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ADOPT THE 2017 STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMS
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that by motion action, the City Council adopt the 2017 State and Federal Legislative Programs and authorize the City Manager to pursue the objectives outlined in these programs through advocacy efforts in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
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Summary
Maintaining a strong presence in both Sacramento and Washington, D.C. is important to the City of Stockton to ensure that we receive funding, advance beneficial legislation and prevent harmful legislation or rulemaking. This is most effectively done through the use of consulting services to represent the City of Stockton in carrying out its Legislative Program and advocating its public policy positions, concerns, needs, and recommendations at the federal and state level.
In recent years, the City has developed legislative programs that outline our advocacy priorities and positions. This allows the City to be responsive to developments in state and federal issues and to pursue funding and legislation that benefits our community. The State and Federal Legislative Programs have proven to be valuable tools over the past five years in the legislative advocacy efforts of the City. The legislative programs were updated for the 2017 legislative sessions to adjust our priority efforts, leverage our new legislative advocacy contracts, reflect lessons learned and address emerging issues. The purpose of this staff report is to present the 2017 State and Federal Legislative Programs for adoption.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City of Stockton adopted its first formal State and Federal Legislative Programs for calendar year 2012. Prior to 2012, the City of Stockton had not adopted formal legislative programs and, as a result, the City’s legislative priorities and the impacts of legislation on the City were not entirely clear to our legislative delegations. In recent history, the City had adopted annual federal funding priorities for advocacy with our federal delegation. However, the intent of developing formal legislative programs is to provide a unified focus and serve as documents that establish the principles, priorities and positions of the City of Stockton related to state and federal legislative matters.
Throughout each year, the State Legislature and the United States Congress initiate legislation, some of which affects local municipal government. The League of California Cities and contracted legislative advocacy firms keep the City of Stockton informed on proposed legislation from these bodies. The National League of Cities (NLC) also provides information and advocacy for municipalities at the federal level but the City is not a member of the NLC at this time. At times, it is in the best interest of the City to take a position on proposed legislation or funding opportunities. The Council adopted Legislative Programs to provide the parameters and authority for staff and advocates to pursue City of Stockton interests with the state and federal governments on a timely basis in a changing environment.
Since 2012, Legislative Programs have been developed by staff in the City Manager’s Office based on previous legislative positions taken by the City, the adopted City Council Goals, benchmarking of other comparable municipalities, and in anticipation of key issues coming forward in each respective year. The Legislative Programs are also revised in consultation with City departments, our state and federal legislative advocates and ultimately adopted by the City Council.
Over the past 5 years, the Legislative Programs have provided a unified focus and served as documents that establish the principles, priorities and positions of the City of Stockton related to state and federal legislative matters. The result is that City efforts and the services provided by our legislative advocates have been more focused and our efforts in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. have been more impactful.
Some examples of priorities pursued through our Federal Legislative Programs in recent years include significant infrastructure and public safety funding, reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program saving homeowners millions of dollars, and forestalling of damaging stormwater and floodplain regulations. Examples of priorities pursued through our State Legislative Programs include successful public safety and sustainable development grant awards, legislative fixes for problematic floodplain requirements, and facilitation of legislative and regulatory adjustments to ease the dissolution of the Redevelopment Authority.
In each of the past five years, the Legislative Programs were shared by our legislative advocates with all members of our respective legislative delegations as well as key staffers in both state and federal executive departments. This made our positions and priorities very clear and public before legislation began to be drafted and project lists established. Having Legislative Programs has allowed the City to act strategically and timely.
Present Situation
The City Council adopted new state and federal legislative advocacy contracts with Emanuels Jones and Associates and David Turch and Associates in December 2016. Over the past month, City Council and City staff have engaged with our advocates to assess the needs and opportunities of the City and prepare legislative priorities for the coming year. The proposed 2017 State Legislative Program and 2017 Federal Legislative Program (Attachments A-D) were developed by staff in the City Manager’s Office in consultation with the City Council, City staff and in particular with feedback from our new legislative advocates. In addition, revisions were made based on experiences from the 2016 legislative sessions and in anticipation of emerging issues in the coming year.
