October 14, 2005
Issue #40-2005
The Legislature is
in recess until
January 4.
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PUBLIC ENTITY RISK INSTITUTE TO HOLD FREE ONLINE SYMPOSIUM Page 2
Harry Armstrong, a 35-year veteran of the
Clovis City Council, past president of the
League and current member of the League
board of directors, was presented with the
2005 Rose Ann Vuich Ethical Leadership
Award at a luncheon on Thursday, October
13, at the Robert A. Schoettler Conference
Center in Fresno. For more, see Page 3.
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HARRY ARMSTRONG HONORED FOR
ETHICAL LEADERSHIP
Delegates to the League of California Cities’ 107th Annual Conference in
San Francisco last week voted to support Proposition 76, the “Live Within Our
Means” measure on the November ballot that is sponsored by Gov.
Schwarzenegger and a number of other groups and individuals. For more,
see Page 3.
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LEAGUE VOTES TO SUPPORT PROPOSITION 76, APPROVES
OTHER RESOLUTIONS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Although the legislative session for 2005 has concluded, a number of
committee hearings will be held throughout October and November on a
variety of critical issues. For more, see Page 4.
THE 2005 LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS OVER –
BUT COMMITTEE HEARINGS CONTINUE!
Harry Armstrong accepts the
2005 Rose Ann Vuich Award.Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 2 - PRIORITY FOCUS
October 14, 2005 - Issue #40
In recent years, fire departments have begun
to employ a more holistic operational approach
aimed at improving community safety while
reducing firefighter injuries. The approach is
known as integrated risk analysis and manage-
ment.
To examine this emerging model for communi-
ties, the Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) will hold
a free online symposium: Fire Department Inte-
grated Risk Analysis and Management. The
symposium will be conducted during the week of
November 7-11. It is the latest in a series of free,
virtual programs from PERI and will be conducted
online and via e-mail.
The program will bring together authors and
experts from the United States and United King-
dom to discuss the integrated risk management
approach. Authors that will be participating include:
• Paul Young, chief fire officer, Devon
County Fire and Rescue Service, United
Kingdom.
• Bob Hart, president, The Innovation
Groups, Tampa, Fla.
• Greg Gammon, deputy chief operations,
Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, Las Vegas,
Nev.
• David Cotton, divisional officer, West
Midlands Fire Service, United Kingdom.
• Terrance Stewart, city manager, City of
Cape Coral, Fla.
• Andrew Strawson, health and safety
executive, Defence, Fire and Police Unit,
London.
• William Jenaway, executive vice president,
VFIS, York, Penn.
• William Pickstone, group manager, Health
and Safety Support, Swinton, United King-
dom
• John Granito, fire service consultant, Penn
Yan, N.Y .
Each day during the program, PERI will
present specially commissioned “Issues and
Ideas Papers” from these authors and which
discuss aspects of the integrated risk manage-
PUBLIC ENTITY RISK INSTITUTE TO HOLD FREE ONLINE SYMPOSIUM
ment approach. You can read the papers at your
convenience, and also make copies to distribute
to colleagues. You can also participate in an online
discussion in PERI’s Symposium Center, ex-
changing ideas, posting comments, and asking
questions about the topic.
Sign Up for the Program At No Charge
The program is free. You can sign up to
receive the daily Issues and Ideas Papers via e-
mail by completing the online Symposium Signup
form found in the Symposium Center of PERI’s
website at www.riskinstitute.org.
You may also go directly to the signup form at
www.marketing.riskinstitute.org/symposiumsignup
The program will be valuable to all local fire
officials, no matter what size jurisdiction, as well
as all elected and appointed officials in a commu-
nity.
A complete description of Fire Department
Integrated Risk Analysis and Management can be
found in the “About PERI Symposium Programs”
page of PERI’s website at www.riskinstitute.org.
Western City magazine’s job opportunity
section is the source for job seekers looking
for positions in local government. According
to our reader survey, the job opportunity
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magazine!
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80,000 hits per month.
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LOOKING FOR CALIFORNIA’S BEST TO
FILL A POSITION IN YOUR CITY?PRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 3 Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org
Oct. 14, 2005 - Issue #40
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ARMSTRONG from page 1
Given to those who exemplify integrity, strength
of character, and ethical behavior, Armstrong’s
service as a member of the Clovis City Council
(including serving four times as mayor), and his
commitment to public involvement in honest
government led to him being selected for the
prestigious award.
“This award recognizes ethical leadership, and
I can’t think of anyone more deserving it than Harry
Armstrong,” said League Executive Director Chris
McKenzie, who attended the ceremony in
Armstrong’s honor. “As the League’s former
president (1983), and as a continuing member of
our board of directors, Harry has proven time and
again his effectiveness as a leader. He is a model
for many who have followed in his footsteps.”
The letters of support for Armstrong attest to
his honesty and integrity. Many letter writers
remembered Harry as one of two council mem-
bers who stood firm against the corrupting influ-
ences during what is known locally as the “Re-
zone” scandal.
“Never did [Harry] blink or stray from his
standards and belief in the process of public
involvement in honest government,” said one
writer. “He showed his strength of character by
standing against these forces.”
The Rose Ann Vuich Ethical Leadership Award
is named after former California State Senator
Rose Ann Vuich, who retired in 1992 and was
renowned for her ethical conduct. The award is
sponsored by The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute of
Public Affairs, The Fresno Business Council and
The Fresno Bee.
For more information, contact the Maddy
Institute at (559) 294-9119, or e-mail Mark Keppler
at mkeppler@csufresno.edu.
RESOLUTIONS from page 1
The 135-124 vote to support Prop. 76 came
during the annual business meeting at the con-
cluding general session of the League’s annual
conference.
