Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-09-26 - AGENDA REPORTS - LCC MEMBERSHIPO Agenda Item: 2 1. CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT NEW BUSINESS CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: TA 4¢„� _� DATE: September 26, 2023 SUBJECT: LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office PRESENTER: Masis Hagobian RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council discuss and provide direction to staff. BACKGROUND The League of California Cities (Cal Cities) is a legislative advocacy association that intends to represent the interests of cities throughout the state of California (State), primarily on matters related to State legislation. Cal Cities membership includes 476 of the 482 cities in the State, and its structure includes regional divisions, policy committees, caucuses, and professional departments. The City of Santa Clarita (City) has been a member of Cal Cities since City incorporation in December 1987, and annual membership is approximately $45,000, which includes regional and State membership. The State Legislature, State Leadership, and Governor's Office have, for nearly a decade now, dedicated a great deal of attention and legislative action on housing and local zoning, often preempting local land use authority. As a result, many cities, including Santa Clarita, have invested significant resources in opposing proposed State housing policies and subsequently, articulating the concerns and negative impacts of these policies to State officials. Despite opposition efforts from cities and Cal Cities, the State passed several pieces of legislation that has weakened local discretion and authority of local land use decisions. Some of these policies include preemption of local discretionary review and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for specific housing developments in cities that have not had homes built at the level zoned in their Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA); preemption of single- family zoning to allow for two duplexes and two accessory dwelling units on each single-family parcel; preemption of minimum parking standards for specific housing developments near public Page 1 Packet Pg. 14 O transit stations; and preemption of local zoning and streamlined approval for specific housing developments in retail commercial or office zones or if the property owner is a local education agency, without local discretionary review. Earlier this year, the City met with Cal Cities and expressed concerns regarding State legislative matters and Cal Cities' efforts in advocating for local land use authority. The City withheld from processing this year's Cal Cities membership due to the City's ongoing concerns related to the legislative advocacy efforts of Cal Cities. On September 5, 2023, the City received a letter from Cal Cities notifying the City that the City's membership with Cal Cities would be terminated if this year's membership dues were not paid by September 19, 2023. The City responded stating that an item would be presented to the City Council on September 26, 2023, to discuss Cal Cities membership and requested a deadline extension of September 27, 2023, to follow the City Council meeting. Cal Cities rejected the City's request for a deadline extension. The City did not pay this year's membership dues by September 19, 2023, and as such, is no longer a member of Cal Cities. As part of Cal Cities' membership benefits, an annual conference is held, which includes educational workshops, legislative advocacy, intergovernmental networking opportunities, and General Assembly, in which resolutions establishing Cal Cities' policies and guiding principles are considered for adoption. At the last Cal Cities Annual Conference, which was held on September 7-9, 2022, in Long Beach, a petitioned resolution was circulated by a group of cities, including the City of Torrance, that would direct Cal Cities to partner with organizers of the "Our Neighborhood Voices" initiative, a draft ballot initiative to amend the State Constitution to restore local land use planning and zoning authority to local governments. The petitioned resolution would also direct Cal Cities to "allocate sufficient resources to help advance and qualify" the proposed ballot initiative for the November 5, 2024, General Election ballot. The petitioned resolution received over 100 signatures from voting delegates during the signature gathering phase and qualified to be considered by the General Resolutions Committee (Committee) and General Assembly. The City's voting delegate did not sign the petition. Despite significant support for the initiative, the Committee approved a motion (167-98) to redirect the initiative to various Cal Cities policy committees, in lieu of the General Assembly, as many members of the Committee expressed concerns regarding the language of the ballot initiative and potential monetary obligation directed in the petitioned resolution. Since the 2022 Annual Conference, Cal Cities policy committees have met and discussed the initiative but no further action has been taken by Cal Cities on the initiative. On October 11, 2022, the Torrance City Council voted unanimously to discontinue its Cal Cities membership, describing