IN THIS ISSUE: Oct. 19, 2007
Issue #40-2007
Page 4: Legislative Session: How Cities Fared on Priority Bills
Page 8: Governor’s Post-Employment Benefits Commission Prepares for Final Report
Page 9: Handouts for HCD Prop. 1C Funding Stakeholder Meetings Now Available
Page 10: Local Speed Limits Impacted by Recent Change to California Traffic Manual
Page 11: National League of Cities Seeks Data on Fire Company Turnout Time
NFPA Requests Proposals to Change 1710 Standard
Page 12: League Legislative Briefings Scheduled for November
Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar Set for December
Page 13: Register Now for NLC Audio Conference on Gang and Youth Violence Reduction Strategies
Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee, or Ask League Leg Staff
SO-CALLED ‘EMINENT DOMAIN REFORM’ INITIATIVE MORE DECEPTIVE
THAN PROPOSITION 90
A legal analysis published last week by a law firm that specializes in ballot measures has
concluded that the California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act (CPOFPA) contains
far-reaching, hidden provisions that would dramatically curtail the ability of cities and other
governmental entities to protect public health, safety and welfare. For more, see Page 2.
•••• ••• ••• •• •••• ••• ••• •• •••• ••• ••• ••
GOVERNOR’S SIGN AND VETO DECISIONS A ‘MIXED BAG’ FOR CITIES
At the end of the 2007 legislative session, the League of California Cities had identified 28 bills of
importance to cities and submitted either a sign or veto request for each to Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger. Overall, California cities fared well with the Governor’s decisions. The
Governor matched the League’s sign-veto request on 20 of the 28 bills, giving the League a 71
percent success rate. For more, see Page 2.
•••• ••• ••• •• •••• ••• ••• •• •••• ••• ••• ••
HOUSE PASSES FOUR-YEAR EXTENSION OF INTERNET TAX MORATORIUM
On Tuesday, Oct. 16, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved H.R. 3678,
the Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments Act of 2007, by a vote of 405-2, with no amendments
added.
If signed into law, the bill would extend the current moratorium on Internet access taxes (that
expires on Nov. 1) for four more years. The legislation would also amend the current definition of
Internet access to make it clear that the moratorium applies only to the service that connects a
user to the Internet and not to goods and services sold over the Internet. For more, see Page 3.
2
‘Eminent Domain’ Continued from Page 1…
CPOFPA, a so-called “eminent domain reform” measure was analyzed by attorneys with Nielsen,
Merksamer, Parrinello, Mueller & Naylor, LLP, a Sacramento law firm that provides legal counsel
to the Eminent Domain Reform Now Coalition, in which the League of California Cities
participates.
The analysis identifies in great detail the secretive and deceptive way the authors of CPOFPA set
out to hide broad restrictions on zoning and other land use and environmental regulations, the
ability of public entities to acquire property for public water supply facilities, and city and county
affordable housing and rent control programs.
The analysis closes with this conclusion:
“Without a doubt, the CPOFPA is even more deceptive and draconian than
Proposition 90 (emphasis added). With the exception of the rent control feature, the
regulatory prohibitions concerning land use decisions and the prohibition against the use
of eminent domain for the acquisition of property for the consumption of natural resources
are hidden in the definition of private use. But the impact is nonetheless dramatic. Those
obscure provisions are the only reference in the initiative to any form of "regulation" or
prohibition against taking property for the “consumption of natural resources.” Because of
the prohibitory nature of the regulatory and eminent domain provisions, the initiative
appears to be designed to shut down much of what government does to protect the
public health, safety and welfare through the control of land use and the provision of
water. If there is any doubt on that point, the initiative Constitutional amendment provides
the express right to seek injunctive relief against any action that violates its terms.”
On Sept. 26, the League board of directors voted overwhelmingly to oppose CPOFPA and to
support gathering signatures to qualify the Homeowners Protection Act for the June 2008 ballot.
The Homeowners Protection Act (HPA) provides constitutional protection for homeowners from
the use of eminent domain to acquire single-family homes for transfer to private developers.
HPA is a direct and honest response to the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of
New London, and it contains no hidden, deceptive provisions. Recent polling by the Eminent
Domain Reform Now Coalition suggests HPA will be overwhelmingly supported by voters, while
the fate of CPOFPA is more troubled because of its stealth agenda that does not concern
eminent domain, such as invalidating rent control, zoning, environmental regulations, and
inclusionary housing programs.
How You Can Get Involved
City officials that want to help gather signatures in their private time for the Homeowners
Protection Act are urged to contact their League Regional Public Affairs Manager. Copies of the
legal opinion on CPOFPA are being sent to city attorneys and are available to other city officials
upon request. Contact your Regional Public Affairs Manager (look yours up at
www.cacities.org/legresources) or city attorney for a copy.
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‘Sign-Veto’ Continued from Page 1…
Below is a general roundup on the issue areas the League was working on in 2007. For a
summary on specific bills, see “Legislative Session: How Cities Fared on Priority Bills” on Page 4.
For detailed descriptions of the bills (including League letters), look up the measures at
www.cacities.org/billsearch.
Land Use
The League was extremely pleased that the Governor vetoed AB 414 (Jones) as the legislation
would have imposed restrictions on how cities plan for housing on non-residential zoned property.
On the other hand, the League was disappointed with the Governor’s veto of AB 1542 (Evans) 3
because it would have allowed local rent control ordinances to keep mobile homes at an
affordable rate for fixed income residents.
Flood Package & Water Issues
On the package of flood bills, the result from the Governor’s desk was mixed for cities. The
League believes the Governor made a good decision by signing SB 5 (Machado), AB 5 (Wolk),
AB 162 (Wolk) and SB 17 (Florez). However, it is regrettable that he signed AB 70 (Jones), a bill
that attempts to assign liability to six cities for state maintained levees.
Transportation
The implementation of the infrastructure bonds passed by voters on the 2006 ballot has been a
high priority for the League. The Governor signed AB 193/AB 196 (Committee on Budget) which
clarifies the allocation and oversight of Proposition 1B, the local streets and roads funding. This
League and California State Association of Counties (CSAC) “fix” to the FY 2007-08 Budget
allocates $550 million to cities and $400 million to counties.
The Governor signed SB 717 (Perata), matching the League’s request. This action is significant
to cities because it ensures that the statutory formula for the distribution of Prop. 42 funding
remains in place.
Under this formula, 20 percent of the revenues go to the Public Transit Account, 20 percent to the
State Transportation Improvement Program and 40 percent to cities and counties (split in half).