The legislative programs continue to follow the outline established in previous years including legislative principles, priorities and positions. Legislative principles are foundational statements of broad legislative objectives or philosophies that form the basis for establishing legislative priorities and positions. Legislative priorities are the key issues that the City and contracted advocates will be pursuing; it is the task list or scope of work for advocacy in a given year. Legislative positions are statements related to other legislative themes or issues that have come up in the past or that the City anticipates will come up in the future. They are not priority issues, but in the event that legislation arises and the City needs to issue a letter of support or opposition, the position of the City has already been established.
The intent is to develop and adjust the legislative programs each year prior to the beginning of each legislative session. Legislative priorities may vary significantly from year to year while legislative positions will change somewhat each year and legislative principles should remain fairly constant. For the most part, the 2017 proposed Legislative Programs do not have a great deal of revisions to our legislative principles and positions. However, updates have been made to the annual Legislative Priorities based on feedback from our new legislative advocates.
With increased presence in Sacramento in recent years, the City has had a better understanding of opportunities and risks related to our state advocacy. As a result, our underlying legislative priorities from 2016 remain on point for 2017. Revisions to the State Legislative Program represent refinement in our action plans for addressing the same underlying issues as previous years. These refined action steps include specific advocacy related to the new transportation funding legislation and floodplain management infrastructure funding. In addition, there have been changing dynamics that may allow additional clean up legislation easing unintended burdens related to floodplain regulations that have created challenges for municipalities throughout the State. The updated State priorities also take into consideration attempts to revise and adjust the tunnels project proposed in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. In addition, a priority for protecting erosion of local control of the employee bargaining process was removed. This does not suggest that legislative on this topic is not of importance. Issues related to this topic are likely to continue and Legislative Positions are established to address them. However, spending energy and resources on the other identified priorities will have a greater return on value.
In contrast to the State legislative environment, dramatic shifts have occurred in the Federal government, with many unknowns. The principal purpose for delaying adoption of our Legislative Programs was to allow additional time for our federal legislative advocates to assess the legislative climate in Washington, D.C. While there are still many unknowns, the proposed Federal Legislative Program maintains the City’s position on keys issues and balances assertive action plans for new opportunities with flexibility for pursuing other priorities as they emerge. The federal priorities for the City are focused on the themes that have emerged as priorities for the new administration. Two priorities for the new administration that align with the City are infrastructure and public safety. There are opportunities to seek out federal funding for infrastructure and continued progress toward implementing the Marshall Plan on Crime and the Police Department Strategic Plan. It is important to note that staff and our federal advocates have also assessed federal agencies to determine those areas where funding and staff commitments remain consistent with programs that have been available over the past few years. One example is a remaining priority focused on services to distressed communities. While the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) faces significant cuts in the proposed budget, HUD still has limited discretionary funding allocated from the previous fiscal year and is continuing to offer technical assistance to improve conditions in distressed communities. It is also important to note that the City’s Legislative Positions on other topics remain the same. The City’s positions have not been altered in light of the new administration. However, allocation of City resources to accomplish our priorities is focused on areas with the greatest likelihood of return on the City’s efforts.
For proposed legislation either consistent with the City’s legislative programs or consistent with legislative positions the City has taken in the past, City staff will be authorized to prepare position letters for the Mayor’s signature. Should availability be an issue, the Vice-Mayor or City Manager will be authorized to sign position letters in lieu of the Mayor. All members of City Council will receive copies of sent position letters. The City’s advocacy firm may also be authorized to express the City’s position in person to legislative representatives.
The adopted 2017 State and Federal Legislative Programs will provide the parameters and authority for staff and advocates to pursue City of Stockton interests with the state and federal governments. This will allow the City to act quickly and efficiently in cases where the City has simply been unable to represent our interests in the past. And as stated before, it will also notify our delegations in advance of our positions and priorities on key issues. Overall, adoption of the 2017 State and Federal Legislative Programs will allow the City to be more organized, transparent, and efficient in our advocacy efforts at both the state and federal level.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
There is no financial impact to the City of Stockton related to this agenda item.
Attachment A - 2017 State Legislative Program - Redline
Attachment B - 2017 State Legislative Program - Final
Attachment C - 2017 Federal Legislative Program - Redline
Attachment D - 2017 Federal Legislative Program - Final