July 28, 2006
Issue #30-2006
WANT MORE DETAILS
ON BILLS?
Visit the League of
California Cities
website at
www.cacities.org/
billsearch.
TELECOM IN THE NEWS TELECOM IN THE NEWS TELECOM IN THE NEWS TELECOM IN THE NEWS TELECOM IN THE NEWS
FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF
SECOND ANNUAL ILG LUNCHEON SYMPOSIUM ON SEPTEMBER 7 SECOND ANNUAL ILG LUNCHEON SYMPOSIUM ON SEPTEMBER 7 SECOND ANNUAL ILG LUNCHEON SYMPOSIUM ON SEPTEMBER 7 SECOND ANNUAL ILG LUNCHEON SYMPOSIUM ON SEPTEMBER 7 SECOND ANNUAL ILG LUNCHEON SYMPOSIUM ON SEPTEMBER 7
ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AT THE ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AT THE ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AT THE ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AT THE ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AT THE
ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP STAFF MEDIA ROOM CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP STAFF MEDIA ROOM CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP STAFF MEDIA ROOM CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP STAFF MEDIA ROOM CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP STAFF MEDIA ROOM
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Congress adjourns on Friday, July 28, for a month-long August recess,
having taken no further action on the telecommunications reform legislation
passed on June 28 by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Committee. The text of the measure (the Advanced Telecommunications and
Opportunity Reform-Consumers’ Choice and Broadband Deployment Act of
2006) has yet to be released. For more, see Page 5.
TELECOM UPDATE: CONGRESS ADJOURNS FOR SUMMER RECESS TELECOM UPDATE: CONGRESS ADJOURNS FOR SUMMER RECESS TELECOM UPDATE: CONGRESS ADJOURNS FOR SUMMER RECESS TELECOM UPDATE: CONGRESS ADJOURNS FOR SUMMER RECESS TELECOM UPDATE: CONGRESS ADJOURNS FOR SUMMER RECESS
The California Supreme Court has held for the first time that water service
rates are subject to Proposition 218. While the Court’s ruling only specifically
covered water rates, its reasoning would likely also apply to sewer rates and
garbage collection rates. For more, see Page 3.
IMPORTANT PROPOSITION 218 DECISION ISSUED BY THE IMPORTANT PROPOSITION 218 DECISION ISSUED BY THE IMPORTANT PROPOSITION 218 DECISION ISSUED BY THE IMPORTANT PROPOSITION 218 DECISION ISSUED BY THE IMPORTANT PROPOSITION 218 DECISION ISSUED BY THE
CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT
Page 3 Page 3 Page 3 Page 3 Page 3
PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR THE GOVERNOR’S HIGH PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR THE GOVERNOR’S HIGH PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR THE GOVERNOR’S HIGH PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR THE GOVERNOR’S HIGH PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR THE GOVERNOR’S HIGH
RISK SEX OFFENDER TASK FORCE’S RECOMMENDATIONS RISK SEX OFFENDER TASK FORCE’S RECOMMENDATIONS RISK SEX OFFENDER TASK FORCE’S RECOMMENDATIONS RISK SEX OFFENDER TASK FORCE’S RECOMMENDATIONS RISK SEX OFFENDER TASK FORCE’S RECOMMENDATIONS
A number of public hearings have been scheduled in August to hear
recommendations issued by Gov. Schwarzenegger’s High Risk Sex Offender
Task Force. For more, see Page 2.Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 2 - PRIORITY FOCUS
July 28, 2006 - Issue #30
TELECOM IN THE NEWS TELECOM IN THE NEWS TELECOM IN THE NEWS TELECOM IN THE NEWS TELECOM IN THE NEWS
Net Neutrality Advocates Pressuring Those
Who Voted Against Amendment
A number of organizations are contacting the
11 Republican senators that voted against the net
neutrality amendment to H.R. 5252 to express
their displeasure over the vote. The organizations
are concerned over equal access to the Internet
which may be impeded by the bill if signed into
law.
To read the full article, visit www.cio.com and
search for “Net Neutrality Advocates Pressure
Lawmakers.”
Telecommunications Professor Stands Up for
Net Neutrality
Frustrated that the net neutrality amendment
failed to pass on an 11-11 Senate Commerce
Committee vote earlier this month, a telecommu-
nications professor argues that an Internet without
neutrality would be like letting some consumers
speed along in the fast lane, but the majority stuck
on the “bumper-to-bumper” service lane.
For more, visit www.jsonline.com and search
for “Internet Speed Must Not be Based on
Ability to Pay.”
Visit (and bookmark!) the League’s
Legislative Resources 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.
FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG
COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF
The hearings are scheduled as follows:
• Monday, August 7 - Sacramento, location
and time TBD (North)
• Tuesday, August 8 - Fresno, location and
time TBD (Central Valley)
• Wednesday, August 9 - Orange, location
and time TBD (South)
The High Risk Sex Offender Task Force was
formed pursuant to the Governor’s Executive
Order S-08-06 issued on May 15, to provide
recommendations on the following four issues
relating to high risk sex offenders:
• Notification to local law enforcement and
officials prior to release from a state
correctional institution;
• Placement planning for paroled sex offend-
ers that is compliant with state law, and
consistent with public safety;
• Monitoring and supervision of high risk sex
offenders; and
• Enforcement of all parole requirements
and special conditions of parole.
Task force members include leadership from
the California District Attorneys Association,
California State Sheriffs Association, California
Police Chiefs Association, California State Asso-
ciation of Counties, League of California Cities
(represented by League President Alex Padilla),
Chief Probation Officers of California, California
Division of Adult Parole Operations, California
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
(CDCR), and a victim’s advocate group. The task
force is co-chaired by Assemblymembers Rudy
Bermudez and Todd Spitzer.
For further information relating to the task
force, please contact Kathy Prizmich at
kathy.prizmich@cdcr.ca.gov or (916) 322-1610.
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HEARINGS HEARINGS HEARINGS HEARINGS HEARINGS from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1PRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 3 Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org
July 28, 2006 - Issue #30
Does it sometimes seem that people don’t
understand how many positive things your city
does and the role the city plays in the community’s
quality of life? Do you find that people immediately
default to negative perceptions about government
and those who serve in government?
If so, the Institute for Local Government’s
Second Annual Luncheon Symposium is for you.
To be held on September 7 at the League of
California Cities’ annual conference in San Diego,
the symposium’s main topic will be “How to Talk
About Government,” and is designed to help
effectively communicate about the positive role
government plays in the lives of community mem-
bers. Come hear about the groundbreaking
research being conducted by the Demos Center
for the Public Sector and The FrameWorks Insti-
tute concerning public attitudes about government
and ways to promote trust and confidence among
your constituents.
The symposium will be held from 11:15 a.m. to
12:45 p.m. In addition, for those wanting further
information, there will be a post-symposium
discussion from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. - a great
opportunity for speakers and attendees to share
their insights about effectively communicating
about government.
Cost for the symposium is $40, which covers
lunch. To sign up, check the “ILG Luncheon” box
on your annual conference registration form before
you submit it. For more information, please visit
the Institute for Local Government’s website at
www.ca-ilg.org.
You’re working hard to serve your community
and make it even better. Let’s get the word out.
SECOND ANNUAL ILG LUNCHEON SECOND ANNUAL ILG LUNCHEON SECOND ANNUAL ILG LUNCHEON SECOND ANNUAL ILG LUNCHEON SECOND ANNUAL ILG LUNCHEON
SYMPOSIUM ON SEPTEMBER 7 SYMPOSIUM ON SEPTEMBER 7 SYMPOSIUM ON SEPTEMBER 7 SYMPOSIUM ON SEPTEMBER 7 SYMPOSIUM ON SEPTEMBER 7
Prior to this decision, city attorneys were split
into separate camps – one believing that utility
rates were subject to Prop. 218 and the other
believing they were not. The Supreme Court’s
ruling has resolved that split.