Maintaining the formula is helpful to cities because it ensures the efficient distribution of sales tax
revenues from gasoline.
Labor Relations
The Governor’s decisions on labor relations bills were varied for cities. The League requested a
veto on AB 220 (Bass), AB 553 Hernandez and SB 942 (Migden). He signed AB 220 and vetoed
the other two.
Public Safety
Overall, the Governor’s decisions related to public safety legislation were positive for cities.
Although the League requested that he sign AB 81 (Torrico), the Governor vetoed the bill.
However, the League was pleased that he signed AB 1291 (Mendoza), SB 67 (Perata) and SB
839 (Calderon).
Revenue and Taxation
Cities did well with the Governor’s decisions on revenue and taxation related legislation. Per the
League’s request, he signed AB 1222 (Laird), AB 1260 (Caballero) and AB 373 (Wolk).
Miscellaneous
Of direct interest to general law cities was AB 701 (De La Torre). Vetoed by the Governor, this
bill would have increased compensation in general law cities for the first time since 1984.
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‘Internet Tax Moratorium’ Continued from Page 1…
The temporary extension measure was approved despite the preference by a number of
lawmakers for a permanent ban on Internet access taxes. Nearly the entire California
congressional delegation voted in favor of the four-year temporary extension. In addition, a
measure sponsored by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) to make the moratorium permanent, had
the support of 238 House co-sponsors.
The League of California Cities thanks everyone who wrote letters and made calls to their
representatives urging their support for this important legislation. 4
What’s Next for H.R. 3678
H.R. 3678 now moves to the U.S. Senate. Last month, a similar temporary extension measure
(S. 1453) was abandoned by the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee because
lawmakers were unable to reach consensus on the measure.
As developments occur regarding the bill, further updates will be published in Priority Focus.
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Legislative Session: How Cities Fared on Priority Bills
The following is a list of high priority bills for cities that had been sent to Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger. The League of California Cities requested either “sign” or a “veto” on these
bills.
The plus (+) sign identifies when the Governor’s decision matched the League’s request, while
the minus (-) sign identifies when it did not. Each bill accompanied by a short recap on what the
bill does.
Land Use
+ AB 414 (Jones). Request: Veto/Result: Vetoed by Governor – Oct. 13
Restricts how local agencies can count sites for housing designated on non-residential land and
imposes these conditions for all local agencies regardless of size, circumstance, or performance.
- AB 1542 (Evans). Request: Sign/Result: Vetoed by Governor – Oct. 12.
Continues to allow local rent control ordinances to keep mobile homes at an affordable rate for
those on fixed incomes.
Economic Development
+ SB 103 (Cedillo). Request: Veto/Result: Vetoed by Governor – Oct. 5
Requires local agencies to generate a hold a public hearing before granting any economic
subsidy (includes reduced revenues), post the information on the agency’s Web site (if
applicable), and then generate a report on all economic development subsidies that remain in
effect every two years. The bill is also applicable to redevelopment agencies.
Infrastructure
+ SB 586 (Dutton). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 13
This bill implements the $100 million innovation fund authorized by Prop. 1C (the provisions of
which requires a two-thirds approval by the Legislature). Appropriations include $35 million for
local housing trust funds, $50 million for a land acquisition loan fund, $10 million for innovative
home ownership programs, and $5 million for a pilot construction liability insurance reform
program.
Flood Package
+ SB 5 (Machado). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 10
This bill is a comprehensive planning proposal to improve development practices in flood plains.
While it requires 200-year protection in the most vulnerable areas of the Central Valley, it also 5
provides relief in the form of “adequate progress” provisions that will allow cities and counties to
continue to grow during the interim period until they reach the 200-year level of protection.
This bill is part of a package of flood bills (SB 5, AB 5, SB 17, SB 162) that are the result of
extensive stakeholder negotiations and are supported by a coalition of cities, planners, business
and environmental groups. AB 70 (Jones) is not part of this answer.
+ AB 5 (Wolk). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 10
This bill is a technical cleanup vehicle to the package of flood bills (SB 5, SB 17, SB 162) that are
the result of extensive stakeholder negotiations and are supported by a coalition of cities,
planners, business and environmental groups.
+ AB 162 (Wolk). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 10
This bill expands the requirements for flood management in city and county general plans.
+ SB 17 (Florez). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 10
This bill reforms and renames the State Reclamation Board to improve proficiency, and requires
development of State Plan of Flood Control for the Central Valley.
Flood Liability
- AB 70 (Jones). Request: Veto/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 10
This bill could potentially shift some legal liability from the state to local governments in the event
that state-maintained levees fail.
Transportation
+ AB 193/AB 196 (Committee on Budget). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor –
Oct. 8
These bills contain the League-sponsored cleanup language to SB 88 (Budget Committee) to
clarify allocation and oversight for Prop. 1B local streets and roads funding. AB 196 is especially
important to cities because it clarifies the split of the $950 million for local streets and roads
funding between cities and counties so cities receive $550 million and counties receive $400
million as per their budget request. This clarification is supported by both the League and the
California State Association of Counties (CSAC).
- AB 945 (Carter). Request: Sign/Result: Vetoed by Governor – Oct. 11
This bill would have required the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to develop an
assessment of the unfunded costs of programmed state projects and federally earmarked
projects in the state, as well as an assessment of available funding for transportation purposes
and unmet transportation needs on a statewide basis.
CTC would have been required to work with regional transportation planning agencies,
California Transit Association, CSAC, and the League to develop the reports with the first
report due by July 1, 2008.
6
+ SB 717 (Perata). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 14
This bill continuously authorizes sales tax revenue derived from the sale of motor vehicle fuels to
be transferred to the Transportation Investment Fund (TIF) beginning in FY 2008-07 (Prop. 42). It
also maintains the current distribution formula of the tax revenues at 20 percent to the Public
Transit Account (PTA), 40 percent to the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), and
40 percent to cities and counties (20 percent to cities and 20 percent to counties) for street and
road purposes.
A permanent shift of sales tax on gasoline for transportation purposes and the agreed upon
formula under Prop. 42 will ensure that cities and counties can preserve, maintain, and
rehabilitate the local street and road system.
Labor Relations
- AB 220 (Bass). Request: Veto/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 13
Duplicates the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights and permits firefighters to engage
in special political activities and provide procedures and conditions for the investigation and
interrogation of an employee that could lead to a punitive action.
