AGENDA ITEM
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CARLO TOMAINO
CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: titlePROPOSED LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
summary
Summary:
The proposed Legislative Platform establishes a formal policy framework to guide the City’s legislative advocacy efforts. The Legislative Platform will help the City respond more efficiently and consistently to federal and state legislation affecting municipal services, local decision-making, fiscal sustainability, land use, infrastructure, workforce housing, and regional collaboration. The Legislative Platform emphasizes preserving local decision-making, protecting municipal revenues, supporting responsible growth through local planning, facilitating the revitalization of complex urban sites, and advocating for infrastructure investment before new mandates. Following adoption, staff would finalize and distribute the Legislative Platform to the City’s legislative advocate, legislative delegation, and regional partners to support future advocacy and provide periodic updates to the City Council regarding significant legislation and legislative priorities.
Strategic Plan Goal(s):
Goal 1: Financial Stability: Ensure the City's long-term financial stability and resilience.
Goal 2: Community Safety: Maintain community safety by supporting public safety services and increasing emergency preparedness.
Goal 3: Economic & Downtown Development - Improve the local economy, support local businesses, and create a vibrant downtown core.
Goal 4: Infrastructure: Maintain and improve the City's physical infrastructure, water system, and recreational spaces.
Goal 5: High-Functioning Government: Strengthen internal communication, recruitment, retention, systems, and processes to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of City services.
recommendation
Recommendation(s):
1. Adopt the proposed City of Signal Hill Legislative Platform incorporating any revisions provided by the City Council.
2. Direct staff to distribute the adopted Legislative Platform to the City's legislative advocate, federal and state legislative representatives, and regional partner agencies.
body
Fiscal Impact:
There is no significant impact associated with the proposed adoption of a Legislative Platform. The City retains a legislative advocacy firm to follow up when the City Council takes positions on certain bills; the contract costs associated with these services is included in the City’s Operating Budget.
Background:
Federal and state legislative actions continue to affect the City's ability to provide municipal services, maintain fiscal sustainability, implement local planning initiatives, and respond to the needs of the community. Recent legislation addressing housing, land use, municipal finance, infrastructure, public safety, environmental regulation, and local governance underscores the importance of maintaining an active and coordinated legislative advocacy program.
The volume and complexity of legislation affecting local governments have increased significantly in recent years. Legislative proposals often evolve rapidly throughout the legislative session, particularly during the final weeks before adjournment, requiring cities to evaluate and respond within compressed timeframes. Adopting a Legislative Platform would enable the City to respond more efficiently and consistently while ensuring that legislative advocacy reflects the City Council's adopted policy direction.
Historically, the City has evaluated legislation on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the City Council, the City's legislative advocate, and regional municipal organizations. The proposed Legislative Platform establishes a clear framework for evaluating legislative proposals and aligns the City's legislative advocacy with the City Council's priorities and the City's Strategic Plan. The Legislative Platform provides staff, the City's legislative advocate, elected representatives, and regional partners with consistent overarching policy direction when advocating on behalf of the City.
Analysis:
The proposed Legislative Platform reflects the City's long-standing commitment to responsible governance, fiscal stewardship, collaborative partnerships, and locally developed solutions. The Legislative Platform enables the City to respond quickly and consistently to legislative proposals throughout the year, particularly during the final weeks of the legislative session when bills frequently undergo significant amendments.
The Legislative Platform establishes a long-term legislative philosophy, based on the principles discussed further below, rather than a list of positions on individual bills. This approach provides the City flexibility to evaluate future legislation based on core policy principles, including local decision-making, fiscal sustainability, responsible growth, infrastructure investment, regional collaboration, and locally developed solutions supported by strategic state and federal investment.
Staff has also considered the City's commitment to preserving local decision-making authority in developing the policy document. Signal Hill supports responsible growth and housing production; however, successful community planning depends on local leadership, meaningful public participation, and the ability to implement locally adopted plans. The Legislative Platform recognizes that one-size-fits-all mandates can undermine local planning efforts and reduce the City's ability to respond to local conditions, infrastructure capacity, and community priorities.
Another key focus area for the Legislative Platform is fiscal sustainability. Protecting municipal revenues remains essential to the City's ability to provide high-quality services, maintain infrastructure, invest in public facilities, and plan for future community needs. The Legislative Platform supports legislation that fully funds state mandates, expands grant opportunities, preserves local fiscal authority, and protects the City's ability to generate revenues necessary to support municipal services and capital investments.
Signal Hill has demonstrated its commitment to proactive planning through initiatives that encourage economic development, workforce housing, infrastructure investment, and community revitalization. Most notably, the Opportunity Study Area initiative plans for the long-term redevelopment of approximately 210 acres into productive districts supporting advanced manufacturing, aerospace industries, commercial investment, workforce housing, hotels, and supporting infrastructure. The Legislative Platform recognizes that cities actively planning for future growth should receive incentives, financing tools, infrastructure investment, and regulatory flexibility to implement locally developed solutions.
Signal Hill's history and development pattern present unique planning opportunities and constraints that require locally tailored solutions. The Legislative Platform supports legislation that provides expedited environmental remediation assistance, infrastructure investment, financing tools, and regulatory flexibility necessary to revitalize complex urban sites while respecting existing lawful land uses and encouraging voluntary partnerships among public and private stakeholders. These tools can further support the City's development priorities while advancing the State's broader housing and economic development goals.
The Legislative Platform advances the principle of investing before mandating. Successful housing production and economic development require corresponding investments in public infrastructure, workforce housing, municipal facilities, water systems, parks, and community amenities. As the owner and operator of its municipal water system, the City supports legislation that provides funding for drinking water quality, water supply reliability, conservation, drought resilience, and modernization of aging infrastructure. The Legislative Platform also recognizes the importance of grant funding to implement the City's Civic Center Master Plan, park improvements, and other community infrastructure projects that enhance quality of life.
Finally, staff recognizes that many issues affecting local government extend beyond municipal boundaries. The City will continue collaborating with the California Contract Cities Association, the League of California Cities, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, the Southern California Association of Governments, neighboring jurisdictions, and the City's legislative advocate to advance legislative priorities that benefit Signal Hill and the broader region. Collectively, these principles establish a durable policy framework that allows the City to evaluate proposed legislation consistently while maintaining the flexibility necessary to address emerging issues during future legislative sessions.
SUMMARY
The Legislative Platform establishes a clear and consistent policy framework for the City's legislative advocacy efforts; it reflects the City Council's commitment to preserving local decision-making, maintaining fiscal sustainability, promoting responsible growth, investing in public infrastructure, and advancing locally developed solutions through collaboration rather than mandates. The City Council’s adoption of the Legislative Platform would strengthen coordination with the City's legislative advocate and regional partners, and improve the City's ability to advocate for legislation, funding opportunities, and regulatory policies that advance the City's Strategic Plan and long-term vision.
Subject to City Council direction, staff would finalize the Legislative Platform, incorporate any direction provided by the City Council, and distribute the adopted Legislative Platform to the City's legislative advocate, federal and state legislative delegation, the California Contract Cities Association, the League of California Cities, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, the Southern California Association of Governments, and other regional partners to guide future legislative advocacy and strengthen collaboration on issues affecting the City of Signal Hill. As part of the City's legislative program, staff will track priority legislation and provide updates to the City Council regarding the status of specific bills and other legislative priorities.
Reviewed for Fiscal Impact:
_________________________
Siamlu Cox
Attachment(s):
Signal Hill Legislative Platform