The court further held that water rates could
be the subject of local initiatives to reduce or
repeal the rates. This raises the question as to
whether it would be permissible for the voters to
reduce water rates where the proceeds from
those rates are pledged to bonds or other uses if
the reduced rates would not permit the agency to
meet its obligations to bondholders. This question
will likely be resolved through future litigation.
Another consequence of the Supreme Court’s
decision is that water rates are subject to the
Proposition 218’s majority protest ballot require-
ment. This may cause some concern for agen-
cies that adopted rate increases prior to this
decision without complying with the majority
protest requirement. These agencies may need
to revisit these prior rate increases.
Additionally, the decision raises other issues
that may only be resolved by future litigation. The
League will continue to monitor the fallout from
this case.
The case is Bighorn-Desert View Water
Agency v. Virjil, 2006 WL 2042597. The League
would like to thank Janet Morningstar, Michael
Colantuono with Colantuono & Levin, Daniel
Hentschke, General Counsel for the San Diego
County Water Authority, and Jennifer Henning,
Litigation Counsel for the California State Associa-
tion of Counties (CSAC) for writing the friend-of-
the-court brief on the League’s behalf.
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PROP. 218 PROP. 218 PROP. 218 PROP. 218 PROP. 218 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1
Restore and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy
to enhance the quality of life for all Californians.
Our MissionVisit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 4 - PRIORITY FOCUS
July 28, 2006 - Issue #30
Do you need training to deliver your city’s
message more effectively during media inter-
views? Take advantage of this opportunity for
on-camera media training at the League’s
Annual Conference on September 6-9, in San
Diego.
Your 45-minute training session will include
a short, on-camera interview, where instructors
will ask you questions about issues vital to your
city, critique your “performance” and provide an
opportunity for a follow-up interview. A DVD
copy of your session will be available to take
home for your own personal review.
The training session instructors are noted
public information and media experts from cities
throughout California. After this brief introduc-
tory session, you’ll feel more comfortable with
delivering your city’s important messages in
newspaper, radio and on-camera interviews.
Space is Limited! Register Today! The
League expects a very high demand for these
one-on-one sessions, which are limited to just
six sessions per day on Thursday and Fri-
day, September 7 and 8, and three sessions
on Saturday, September 9. The training will
be held in the League Media Room at the San
Diego Convention Center.
To take advantage of this outstanding oppor-
tunity, which can regularly cost thousands of
dollars, call League staff member Adrienne
Sprenger at (916) 658-8278 to reserve a
training session; or fax all portions of the
attached form to (916) 658-8240.
ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING
AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AT AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AT AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AT AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AT AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AT
THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE For the 17th consecutive year, volunteers
from the California Association of Public Infor-
mation Officials (CAPIO) will help staff the
League’s media room throughout the event. In
addition to the popular on-camera interview
training for conference attendees, volunteers
will coordinate on-site media relations, produce
two daily newsletters and issue “hometown”
news releases to update local media outlets
throughout the state about their respective
representative’s participation in the conference.
CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP
STAFF MEDIA ROOM STAFF MEDIA ROOM STAFF MEDIA ROOM STAFF MEDIA ROOM STAFF MEDIA ROOM
Western City magazine’s job opportu-
nity section is the source for job seek-
ers looking for positions in local gov-
ernment. According to our reader
survey, the job opportunity section is the
best read section of our magazine!
When you place an ad in Western City
magazine, it will be posted at no addi-
tional charge on our website, which
receives over 80,000 hits per month.
Call to place your
recruitment ad today!
We Have What You Need
(800) 262-1801 or visit our website at
www.westerncity.com
Looking for California’s
Best to Fill a Position
in Your City?PRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 5 Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org
July 28, 2006 - Issue #30
TELECOM TELECOM TELECOM TELECOM TELECOM from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1
???????? ?????
The bill has been renumbered H.R. 5252, to
match the number of the House-passed telecom-
munications reform measure. While this may
seem confusing, it is not an uncommon practice
and it is important to remember that two distinct
bills with very different content remain—the
House-passed bill (H.R. 5252) and the Senate
Commerce, Science and Transportation Commit-
tee-approved legislation (formerly S. 2686, now
numbered H.R. 5252).
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has placed a hold
the Senate committee-approved bill based on his
concern with the bill’s treatment of the issue of net
neutrality. The hold signals the senator’s intent to
filibuster the legislation if it should be brought to
the floor, until his concerns with the bill’s net
neutrality provisions are addressed. The Senate
requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and it is
not clear that the measure could rally the 41 votes
necessary to end a filibuster as currently drafted.
The committee-passed bill incorporates 11
titles that address a variety of communications
issues. These issues made it difficult for the
sponsor of the legislation, committee chairman
Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), to find broad support for
the measure among his colleagues.
Sen. Stevens faces a short calendar when
Congress returns in September that may not
provide him with enough time to encourage the
support necessary to pass the measure should it
reach the Senate floor. For an overview of the
Steven’s bill please visit the Telecom page on the
League website (www.cacities.org/telecom) and
search for the story entitled “Federal Telecom
Update: Senate Committee Passes National
Cable Franchise Measure.”
The League continues to work with the na-
tional groups in Washington, D.C., on California
cities’ concerns with the House and Senate
measures. We will have a sample letter of oppo-
sition to H.R. 5252 plus messages to present to
your senators as they return to their districts on
recess in next week’s edition of Priority Focus.
August 4, 2006
Issue #31-2006
WANT MORE DETAILS
ON BILLS?
Visit the League of
California Cities
website at
www.cacities.org/
billsearch.
Need Fiscal Information About Cities? Visit CaliforniaCityFinance.com
State Supreme Court Rules on Agencies’ Responsibility to Mitigate CEQA Impacts
ILG Launches Website ‘Newswire’
Prop. 1C: Critical Investment in California Housing
League, CSAC and RCRC Submit Letter to Water Board on Numeric Limits
Find a Bill, Legislators, Leg Committee - Or Ask Leg Staff
Register Today for On-Camera Media Training at the League’s Annual Conference
CAPIO Volunteers Help Staff Media Room
Director Position Open: Mayors and Council Members Department
Governor’s Office Briefs on Prison Reforms
League Board Acts On November 2006 Ballot Measures
Determining a League Position on a Ballot Measure
League Joins Governor’s Heat Response Task Force
Governor’s High Risk Sex Offender Task Force Seeks Input on Housing and Residency Issues at Public
Hearings
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The State Controller’s Office has announced that Proposition 42 payments
to cities and counties were issued on August 2.
For more, see Page 14.
PROP. 42 REPAYMENTS: FIND YOUR CITY’S PAYMENT PROP. 42 REPAYMENTS: FIND YOUR CITY’S PAYMENT PROP. 42 REPAYMENTS: FIND YOUR CITY’S PAYMENT PROP. 42 REPAYMENTS: FIND YOUR CITY’S PAYMENT PROP. 42 REPAYMENTS: FIND YOUR CITY’S PAYMENT
Over 2,000 attendees from more than 400 California cities are expected to
convene Wednesday, Sept. 6 through Saturday, Sept. 9, at the San Diego
Convention Center, for the League of California Cities’ 107th Annual Confer-
ence. This is the one educational program that brings together elected and
appointed officials, city staff and all departments to serve the grassroots
interests of local municipalities. For more, see Page 12.
2006 LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES ANNUAL 2006 LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES ANNUAL 2006 LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES ANNUAL 2006 LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES ANNUAL 2006 LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES ANNUAL
CONFERENCE - ‘ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL’ CONFERENCE - ‘ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL’ CONFERENCE - ‘ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL’ CONFERENCE - ‘ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL’ CONFERENCE - ‘ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL’
The Legislature reconvenes on August 7 for the final four weeks of the
2005-06 session. As city officials know, this can be a wild and crazy time for
anyone trying to follow legislative affairs. Legislators and lobbyists can get
very creative in these final weeks, as they look for opportunities to push
through their pet proposals. For more, see Page 13.