+ AB 553 (Hernandez). Request: Veto/Result: Vetoed by Governor – Sept. 26
The bill would have authorized the Public Employees Relations Board to determine, under the
Meyers Milias Brown Act, whether to seek from a court jurisdiction injunctive relief involving
employee strikes, work stoppages, or lockouts.
+ SB 942 (Migden). Request: Veto/Result: Vetoed by Governor – Oct. 12
This bill would have required an employer to reinstate an employee to their pre-injury job within
five working days upon release of the treating doctor or reimburse the worker for lost wages and
work benefits.
Public Safety
- AB 81 (Torrico). Request: Sign/Result: Vetoed by Governor – Oct. 13
This bill would have allowed a local fire agency, upon approval of the appropriate governing
board, to designate safe-surrender sites for accepting physical custody of a minor child seven
days old or younger. It would have also created greater awareness of options other than child
abandonment and reduce the likelihood that public safety personnel will have to go through the
experience of responding to a call to retrieve an abandoned baby.
+ AB 1291 (Mendoza). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 11
Allows for court-ordered anti-gang classes for parents or guardians of minors involved with a first
time gang-related offense. The anti-gang classes proposed in the measure would help increase
parental and guardian understanding about the impact of their child’s actions, and will also
provide the tools and resources to help prevent future gang involvement.
+ SB 67 (Perata). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 14
Provides law enforcement agencies with an additional tool to address “sideshow” activities and
the safety concerns associated with these dangerous actions by enabling law enforcement to
impound involved vehicles. 7
+ SB 839 (Calderon). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 12
Provides for the Office of the State Fire Marshal to develop a model ordinance permitting local
jurisdictions to adopt a streamlined enforcement and administrative fine procedure related to the
possession of 25 pounds or less of dangerous fireworks. It also helps establish a funding source
to offset the costs incurred by the safe collection and disposal of these fireworks by public safety
agencies.
Revenue and Taxation
+ AB 1222 (Laird). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 8
Implements a number of reforms to the procedures involving processing claims to establish the
existence of a reimbursable state mandate, including parameters and guidelines for mandate
determination and procedures for development of statewide cost estimates.
+ AB 1260 (Caballero). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by the Governor – Oct. 5
Provides helpful guidance to local government agencies on the process for handling the notice
and protest requirements contained in Article XIII D (established by Prop. 218 of 1996) to address
issues raised in the recent court decision Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency v. Verjil and Kelly.
+ AB 373 (Wolk). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Oct. 13
Expands the authorized use of Mello-Roos districts to include lighting maintenance, street and
road maintenance, and plowing and removal of snow; makes other clarifying and technical
changes to address outdated code sections and cross-references.
- AB 969 (Eng). Request: Sign/Result: Vetoed by Governor – Oct. 14
This bill would have improved the collection of use tax revenues owed to state and local
government by consumers and businesses through clarifications made to state income tax return
forms.
+ SB 38 (Battin). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Sept. 21
Provides income and property tax relief to individuals, businesses and local governments that
suffered losses resulting from the wildfires in Riverside County in Oct. 2006.
+ AB 62 (Nava). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Sept. 21
Provides income and property tax relief to individuals, businesses and local governments that
suffered losses resulting from specific wildfires in Ventura, El Dorado, and Santa Barbara County
during the past two years.
+ SB 114 (Florez/Hollingsworth). Request: Sign/Result: Signed by Governor – Sept. 21
Provides income and property tax relief to individuals, businesses and local governments that
suffered losses resulting from the 2007 freeze.
8
Miscellaneous
- AB 701 (De La Torre). Request: Sign/Result: Vetoed by Governor – Oct. 10
This bill would have increased city council member compensation in general law cities for the first
time since 1984.
- AB 1294 (Mullin). Request: Sign/Result: Vetoed by Governor – Oct. 14
This bill would have allowed "ranked voting" as an election method in which voters rank the
candidates for office in order of preference, and the ballots are counted in rounds.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Governor’s Post-Employment Benefits Commission Prepares for Final Report
The League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties (CSAC)
participated at the Public Employee Post-Employment Benefits Commission (PEBC)’s most
recent hearing on Oct. 10, in Fresno.
Established by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to assess California’s public debt related to post-
employment benefits including retirement and health care, PEBC will produce a report in Jan.
2008 that outlines recommendations for California public agencies to address unfunded liabilities
for this debt.
Preliminary recommendations from PEBC staff on how to address unfounded liabilities in regard
to the state’s debt in association with post employment benefits were presented to the
commission. In addition, the League and CSAC spoke to the commission on the organizations’
position on retirement reforms and submitted recommendations to PEBC developed by a
technical working group comprised of public employers.
The League’s proposal for pension reform includes the need to provide full-career employees
with adequate benefits to continue their standard of living into retirement through fiscally
sustainable contributions by the employers and taxpayers. Public benefits must be supported by
proper actuarial analysis, viewed in the context of compensation, recruitment and retention.
The League also stressed the importance of addressing any abuses of the defined benefit system
and the fiduciary responsibility for the system by the California Public Employees Retirement
System (CalPERS), employers and employees.
The following is a list of recommendations brought forth by the League and CSAC at the meeting:
Working Group Recommendations
• Request the State Controller to recommend a simple and inexpensive procedure to
regularly retrieve and report Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) related data from
California public agencies. Consideration should be given to the experience of agencies
complying with the 2007 survey to PEBC.
• Seek federal guidelines, or in their absence, a letter from the Federal Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), which may involve legislation or regulatory change, to
ensure the federal government will pay its proportional share of payroll cost obligations
for bonded debt service used to pre-fund OPEB trusts.
• Seek clarification from the Internal Revenue Service in a Revenue Ruling or some other
document that may be relied upon by public employers regarding technical issues that
would facilitate OPEB trusts including:
o Establishment of IRC 115 trust accounts for individual employee OPEB accounts 9
o Establishment of IRC 115 “essential governmental function” trust accounts for
prefunding multi employer trusts for OPEB liabilities
o Establishment of IRC 115 “integral part” trusts for prefunding single employer
OPEB liabilities
o Operation of “self insured” retiree health plans established by meet and confer
between labor and management
• Recommend GASB Standards 43 and 45 be clarified to permit trust fund accounts for
OPEB to also be revocable for the single purpose of pre-payment of OPEB debt service.
This could be accomplished by GASB permission to use revocable trust funds to deposit
bond proceeds used to pre-fund OPEB unfunded liability (preference would be to deposit
bond proceeds in a revocable trust fund).