Cal Cities' efforts to protect local land use authority as lackluster and citing the failed attempt to pass the petitioned resolution at the 2022 General Assembly Meeting. On March 21, 2023, the Redondo Beach City Council voted (3-2) to discontinue its Cal Cities membership, expressing similar concerns and sentiments shared by the Torrance City Council. However, on August 1, 2023, the Redondo Beach City Council voted (3-2) to reinstate its Cal Cities membership. Page 2 Packet Pg. 15 O Between 2017-2022, the Santa Clarita City Council adopted a position on approximately 78 pieces of State legislation. Of the 78 bills, Cal Cities adopted a position consistent with the City Council on 35 of those bills or a rate of 44.8 percent in the last five years. Moreover, of the 78 bills the City Council adopted a position on, 31 of those bills were related to housing and land use authority. Of the 31 housing and land use -related bills, Cal Cities was consistent in their adopted position on 20 of those bills or a consistency rate of 64.5 percent. Of the remaining 11 bills, Cal Cities took a "watch" position on 9 bills and adopted a position that was inconsistent with the City Council's position on 2 bills. The City Council has adopted a position on 18 pieces of State legislation this year. Of the 18 bills, Cal Cities adopted a position consistent with the City Council on 7 bills or a rate of 38.8 percent. Of the remaining 11 bills, Cal Cities has a "watch" position on 5 bills that the City Council supported, a "watch" position on 2 bills that the City Council opposed, an "oppose, unless amended" position on 2 bills that the City Council opposed, a "support, if amended" position on 1 bill that the City Council opposed, and no position on 1 bill that the City Council supported. The referenced three bills where the City Council has adopted an opposed position, but Cal Cities has an "oppose, unless amended" position or a "support, if amended" position, are Assembly Bill (AB) 1490, AB 1630, and Senate Bill (SB) 4, and are all related to housing and land use authority. All three bills require specific housing projects to be approved through a ministerial and streamlined process, preempting local discretionary review, public hearings, and CEQA review. With regard to AB 1490 and AB 1630, Cal Cities' position letters reference similar concerns shared by the City Council, however, Cal Cities expresses an "oppose, unless amended" position, requesting the bills only be amended to include a State investment of $3 billion to assist cities in their efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness and increase affordable housing production. With regard to SB 4, Cal Cities' position letter expresses a "support, if amended" position, stating Cal Cities would fully support the legislation if it is amended to allow local jurisdictions to continue to determine maximum building heights and parking requirements. As mentioned previously, SB 4 allows for a specific housing project to be approved, by right, preempting any discretionary local government review, local conditional use permits, planned unit development permit, or CEQA review. Of the three aforementioned bills, AB 1490 and SB 4 passed the State Legislature and are awaiting the Governor's review. In addition to the City's legislative advocacy efforts, the City has contacted Cal Cities for support in the State's certification of the City's Housing Element. The City has historically been compliant in meeting the State's deadlines in updating the Housing Element, however, cities across the State, including Santa Clarita, experienced significant challenges in getting the State to certify the Housing Element Update for the current cycle. In Fall 2022, it was reported that Page 3 Packet Pg. 16 O approximately 124 cities out of 197 cities in Southern California had not met State Housing Element Update deadlines. Prior to obtaining certification, City staff communicated challenges experienced with the State to Cal Cities. City staff requested assistance from Cal Cities in getting the State to stay consistent and timely with their review and feedback of the City's Housing Element. Cal Cities never followed up on the City's multiple requests for assistance. The inconsistency and lack of responsiveness in the State's review had caused nearly a two-year delay in obtaining certification. The City's Housing Element was certified on August 22, 2023, however, there are many cities that are still seeking State certification. In addition to non-compliance with State law, failure to obtain State certification may result in specific housing projects to be approved regardless of local zoning and general plan standards. As described in this report, the City has attempted to seek support on legislative matters and assistance in resolving State agency issues impacting hundreds of Cal Cities members. The response from Cal Cities on these matters has been mixed. This report seeks the City Council's consideration with regard to the City's membership to Cal Cities. ALTERNATIVE ACTION Other action, as determined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT No additional resources beyond those contained within the City's adopted 2023-24 budget are required. Page 4 Packet Pg. 17