Title
Staff Report for City Council Review of Legislative Priorities for the 2016 Federal Fiscal Year
Staffreport
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council review and authorize the attached list of recommended local projects and advocacy efforts as part of the City of San Leandro's 2016 federal legislative work plan.
BACKGROUND & ANALYSIS
Each year, the Mayor and several members of the City Council travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter meeting or the National League of Cities - Congressional Cities Conference. While in the Capitol, they also may have the opportunity to attend meetings with San Leandro's elected representatives/staff in Congress or with federal agency staff in order to learn more about various grant opportunities, as well as to share information about San Leandro's needs and interests at the federal level. This process, which is coordinated by the City's federal advocacy representative Len Simon, may include the presentation of written material in support of city projects or advocacy efforts related to various policy areas that are of direct relevance to the City. These efforts have proven successful in recent years, as demonstrated by various federal grant awards. Examples include two grants from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office (a $250,000 award for two school resource officers, and an approximately $75,000 award for engagement efforts with Chinese-speaking community residents), as well as a $2.1 million grant from the US Department of Commerce - Economic Development Administration for the expansion of the Lit San Leandro fiber optic loop.
It is important to identify projects or policy areas that are of importance to the City of San Leandro so that members of the City Council, City staff, or the City's federal advocates may take action as opportunities may arise to advance the City's interests. To this end, staff has identified a number of projects an...
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