REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 02/01/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: City Manager's Office
SUBJECT:
Title
Request from Vice Mayor Richins for a review of the City's League of California Cities Membership.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks Council to review the City's League of California Cities (Cal Cities) Membership. Cal Cities' reports that its mission is to expand and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all Californians. The association's vision is to be recognized and respected as the leading advocate for the common interests of California's cities.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council provide staff with direction on the City's League of California Cities Membership.
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BACKGROUND:
Vice Mayor Richins requested a review of the City's League of California Cities (Cal Cities) membership. Since it was founded in 1898, Cal Cities has been shaping California's political landscape to defend and expand local control through advocacy efforts in the Legislature, at the ballot box, in the courts, and through strategic outreach that informs and educates the public, policymakers, and opinion leaders. Cal Cities offers education and training programs designed to teach city officials about new developments in their field and exchange solutions to common challenges facing their cities.
Its mission is to expand and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all Californians. The association's vision is to be recognized and respected as the leading advocate for the common interests of California's cities.
Cal Cities is the largest coalition group of cities in California, providing a wider base of support than any of the City's other organizational memberships. Of California's 482 cities, 478 are members.
The services that Cal Cities offer to the City include:
• Monitoring, tracking, and engagement on bills and policy issue areas.
• Communication on advocacy efforts, legislative developments, and highlights on cities implementing new or innovative strategies.
• Action alerts and sample letters/language on bills of high importance.
• Monitoring of court cases and submission of friend-of-the-court briefs; filing lawsuits to protect local control.
• Professional development for staff and public officials, including roundtables and educational conferences, meetings, webinars, and department-specific activities.
The City currently has two Councilmembers who are members of Cal Cities committees.
Council Member Jacque Casillas
• Vice Chair, Community Services Committee
• Second Vice President, Riverside County Division of the League of California Cities
Council Member Wes Speake
• Housing, Community and Economic Development Policy Committee
ANALYSIS:
Benefits:
The League of California Cities advocates on the issues that matter most to California's 482 towns and cities. Its advocacy team works with regional field staff and lawmakers to sponsor, draft, and support legislative and regulatory measures that promote local decision-making and lobby against policies that erode local control. It also forms coalitions with other local government associations and stakeholders to advocate for common goals.
As a member of Cal Cities, the City has access to many resources for newly elected officials and seasoned leaders on how to lead their communities effectively, efficiently, and equitably. The resources include a wide variety of things, from conference session materials and webinars to flagship Cal Cities' publications on municipal revenue sources and open government rules. Some of the frequently searched resources by topic include advancing equity, advocacy, cannabis, community services, environment, emergency preparedness, a guide to local recovery, homelessness, legal, open government, revenue & taxation, savings & solutions for cities, transparency, and water.
Cal Cities offers year-round education and networking opportunities for new and seasoned city leaders. Comprehensive, specialized programs allow officials to learn about new developments in their field while exchanging ideas on solutions to common challenges. Cal Cities provides information, training, and resources to help run a municipality effectively. Its largest annual event is the Cal Cities Conference and Expo, which features general sessions, workshops, and networking events for hundreds of leaders from all sections of city government, including mayors, council members, city managers, city clerks, city attorneys, fiscal officers, and other city staff. Other conferences throughout the year include City Attorneys Conference, City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar, City Leaders Summit, which provides for legislative action days, City Managers Conference, Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar, Municipal Finance Institute, New Mayors and Council Members Academy, Planning Commissioners Academy, and Public Works Officers Institute.
Concerns:
One of the concerns that staff, during its research, has seen expressed about the consortium’s advocacy regards the efficacy of Cal Cities' lobbying to reinforce local control. The trend in the Legislature has been a perceived lack of response to city positions on this issue. Over the past two years, many agencies have expressed a desire for Cal Cities to reaffirm its mission to support local authority and oppose legislation that erodes local control. Cal Cities has had some success in lobbying to defeat many housing and land use bills. However, in recent years, it has been unable to defeat bills that significantly infringe on local land use control, such as Senate Bill (SB) No. 9 (Statute of 2021), which requires ministerial approval of duplexes and lot splits. There is continued concern from some cities that Cal Cities is not taking a strong enough position on housing and local land use bills.
In related matter and in fairness to Cal Cities, the agency’s size and broad representation of a number of municipalities across the state makes it difficult to represent the position of all cities involved. Specifically, what one city sees as a local control issue, may not be seen the same way by another. Thus, Cal Cities may not always be able to advocate the exact position of the City of Corona, as Cal Cities has to garner consensus on issues across a spectrum of city opinions. The conclusion of this analysis is that Corona’s position on a particular topic may not always be a point of advocacy for Cal Cities as other municipalities may not agree with the City. Thus, the Council is left to weigh the benefit of at least being involved in the process of negotiating advocacy efforts with its peer agencies when the City’s point of view is in the minority, or to simply remove the City from the process and “go it alone” and develop the City’s own advocacy networks with likeminded municipalities.
On October 11, 2022, the Torrance City Council voted to discontinue its membership with Cal Cities, effective January 1, 2023. The decision reflected its dissatisfaction with Cal Cities' inability to protect local control. On November 1, 2022, Palos Verdes heard an overview of the services provided by Cal Cities and voted to authorize the Mayor to sign a letter to the Cal Cities President, CEO, and Regional Public Affairs Manager, requesting the General Assembly be held earlier during the annual conference, additional voting methods be considered and expressing the need for Cal Cities to reaffirm its commitment to local control.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The Cal Cities membership cost for the City is approximately $36,000 a year.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) fo the Guidelines of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA”), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. The recommended action is simply a review of the City's membership in the League of California Cities, and there is no possibility that this action will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no further environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: DENZEL MAXWELL, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: JACOB ELLIS, CITY MANAGER