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LRC 5-14-19 3 Cupertino Draft Legislative Platform_ Written Communication State Capitol Office ▪ 925 L Street • Suite 1404 • Sacramento, CA 95814 • Phone (916) 447-4086 • Fax (916) 444-0383 Federal Office ▪ 600 Pennsylvania SE • Suite 207 • Washington, DC 20003 • Phone (202) 546-8696 • Fax (202) 546-4555 Northern California Office ▪ 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza • Suite 204 • Oakland, CA 94612 • Phone (510) 835-9050 • Fax (510) 835-9030 Southern California Office ▪ 1401 Dove Street • Suite 330 • Newport Beach, CA 92660 • Phone (949) 399-9050 • Fax (949) 476-8215 Central California Office ▪ 744 P Street • Suite 308 • Fresno, CA 93721 • Phone (949) 399-9050 • Fax (949) 476-8215 M E M O R A N D U M To: The Cupertino City Council CC: Timm Borden, Interim City Manager Katy Nomura, Assistant to the City Manager From: Christopher Townsend, President Casey Elliott, Senior Director Alex Gibbs, Senior Associate Date: May 14, 2019 Subject: Proposed 2019 State Legislative Agenda Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. (TPA) has prepared this report for the City of Cupertino outlining potential areas of state legislative interest for 2019. The report outlines the City’s guiding principles and strategic agenda, including potential policy topics of interest to the City for the current and upcoming legislative years. The strategic agenda includes advocating for legislation, regulations, and funding that is consistent with the City’s adopted goals. If the Council is supportive of the proposals listed below, TPA will continue to research what can be accomplished through legislation, regulations, or direct advocacy with state agencies and other organizations to help address Cupertino’s needs. Guiding Principles I. Fiscal Responsibility The City of Cupertino has a fiduciary responsibility to its residents to ensure assets and resources are properly safeguarded and deployed in a fair, prudent, and efficient manner. As such, the City supports the protection of existing federal, state, and local funding sources and the authorities that provide revenues to the City. Likewise, the City has an interest in the solvency of public entities that provide resources to the City. The City opposes any new mandates that are unfunded or inadequately funded. II. Local Control The City supports local decision-making authority and opposes preemption of local control. Cities are voluntarily created by the residents of a community to provide local self -government and to make decisions at a local level to best meet the needs of the community. Each community has unique needs and characteristics that are best met by policies set by its local governing body. Efforts to remove the ability to set policy at the local level should be opposed, while promoting legislation that allows flexibility in the City's effort to cost -effectively meet local priorities. City of Cupertino 2019 Legislative Platform Page 2 of 5 III. Sustainability The City of Cupertino is a leader in embracing sustainability efforts in response to current and anticipated environmental challenges. The City continuously looks for innovative strategies to reduce its carbon footprint guided by our Climate Action Plan (CAP). As such, the City supports environmentally friendly legislation and urban sustainability consistent with our CAP goals. IV. Infrastructure and Mobility The City seeks to maintain existing infrastructure and enhance sustainable, alternative mobility options for our residents and businesses to thrive. The City can accomplish this by supporting legislation that increases funding for transportation, infrastructure, operations, and maintenance in Cupertino. V. Healthy and Safe Community One of the City’s primary goals is to provide a healthy and safe environment for our residents. The City supports legislation that protects and enhances services to the City’s most vulnerable populations, such as the economically disadvantaged, elderly, homeless, and disabled. In addition, the City supports federal and state assistance for local law enforcement, disaster preparedness, and emergency planning as well as any measures that would help contribute to local public safety and mental well-being such as support for parks and open spaces. STRATEGIC AGENDA Quality of Life The City values its ability and authority to exercise local control, enable excellent public services, and protect and enhance the quality of life for Cupertino residents and businesses. When legislation is introduced that impacts the ability to maintain local control, TPA will immediately alert the City and together assess next steps. This may include: • Promoting legislation that would provide local funding for libraries, arts and cultural expression in Cupertino; • Promoting legislation and initiatives that provide funding for vibrant parks, trails, and visitor amenities; • Closely monitoring legislation that affects immigration and protecting the rights of immigrants; • Closely monitoring legislation that may reduce municipal authority, with an emphasis on land use policy, local review and design standards; and • Other related topics. Economic Development The City embraces efforts to support legislation or obtain funding for economic development initiatives, including planning and implementation of regional transportation and traffic congestion relief projects, the creation of affordable housing, and combatting the effects of climate change on the coast. When legislation or funding opportunities are introduced that support the City’s efforts of economic development, TPA will work with City leadership and together assess next steps. This may include: • Continuing and repeated interactions with elected representatives to predict