REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the Proposed 2015 Priority Issues and Short and Long-term Legislative Advocacy Positions (LAPs)
BACKGROUND
A goal of the City's Intergovernmental Relations Program is to enable timely and effective advocacy of City interests on pending legislation and issues that significantly impact City business. The City can initiate advocacy on the basis of any existing City Policy, including the City Charter, Municipal Code, General Plan Elements, and the Council Policy Manual, which is where many of the City's other legislative goals are addressed. However, every year, the City Council adopts the City's advocacy platform, which identifies the priority advocacy issues for the coming year; priority issues and short-term LAPs are contained in Council Policy 7.3.2 Legislative Advocacy Positions while long-term LAPs are found in each chapter of the Council Policy Manual. This report provides Council with the opportunity to review the Proposed 2015 Priority Issues and short-term LAPs along with proposed edits to the City's long-term Legislative Advocacy Positions (LAPs).
EXISTING POLICY
Council Policy 7.3.2, Legislative Advocacy Positions
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
N/A.
DISCUSSION
Proposed 2015 Priority Issues and Legislative Advocacy Positions (Attachment 1) is presented for Council consideration. Priority issues focus on "hot" issues where activity is either already underway or expected within the upcoming calendar year and where the pending legislation or issue is expected to have significant impact on City business. Staff is proposing 10 Priority Issues:
1. Investment Funding for Workforce Development
2. Interoperability/Public Safety Communications System
3. Environmental Regulatory & Conservation Issues
4. Regional and State-wide Water Supply Issues
5. Local Authority Over Wireless Telecommunications Facilities
6. School Mitigation Fees
7. Anticipated Legislation Addressing Outsourcing of Public Services
8. Transportation Network Companies
9. Potential Reversal Legislation in Response to AB 1147 (Bonilla) Massage Therapy
10. Funding of Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
At this time, there are no short-term Legislative Advocacy Positions (LAPs) proposed for Council consideration.
The City captures long-term LAPs by issue categories in each chapter of the Council Policy Manual, CouncilPolicy.inSunnyvale.com. Long-term LAPs do not require annual Council adoption; however, any edits to those positions must be approved by Council. Staff is proposing edits to the following sections of the Long-term LAPs: Council Policy 2.0 - Community Development, Council Policy 4.0 - Public Safety, Council Policy 5.0 - Socio-Economic and Council Policy 7.0 - Planning and Management. In addition, staff also proposes the addition of a new long-term LAP be incorporated into Council Policy 7.0 - Planning and Management, F(6) Support efforts to restore funding to the California court system to improve court access and case management (Attachment 2).
Councilmember Request for a Priority Issue Opposing Clearcutting
Councilmember Martin-Milius is requesting Council discussion/consideration of a priority issue to oppose clearcutting - a logging technique where all trees in a given area are cut down - because of the impacts on water resources. A new study has documented that clearcutting and post-fire salvage logging is degrading water quality in California. The report, titled An Analysis of Turbidity in Relation to Timber Harvesting in the Battle Creek Watershed, northern California, was written by statistical hydrologist Jack Lewis in partnership with the Battle Creek Alliance, a community organization which has been monitoring water pollution in the Battle Creek Watershed.
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the Proposed 2015 Priority Issues and Legislative Advocacy Positions (Attachment 1) and Council Policy Long-term Advocacy Positions as proposed to be amended (Attachment 2).
2. Approve the Proposed 2015 Priority Issues and Legislative Advocacy Positions (Attachment 1) and/or Council Policy Long-term Advocacy Positions as proposed to be amended (Attachment 2) with additional modifications.
3. Other direction as provided by Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1: Approve the Proposed 2015 Priority Issues and Legislative Advocacy Positions (Attachment 1) and Council Policy Long-term Advocacy Positions as proposed to be amended (Attachment 2).
Staff
Prepared by: Yvette Blackford, Senior Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Robert A. Walker, Director, Office of the City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed 2015 Priority Issues and Legislative Advocacy Positions
2. Council Policy Long-term Advocacy Positions