efforts to streamline initiatives that would enhance the City’s ability to attract and retain businesses, as well as, encourage business expansion and job retention.
Support legislation that increases local access to post-high school education and other workforce development opportunities, including the promotion and creation of apprenticeship programs.
Support legislation that requires the UC and CSU system to study the need for a new campus in the southern Central Valley between Fresno and Bakersfield.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Parks and Recreation:
Support legislation and funding for parks, recreation and capital improvements, and programs which increase the quality of life for the community and improve the public health and well-being of its citizens.
Support grants and legislation that provide for appropriate construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of public recreational facilities.
Animal Care:
Support legislation and funding that provide for quality care and shelter for impounded animals, including laws that allow local discretion for reasonable and cost-effective holding time of animals.
Support measures that facilitate responsible pet ownership and licensing.
Oppose animal services or care measures which impose state-mandated costs with no guarantee of local funding.
Arts & Culture and Tourism:
Support legislation and funding for programs and facilities which serve to enhance arts and culture development and provide opportunities for tourism.
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