LEGISLATURE RECONVENES NEXT WEEK: LEGISLATURE RECONVENES NEXT WEEK: LEGISLATURE RECONVENES NEXT WEEK: LEGISLATURE RECONVENES NEXT WEEK: LEGISLATURE RECONVENES NEXT WEEK:
WORK STILL NEEDED ON TWO KEY BILLS WORK STILL NEEDED ON TWO KEY BILLS WORK STILL NEEDED ON TWO KEY BILLS WORK STILL NEEDED ON TWO KEY BILLS WORK STILL NEEDED ON TWO KEY BILLS
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TAKE ACTION:
OPPOSE AB 2987
(Núñez/Levine) –
Cable and video
service.
OPPOSE SB 1206
(Kehoe) – Redevel-
opment.Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 2 - PRIORITY FOCUS
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
The League’s fiscal consultant, Michael
Coleman, maintains a very useful website
(www.californiacityfinance.com) packed with
information about how cities are financed. Recent
updates to the site include the following:
• Revenue Histories of Cities. Updated
with the recently released FY 2003-04 figures from
the State Controller. You’ll find summaries of
general revenues, sales tax, property tax, property
transfer tax, transit occupancy tax (TOT), busi-
ness license tax (BLT), and more. For examples
visit www.californiacityfinance.com.
• Transportation Funding. A new section
with tutorials on the various sources of funding
and “where your gas tax goes,” explanation of the
“spillover,” etc. Also, estimated allocations by city
for Prop. 42, Prop. 1B, etc.
• Votes. Local tax results from the June
2006 election and other recent elections. Also, a
new summary of popular local add-on sales tax
(transactions and use tax) votes that also explains
what this tax is and how it differs from the basic
sales tax - and a piece on countywide Transporta-
tion Sales taxes.
• State Budget. Updated comparisons of
state & local government employment and
finances, Top Myths about cities, the state budget
and links to key documents.
• Coming Soon: Data on police staffing by
city (numbers, per capita, etc.) and spending
histories (police, fire, parks, streets, etc.)
Michael welcomes comments and feedback.
If you would like to provide him input on the site,
you can reach him at coleman@cal.net.
NEED FISCAL INFORMATION NEED FISCAL INFORMATION NEED FISCAL INFORMATION NEED FISCAL INFORMATION NEED FISCAL INFORMATION
ABOUT CITIES? VISIT ABOUT CITIES? VISIT ABOUT CITIES? VISIT ABOUT CITIES? VISIT ABOUT CITIES? VISIT
CALIFORNIACITYFINANCE.COM CALIFORNIACITYFINANCE.COM CALIFORNIACITYFINANCE.COM CALIFORNIACITYFINANCE.COM CALIFORNIACITYFINANCE.COM
The California Supreme Court has held that a
state agency that proposes a project that will have
impacts outside that agency’s jurisdiction must still
identify mitigation measures to address those
impacts.
This case involved the California State Univer-
sity, Monterey Bay, and its expansion plan adopted
in anticipation of increased student enrollment.
The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) certified for
this plan identified environmental impacts on
surrounding public agencies. But the EIR did not
impose mitigation measures to address these
impacts. Instead the CSU Trustees found that (1)
the improvements needed were the responsibility of
other agencies, (2) the Trustees could not legally
contribute to these improvements, and as such,
mitigation was infeasible, and (3) the expansion
had overriding benefits that outweighed any unmiti-
gated environmental impacts.
The Supreme Court disagreed, and held that
the Trustees must identify mitigation measures in
the EIR for environmental impacts outside of its
jurisdiction. Further, the court held that payment of
a pro rata fee to the agency responsible for con-
structing an improvement to mitigate an identified
impact may be an appropriate and feasible mitiga-
tion measure.
The case is City of Marina et al. v. Board of
Trustees of the California State University, 2006 WL
2099943. The League would like to thank Manuela
Albuquerque, City Attorney and Zach Cowan,
Assistant City Attorney for the City of Berkeley for
drafting the friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of
the League.
STATE SUPREME COURT RULES ON STATE SUPREME COURT RULES ON STATE SUPREME COURT RULES ON STATE SUPREME COURT RULES ON STATE SUPREME COURT RULES ON
AGENCIES’ RESPONSIBILITY TO AGENCIES’ RESPONSIBILITY TO AGENCIES’ RESPONSIBILITY TO AGENCIES’ RESPONSIBILITY TO AGENCIES’ RESPONSIBILITY TO
MITIGATE CEQA IMPACTS MITIGATE CEQA IMPACTS MITIGATE CEQA IMPACTS MITIGATE CEQA IMPACTS MITIGATE CEQA IMPACTS
The Institute for Local Government (ILG)
has just launched a new website page that will
make it a lot easier to keep up with new devel-
opments. To check out ILG’s latest activities,
please visit www.ca-ilg.org/newswire by clicking
on this link or pasting the address to your
browser.
ILG LAUNCHES WEBSITE ‘NEWSWIRE’ ILG LAUNCHES WEBSITE ‘NEWSWIRE’ ILG LAUNCHES WEBSITE ‘NEWSWIRE’ ILG LAUNCHES WEBSITE ‘NEWSWIRE’ ILG LAUNCHES WEBSITE ‘NEWSWIRE’PRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 3 Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
PROP. 1C: CRITICAL INVESTMENT IN CALIFORNIA HOUSING PROP. 1C: CRITICAL INVESTMENT IN CALIFORNIA HOUSING PROP. 1C: CRITICAL INVESTMENT IN CALIFORNIA HOUSING PROP. 1C: CRITICAL INVESTMENT IN CALIFORNIA HOUSING PROP. 1C: CRITICAL INVESTMENT IN CALIFORNIA HOUSING
City officials should take notice - California’s best
opportunity to generate new funding for critically
needed housing and related infrastructure is Proposi-
tion 1C, the Housing and Emergency Shelter Act.
The measure was placed on the ballot by the Legis-
lature as part of the infrastructure bond package.
The League strongly supports this bond measure,
along with the other bond measures: Prop. 1 A
(transportation funding protection) Prop. 1B (trans-
portation and air quality), Prop. 1D (school facilities),
Prop. 1E (flood protection), and Prop. 84 (water
quality).
Unfortunately, a Field Poll released last week
showed that while voter support exceeds opposition
for the other bond measures, Prop. 1C, the $2.85
billion housing bond – the smallest of all the infra-
structure bonds — is trailing with only 33 percent
support, versus 42 percent opposed and 25 percent
of voters undecided.
Housing Bond Would Fund City Parks and
Infill Housing Infrastructure Projects
Prop. 1C contains $2.85 billion in funding to
address a range of housing needs, including $1.05
billion that helps cities address housing-related
infrastructure issues:
• Infill Housing Construction - $850 million in
grants for development of public infrastructure
projects that facilitate or support infill housing con-
struction. Projects could include water, sewer and
transportation improvements, traffic mitigation,
brownfield clean up and up to an additional $200
million for parks.
• Urban, Suburban and Rural Parks - $200
million.
Cities also benefit from other funding contained in
Prop. 1C:
• Affordable Home Ownership Programs -
$725 million to help over 23,600 families
become or remain homeowners
• Affordable Housing Construction Pro-
grams - $345 million for affordable rental
housing for more than 4,000 families
• Housing for Farmworkers - $135 million
to build rental and home ownership oppor-
tunities to help farm workers
• Homeless Permanent Housing Con-
struction - $245 million to build permanent
housing for the homeless, those transitioning
out of homelessness and foster care youth
• Homeless Shelter Housing Construc-
tion - $50 million to construct and expand
homeless shelters of last resort and
transitional housing for the homeless
• Transit-Oriented Development - $300
million to develop and construct housing
and infrastructure projects within close
proximity to transit stations
For the Legislative Analyst’s Office summary of
Prop. 1C and all the November 2006 ballot mea-
sures, visit www.lao.ca.gov and click on “Novem-
ber 7, 2006 Ballot Measure Analyses for Public
Display.”