We would continue depositing the Annual Required Contributions (ARC) to an irrevocable
trust fund), and consideration of different amortization periods based on plans for funding.
• Seek clarification in state statute, the Internal Revenue Code, and GASB regulations that
OPEB trust funds may be used for both benefit payments and for early retirement of debt
used to establish the OPEB trust.
• Develop informational materials, in simple language, regarding what are GASB 43 and 45
obligations, and what issues public agencies should consider when planning for
compliance.
• Develop informational materials regarding what types of indebtedness options are
available to public agencies to pre-fund OPEB trust accounts, including legal
requirements for each.
• Develop informational materials regarding what types of federal and state arrangements
are available for agencies to pre-fund for OPEB costs.
• Develop informational materials regarding retiree health care and actuarial “best
practices” approaches by employers and unions for management and control of OPEB
costs.
• Seek clarification in state law, and if necessary from Federal Bankruptcy law, that
creditors cannot attach assets in OPEB trusts.
What’s Next
The remaining PEBC meetings will focus on examining recommendations for the final report. The
commission must conclude its work by Dec. 31. Updates to the commission’s work and its final
report will be issued through Priority Focus and the League of California Cities’ Web site,
www.cacities.org.
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Handouts for HCD Prop. 1C Funding Stakeholder Meetings Now Available
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) recently updated its
list for workshops and stakeholder meetings regarding Proposition 1C funding. To access the
schedule, visit www.hcd.ca.gov/fa/bonds.html.
Of particular note to cities are meetings on the Infill Incentive Grant Program. The first meeting
for that program is scheduled for Oct. 18, in Fresno. Now posted on the HCD Web site --
www.hcd.ca.gov/fa/iig/ -- are handouts for the Infill Incentive Grant Program stakeholder meeting,
including an outline of the program, a memo on the meetings and comments from the public and
program statutes and commentary that includes questions HCD will be asking at the meeting.
For further information, contact HCD Director of Legislation Jolena Voorhis at (916) 323-0169.
_____________________________________________________________________________ 10
Local Speed Limits Impacted by Recent Change to California Traffic Manual
The California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC) has ruled to approve a language
change in the California Traffic Control Manual to clarify how local speed limits may be set. The
ruling came following two days of workshops and hearings with city and county officials.
CTCDC was prompted to make this change due to major variations in the interpretation and
application of the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Section 2B.13
section, to better distinguish the differences between “within” to “round to the nearest” 5 mph for
setting local speed limits. The changes now include:
• Posted speed limits will be set "within" 5 mph of 85th percentile;
• Jurisdictions can lower this speed by an additional five mph based on conditions/factors
cited in the California Vehicle Code;
• Posted speeds shall not be below the 50th percentile.
On October 10, CTCDC, the official advisory body to the California's Department of
Transportation, hosted a special workshop in Sacramento to discuss changes to MUTCD,
affecting local speed limits in California.
Approximately 30 representatives from cities and counties were in attendance and provided
feedback through small group discussions that reviewed options and provided input on what their
individual cities/counties deemed as the best solution. In addition to the group discussions,
attendees they were given an exercise to apply their option to a mock speed survey and present
the resulting posted speed limit.
A number of issues were identified by participant cities/counties:
• Jurisdictions expressed a desire to have the option to round down based on special
criteria not apparent to drivers.
• Criteria or qualifications for rounding down have yet to be determined.
• Change of speed limit affects street aesthetics.
• 2004 verbiage/policy is confusing and should be transparent.
In addition to comments received at the workshop, CTCDC received more than a dozen written
comments from cities/counties.
On Thursday, October 11, CTCDC held a Public Hearing on the speed limit and deliberated for
three hours before approving the changes to MUTCD.
CTCDC felt strongly about the need to set a floor in determining speed limits to prevent
jurisdictions from creating artificial speed zones that would inadvertently make a majority of the
drivers in violation of the speed limit. The 50th percentile floor was determined as the fairest
measure to prevent this from occurring.
During its winter/Jan. 2008 meeting, CTCDC will determine dates and potential allowances for
retroactivity in applying this new change; coordinate outreach to cities and counties; and
“cleanup” language.
League Involvement
In June, the League of California Cities Transportation Public Works and Communication Policy
(TCPW) Committee appointed a special sub-committee in partnership with the city of Thousand
Oaks to study the proposed options and their impact on local speed limits.
Council Members Thomas Glancy (city of Thousand Oaks) and Julie Pierce (city of Clayton)
participated in the workshop on behalf of their individual cities, as well as representatives of the
Speed Limit Sub-Committee. They were both pleased by the responsiveness of CTCDC in 11
meeting local speed limit needs. In Jan. 2008, the sub-committee will provide an update to the
TCPW Policy Committee on CTCDC’s recent change to the California Traffic Manual.
_____________________________________________________________________________
National League of Cities Seeks Data on Fire Company Turnout Time
The National League of Cities (NLC) is requesting that cities participate in the Turnout Time
Survey. Turnout time is the period of time starting when emergency units acknowledge being
notified about an emergency and ending when the unit responds.
The deadline for responses is Friday, Nov. 2. During the upcoming National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) 1710 standard review process, a change to turnout time will be considered.
This review process starts in November and proceeds for two years.
Information from the survey, conducted in conjunction with Center for Public Safety Excellence,
will help asses the current 60-second turnout-time objective should be increased. The survey
has been sent to 600 city fire departments.
There are various proposals on this issue. Some are suggesting that the current 60-second
objective be extended to 90 seconds. There also is a proposal for different turnout times for day
and night calls as well as fire and medical emergency calls.
Survey Execution
The survey form is located at www.cacities.org/turnouttime. Return the survey to:
Thomas Wieczorek: Executive Director
Center for Public Safety Excellence
4501 Singer Court, Suite 180
Chantilly, VA 20151
Fax: (703) 961-0113
Questions about the Survey
Questions regarding the Turnout Time Survey can be directed to Wieczorek at (866) 866-2324
ext. 208 or tom@publicsafetyexcellence.org. Cathy Spain, director of NLC’s Center for Member
Services is also available to answer any questions. She can be reached at spain@nlc.org or
(202) 626-3123.
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NFPA Requests Proposals to Change 1710 Standard
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)’s 1710 standard, which pertains to career fire
department organization and deployment, is about to undergo a two-year standard revision
process. NFPA is requesting that city officials and the public take part in the revision, and submit
changes to its current 1710 standard by Nov. 26.
