Cal Cities board advances key initiatives, takes action on priority bills, and meets with top state official during April board meeting
May 5, 2021
The League of California Cities Board of Directors participated in a two-day meeting last week, where they reviewed progress on the Cal Cities 2021 strategic advocacy priorities, voted on policy positions, adopted recommendations to support city leaders as they advance equity in their communities, and discussed drought resilience with a top state official.
Cal Cities President and El Centro Mayor Cheryl Viegas Walker kicked off the board meeting with a recap of the organization’s efforts to ensure the voices of cities are heard in both Sacramento and Washington, D.C. President Viegas Walker thanked leaders for their advocacy to help pass the American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law in March and provides $65 billion in direct and flexible relief for cities of all sizes. As members of the House of Representatives were casting their final votes on the relief plan, Cal Cities leadership were in virtual meetings with members of the California congressional delegation urging their support for the relief plan or thanking them for voting to pass the legislation.
Cal Cities staff provided updates on current bills in the state Legislature that impact cities, including efforts to support individuals experiencing homelessness, prohibit cities from imposing parking requirements, and deploy broadband in unserved and underserved communities. Visit the Cal Cities Action Center for a current list of bills you can take action on today, and read more about the top priority bills currently moving through the Legislature.
The Public Safety Task Force provided the board with an update on the work it has carried out over the past few months, reviewing Cal Cities’ public safety policy and guiding principles. The task force developed a set of recommendations that were considered by the Public Safety Policy Committee and presented to the board to help inform and guide the organization’s advocacy on policy reform. The board adopted all of the recommendations developed by the task force.
Over the past year, advancing equity in communities throughout the state and rooting out systemic inequities has remained a top priority for Cal Cities and its members. During the board meeting, the Cal Cities Advancing Equity Advisory Committee presented recommendations to shape and prioritize Cal Cities’ work to support local officials’ efforts to advance equity in their communities. Committee co-chairs, Cal Cities Immediate Past President and Yountville Mayor John Dunbar and Cal Cities Board Member and Temecula City Clerk and Director of Legislative Affairs Randi Johl outlined five high-level action steps for consideration by the Cal Cities Board of Directors to be initiated in the next six months:
The board also received updates on several exciting initiatives that are currently underway and designed to enhance Cal Cities’ member experience and effectiveness, including a launch of a new Cal Cities brand identity and an evaluation of the organization’s governance system. The goal of the governance evaluation is to enhance membership engagement in leadership opportunities, increase overall effectiveness in fulfilling our mission and vision as an organization, and ensure the pathway to leadership is transparent and inclusive. During the board meeting, Jim DeLizia, an association governance expert who is currently conducting the evaluation, provided an overview of the process so far, which has included collecting member feedback through meetings and surveys, and indicating the review process is about one-third of the way through.
On the second day of the board meeting, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot joined the board for a conversation about drought resilience. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed an emergency proclamation directing state agencies to take immediate action to bolster drought resilience and prepare for impacts on communities, businesses, and ecosystems if dry conditions extend to a third year, and proclaimed a regional drought emergency for the Russian River watershed in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Secretary Crowfoot provided an update on rainfall and snowpack levels throughout the state, and shared lessons learned from the 2012-2016 drought.
The board meets again July 15-16.
Cal Cities staff provided updates on current bills in the state Legislature that impact cities, including efforts to support individuals experiencing homelessness, prohibit cities from imposing parking requirements, and deploy broadband in unserved and underserved communities. Visit the Cal Cities Action Center for a current list of bills you can take action on today, and read more about the top priority bills currently moving through the Legislature.
The Public Safety Task Force provided the board with an update on the work it has carried out over the past few months, reviewing Cal Cities’ public safety policy and guiding principles. The task force developed a set of recommendations that were considered by the Public Safety Policy Committee and presented to the board to help inform and guide the organization’s advocacy on policy reform. The board adopted all of the recommendations developed by the task force.
Over the past year, advancing equity in communities throughout the state and rooting out systemic inequities has remained a top priority for Cal Cities and its members. During the board meeting, the Cal Cities Advancing Equity Advisory Committee presented recommendations to shape and prioritize Cal Cities’ work to support local officials’ efforts to advance equity in their communities. Committee co-chairs, Cal Cities Immediate Past President and Yountville Mayor John Dunbar and Cal Cities Board Member and Temecula City Clerk and Director of Legislative Affairs Randi Johl outlined five high-level action steps for consideration by the Cal Cities Board of Directors to be initiated in the next six months:
- Identify conditions and normalize the discussion
- Conduct assessments with a regional focus to meet members where they are
- Share information from cities already doing the work
- Increase Cal Cities staff capacity to support local advancing equity efforts
- Develop an organizational equity plan
The board also received updates on several exciting initiatives that are currently underway and designed to enhance Cal Cities’ member experience and effectiveness, including a launch of a new Cal Cities brand identity and an evaluation of the organization’s governance system. The goal of the governance evaluation is to enhance membership engagement in leadership opportunities, increase overall effectiveness in fulfilling our mission and vision as an organization, and ensure the pathway to leadership is transparent and inclusive. During the board meeting, Jim DeLizia, an association governance expert who is currently conducting the evaluation, provided an overview of the process so far, which has included collecting member feedback through meetings and surveys, and indicating the review process is about one-third of the way through.
On the second day of the board meeting, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot joined the board for a conversation about drought resilience. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed an emergency proclamation directing state agencies to take immediate action to bolster drought resilience and prepare for impacts on communities, businesses, and ecosystems if dry conditions extend to a third year, and proclaimed a regional drought emergency for the Russian River watershed in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Secretary Crowfoot provided an update on rainfall and snowpack levels throughout the state, and shared lessons learned from the 2012-2016 drought.
The board meets again July 15-16.