What Cities Can Do
The League urges cities to support all the
infrastructure bonds. But Prop. 1C clearly needs
support. Cities are urged to examine how Prop. 1C
could benefit your city’s efforts to address housing
problems, and educate your community about those
benefits.
The League is unaware of any organized opposi-
tion to Proposition 1C. Individual city officials who
wish to get involved with advocating for the measure
– on their personal time, and using only their per-
sonal (non-city) computer — can learn how they can
help by visiting the campaign website at
www.homes4ca.org. You can contribute to the
campaign, as well as volunteer to speak at local
events, distribute materials, raise money, host a
house party or write a letter to the editor.
Note: This article was produced and distributed using
non-public funds of the League of California Cities. Public
officials are urged to avoid using public funds and equip-
ment in supporting or opposing any ballot measure,
including Prop. 1C.Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 4 - PRIORITY FOCUS
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
Earlier this week, the League, the California
State Association of Counties (CSAC) and the
Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC)
submitted a joint comment to the State Water
Resources Control Board on the recently released
report on how to proceed with the findings of the
Storm Water Panel of Experts (Panel) regarding
the feasibility of establishing numeric effluent limits
in storm water monitoring. The joint letter in-
cluded, among other statements, the following
comments:
1. The Board should adopt a policy which
directs staff and regional boards not to set nu-
meric effluent limits for municipal best manage-
ment practices (BMPs).
We support the panel’s overall finding that it is
not feasible at this time to set enforceable numeric
effluent criteria for municipal BMPs. We would ask
that the Water Board adopt a policy directing staff
and the regional boards to refrain from setting
numeric effluent limits for municipal discharges
until additional monitoring and research enables
the Water Board to adopt additional policy on the
application of numeric effluent criteria to municipal
BMPs.
2. If numeric effluent limits are implemented in
future permits, the Water Board must address the
enforcement role of local agencies and subse-
quent costs. We agree with the observations of the
panel regarding the ability of municipal agencies to
enforce of numeric limits. The panel’s report
states:
· “Since the storm-to-storm variation at any
outfall can be high, it may be unreasonable to
expect all events to be below a numeric value. In
a similar circumstance, there are a number of
storms each year that are sufficiently large in
volume and/or intensity, to exceed the design
capacity volume or flow rates of most BMPs.
(Page 6) The panel acknowledged that several to
more times each year, the runoff volume or flow
rate from a storm will exceed the design volume or
rate capacity of the BMP. Stormwater agencies
should not be held accountable for pollutant
removal from storms beyond the size for
which a BMP is designed.” (Page 10) [ Empha-
sis added]
· “Monitoring for the enforcement of nu-
meric effluent limits would also be challenging.
While spot checks could be made at some of the
many outfalls in an areas, there is wide variation
in stormwater quality from place to place, facility
to facility, and storm to storm.” (Page 6)
As MS4 permit holders, we are concerned
that many local governments will be expected to
enforce numeric effluent limits if the Water Board
implements them as statewide policy. Currently,
municipal permittees are responsible for monitor-
ing, inspecting, and enforcement of industrial and
construction facilities that discharge to MS4s.
While it is reasonable and plausible for municipali-
ties to enforce BMP requirements, the prospect of
enforcing numeric effluent limit requirements is
complex, uncertain, and even if possible, will
greatly increase our program costs. Any such
cost increases will constitute an unfunded man-
date, and must be addressed by the Water Board
before making any statewide policy decisions on
the use of numeric effluent limits.”
The Water Board is accepting comments until
September 1. A copy of the League-CSAC-
RCRC letter is posted on the League’s website on
the Environmental Quality Issues page.
LEAGUE, CSAC AND RCRC SUBMIT LETTER TO WATER BOARD ON NUMERIC LIMITS LEAGUE, CSAC AND RCRC SUBMIT LETTER TO WATER BOARD ON NUMERIC LIMITS LEAGUE, CSAC AND RCRC SUBMIT LETTER TO WATER BOARD ON NUMERIC LIMITS LEAGUE, CSAC AND RCRC SUBMIT LETTER TO WATER BOARD ON NUMERIC LIMITS LEAGUE, CSAC AND RCRC SUBMIT LETTER TO WATER BOARD ON NUMERIC LIMITS
Visit (and bookmark!) the League’s
Legislative Resources 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.
FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG FIND A BILL, LEGISLATORS, LEG
COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFF COMMITTEE - OR ASK LEG STAFFPRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 5 Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
Do you need training to deliver your city’s
message more effectively during media interviews?
Take advantage of this free opportunity for on-
camera media training at the League’s Annual
Conference on September 6-9, in San Diego.
Your 45-minute training session will include a
short, on-camera interview, where instructors will
ask you questions about issues vital to your city,
critique your “performance” and provide an oppor-
tunity for a follow-up interview. A DVD copy of your
session will be available to take home for your own
personal review.
The training session instructors are noted
public information and media experts from cities
throughout California. After this brief introductory
session, you’ll feel more comfortable with delivering
your city’s important messages in newspaper, radio
and on-camera interviews.
Space is Limited! Register Today! The
League expects a very high demand for these
one-on-one sessions, which are limited to just
six sessions per day on Thursday and Friday,
September 7 and 8, and three sessions on Satur-
day, September 9. The training will be held in
the League Media Room at the San Diego
Convention Center, which is convenient to all
conference sessions.
To take advantage of this outstanding
opportunity, which can regularly cost thou-
sands of dollars, call League staff member
Adrienne Sprenger at (916) 658-8278 to reserve a
training session; or fax all portions of the attached
form to (916) 658-8240.
ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING ON-CAMERA MEDIA TRAINING
AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS AVAILABLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS
AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
For the 17th consecutive year, volunteers from the California Association of Public Information
Officials (CAPIO) will help staff the League’s media room throughout the event. In addition to the
popular on-camera interview training for conference attendees, volunteers will coordinate on-site
media relations, produce two daily newsletters and issue “hometown” news releases to update
local media outlets throughout the state about their respective representative’s participation in the
conference.
CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP STAFF MEDIA ROOM CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP STAFF MEDIA ROOM CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP STAFF MEDIA ROOM CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP STAFF MEDIA ROOM CAPIO VOLUNTEERS HELP STAFF MEDIA ROOM
Reservations will be accepted on a paid
first-come, first-served basis. Please note
that, while there is no charge for the training,
in an attempt to address the problem of “no-
shows”, there is a $20 charge, refundable as a
$20 CityBooks coupon for those who attend
the training. No refunds or coupons will be
issued for “no shows.”
On-Camera Interview Training Session
Times
Thursday, September 7 and Friday,
September 8
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
10 a.m. –10:45 a.m.
11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
1 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
2 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Saturday, September 9
8 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
*If you get voicemail when making a reser
vation please:
1. Leave a message with your two pre-
ferred time slots.
2. Tell in some detail about an important
issue facing your city so that we can
prepare interview questions that are
tailored to your community.
3. Leave your complete contact info
including cell phone.
REGISTER TODAY FOR ON-CAMERA REGISTER TODAY FOR ON-CAMERA REGISTER TODAY FOR ON-CAMERA REGISTER TODAY FOR ON-CAMERA REGISTER TODAY FOR ON-CAMERA
MEDIA TRAINING AT THE LEAGUE’S MEDIA TRAINING AT THE LEAGUE’S MEDIA TRAINING AT THE LEAGUE’S MEDIA TRAINING AT THE LEAGUE’S MEDIA TRAINING AT THE LEAGUE’S
ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCEVisit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 6 - PRIORITY FOCUS
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
The League’s Mayors and Council Members
Department is accepting applications to fill its seat
on the League board of directors. The position is
a two-year term, and the person holding this
position will be expected to participate at all meet-
ings of the League board (four per year) as well as
occasional board conference calls and informa-
tional sessions.
