MEETING DATE:
JULY 11, 2017
SUBJECT:
Title
RESOLUTION NO. 2017-8384 - LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Body
Recommendation
Recommendation
ADOPT a resolution on legislation pending in the state legislature.
Body
Board or Commission Action
Not applicable
Relevant Council Strategic Theme
Planning for the Future
Good Governance
Relevant Department Goal
Not applicable
Introduction
The City Council adopted Legislative Procedures and the 2017 Legislative Platform to guide the consideration of state and federal bills that affect City operations. In keeping with that direction, this report provides update on legislation with an official City position.
Discussion
At the federal level, very few bills have been passed as Congress continues to work on health care and the development of the Fiscal Year 2018 budget. City staff and our legislative advocates continue to monitor the process as it relates to City programs, including Community Development Block Grants, transportation funding, housing, fire/emergency management, and other items.
At the state level, the budget was passed June 15 and the State Legislature will go on its summer recess on July 21. They will return a month later and must pass all bills by September 15. The Governor has until October 15 to take action on legislation.
The State Legislature continues to consider a number of bills that would affect local control. The status of those and other bills with a City position can be found in Attachment A.
Staff recommends that the City Council take the following positions on active legislation:
SB 166 (Skinner, D-Oakland) - Residential density and affordability - OPPOSE
This bill makes a number of changes to the No Net Loss Zoning Law including requiring cities to maintain their inventory of sites designated for low and moderate income housing construction, which must be zoned at higher densities. Since subsidies are not available to create this much housing, every city will need to maintain a bank of sites zoned for high density housing until it can find the subsidies for construction. Cities that approve lower density housing at a particular location would be required to find and up-zone other sites to make up the difference in housing units.
SB 378 (Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge) - Alcoholic beverage licenses - SUPPORT
SB 378 allows the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to temporarily suspend a license when a pattern of behavior indicates that urgent action is necessary to protect against an immediate threat to health and safety. The purpose of the bill is to help address issues of violent crime, gang activity, and human trafficking that sometimes run in conjunction with a business holding a liquor license, since city officials often lack the necessary tools to quickly shut down an establishment. Cities would be able to ask ABC to take action against an establishment for egregious behavior. The bill is sponsored by the California Police Chiefs’ Association and supported by the League of California Cities and the City of Vista, among others.
Fiscal Impact
Unknown fiscal impacts are associated with the bills in Attachment A. A more thorough analysis of each bill’s implementation requirements is needed to demonstrate total fiscal impact.
Attachments
Attachment A: Status and analysis of legislation with a City position
Attachment B: SB 166 letter of opposition
Attachment C: SB 378 letter of support
Attachment D: Resolution
Prepared by: Michael Gordon, Administrative Services Manager
Reviewed by: Phil Scollick, Business Process Director
Approved by: Jack Griffin, City Manager