The OC City Newsletter

April 2024 Edition

2023-2024 Division

Board of Directors

President

Marshall Goodman

La Palma

1st Vice President

David Shawver

Stanton

2nd Vice President

David Penaloza

Santa Ana

State Director

Kim Nguyen-Penaloza

Garden Grove

Immediate Past President

John Taylor

San Juan Capistrano

Large City Rep

Fred Jung

Fullerton

Large City Rep

Tammy Kim

Irvine

Large City Rep

Vacant

1st District Rep

Glenn Grandis

Fountain Valley

2nd District Rep

Thai Viet Phan

Santa Ana

3rd District Rep

Scott Voigts

Lake Forest

4th District Rep

Rose Espinoza

La Habra

5th District Rep

Vacant

City Manager Rep

Peter Grant

Cypress

Legislative Session Heats Up – Here's a Rundown of Priority Bills for OC Cities

Cal Cities is working around the clock as the Assembly and Senate policy committees hear hundreds of bills, many of which would impact Orange County cities. Cal Cities' 11-member legislative affairs team is on top of all of these, with some high-priority bills listed below that should be on your city's radar.

Housing: Cal Cities is going to bat against extremely onerous and costly housing proposals, including:

Builder's remedy change. AB 1886 (Alvarez) would end self-certification and encourage developers to pursue builder's remedy projects. Cal Cities opposes this effort to strip away local control.
$50,000 monthly fine for cities? SB 1037 (Wiener) would allow the Attorney General to ask a court to fine a city that fails to adopt a compliant housing element up to $50,000 a month. Instead of penalties, the state should provide a better pathway for cities to finalize their housing element.

Public Safety: Cal Cities is at the table alongside public safety advocates urging reforms to reduce retail theft, supporting more than 20 bills.

Prop 47 reform. Cal Cities supports SB 923 (Archuleta), which would reinstitute penalties for repeat theft eliminated by Prop 47. While the Speaker said he does not expect Prop 47 bills to advance in the Assembly, Cal Cities continues to fight for these reforms.
Retail theft package advances. Multiple bills comprising a retail theft reform package supported by Assembly leadership passed the Public Safety Committee this week. Cal Cities testified in support of these bills.
Fighting fentanyl. AB 3171 (Soria) would increase the penalties for holding smaller quantities of fentanyl.

Labor Relations: Last year, Cal Cities successfully secured vetoes for disastrous labor bills. They're back, and Cal Cities is ready to stop them again.

Tipping the scales. AB 2404 (Lee) and SB 1116 (Portantino) tip the scales against local governments in labor disputes. The former would make sympathy striking a human right, while the latter allows striking workers to earn unemployment benefits.

Environmental Quality: Cal Cities is sponsoring bills that will provide crucial support for Orange County communities.

Helping cities prevent wildfires. AB 2330 (Holden) would would provide local agencies a voluntary, streamlined process that prioritizes wildfire preparedness activities and public safety while upholding environmental laws and permitting authorities. A number of Orange County cities have residents living in or near Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
More state support for organic waste reduction. SB 972 (Min) would help cities meet their organic waste diversion goals by requiring CalRecycle to strengthen its assistance efforts for cities.

Transportation: Cal Cities is supporting several bills supporting cities in reaching transportation goals, including:

Helping cities meet ACF mandate. SB 1387 (Newman) would expand a key voucher program to medium-duty zero-emission pickup trucks.
Grant program for infrastructure. SB 955 (Seyarto) would establish a grant program to assist cities and counties with infrastructure projects that offer communitywide benefits.

Revenue and Taxation: There are several concerning bills Cal Cities is opposing, including:

ADU exemption leaves cities holding the bag. SB 1164 (Newman) would exempt new ADUs from property tax assessment for 15 years. Orange County has seen a large increase in ADUs in recent years, and cities should not be deprived of revenue that funds critical local services.
Ban sales tax rebate agreements? SB 1494 (Glazer) would prohibit cities from entering a sales tax rebate agreement with a retailer starting next year and void all existing agreements on Jan. 1, 2030. This would impede economic development in many cities.