Officers are elected each year at the Depart-
ment Business Meeting that is held at the League’s
Annual Conference. This year, the Department
Business Meeting on Thursday, September 7
from 12:45 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Qualifications
The Nominating Committee will use the follow-
ing information as a basis for selection:
• The individual’s professional reputation;
• The individual’s perspective on city
service;
• The individual’s contribution to ethnic and
gender diversity of the department
officers;
• Whether the individual has demonstrated
a commitment to serving and strengtheni-
ng the Department;
• Whether the individual is in the position to
provide energetic leadership;
• The individual’s depth of knowledge of and
experience with city government;
• The individual’s involvement in intergov-
ernmental activities.
Role and Responsibility and Term of Office
The State League Director serves a term of
two years and shall represent the Department on
the board of directors of the League. The State
League Director shall keep the Department mem-
bership informed of League Board activities and
serve as a liaison between the Department and the
League board. In addition, the individual is a part
of the leadership team of the Department and is
involved in supporting the goals and work program
of the Department. It is common to have other
duties assigned to this position that are part of the
Department’s work plans for the year.
DIRECTOR POSITION OPEN: MAYORS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR POSITION OPEN: MAYORS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR POSITION OPEN: MAYORS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR POSITION OPEN: MAYORS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR POSITION OPEN: MAYORS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS DEPARTMENT
The Process of Selection
All applications must be received in the League
Offices by Friday August 25. Please Direct all
applications to Robb Korinke at
rkorinke@cacities.org, or by fax to Robb’s attention
at (916) 658-8240. If you have questions or would
like to confirm receipt of your application, please
contact Robb at (916) 658-8258.
Nominations for this vacancy will also be open
from the floor of the Department Business Meeting.
New partnerships with local agencies on
prisoner re-entry programs could be a key compo-
nent of reform proposals unveiled by the
Schwarzenegger administration in an August 3
briefing.
The briefing was hosted by the Governor’s
office to explain his objectives for the legislative
special session he has called to address the
urgent issues of recidivism and overcrowding in
California’s adult prisons and juvenile facilities.
The League attended the briefing to learn more
about the state’s plan for our overcrowded prison
system.
California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation (CDCR) Acting Secretary James
Tilton led the briefing and outlined the state’s
Inmate Population, Rehabilitation, and Housing
Management Plan:
• Moving non-violent female offenders to
secure community-based correctional
facilities;
• Creating secure parole re-entry facilities;
• Building two new prisons and improving
prison infrastructure; and,
• Streamlining the state’s procurement
process for these projects.
???????????????????? ? Continued on Page 7
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE BRIEFS ON GOVERNOR’S OFFICE BRIEFS ON GOVERNOR’S OFFICE BRIEFS ON GOVERNOR’S OFFICE BRIEFS ON GOVERNOR’S OFFICE BRIEFS ON
PRISON REFORMS PRISON REFORMS PRISON REFORMS PRISON REFORMS PRISON REFORMSPRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 7 Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
Secretary Tilton stated that our corrections
system is facing a severe crisis. Based on
California’s current population and projected
growth, the CDCR will run out of beds for its adult
male population by June 2007. Based on these
projections, the state will need to increase the
adult male capacity by more than 50,000 beds,
with associated program space, by 2021 in order
to accommodate the expected population.
Re-entry Facilities, a Role for Cities?
Of particular interest to local governments in
the corrections management plan is the idea of re-
entry program facilities. These facilities would
provide a combined 5,000 beds for parole violators
and inmates who are within 90 days of being
paroled. To make this initiative a success, the
state envisions new partnerships with local gov-
ernment, new secure re-entry facilities and en-
hanced services, all necessary for program
success.
In particular, CDCR is interested in partnering
with cities and counties to identify sites where
these facilities could be built and managed by the
state. Potential benefits of these facilities include:
• Improved parole and local law enforcement
information on parolees, and providing
parole agents new and better risk and
needs assessment tools for better place-
ment decisions.
• Creating new Police and Parole Agent
Teams. Additional parole agents will team
with local law enforcement. Together these
teams will increase the intensity and quality
of supervision of parolees. They will target
serious parole offenders for revocation and
prosecution. Parolees at serious risk of re-
offending will be targeted for placement in
these Community-Based Parole Re-entry
Facilities.
• Improved delivery and quality of inmate/
parolee programs. A mix of programs will
be designed to meet the unique needs of
inmates and parolees returning to a
particular community. These programs
will be evidence-based, and tailored to the
specific problems inmates/parolees must
surmount.
• Secure community re-entry beds for
inmates/parolees in the selected target
area. To bolster re-entry success, in-
mates and revoked parolees will spend the
last few months of their term in close
proximity to their home. Housing is antici-
pated to be cells with double occupancy.
The facility will provide 24-hour supervi-
sion, and not allow in or out privileges. The
building will contain a secure perimeter,
and adequate space for mandatory pro
gramming. These facilities will be operated
by CDCR, and will be designed to be
aesthetically complimentary to the sur-
rounding area.
According to CDCR, the purpose of the re-
entry facilities is to break California’s entrenched
cycle of parolee failure. The desired outcome is
to reduce post-release criminal behavior of high
risk offenders by returning parolees to their county
of last legal residence, and to scale back the
failure rate of at-risk parolees revoked with no new
prison term.
Next Steps
The special session is scheduled to begin
August 7, the same day the Legislature recon-
venes from summer recess. The Legislature is
scheduled to adjourn August 31, leaving only a few
weeks to act on the seven measures the
Governor’s office has stated will make up the
prison reform package. In addition, the Governor’s
office hopes that the bills will be heard in a special
conference committee to expedite their approval
and avoid hold-ups in standing legislative commit-
tees.
To access the complete corrections reform
management plan, please visit: www.cdcr.ca.gov/
Communications/specialSession.
PRISON REFORMS PRISON REFORMS PRISON REFORMS PRISON REFORMS PRISON REFORMS from page 6 from page 6 from page 6 from page 6 from page 6
?????????????????????? ?????????????????Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 8 - PRIORITY FOCUS
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
The November 2006 statewide ballot will
include 13 measures, unless the Legislature
places additional measures on the ballot before it
adjourns at the end of August.
There are measures dealing with redistricting
and possibly term limits are pending in the Legis-
lature, but it is unclear at this point whether they
both will move forward in time to appear on the
ballot.
The following identifies actions taken by the
League board of directors on November ballot
measures. (See also, “Determining a League
Position on a Ballot Measure.”)
I. November 2006 Ballot Measures for
Which the League Has Already Adopted A
Position
Proposition 1A – Transportation Invest-
ment Fund. Makes it more difficult for the Legis-
lature to suspend Proposition 42, related to sales-
tax revenue funding for transportation purposes.
League Position: Support (existing League
position)
Proposition 1B – Highway Safety, Traffic
Reduction, Air Quality, Port Security Bond Act
of 2006. $19.9 billion bond to pay for road repairs
and expansions, repair bridges, expand public
transportation and improve port security. League
Position: Support (existing League position)
Proposition 1C – Housing and Emergency
Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2006. $2.85 billion
housing bond. League Position: Support
(existing League position)
Proposition 1D – Education Facilities.
Kindergarten-University Public Education
Facilities Bond Act of 2006. $10.4 billion bond
for school and university construction. League
Position: Support (existing League position)
Proposition 1E – Disaster Preparedness
and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2006. $4.09
billion bond to repair levees and flood control
infrastructure. League Position: Support
(existing League position)
Proposition 90 – Government Acquisition,
Regulation of Private Property. Restricts and
prohibits state and local government use of
eminent domain. League Position: Oppose
(existing League position)
II. November 2006 Ballot Measures for
Which the League Does Not Yet Have A Posi-
tion
Proposition 83 – Sex Offenders, Sexually
Violent Predators. Punishment, Residence
Restrictions and Monitoring. Board Action:
Refer to Public Safety Policy Committee for
review and recommendation to League Board for
consideration at its September meeting.
