title
APPROVE THE 2024 STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt by motion the 2024 State and Federal Legislative Program 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 essential to the City of Stockton to ensure funding, advance beneficial legislation, and prevent harmful legislation or rulemaking. This is most effectively done using consulting services to represent the City of Stockton (City) in carrying out its legislative programs and advocating its public policy, positions, concerns, needs, and recommendations at the state and federal levels.
In recent years the City has developed, and Council has adopted, legislative programs that outline the City’s advocacy priorities and positions. This allows the City to be responsive to developments in state and federal issues and pursue funding and legislation that benefits our community. The State and Federal Legislative Program has proven to be a valuable tool to direct the City’s legislative advocacy efforts.
The legislative program presented for Council consideration and approval has been updated for the 2024 legislative sessions to adjust for the City’s priorities, leverage advocacy efforts, and address emerging issues.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City of Stockton (City) adopted its first formal State and Federal Legislative Program for the 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. Since then, the City has been diligent in developing and adopting State and Federal Legislative Programs to provide a unified focus and establish principles, priorities, and City positions 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 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. At times, it is in the City’s best interest to take a position on proposed legislation or funding opportunities. The Council adopts the annual legislative program to provide the parameters and authority for staff and designated City advocates to pursue the City’s interests in a timely manner within a rapidly changing environment.
Legislative programs are coordinated by staff in the City Manager’s Office based on previous legislative positions taken by the City, the adopted Council goals, benchmarking of other comparable municipalities, and in anticipation of key issues coming forward in each respective year. The legislative program is also revised in consultation with City departments, state and federal legislative advocates, and then presented to the City Council for consideration and adoption.
On February 21, 2024, City staff coordinated the annual Strategic Planning and Goals Setting workshop with Mayor and Councilmembers to provide an overview of past accomplishments and update the current federal and state administration priorities. During the workshop, the Mayor and Council provided input into the City’s state and federal priorities to refine the most significant issues. The result is the combined efforts of staff and our legislative advocates, which will continue to inform legislative advocacy efforts in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
Some examples of priorities pursued in recent years through our State Legislative Programs include assisting the City by working with the Big City Mayors’ Coalition to secure an additional $1 billion in Round 5 of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funds; advocating for legislation to support mental health and legislation to allow the City to achieve a 200-year event level of flood protection; working with a coalition of advocates to stop inclusion of the Delta Conveyance Project in the Governor’s Infrastructure Package (SB 149); securing funding for waterway improvements via a bubbler system and trash boom at Morelli Park; securing funding for aquatics infrastructure; continuing to advocate for active transportation, infrastructure, and affordable housing resources, as well as reasonable and measured relief from state-regulated flood requirements.
Examples of priorities pursued through our Federal Legislative Program in recent years include assistance in securing a $108 million loan through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA); working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to expedite permitting of the Alexandria and Five Mile Slough Culvert Replacement project; providing status updates and informational documentation on federal legislation such as American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA); monitoring and advising City staff of federal grant funding opportunities such as Department of Transportation RAISE and Safe Streets for All; and providing guidance on submitting applications for Community Project Funding House and Senate appropriations for the 2024 year.
In recent years, the legislative programs were shared by our legislative advocates with all members of our respective legislative delegations as well as with key staffers in both state and federal executive departments. This made our positions and priorities clear and public before legislation began to be drafted and project lists established.
Present Situation
Over the past year, City Staff has engaged with our advocates to assess the needs and opportunities of the City, determine areas of improvement, and prepare legislative priorities for the coming year. The proposed 2024 State and Federal Legislative Program (Attachment A) was developed by Staff in the City Manager’s Office in consultation with City Council, City Staff, and with feedback from our legislative advocates. Input from the February Strategic Planning workshop, held on February 21, 2024, has also been incorporated into the State and Federal Legislative Program.
The Legislative Program continues 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/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 may come up in the future. They are not priority issues, but if 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 annually update the Legislative Program at the beginning of each legislative session, which convenes on July 1 for the State Legislature and October 1 for the Federal Legislature. Legislative Priorities may vary significantly from year to year while Legislative Positions may somewhat change, and Legislative Principles should remain fairly consistent.
Priorities for the City of Stockton established in the State and Federal Legislative Program not only represent the City’s key interests, but they align with present and emerging state and federal administration priorities. The 2024 State Priorities seek funding for site work and construction management as the next phase of the Van Buskirk Park Reuse Plan, which would support an award of $7 Million in amenities provided by California Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program and funding to plan a Complete Street transformation addressing pedestrian and traffic safety in the heavily traveled Pershing Avenue Corridor. Through Stockton Police, funding is being pursued for full renovation of the Stockton Animal Shelter to include project alternatives and new kennels that meet industry standards. As new initiatives, the City will seek funding for Workforce Infrastructure Upsizing by integrating development of the Stockton Arena Parking Garage/Food Incubator through general and youth workforce development and entrepreneurship leverage, and the City will seek funding for the Restorative Justice Adult Housing Support Project, encompassing 12 months of safe, permanent housing and intensive wraparound services to young individuals seeking an alternative to gun and gang violence. As was the focus in 2023, the City will continue to target youth resiliency and expand youth workforce development opportunities by increasing access to training programs, technical education, and job placement and retention services. State advocacy efforts include incentivizing missing middle housing stock, pursuing funding for workforce housing, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship with Downtown Stockton economic development, and supporting efforts to increase funding to local government for Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP), and affordable housing.
The proposed 2024 Federal Legislative Priorities reflect an emphasis on securing the next phase of funding for improvements to Van Buskirk Park, as well as identifying funding to launch the Restorative Justice Adult Housing Support Project. The City will actively seek budget allocations for major transportation infrastructure projects to improve roadway efficiency and pedestrian safety at critical roadways throughout the City, such as the Pershing Avenue Corridor, and will seek DOT grant funding to mitigate transportation barriers that divide historically disadvantaged and marginalized communities, for example through the City’s RAISE Grant application for the ACCESS (Advancing Community Connectivity and Equity for South Stockton) Project. Through collaboration of Public Works and the Environmental Sustainability Office, the City proposed an Urban Forestry Development project that would plant and maintain trees throughout Stockton. Along with the Workforce Infrastructure Upsizing proposal, the City will seek funding for two additional initiatives fueling the engines of economic development and infrastructure through Redevelopment & Blight Abatement and Downtown Business Emergency Infrastructure.
For proposed legislation either consistent with the City’s legislative program or with legislative positions the City has taken in the past, adoption of the 2024 Legislative Program will provide necessary authorization that will allow City staff, under direction of the City Manager, to prepare position letters for signature. All members of Council will receive copies of position letters that are sent. The City’s advocacy firms may also be authorized to express the City’s position in person to legislative representatives.
Once adopted, the 2024 State and Federal Legislative Program 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 we have simply been unable to represent our interests in the past. As stated before, it will also notify our delegations in advance of our positions and priorities on key issues. Overall, adoption of the 2024 State and Federal Legislative Program will allow the City to be more organized, transparent, and efficient in our advocacy efforts at both levels of government.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
There is no financial impact to the City of Stockton directly related to this agenda item.
Attachment A - 2024 State and Federal Legislative Program