Cal Cities-Sponsored Recovery Housing Bills Clear First Committees

Two of Cal Cities' sponsored bills related to recovery housing have passed their first major hurdle. AB 2081 (Davies) passed Assembly Health unanimously. Cal Cities was grateful to have Laguna Niguel City Manager Tamara Letourneau (pictured above) testify in support of the bill, which will require licensed recovery facilities to post a disclosure that an individual may check the state licensing agency website for any violations of their license. Thank you to the City of Laguna Niguel for joining Cal Cities in support of this common-sense transparency bill!

Additionally, SB 913 (Umberg) passed Senate Health. The bill

would allow cities to collaborate with the state to investigate and enforce

existing licensing laws. At the hearing, Senator Umberg and Cal Cities staff

discussed the bill with the committee for an hour and sparked an important

conversation about the need for further accountability for treatment

facilities.

Senator Janet Nguyen, Vice Chair of Senate Health, summarized the need for the bill well: "Right now, cities feel that they're handicapped...

there's no enforcement, no response [from state regulators]… We in Orange

County want to be there, we're here to help, but we also want some

help." Cal Cities will work with Senator Umberg on amendments to the bill

based on committee feedback.

Thank you, Senator Umberg and Assembly Member Davies, for championing this crucial issue for cities! For more information on Cal Cities' sponsored bills on recovery housing, and to find sample letters your city can submit to support these bills and others, click HERE.

Apply for At-Large Seat on Cal Cities Board

Apply today to be a voice for Orange County on the Cal Cities Board! Are you passionate about local control? Do you have a keen understanding of the complex issues facing California's cities and how they are responding? Consider serving on the 2024-25 League of California Cities Board of Directors. Board members play a key role in shaping both state policy and the actions of Cal Cities.

Cal Cities is accepting applications from city officials for one of six at-large board positions or second vice president. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24. LEARN MORE. Please contact Connor Medina if you have any questions.

OC Division Meeting on 6/6 in Lake Forest

Please save the date for the next Orange County Division Meeting on Thursday, June 6, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Lake Forest Community Center featuring Cal Cities President Dan Parra and Executive Director Carolyn Coleman. The Division will vote on bylaws amendments and annual Division dues of $300 per city. Register HERE!

Cal Cities Leads Audit Request of Housing Element Process

After Cal Cities shared cities' struggles with timeliness, consistency, and fair application of the Housing and Community Development Department's (HCD) standards and procedures with Senator Steve Glazer, the Senator has requested a legislative audit of the housing element review process. Per the request letter, "Local governments are currently in the sixth update cycle and hundreds of cities are still out of compliance. While it may be due in part to cities failing to submit compliant housing elements, I am concerned a significant part of the reason is due to HCD’s unclear and inconsistent guidance." Cal Cities will keep members informed of the request's progress and opportunities to engage.

Enterprise Invites Cities to EV Demo and Tradeshow

Orange County Division member cities are invited to attend a free Electric Vehicle Demo & Educational Tradeshow event on May 15, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in Anaheim, courtesy of Division Affiliate Enterprise Fleet Management. With Advanced Clean Fleet regulations taking effect this year, the event is a great opportunity to test drive 14 different EVs, meet suppliers that provide charging stations, feasibility assessments, and automated ACF reporting compliance, and connect with staff from other cities and the private sector to discuss electrification. To RSVP, please email Connor Medina.

Cal Cities in Your City!

In March, Cal Cities' policy committees met in person in Burbank to discuss legislation. Thank you to the 38 leaders from Orange County who serve on these committees. Pictured above is the Community Services Committee, which includes Laguna Hills Mayor Pro Tem Joshua Sweeney, La Palma Council Member Debbie Baker, Yorba Linda Council Member Janice Lim, and La Habra Community Services Director Kelly Fujio.

Do you have an event/meeting in your city you'd like Cal Cities to attend? Please reach out to Connor Medina, Regional Public Affairs Manager, at cmedina@calcities.org.

News from Cal Cities

Next Week is California Cities Week!