The 1710 standard includes:
• Staffing levels (four person minimum)
• Turnout time (60-second)
• Arrival of the first arriving engine company
• Arrival of an advance life support unit
• Arrival of a unit with first responder or higher level capability at an emergency medical
incident
• Evaluation and reporting requirements
The 1710 standard is updated every five years, with the next full update coming in 2009. The
current two-year standard revision will provide cities an opportunity to address issues they may 12
have with the standard. When the standards were updated in 2004, cities expressed concerns
about how the one-size-fits-all approach does not necessarily work for every municipality.
Proposal Submission Instructions
Those interested in submitting a proposal must use NFPA’s Technical Committee Document
Proposal Form. The form can be found www.nfpa.org by searching for “Technical Committee
Document Proposal Form” in the search box in the upper left section of the Web site.
Return the form to the NFPA at the address below:
Secretary Standards Council
NFPA
1 Battery March Park
Quincy, MA 02269-9101
For additional information about the standard review process, call NFPA at (617) 984-7249.
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League Legislative Briefings Scheduled for November
The League of California Cities is hosting two briefing sessions in November. Scheduled for
Wednesday, Nov. 28, in Pasadena and Thursday, Nov. 29, in San Jose, these identical briefings
will focus on bills of note to city officials that passed in the previous legislative session.
Tentative session topics will include:
• Implementation of the State Infrastructure Bond Package
• The fate of ACA 8 and pending initiatives—What’s next on eminent domain and
regulatory takings
• Climate Change: ARB Regulations, SB 375 (Steinberg), the attorney general’s lawsuits,
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines: Are your ready for this kind of
“green heat?”
• Growing Pains: Legislation affecting redevelopment, flood control, environmental issues,
housing and land use
• Employee relations and workers compensation
• Sex offender management, gang abatement, and prison overcrowding: local implications
The cost of attendance is $140, which includes a luncheon. Registration and further information is
available at www.cacities.org/events.
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Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar Set for December
The League of California Cities Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar is set for Dec. 5-7, at the
Monterey Conference Center in Monterey.
Join your fire chief colleagues from across the state for an informative event that features state
speakers Ruben Grijalva, director, Cal-Fire and California State Fire Marshall Kate Dargan. A
keynote address will also be given by Gordon Graham of Graham Research Consultants, on the
topic of management quality control.
Cost of this event is $440 for city officials/staff, and $600 for all others. For more information on
the seminar and to register, visit www.cacities.org/events. One-day registration is not available,
and registration closes on Nov. 13.
_____________________________________________________________________________
13
Register Now for NLC Audio Conference on Gang and Youth Violence Reduction
Strategies
City officials and community leaders are invited to participate in an audio conference on
collaborative methods to reduce gang and youth violence. Scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 31, at
11 a.m., the audio conference will be hosted by the National League of Cities’ Municipal Network
for Disconnected Youth and the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
Representatives from the 13 communities involved with the California Cities Gang Prevention
Network will present their three-pronged strategy for responding to gang activity. Other
approaches to help reduce youth violence will also be featured, including the importance of strong
leadership, shared vision and creative financing.
Registration
Register by Friday, Oct. 26, by e-mailing Carlos Becerra at Becerra@nlc.org. Dial instructions for
the call will be e-mailed back with registration confirmation.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee, or Ask League Leg Staff
Visit (and bookmark!) the League’s Legislative Resources Web page
(www.cacities.org/legresources). You’ll find a roster and contact information for the League’s
legislative staff; the online Bill Search program, background materials on lobbying your
legislators, and more.
_____________________________________________________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE: Oct. 26, 2007
Issue #41-2007
Page 3: Senate Local Government Committee Circulates Laws on ‘Development After Disasters’
League Legislative Briefings Scheduled for November
Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee, or Ask League Leg Staff
OES SEEKING APPLICATIONS FOR CALGRIP INITIATIVE FUNDING
The Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) is seeking a request for allocation (RFA)
and three requests for proposals (RFPs) for funding now available through the Gang Reduction,
Intervention and Prevention (GRIP) Program.
The purpose of the GRIP Program is to provide grants to cities and community-based
organizations for gang prevention, intervention, re-entry, education, job training and skills
development, family and community services, and suppression activities. For more, see Page 2.
•••• ••• ••• •• •••• ••• ••• •• •••• ••• ••• ••
INJUNCTION AGAINST UNCLAIMED PROPERTY PROGRAM LIFTED
On Oct. 18, the U.S. District Court lifted the injunction which prohibited the State Controller’s
Office (SCO) from accepting, taking title to, or taking possession of any unclaimed property. The
injunction had been issued until new laws were passed that allowed the state controller to notify
owners that property, unless claimed, would be transferred to the state. For more, see Page 2.
•••• ••• ••• •• •••• ••• ••• •• •••• ••• ••• ••
CALIFORNIA INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARD REORGANIZES
In July, the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) reorganized, folding four
divisions into two larger programs - Sustainability and Waste Compliance & Mitigation. The new
structure is in-part aimed at simplifying the interaction between CIWMB and its stakeholders.
For more, see Page 2.
2
‘OES’ Continued from Page 1…
The RFPs and RFA are available electronically on the OES Web site at www.oes.ca.gov, under
the links for “Law Enforcement” and “Victim Services Division/RFP Funding Information.”
Questions concerning the GRIP Program should be directed to Kirby Everhart, chief, Crime and
Gangs Branch, at (916) 327-3687, or via e-mail to kirby.everhart@oes.ca.gov.
_____________________________________________________________________________
‘Unclaimed Property’ Continued from Page 1…
State Controller John Chiang’s office worked throughout the summer to reform the unclaimed
property system and succeeded in getting legislation passed to remove legal obstacles that
prevented his office from contacting owners of unclaimed property.
“I am pleased our reforms both satisfied the court, and coupled with common sense
administrative changes, show progress in reuniting rightful owners with their unclaimed property,”
Chiang said in a statement. “Within the first week of being able to provide notices to owners of
their state-held valuables, we sent notices to 99,086 Californians. Without the new laws, we
would not have been able to send 77,078 of those letters.”
As a reminder, however, the changes enacted under one of those new laws, SB 86 (Budget
Committee), are now in effect. Holders of unclaimed property may not deliver property with the
reports that are due with it before Nov. 1, 2007 (May 1, 2008 for life insurance companies).
Reporting instructions and guidelines were updated in August to reflect the new reporting
requirements under SB 86 for the reports due before Nov. 1. These instructions and guidelines
remain in effect.