Proposition 84 – Water Quality, Safety and
Supply. Flood Control. Natural Resource
Protection. Park Improvements. Initiative
Statute. League Position: Support, based
upon historic practice of the League to support
resource, water and parks bond measures.
Additionally, Proposition 84 includes funding for
several water infrastructure programs recom-
mended by the League’s Infrastructure Task Force
endorsed by the League Board.
Proposition 85 – Waiting Period and Paren-
tal Notification Before Termination of Minor’s
Pregnancy. Initiative Constitutional Amend-
ment. League Position: No position, consistent
with the League’s previous position on a similar
measure.
Proposition 86 – Tax on Cigarettes. Initia-
tive Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
League Position: Support, consistent with past
League positions on previous tobacco and ciga-
rette tax measures that support health, public
education programs and tobacco related pro-
grams.
LEAGUE BOARD ACTS ON NOVEMBER 2006 BALLOT MEASURES LEAGUE BOARD ACTS ON NOVEMBER 2006 BALLOT MEASURES LEAGUE BOARD ACTS ON NOVEMBER 2006 BALLOT MEASURES LEAGUE BOARD ACTS ON NOVEMBER 2006 BALLOT MEASURES LEAGUE BOARD ACTS ON NOVEMBER 2006 BALLOT MEASURES
Continued on Page 9PRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 9 Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
Proposition 87 – Alternative Energy. Re-
search, Production, Incentives. Tax on Cali-
fornia Oil. Initiative Constitutional Amendment
and Statute. League Position: No position.
There may be cities on both sides of Proposition
87. The League should devote its limited re-
sources to the high priority issues on the Novem-
ber 2006 ballot.
Proposition 88 – Education Funding. Real
Property Parcel Tax. Initiative Constitutional
Amendment and Statute. League Position: No
position. This measure has no direct, compelling
city impact.
Proposition 89 – Political Campaigns.
Public Financing. Corporate Tax Increase.
Contributions and Expenditure Limits. Initia-
tive Statute. Board Action: Refer to a subcom-
mittee appointed by the League President to
review the initiative, how it may relate to the
League and to make a recommendation on a
League position on Proposition 89. The recom-
mendation will be considered by the Board at its
meeting at the Annual Conference.
III. Potential Ballot Measure on Redistrict-
ing and/or Term Limits
Summary: The Legislature is currently con-
sidering legislation to modify how California
undertakes redistricting. There is also a possibility
that agreement on modifications to term limits
could also reached, either as part of the redistrict-
ing proposal or as a separate measure. If agree-
ment is reached in time, the Legislature would
place one or both items on the November 2006
ballot. Board Action: Refer to Administrative
Services Policy Committee, if an additional ballot
measure to address redistricting and/or term
limits does pass the Legislature in time to be
placed on the November 2006 ballot.
? ? ????????
2006 BALLOT 2006 BALLOT 2006 BALLOT 2006 BALLOT 2006 BALLOT from page 8 from page 8 from page 8 from page 8 from page 8
When and how does the League board of
directors decide to take a position on a ballot
measure? Here are the criteria the League
board used when it considered this question
for the November 2006 ballot.
• For those measures which do not have
a direct or compelling municipal interest, the
League should take no position;
• For those measures for which we have
existing policy, have supported, or opposed, or
taken no position on similar past measures,
the League should adopt a position consistent
with existing policy or past positions;
• For those measures which have a
municipal impact and for which the League
has no existing policy, those measures should
be referred to the appropriate policy
committee(s) for consideration and recom-
mendation back to the board at its Annual
Conference meeting;
• Consistent with the Board policy
originally adopted in 1953 and confirmed at its
May meeting, the League should “…take
action only on matters that are of broad mu-
nicipal interest [emphasis in original]. In other
words, it is preferable that the League act only
on those matters that are of concern to a large
number of cities, rather than to the cities of a
given area or to an individual city. Similarly, it
is unsound for the League to take an active
position on a subject when the cities in the
state are about equally divided on each side of
the issue. It has been the attitude of the board
to attempt to resolve these issues so that a
large majority of cities are on one side or the
other”;
• The League should focus its attention
on high priority issues which have significant
impacts on cities and the League.
DETERMINING A LEAGUE POSITION DETERMINING A LEAGUE POSITION DETERMINING A LEAGUE POSITION DETERMINING A LEAGUE POSITION DETERMINING A LEAGUE POSITION
ON A BALLOT MEASURE ON A BALLOT MEASURE ON A BALLOT MEASURE ON A BALLOT MEASURE ON A BALLOT MEASUREVisit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 10 - PRIORITY FOCUS
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
Beware – it is going to get hot again – and
that’s the real heat, not the metaphor for what
happens when the Legislature returns August 7 for
its month-long sprint to adjournment. According to
weather experts, another heat emergency is
anticipated to hit California in ten days to two
weeks.
This week the Governor formed a special task
force to assist the state better respond to future
heat emergencies. The League will be a member
of the task force. Other governmental participants
include: California State Association of Counties,
County Welfare Directors Association of Califor-
nia, California Conference of Local Health Offic-
ers, County Health Executives Association of
California, Regional Council of Rural Counties,
California Association of Public Authorities, Urban
Counties Caucus, American Red Cross, Califor-
nia State Sheriffs’ Association California, Police
Chiefs Association and California Fire Chiefs
Association.
The task force will be co-chaired by the State
Office of Emergency Services and the Health and
Human Services Agency, and will include repre-
sentatives from the following state agencies:
Labor, Food and Ag, Resources, State and Con-
sumer Services and the Governor’s Office. The
Heat Response Task Force held its first meeting
Friday morning, August 4, in the Governor’s
conference room.
Group Prepares for Next Heat Wave.
Earlier this week, Governor’s office convened a
meeting of key state agency representatives and
local government representatives to discuss how
to best respond to the next heat emergency. Not
only was the meeting a good opportunity to evalu-
ate the response to the last emergency, but to
learn from mistakes and successes so that the
response the next heat emergency will be better.
While state, local and other agencies have
excellent protocols in place to respond to flood,
fire, earthquake and other “typical” emergencies,
planning for and responding to a heat emergency
LEAGUE JOINS GOVERNOR’S HEAT RESPONSE TASK FORCE LEAGUE JOINS GOVERNOR’S HEAT RESPONSE TASK FORCE LEAGUE JOINS GOVERNOR’S HEAT RESPONSE TASK FORCE LEAGUE JOINS GOVERNOR’S HEAT RESPONSE TASK FORCE LEAGUE JOINS GOVERNOR’S HEAT RESPONSE TASK FORCE
is different. While one may know that tempera-
tures will rise above 100 degrees, it is difficult to
gauge the how long the high temperatures will last,
making it difficult to determine whether to contact
at-risk residents or open cooling centers.
During the last month’s heat emergency,
California’s electricity grid generally was in good
shape, with sufficient power available to meet the
high demand for air conditioning. However, be-
cause the system was operating at such usually
high levels, some components failed, resulting in
localized power outages.
The League will work closely with the Adminis-
tration to ensure that exchange of information
between cities and appropriate state agencies or
other organizations runs smoothly. In the next few
days, we will send an email request to cities to
provide information on the availability of cooling
centers to be added to the list of such centers
maintained by the State Office of Emergency
Services and county OES offices.
What Cities Can Do. Cities are encouraged
to take the following steps to be prepared for the
next heat emergency.
1. Be ready to implement energy conservation
strategies in city facilities to reduce the strain on
the state’s electricity grid, if an energy alert is
given.
2. Know where cooling centers are located in
your city – either those operated by the city, the
county, non-profit or community based organiza-
tions, or state agencies.
3. Make sure your police and fire departments
and other public safety personnel have established
a protocol for heat emergencies, including close
coordination with the County OES system.
4. Identify one or two points of contact within
your city to receive and disseminate weather and
utility status information.