This April 14 - 20 is California Cities Week! This is a weeklong celebration to recognize and appreciate the many ways that our diverse cities make life better for all Californians. Let’s take this opportunity to boost public awareness of the value of cities, as well as honor the city officials and employees who work tirelessly to bring essential services to residents. It’s the people, programs, and services that help make California cities a great place to call home. Check out our SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT to share your city success stories and how you positively impact your community. Be sure to include #CACitiesWeek!

Deadline TODAY for Cal Cities Helen Putnam Award Nominations!

Cal Cities is accepting submissions for the prestigious Helen Putnam Award for Excellence program. The awards recognize outstanding city programs that support thriving communities, improve public service, and enhance public trust.

The awards also provide an opportunity for city staff, project partners, and residents to celebrate the outstanding work that happens at the local level to keep California's communities safe and healthy. Winners are recognized at the Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo, Western City magazine, press releases, Cal Cities’ website, and presentations made at city council meetings. Entries must be submitted online by April 11, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

Register for Webinar: How to Turn Yesterday’s Tires into Tomorrow’s Roads

Californians scrap about 60 million tires per year. CalRecycle’s Tire Derived Aggregate program can turn those tires into a sustainable and cost-effective construction material suitable for a range of uses, including road repair. These materials have properties not found in traditional civil engineering materials, like high permeability and damping. This panel will provide information about the program and other civil engineering applications, with a focus on Mechanically Stabilized Tire Derived Systems. This members-only webinar will be held Thursday, May 2, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE.

Local News You Should Know

City Selection Committee to Meet May 9

The Orange County City Selection Committee will meet May 9 at 5:00 p.m. The following seats will be voted on:

Orange County Transportation Authority (Third Supervisorial District Board Member);
Local Agency Formation Commission (1 Mayor/Council Member to serve as Orange County City Representative and 1 Mayor/Council Member to serve as Alternate Orange County City Representative);
Orange County City Selection Committee (1 Mayor to serve as Chair and 1 Mayor to serve as Vice Chair);
Orange County Parks Commission (1 Mayor/Council Member to serve as Coastal City Representative and 1 Mayor/Council Member to serve as Inland City Representative);
Orange County Emergency Medical Care Committee (1 Mayor/Council Member to serve as City Member Representative);
Orange County Human Relations Commission (1 individual to serve as Second District Representative);
Housing and Community Development Commission (2 individuals to serve as City Members);
Orange County Older Adults Advisory Commission (3 individuals to serve as Second, Third and Fourth District Representatives).

The application form can be found HERE. Questions? Contact Jamie Ross, Assistant Clerk of the Board, County of Orange.

OCTA Seeks Public Feedback on Coastal Rail Resiliency

Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is seeking additional public input on a study to find solutions for protecting the rail line and preventing additional emergencies along the coast in San Clemente. Two public meetings are scheduled – one virtually and the second in person – to gather feedback on the Coastal Rail Resiliency Study and an initial assessment that identified sites along the coastal rail line recommended for monitoring and reinforcement. The two listening sessions with the public are planned for:

April 11, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., a virtual public meeting via Zoom will be held to get public input.
May 30, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., an in-person meeting will be held at San Clemente City Hall, 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92673,

To register to attend either meeting and receive updates, please visit: www.octa.net/CRRS.

THANK YOU DIVISION AFFILIATES!

Platinum Affiliate

Gold Affiliates

Silver Affiliates

Bronze Affiliates

Upcoming Events

April 14-20

California Cities Week

April 17-19 (Register now!)

City Leaders Summit

May 2

How to Turn Yesterday’s Tires into Tomorrow’s Roads

May 8-10 (Register now!)

City Attorneys Spring Conference

June 6

Orange County Division Meeting at Lake Forest Community Center

Oct. 16-18 (Save the date!)

Annual Conference and Expo

Dec. 11-13 (Save the date!)

City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar

Dec. 11-12 (Save the date!)

Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar

Dec. 11-12 (Save the date!)

Municipal Finance Institute

Do you have news you'd like the Division to share? Please contact Connor Medina, Regional Public Affairs Manager, Orange County Division at cmedina@calcities.org.

Subscribe to The OC City Newsletter