The membership’s decision on Prop. 76 was
the culmination of three days of intense discus-
sion during the annual conference. Several
weeks earlier, the League board of directors had
voted to adopt a neutral position on the measure.
The membership vote to support Prop. 76
came as a result of a petition submitted during
the League’s Annual Conference by city officials
who believed that the League should reconsider
its neutral position on the measure. Consistent
with the League bylaws, these city officials
gathered sufficient signatures to place a resolu-
tion before the League conference to support
Prop. 76.
“The League bylaws provide the means for
city officials who disagree with a position to make
their voices heard,” said League Executive
Director Chris McKenzie. “In this instance, they
were able to bring their views to the membership,
and a majority of the delegates voting agreed with
those views.”
At the conference, city delegates also ap-
proved seven other resolutions dealing with such
diverse subjects as green buildings, sexual
predators, water planning principles, U.N. Urban
Environmental Accords, broadband Internet
access, and publication of city council members
addresses in newspapers. One resolution,
related to allocation of Proposition 172 funds,
was referred back to policy committees for study
on a statewide basis. A formal report including
the final text of the resolutions will be sent to
cities within a few weeks.
Those interested in having this information
sooner can find the full text of the approved
resolutions, including Resolution 9, on the
League’s website at www.cacities.org/resolu-
tions. A full recap on the annual conference can
be read at www.cacities.org.
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For more information on this and
other League issues, visit
www.cacities.org.Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 4 - PRIORITY FOCUS
October 14, 2005 - Issue #40
HEARINGS from page 1
The following is a summary on upcoming
committee hearings of note:
Assembly Committee Hearings
October 19: Select Committee on Growth and
Infrastructure – 10 a.m., Concord City Hall, City
Council Hearing Room, 1950 Parkside Drive,
Concord.
This hearing will discuss the state’s challenges
regarding its transportation network, education
facilities, and water resources over the next 20
years.
October 26: Joint Informational Hearing -
Assembly Housing and Community Development
Committee and Assembly Local Government
Committee, Senate Local Government Committee
and Senate Transportation and Housing Commit-
tee – 1 p.m., Weingart City Heights Library, 3795
Fairmount Ave., San Diego.
This hearing will discuss the subject of rede-
velopment and blight.
November 1: Joint Hearing - Governmental
Organization, Veterans Affairs, and Budget Sub-
committee No. 5 on Information Technology/
Transportation – 10 a.m., CSU Dominguez Hills,
1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson.
This is an informational hearing on emergency
response and preparedness.
November 2: Joint Hearing - Governmental
Organization, Veterans Affairs, and Budget Sub-
committee No. 5 on Information Technology/
Transportation – 10 a.m., Hiram Johnson State
Building Auditorium, 455 Golden Gate Ave., San
Francisco.
This is an informational hearing on emergency
response and preparedness.
November 16: Joint Hearing - Governmental
Organization, Veterans Affairs, and Budget Sub-
committee No. 5 on Information Technology/
Transportation – 10 a.m., Board of Supervisors
Chambers, 105 E. Anapamu Street, Fourth Floor,
Santa Barbara.
This is an informational hearing on emergency
response and preparedness.
November 17: Joint Informational Hearing –
Assembly Housing and Community Development
Committee, Assembly Judiciary Committee,
Assembly Local Government Committee, Senate
Local Government Committee, and Senate
Transportation and Housing Committee – 9:30
a.m., John L. Burton Hearing Room (4203),
Sacramento.
The hearing will discuss redevelopment
reforms.
Senate Committee Hearings
October 24: Joint Committee on Emergency
Services and Homeland Security – 9 a.m.,
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Head-
quarters and State Operations Center, Senator
William P. Campbell Emergency Services Build-
ing, 3650 Schriever Ave., Mather.
The topic of this hearing is: “Is California
Prepared for the Big One: Earthquake, Tsunami,
Wildfire, Flood, an Act of Terrorism?”
October 26: Joint Informational Hearing -
Assembly Housing and Community Development
Committee and Assembly Local Government
Committee, Senate Local Government Commit-
tee and Senate Transportation and Housing
Committee – 1 p.m., Weingart City Heights
Library, 3795 Fairmount Ave., San Diego.
This hearing will discuss the subject of rede-
velopment and blight.
October 27: Energy, Utilities and Communi-
cations – 10 a.m., John L. Burton Hearing Room
(4203), Sacramento.
The subject of this hearing will be liquefied
natural gas.
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Continued on Page 5PRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 5 Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org
Oct. 14, 2005 - Issue #40
November 1: Joint Hearing – Subcommittee
on Delta Resources, Transportation and Housing
Committee and Joint Committee on Emergency
Services and Homeland Security – 9 a.m., Room
112, State Capitol, Sacramento.
Levees and emergency preparedness are the
topics of this joint hearing, with the subject of
“Thinking the Unthinkable – Are We Ready for
Major Floods in the Delta?”
November 9: Transportation and Housing –
10 a.m., Moscone Convention Center, San Fran-
cisco.
This is an informational hearing on intelligent
transportation systems (ITS).
November 15: Transportation and Housing
Subcommittee on California Ports and Goods
Movement – 9:30 a.m., Elihu M. Harris State Office
Building, 1515 Clay Street, Oakland.
This informational hearing will discuss goods
movement and assess California’s needs and
consequences for the 21st Century.
November 17: Joint Informational Hearing –
Assembly Housing and Community Development
Committee, Assembly Judiciary Committee,
Assembly Local Government Committee, Senate
Local Government Committee, and Senate Trans-
portation and Housing Committee – 9:30 a.m.,
John L. Burton Hearing Room (4203), Sacra-
mento.
The hearing will discuss redevelopment
reforms.
HEARINGS from page 4
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