Title
Staff Report for the City of San Leandro’s 2018 State Legislative Platform and Summary of the City’s 2017 State Legislative Activities
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The City Manager recommends that the City Council review and adopt, by minute order, the 2018 Draft State Legislative Platform
BACKGROUND
On October 21, 2013, the City Council authorized the creation of a City Council Ad-Hoc Committee to provide guidance on the development of a state legislative platform as well as a process through which a consultant would be selected to provide state-level advocacy services on behalf of the City.
Following a competitive request-for-proposals and consultant selection process guided by the City Council Ad-Hoc Committee, on February 18, 2014, the City Council unanimously authorized the City Manager to execute a consulting services agreement with Townsend Public Affairs (TPA) for state-level advocacy services. The scope of work for this agreement includes all aspects of state level advocacy, including legislative analysis, strategy and development, grants assistance, relationship development with state law makers and state agency staff, and other related work. Based upon the excellent service provided since that time, the City Council unanimously approved an extension of the contract with TPA each subsequent year, with the current contract set to expire on June 30, 2018.
Analysis
Over the past year, the Mayor, members of the City Council and City staff have worked closely with Townsend Public Affairs on a range of legislative initiatives at the state level. The attached “2017 State Legislative Activities Summary” provides a retrospective summary of those various efforts and initiatives that took place on behalf of the City. Now that the first year of the 2017-2018 state legislative session is adjourned, staff requests that the City Council review and adopt the attached “2018 State Legislative Platform”, which provides a summary of the City’s proposed policy priorities for the 2017-2018 legislative session. This latter document was informed by the City Council’s 2017 adopted legislative platform, and is updated for 2018 to reflect new and emerging policy issues following input from City department heads and staff.
The purpose of the 2018 State Legislative Platform is to provide standing authority for the Mayor, Council Members, City staff and the City’s advocates to take action on behalf of the City on pending legislative matters when time constraints or other logistical hurdles preclude bringing such matters before the City Council in advance. It also provides the City’s advocates a better understanding of the Mayor and City Council’s policy priorities regarding a variety of legislative and intergovernmental issues that could arise during the course of the year ahead. Related efforts could include issuing letters on behalf of the City to the Governor or members of the State Legislature in support or opposition to proposed legislation, organizing meetings with the Governor’s Office, state or regional agencies, elected representatives or their staff, or otherwise advancing the City’s interests on various matters that depend on or impacted by the actions of the State or regional agencies. Because the State legislative environment is inherently dynamic, the City Council retains the authority to amend the 2018 platform during the year ahead should unforeseen needs or issues arise.
ATTACHMENTS
• 2017 State Legislative Activities Summary
• 2018 State Legislative Platform and Policy Guidelines
PREPARED BY: Eric Engelbart, Deputy City Manager, City Manager’s Office