fiscal year funding and assess the City‘s ability to take advantage of political trends and preferences in the state budget; City of Cupertino 2019 Legislative Platform Page 3 of 5 • Monitoring legislation that would impact local minimum wage requirements; • Monitoring legislation related to public employee pensions and affiliated local costs; • Monitoring legislation that affects Transient Occupancy Taxes and regulations regarding such; • Protection of local rate payers with regard to state utility mandates; • Monitoring of legislation impacting Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts, redevelopment agencies, or tax increment financing districts; • Other related topics. Environmental Protection The City supports legislation and policies that emphasize sustainable development, improve environmental standards and the regulatory process, provide incentives and financial support for preservation of natural resources, and promote sustainable energy policies. This may include: • Supporting sustainability efforts that are consistent with the City’s Climate Action Plan, including; • Legislative efforts to support climate adaptation solutions, including sea level rise, and flood management practices; • Legislation to support conservation of open space and natural resources; • Promotion of efforts to increase funding for climate action planning; • Promotion of efforts to increase funding for green buildings, electric vehicle charging stations, and related infrastructure; • Monitoring of legislation that impacts environmental review policy or CEQA; and • Other related topics. Transportation & Infrastructure Rehabilitation The City supports legislation and policies that promote investing in the maintenance and rehabilitation of aging transportation infrastructure, and build system capacity expansion to support smart growth principles. This may include: • Creating new statewide funding opportunities for maintenance and repair of local roads and highways; • Supporting efforts to address regional transportation congestion, including potential bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure promotion; • Supporting legislation that could potentially fund storm drain infrastructure and maintenance; • Monitoring legislation that could impact local telecommunications infrastructure; • Promoting legislation that would support expansion of ADA facilities and public access; and • Other related topics. Public Safety The City supports federal and state legislation and policies to access resources that provide high quality police, fire, emergency management, and emergency medical services. This may include: • Supporting specific funding opportunities to address natural disaster mitigation and evacuation planning; • Closely monitoring legislation that could impact commercial and recreational drone usage; City of Cupertino 2019 Legislative Platform Page 4 of 5 • Supporting legislation / research regarding potential safeguards regarding the purchase, distribution, consumption and cultivation of cannabis; and • Other related topics. Affordable Housing The City acknowledges that California is currently facing dramatic housing shortages and supports legislation and policies to develop affordable housing that could accommodate local workers' needs, especially in places near transit. This may include: • Monitoring legislation that would facilitate the streamlined construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs); • Closely monitoring state housing mandates that may reduce local authority without providing funding or incentives to construct affordable housing; • Monitoring legislation that could impact the City’s ability to regulate the shared economy as it develops; • Supporting legislation that provides funding for local governments to address homelessness; • Supporting legislation that would expand tenant protections; • Monitoring legislation that would impact community land trusts; and • Other related topics. Elections The City supports legislation to reduce unnecessary and costly procedures for conducting municipal elections, while streamlining voter registration efforts to ensure all eligible residents can vote freely. This may include: • Supporting legislation that encourages and expands civic engagement and voter participation in elections; • Monitoring legislation that affects municipal elections; • Monitoring legislation that affects the California Voting Rights Acts and by-district elections; • Supporting legislation that lowers the voting requirements for passage of local special purpose agency funding propositions; and • Other related topics. Government Transparency The City supports government transparency, public access to records and would support legislation that facilitates these principles while still allowing for necessary municipal operations and services. This may include: • Monitoring legislation that affects the Brown Act; • Monitoring legislation that affects special districts and joint powers authorities and regulations of such; • Monitoring legislation that affects the Public Records Act; • Monitoring legislation that affects the Political Reform Act; • Monitoring legislation that impacts the ability of local governments to utilize digital communication; and • Other related topics. City of Cupertino 2019 Legislative Platform Page 5 of 5 ADVOCACY TRIPS TPA strongly recommends annual advocacy trips by the City Manager and Legislative Subcommittee to advocate for City of Cupertino priorities in Sacramento. This is an opportunity to work closely with state representatives and help further the principles included in this legislative agenda. TPA will take the lead on planning, logistics, creation of documents, talking points, thank you letters, and follow-up for all advocacy trips.