The following summarizes those requirements:
• A holder’s responsibility to notify owners of their property six to 12 months before the
property becomes reportable is still in effect (reference California Code of Civil Procedure
sections 1513.5, 1516[d] and 1520[b]).
• Holders are required to file a report before Nov. 1, 2007 (before May 1, 2008 for life
insurance companies) without remitting or delivering the property.
• SCO will send notices to the owners with property valued at $50 or more within 165 days
after the due dates of the reports. The notices will direct the owners to the holder to
recover their property.
• Holders will remit remaining unclaimed property with reports from June 1 through June
15, 2008 (from Dec. 1 through Dec. 15, 2008 for life insurance companies). Instructions
for the remit reports are currently in development and will be released in the near future.
Please continue to check the SCO Web site at www.sco.ca.gov for further updates.
Please refer to reporting instructions and guidelines on the SCO Web site at for more information.
Questions regarding the state’s unclaimed property system should be directed to the Unclaimed
Property Reporting Unit at (916) 464-6284 or ucpreporting@sco.ca.gov.
_____________________________________________________________________________
‘CIWMB Reorganizes’ Continued from Page 1…
Under the previous structure, stakeholders interacted with numerous CIWMB program staff for
local jurisdictional programs; special waste issues such as used oil, tires, or household hazardous
waste; and markets division topics such as green building, organics, plastics or landfill/transfer
station concerns.
A large number of CIWMB staff that worked on these issues merged into the new Local
Assistance and Market Development Division (LAMD). LAMD is one of the new divisions of the
Sustainability Program. LAMD is divided into four branches with regional responsibilities (North, 3
Central, Bay Area, and South). A list of specific staff territory assignments is available at
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/OLA/Contacts.asp.
The reorganization provides for more effective delivery of services and assistance to CIWMB’s
primary customers in local governments, state agencies, businesses, and the public, while
maintaining California's high environmental standards. This new structure allows CIWMB staff to
respond more quickly and comprehensively to local needs and to foster cooperative efforts
between public and private sector programs.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Senate Local Government Committee Circulates Laws on ‘Development After
Disasters’
With the widespread fires raging in Southern California, the Senate Local Government Committee
this week has passed around a two-page list of laws regarding “development after disasters.”
The information is being presented in order to help those localities affected by the fires answer
questions that may arise as they look to rebuild.
To download the list, visit www.cacities.org/dadlaws. The Senate Local Government Committee
encourages cities to use the information in any helpful way as communities rebuild after recent
events.
_____________________________________________________________________________
League Legislative Briefings Scheduled for November
The League of California Cities is hosting two briefing sessions in November. Scheduled for
Wednesday, Nov. 28, in Pasadena and Thursday, Nov. 29, in San Jose, these identical briefings
will focus on bills of note to city officials that passed in the previous legislative session.
Tentative session topics will include:
• Implementation of the State Infrastructure Bond Package
• The fate of ACA 8 and pending initiatives—What’s next on eminent domain and
regulatory takings
• Climate Change: ARB Regulations, SB 375 (Steinberg), the attorney general’s lawsuits,
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines: Are your ready for this kind of
“green heat?”
• Growing Pains: Legislation affecting redevelopment, flood control, environmental issues,
housing and land use
• Employee relations and workers compensation
• Sex offender management, gang abatement, and prison overcrowding: local implications
The cost of attendance is $140, which includes a luncheon. Registration and further information is
available at www.cacities.org/events.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee, or Ask League Leg Staff
Visit (and bookmark!) the League’s Legislative Resources Web page
(www.cacities.org/legresources). You’ll find a roster and contact information for the League’s
legislative staff; the online Bill Search program, background materials on lobbying your
legislators, and more.
_____________________________________________________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE: Nov. 2, 2007
Issue #42-2007
Page 3: Working on a Ballot Measure Campaign: Important Do's and Don'ts for City Officials and City
Employees
Page 4: Op-Ed: Purported ‘Eminent Domain’ Measure Has Hidden Provisions That Would Sink Future Water
Projects in California
Page 5: Congress Passes Seven-Year Extension of Internet Tax Moratorium
Local Groundwater Assistance Grant Program Now Accepting Applications
Page 6: New Tool for Promoting Informed Involvement in the Land Use Process Available
League Legislative Briefings Coming Up
Nick Bollman Passes Away
Page 7: League Telephone System Upgrade Next Week
Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee, or Ask League Leg Staff
CITY OFFICIALS NEEDED TO GATHER SIGNATURES FOR
HOMEOWNERS PROTECTION ACT
By Chris McKenzie
Three years ago, city officials across California gathered signatures to qualify Proposition 65 for
the Nov. 2004 ballot. That process led to the approval of Proposition 1A, the constitutional
amendment that protects local government revenue from the being raided by the state, which was
endorsed by 84 percent of the voters. The success of that campaign showed the state what a
group of determined community leaders can do to address a serious wrong.
We must implement this strategy once again, this time on the issue of eminent domain reform.
For more, see Page 2.
•••• ••• ••• •• •••• ••• ••• •• •••• ••• ••• ••
CITY OFFICIALS JOIN PROTEST AGAINST JARVIS ANTI-RENT
CONTROL MEASURE
On Tuesday, Oct. 30, local elected city officials joined with senior citizen groups, tenant rights
advocates and mobile home residents to protest the Apartment Owners Association of California
(AOAC)’s nearly $200,000 in contributions to the so-called “California Property Owner and
Farmland Protection Act” (CPOFPA).
The measure, similar to the failed Proposition 90 from the Nov. 2006 election, is supported by
wealthy apartment owners, mobile park owners and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association
(among others). It is slated for the June 2008 ballot. For more, see Page 2.
2
‘Homeowners Protection’ Continued from Page 1…
Last session, the California Legislature failed to approve an eminent domain reform amendment
due to the objections of special interests that are fielding a deceptive initiative for the June 2008
ballot. As a result, the people will need to take matters into their own hands to achieve this goal,
and the League of California Cities strongly supports the Homeowners Protection Act, an
initiative that provides honest, straightforward eminent domain reform.
Members of the League of California Cities’ board of directors are actively involved in gathering
signatures on their personal time to qualify the Homeowners Protection Act for the June 2008
ballot, and I urge you to join the board in its efforts.
The Homeowners Protection Act will prohibit state and local governments from using eminent
domain to take a home to transfer it to a private developer. Unlike a competing, deceptive
measure called the California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act (CPOFPA), the
Homeowners Protection Act does not apply to water or other public works projects.