Continued on Page 11PRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 11 Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
5. Make sure your city works closely with
your electric utility to exchange information the
status of the grid and the status of ongoing power
outages, should one occur in your city.
More information about responding to a heat
emergency is available on the Office of Emer-
gency Services website at www.oes.ca.gov.
HEAT HEAT HEAT HEAT HEAT from page 10 from page 10 from page 10 from page 10 from page 10
? ??????????????????????
A number of public hearings have been sched-
uled by the Governor’s High Risk Sex Offender
Task Force for next week. The task force mem-
bers are looking for public input on housing and
residency issues relating to high risk sex offenders
(HRSOs).
It is strongly encouraged that city officials
attend these meetings, as the task force is particu-
larly interested in the local perspective on housing
and residency of high risk sex offenders and need
the input from cities. Each public comment will be
limited to a maximum of three minutes, and must
also be submitted in writing.
The hearings are scheduled as follows:
North
Monday, August 7, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
State Capitol, Room 437
Sacramento, CA
Central Valley
Tuesday, August 8, 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Board of Supervisors
Hall of Records
2281 Tulare Street, Room 301
Fresno, CA
South
Wednesday, August 9, 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Rancho Santiago Community College District
Board Hearing Room
2323 N. Broadway
Santa Ana, CA
The High Risk Sex Offender Task Force was
formed pursuant to the Governor’s Executive
Order S-08-06 issued on May 15, to provide
recommendations on the following four issues
relating to high risk sex offenders:
• Notification to local law enforcement and
officials prior to release from a state correctional
institution;
• Placement planning for paroled sex offend-
ers that is compliant with state law, and consis-
tent with public safety;
• Monitoring and supervision of high risk sex
offenders; and
• Enforcement of all parole requirements
and special conditions of parole.
Task force members include leadership from
the California District Attorneys Association,
California State Sheriffs Association, California
Police Chiefs Association, California State Asso-
ciation of Counties, League of California Cities
(represented by League President Alex Padilla),
Chief Probation Officers of California, California
Division of Adult Parole Operations, California
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
(CDCR), and a victim’s advocate group. The task
force is co-chaired by Assemblymembers Rudy
Bermudez and Todd Spitzer.
For further information relating to the task
force, please contact Kathy Prizmich at
kathy.prizmich@cdcr.ca.gov or (916) 322-1610.
GOVERNOR’S HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDER TASK FORCE SEEKS INPUT ON HOUSING GOVERNOR’S HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDER TASK FORCE SEEKS INPUT ON HOUSING GOVERNOR’S HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDER TASK FORCE SEEKS INPUT ON HOUSING GOVERNOR’S HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDER TASK FORCE SEEKS INPUT ON HOUSING GOVERNOR’S HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDER TASK FORCE SEEKS INPUT ON HOUSING
AND RESIDENCY ISSUES AT PUBLIC HEARINGS AND RESIDENCY ISSUES AT PUBLIC HEARINGS AND RESIDENCY ISSUES AT PUBLIC HEARINGS AND RESIDENCY ISSUES AT PUBLIC HEARINGS AND RESIDENCY ISSUES AT PUBLIC HEARINGS
Restore and protect local control for cities
through education and advocacy to enhance
the quality of life for all Californians.
Our MissionVisit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 12 - PRIORITY FOCUS
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
This year’s theme, “All Politics Is Local,”
speaks to the continued need for city officials to
get involved and work together toward our com-
mon goals. Each annual conference is a special
combination of training, dialogue and networking
events.
Speakers and Highlights
The daily General Sessions present League
achievements during the past year and update
attendees on important issues and legislation that
will directly affect cities. The keynote address
during each General Session motivates and
inspires collaborative work and a strong service
ethic. This year’s keynote speakers bring an
interesting mix of stimulating perspectives to the
conference:
Kevin Carroll, author of Rules of the Red
Rubber Ball: Find and Sustain Your Life’s Work,
who will present the opening day keynote on
Wednesday, Sept. 6, titled, “Rediscovering Play:
Bringing Fun and Passion to Your Work.” With
simple yet delightful storytelling, Carroll explains
how he channels his childhood passion for sport
and play into a universally appealing blueprint for
life and work. He says, “Everybody has to find that
one thing that gets you excited about a new day.”
John Avlon, the keynote speaker on Thursday,
Sept. 7, is a former speechwriter for Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani, and the author of Independent
Nation: How the Vital Center is Changing Ameri-
can Politics. Avlon has received rave reviews at
several other state municipal league conferences
and is looking forward to visiting California, his
favorite state.
We hope that the closing General Session on
Friday, Sept. 8, will include our state’s gubernato-
rial candidates and other key legislative highlights.
New Formats. Select from more than 60
breakout sessions to inform, instruct and enhance
your ability to perform your civic duties. New
learning formats will be offered this year, including
open discussion forums to engage audience
participation and sharing, as well as a new Exhibi-
tor Speaker Theater on the Expo trade show floor,
where attendees can browse new products and
services provided by 250 exhibitors.
Networking Opportunities. A great selection
of networking events is included. The Institute for
Local Government will again offer an optional,
ticketed “lunch and learn” symposium (see “How
to Talk about Government,” page 13). This year,
San Diego will offer a Host City Crawl reception
through the Gaslamp area for paid registrants on
Thursday, Sept. 7, prior to a new CitiPac gala
fundraiser later that evening. On Friday, Sept. 8,
many divisions will offer optional breakfast meet-
ings, in addition to special caucus and League
Partner events scheduled for that evening.
Host City Reception. Join us for a memo-
rable time in San Diego and for a special Host City
Reception Gaslamp Crawl on Thursday, Septem-
ber 7. Our Host City Committee has worked very
hard to coordinate six venues along the streets in
the Gaslamp area to exclusively host our League
attendees.
How to Register. The advance registration
deadline closes on Friday, August 11. After that
date, please register onsite at the San Diego
Convention Center. Be sure to register online at
www.cacities.org/events to receive a $20
CityBooks coupon to use onsite.
Registration Costs: City Officials, Full
Conference $435 or One Day $250
Please note: Spouse/Guest, $100 - Badge
required for all events, receptions and sessions.
This registration may not be done online. Please
print a separate registration form at the link above.
Please call our Registrar with any ques-
tions at (916) 658-8291. Register now!
? ? ? ???????????????????????????????????????? CONFERENCE CONFERENCE CONFERENCE CONFERENCE CONFERENCE from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1PRIORITY FOCUS - PAGE 13 Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org
August 4, 2006 - Issue #31
Back burner issues can suddenly heat up to a
full boil. Others that looked like top priorities can
fizzle away, as the elements of a deal sputter and
die.
It is a time for city officials to stay alert: stay
connected with your League regional representa-
tives, and watch for League alerts. Your quick
response may make the difference in the out-
come of bills that take on great importance for
cities.
AB 2987 (Núñez/Levine) and SB 1206
(Kehoe)
There are two important measures that the
League still opposes. The League and city
officials have been working many months to
amend these bills to address local concerns.
Unfortunately, we expect that when we see the
amended bills in print on August 7 (and in subse-
quent amendments) our opposition will continue.
AB 2987 (Núñez/Levine) – Cable and video
service. This bill would create a new statewide
franchise for cable and video service providers,
issued by the California Public Utilities Commis-
sion. It presents many concerns for communities
and cities, including concerns about access to
services, customer protections, preserving local
public, education and government (“PEG”) chan-
nels, protecting local franchise fees, cable com-
panies’ ability to abrogate existing franchise
agreements and other issues.
Amendments taken in the June 27 hearing
Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications
Committee are expected to be in print by August
7. These amendments are expected to address
some, but not all of the many concerns that the
League and our partners in the Technology Equal-
ity Coalition (TEC) have raised with the bill.
Additional amendments are expected to the bill
prior to its August 14 hearing in the Senate Appro-
priations Committee.