CPOFPA is supported by a group of landlords and other special interests, and it is riddled with
hidden agendas. Its sponsors want you to believe that CPOFPA is about eminent domain when
it’s actually a cynical attempt to abolish local land use regulations, environmental protections, rent
control and affordable housing laws and other renter protections, and to obstruct future water
projects.
The Homeowners Protection Act is the real eminent domain reform initiative measure
supported by the League and a broad coalition of homeowners, labor, business, local government
groups, seniors and environmentalists. The League is requesting everyone’s help to put this
measure on the ballot.
Please contact your League regional public affairs manager (look yours up at
www.cacities.org/legresources) to volunteer to help with signature gathering. It will help qualify
the Homeowners Protection Act and stop the phony reform initiative.
Remember to follow the strict laws that prohibit the use of public funds for such activities. For
some helpful guidelines, see “Working on a Ballot Measure Campaign: Important Do’s and Don’ts
for City Officials and City Employees,” on Page 3.
Chris McKenzie is the executive director of the League of California Cities.
_____________________________________________________________________________
‘City Officials Join Protest’ Continued from Page 1…
Just like Prop. 90, supporters of CPOFPA are using
eminent domain as a “trojan horse” to enact drastic
changes to abolish rent control, affordable housing
laws and other renter protections. CPOFPA also
contains poorly drafted provisions that could stop
future water projects, destroy local land-use
planning and erode environmental protections.
The protest and accompanying news conference
was held at AOAC’s convention at the Los Angeles
Convention Center. Inside, apartment owners were
discussing campaign plans to pass the measure.
The protest outside had a noticeable impact on local media. The army of local officials and angry
seniors and tenant advocates armed with homemade picket signs attracted news coverage from
local Los Angeles TV, radio and print media outlets including:
• Univision
• KFWB Radio
• Downtown News (weekly newspaper)
• Hoy (Spanish newspaper) 3
The Homeowners Protection Act
The League is part of a coalition supporting the Homeowners Protection Act to place it on the
June 2008 ballot. The coalition includes homeowners, labor, business, environmental groups,
seniors and local government. The Homeowners Protection Act offers real eminent domain
reform by prohibiting state and local governments from using eminent domain to secure a home
to transfer to a private developer.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Working on a Ballot Measure Campaign: Important Do's and Don'ts for City
Officials and City Employees
There are two simple, but very important rules city officials and employees should follow if they
want to get involved in campaign activities in support of the Homeowners Protection Act and to
defeat the California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act (CPOFPA):
1. Don’t use public funds. All contributions to the campaign of your time and resources
must be made with non-public funds. That means no public facilities or equipment
(phones, computers, e-mail accounts, vehicles, copy machines or any other equipment)
may be used to plan or promote ballot measure activities, including fundraising. No
public funds may be used in support of your campaign activities.
2. Campaign on your own time and keep good records. Track your time and your use of
private equipment used in ballot measure activities, so you are able to document that no
public funds were used.
The Do’s: City officials and city employees MAY:
• Work on the campaign during their personal time, including lunch hours, coffee breaks,
vacations, etc.
• Make a campaign contribution to a ballot measure campaign committee using personal
funds, and/or attend a campaign fundraiser during personal time.
• Help gather signatures for an initiative during personal time.
• Make public appearances during personal time advocating the ballot measure.
• Have the city council adopt a resolution at a public meeting that officially endorses or
opposes a ballot measure and confirms the prohibition on using government funds for
political purposes.
The Don’ts. City officials and city employees may NOT:
• Distribute campaign literature through the city’s internal mail system.
• Place campaign literature on employee bulletin boards, on the city's Web site, or elsewhere
on city government premises.
• Make public appearances speaking in favor of the ballot measure during compensated work
hours.
• Make telephone calls about the campaign during compensated work hours.
• Walk precincts, draft campaign ads, or perform other campaign tasks during compensated
work hours, or assign subordinates to do same.
• Add a link from the city Web site to a campaign Web site.
• Send or receive campaign-related e-mails on city computers.
• Urge other city employees to vote for the measure during compensated work hours.
• Use city copy machines, telephones, fax machines, computers, stationery, etc. for campaign
purposes.
Additional Information
A good rule of thumb is to check with your city attorney if you are not sure what you can do as a
city official or city staff involved in a campaign.
4
If you have questions, please contact your League regional public affairs manager. A complete
list of the League’s public affairs managers can be found by visiting
www.cacities.org/legresources and scrolling down to “Regional Public Affairs Managers.”
_____________________________________________________________________________
Op-Ed: Purported ‘Eminent Domain’ Measure Has Hidden Provisions That Would
Sink Future Water Projects in California
By Timothy Quinn
California faces a water crisis that threatens our economy and our environment. From record-dry
conditions to court-ordered cuts in water deliveries, our water system faces challenges that could
affect water supplies in every region of the state in the near future.
Addressing this crisis will require thoughtful policy and a comprehensive solution. The last thing
we need is a stealth ballot initiative that could block needed projects that are part of that solution.
That’s why it is particularly alarming that a looming ballot initiative -- ostensibly dealing with an
issue unrelated to water -- could literally derail efforts to build the infrastructure and other water
projects we need to ensure an adequate supply of safe, clean drinking water.
On its face, the so-called California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act (CPOFPA)
prohibits government from taking or damaging private property for private use. However, the
problem lies with how its proponents have defined “private use” in the fine print of the measure.
Rather than simply stop eminent domain for private development, CPOFPA defines private use in
such a way that could effectively make it illegal to use eminent domain to acquire land and water
to develop public water projects. Proposed section 19(b)(3)(ii) defines "private use" as including:
“transfer of ownership, occupancy or use of private property or associated property rights
to a public agency for the consumption of natural resources...”
This single provision could jeopardize a great number of water infrastructure projects that we
need, including:
• Acquisition of land for reservoirs, groundwater and surface water storage projects
• Construction of a new Delta conveyance system (more than 25 million Californians and
2.5 million acres of farmland receive water conveyed through the Delta)
• Right-of-way for pipelines and canals to deliver water to new homes and businesses
Proponents of CPOFPA may claim this was not their intent, or that the language is being
misconstrued. However, what matters to the courts (where the issue will ultimately be resolved if
the measure passes) is the language in the initiative itself. In this case, the language very clearly
prohibits eminent domain “for the consumption of natural resources,” for example, as in the
acquisition of property that might be necessary for a reservoir project.