We do not know if these amendments will
incorporate recommendations from the
League or TEC concerns. A key League recom-
mendation is that the bill establish a statewide
template for cable and video franchising, but that
the franchise is issued locally.
SB 1206 (Kehoe) – Redevelopment. The
League and the California Redevelopment Asso-
ciation have been working with Sen. Kehoe for
many months to identify amendments to this
measure, which purports to address concerns
with eminent domain raised by the last year’s U.S.
Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New
London. The key concern raised that by decision
was that homeowners could see their property
transferred to another private party as part of an
economic development project.
Amendments were taken in the Assembly
Housing and Community Development Committee
that improved the bill, to which Senator Kehoe
agreed. While these changes go a way toward
making the provisions of the bill more workable,
several provisions remain that will make it more
difficult to use redevelopment to clean up blighted
areas. Most specifically are provisions that deal
with the finding of blight itself, which will become
more difficult under the provisions of the bill.
Although there remains a mood in the Legisla-
ture to do “something” in the response to the Kelo
decision, the League is reminding the Legislature
that several other bills are moving that address the
issue. These include AB 773 (Mullin), AB 782
(Mullin), AB 1893 (Salinas), AB 2922 (Jones), SB
53 (Kehoe), SB 1210 (Torlakson), SB 1650
(Kehoe), and SB 1809 (Machado).
SB 1206, however, includes provisions that
would significantly undermine the use of redevel-
opment to improve blighted areas. It will be in
amended for on August 7, but new and more
troublesome amendments are expected to be
made to by August 10. These include amend-
ments to the definition of “blight”, a limitation of the
ability of redevelopment agencies to incur debt
after 20 years, a requirement that blight findings be
supported by “clear and convincing evidence,” and
LEGISLATURE LEGISLATURE LEGISLATURE LEGISLATURE LEGISLATURE from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 ?????????????????????????? ?????????????????
Continued on Page 14Visit the League’s Official Website--www.cacities.org PAGE 14 - PRIORITY FOCUS
June 16, 2006 - Issue #24
????? ????
The payments are being provided to reimburse
cities and counties for local Proposition 42 trans-
portation funds that were borrowed by the state in
FY 2003-04 and FY 2004-05. Cities and counties
use these funds to pay for street and road mainte-
nance projects.
The State Controller’s Office recently finalized
the repayment amounts (including interest) to cities
and counties.
To find your city’s final amount, please visit
www.californiacityfinance.com (under the column
entitled “FY 2006-07,” subheading “Repay &
Interest”).
Please note that cities and counties will be
receiving two separate checks: one for FY 2003-04
and the subsequent check for FY 2004-05.
LEGISLATURE LEGISLATURE LEGISLATURE LEGISLATURE LEGISLATURE from page 13 from page 13 from page 13 from page 13 from page 13
PROP. 42 PROP. 42 PROP. 42 PROP. 42 PROP. 42 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1 from page 1
?????? ??????????????????
that each cited reason for blight be worse in the
proposed redevelopment area than anywhere
else in the jurisdiction.
What Cities Can Do
The League urges cities to look for the
amendments to both AB 2987 and SB 1206 when
the bills are in print on August 7, and for the
additional amendments that will appear in a few
days. The League will post its new letters of
opposition on both bills on their respective
webpages of the League’s bill tracking service
(www.cacities.org/billsearch). We will also post
sample letters that cities can download and send
on city letterhead early next week on our online
Advocacy Center (www.cacities.org/
advocacycenter).
Note about online advocacy tools. The
League’s Advocacy Center does allow users to
send their letters to legislators online – but we
recommend that you download the sample letter
and use your city letterhead. Fax the letter, or
(time permitting) send the letter via “snail mail.”
The more personal you can make your communi-
cation with a legislator, the more effective it will
be.Deliver Your City’s Message
More Effectively:
On-Camera Interview Training
for City Officials
Television interviews are an unavoidable element of public office. So,
by popular demand the League is proud to again offer on-camera
interview training for Annual Conference attendees.
Your 45-minute training session will feature a short interview focused
on an issue vital to your city, a video playback/critique, and a follow-up interview. We’ll even give you a
copy of your session to take back home for review.
Your trainers are noted public information and media experts from cities throughout California, and
they’re eager to help you refine your on-camera experience. After just this brief introductory session,
you’ll feel more comfortable with delivering your city’s important messages on-camera. You’ll also
improve your newspaper and radio interviews using the valuable tips learned from your session.
We expect a very high demand for these one-on-one sessions, and we’re limited to just six sessions
per day on Thursday and Friday, and three sessions on Saturday. The training will be held in the
League Media Room at the San Diego Convention Center, which is convenient to all conference ses-
sions.
To take advantage of this outstanding opportunity, which usually costs cities thousands of dollars, call
Adrienne Sprenger at (916) 658-8278 to reserve a training session or fax the attached form to
(916) 658-8240. Open time slots are listed below.* Make sure to tell Adrienne in some detail about an
important issue facing your city so that we can prepare interview questions that are tailored to your
community. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis, so call today!
On-Camera Interview Training Session Times
Thursday, September 7 and Friday, September 8
9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
10:00 –10:45 a.m.
11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
2:00 – 2:45 p.m.
3:00 – 3:45 p.m.
Saturday, September 9
8:00 – 8:45 a.m.
9:00 –9:45 a.m.
10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
Appointments are
limited!
Sign up for your
preferred session
today
Call Adrienne at
(916) 658-8278
* If you reach Adrienne’s voicemail please leave a
message with your two preferred session times.Reservations will be accepted on a paid first-come, first-served basis. Please complete ALL sections of this form
and fax to Adrienne at (916) 658-8240. There is a $20 charge, refundable as a $20 CityBooks coupon for
those who attend the training. No refunds or coupons will be issued for “no shows”.
Name on credit card Authorized Signature
Credit Card Number Expiration Date
Billing Address
Visa Mastercard
On-Camera Interview Training Session Times
Thursday, September 7 and Friday, September 8
9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
10:00 –10:45 a.m.
11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
2:00 – 2:45 p.m.
3:00 – 3:45 p.m.
Saturday, September 9
8:00 – 8:45 a.m.
9:00 –9:45 a.m.
10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
To take advantage of this outstanding opportunity, which usually costs cities thousands of dollars, call Adrienne
Sprenger at (916) 658-8278 to reserve a training session or fax this form to (916) 658-8240. Open time slots
are listed below.* Make sure to tell Adrienne in some detail about an important issue facing your city so that we can
prepare interview questions that are tailored to your community. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis,
so call today!
NAME: TITLE:
CITY: ON-SITE/CELL PHONE NUMBER:
PHONE NUMBER: FAX NUMBER:
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
Please provide a short description of a topic or issue in your city that you would like to discuss during
your interview.
On-Camera Interview Training Sign-Up Form
Session Times:
1st Choice 2nd Choice
1400 K Street • Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: 916.685.8200 Fax: 916.658.8240
www.cacities.org
Mayors and Council Members Department
DIRECTOR Application
Name:
Title:
Address:
City: Zip Code:
Phone: Fax:
E-mail address:
May this address be published? YES NO
To be eligible to hold a department office, an individual must be in municipal service at the time of the
individual’s election or appointment. See Mayors and Council Members Department Bylaws, Article IV,
Section A.
Please respond to the following so that the President may evaluate your municipal experience, your
League experience and your desire to participate as a League Department Officer. (Please use additional
paper, if necessary.)
1. Please describe your municipal experience.
2. Please describe your League experience (e.g. Are you a member of a policy committee? Do
you regularly participate in division meetings?)
3. Please describe your inter-government activities.
4. Please describe relevant experience that will enhance this position.
5. Why are you interested in this position?
Candidates should return this form with a resume no later than August 25, 2006 to:
Robb Korinke
Public Affairs Specialist, League of California Cities
rkorinke@cacities.org
FAX: 916/658-8240
PHONE: 916/658-8258