Analysis by three separate committees of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA)
all came to the same conclusion: CPOFPA contains language that is sufficiently ambiguous to
derail needed water projects around the state. That’s why ACWA’s board of directors recently
voted overwhelmingly to oppose the measure, even before its qualification.
Without new water storage projects and other infrastructure improvements, California will not
have the water system it needs to support our economy, our environment, businesses or
residents.
It is unfortunate that the proponents overreached or misstepped, but they have. This measure is
at odds with ensuring a reliable water system for California and should be opposed by those who
care about our economy and our environment.
Timothy Quinn is the executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. 5
_____________________________________________________________________________
Congress Passes Seven-Year Extension of Internet Tax Moratorium
On Wednesday, Oct. 31, President Bush signed into law H.R. 3678, the Internet Tax Freedom
Amendments Act of 2007. The bill extends the current moratorium on Internet access taxes that
would have expired on Nov. 1, until 2014.
In addition, H.R. 3678 amends the current definition of Internet access to make clear that the
moratorium applies only to the service that connects a user to the Internet – not to goods and
services sold over the Internet.
Originally, the bill only extended the moratorium until 2011. However, the U.S. Senate increased
the extension to seven years on Oct. 25. Following that session, the legislation went back to the
U.S. House of Representatives, where it was unanimously approved on Oct. 30, without
amendment.
The League thanks everyone who wrote letters and made calls to your representatives urging
their support for this important legislation.
Editor’s Note: At press time, H.R. 3678 had not yet been sent to the Government Printing
Office which will assign the bill a Public Law number.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Local Groundwater Assistance Grant Program Now Accepting Applications
The Department of Water Resources has released its Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP) and a
schedule of upcoming application workshops on the Local Groundwater Assistance Grant
Program (AB 303 [Chapter 708 Statutes of 2000]). Cities are encouraged to review the grant
program and to apply for funding if they are eligible.
The grants are available to conduct groundwater studies, monitoring, or groundwater
management activities. A total of $6.4 million is available, and the maximum grant amount is
$250,000 per applicant.
Applications for the grants are due on Dec. 11. More information on the program, PSP, and the
workshops is available at www.grantsloans.water.ca.gov/grants, under “Local Groundwater
Assistance.”
Those attending the workshops will receive an explanation on the requirements for submitting
applications and will have the opportunity to ask questions about program. The workshop dates
and locations are below. In addition, a live Web broadcast will be available of the Nov. 16
workshop at the Web site listed below.
Thursday, Nov. 8 – 1 p.m.
Board Room
South Lake Tahoe Public Utility District
South Lake Tahoe
Tuesday, Nov. 13 – 1 p.m.
Pacific Conference Room
Hall of Justice
Ventura County Government Center
Ventura
Wednesday, Nov. 14 – 1 p.m.
Assembly/Leonardo Room
Corporation Yard, City of Clovis
Clovis
6
Friday, Nov. 16 – 1 p.m.
California EPA Building
Sierra Room
Sacramento
Web cast: www.calepa.ca.gov/broadcast
If you are viewing the Web cast, comments and questions during the meeting can be e-mailed to
DWR_IRWM@water.ca.gov. Registration is not necessary to attend these meetings. For more
information on the workshops, contact Harley H. Davis at hdavis@water.ca.gov or (916) 651-
9229.
_____________________________________________________________________________
New Tool for Promoting Informed Involvement in the Land Use Process Available
The Institute for Local Government (ILG) has developed a new planning and public engagement
tool for cities and counties. Nicknamed the “Land Use One-Pager Project,” these “one-pagers”
offer local agencies a set of descriptions of common land use decisions, with the goal of
promoting informed public participation in land use decision-making.
Local agencies can attach the one-pagers to public hearing notices or have them available in
hard copy form at planning counters. They are also available as links to attach to e-mailed
notices or as content for Web sites. All of the one-pagers are available in either .pdf or Microsoft
Word format (if you want to customize them for your own agency’s needs) at www.ca-
ilg.org/onepagers.
ILG is grateful to Citrus Heights Director of Community Development Janet Ruggiero for
suggesting this project and to all the peer reviewers that took part in the process. This effort was
made possible by financial support from the law firm Burke, Williams, and Sorensen, LLP.
_____________________________________________________________________________
League Legislative Briefings Coming Up
The League of California Cities is hosting two briefing sessions in November. Scheduled for
Wednesday, Nov. 28, in Pasadena and Thursday, Nov. 29, in San Jose, these identical briefings
will focus on bills of note to city officials that passed in the previous legislative session.
Tentative session topics will include:
• Implementation of the State Infrastructure Bond Package
• The fate of ACA 8 and pending initiatives—What’s next on eminent domain and
regulatory takings
• Climate Change: ARB Regulations, SB 375 (Steinberg), the attorney general’s lawsuits,
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines: Are your ready for this kind of
“green heat?”
• Growing Pains: Legislation affecting redevelopment, flood control, environmental issues,
housing and land use
• Employee relations and workers compensation
• Sex offender management, gang abatement, and prison overcrowding: local implications
The cost of attendance is $140, which includes a luncheon. Registration and further information is
available at www.cacities.org/events.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Nick Bollman Passes Away
Champion of Civic Engagement and Service Will be Missed
Nick Bollman, founder and former CEO of the California Center for Regional Leadership (CCRL)
passed away at his Florida home on Saturday, Oct. 27. A long-time friend of the League of
California Cities and cities in general, Bollman was only a year into his retirement.
7
Although retired, Bollman had kept active, remaining as an advisor to CCRL and working with the
Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University. A warrior for good
public policy, Bollman was working on climate change issues for Florida in his home office on his
final day.
Plans for a memorial service and legacy fund in Bollman’s name are underway. Further details
will be forthcoming. For more information, contact CCRL through its Web site at
www.calregions.org.
_____________________________________________________________________________
League Telephone System Upgrade Next Week
On Friday, Nov. 9, the League of California Cities will be transitioning to a new telephone system.
While the League will make every attempt to keep interruptions to a minimum, there may be
intermittent telephone service outages on that day. Thanks in advance for your understanding
and flexibility.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee, or Ask League Leg Staff
Visit (and bookmark!) the League’s Legislative Resources Web page
(www.cacities.org/legresources). You’ll find a roster and contact information for the League’s
legislative staff; the online Bill Search program, background materials on lobbying your
legislators, and more.
_____________________________________________________________________________