City Leaders Summit
April 17-19, 2024
SAFE Credit Union Convention Center
1400 J Street, Sacramento, CA
Thank you for joining the League of California Cities for three days of advocacy, educational content, and networking at the 2023 City Leaders Summit in Sacramento!
The summit took place Wednesday, April 12-Friday, April 14 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, where city officials from across the state influenced policy decisions in the Capitol and gained top-notch leadership skills. City officials met with legislators to advocate for cities’ top priorities and participated in peer-to-peer discussions and in-depth sessions covering topics ranging from leadership to emerging issues facing cities.
We hope you join us April 17-19, 2024 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center for our next City Leaders Summit!
For questions about the April 2023 conference, please contact Associate Manager, Event Program, Kayla Boutros.
Summit Information
View the 2023 City Leaders Summit program.
Registration Open
8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Opening General Session
10:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
Day one of the conference focuses on legislative advocacy. Join Cal Cities leadership and lobbyists for an update on high priority legislation that you will want to advocate on when you meet with legislative officers later in the day.
Member Rally and Press Conference
11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Join Cal Cities leadership and members for a rally and press availability to advocate for the Governor and Legislature to #InvestInCities. With a special focus on funding for homelessness and affordable housing, this is our opportunity to get loud and be heard! View a map to the location here.
Lunch on Your Own
12:15-1:30 p.m.
The Shared Path to Preventing and Reducing Homelessness
1:30-4:30 p.m.
Cal Cities and the California State Association of Counties are holding a special joint convening on collective solutions for preventing and reducing homelessness. Attendees will hear from both state lawmakers and local leaders as they share their perspectives on this challenging topic, as well as the roles, responsibilities, and resources needed to address this crisis.
Dessert and Coffee Break
2:45-3:00 p.m.
Legislative Reception sponsored by Cal Cities Partners
5:30-7:00 p.m.
In partnership with the California State Association of Counties, please join us for an evening reception. Relax and enjoy some light hors d'oeuvres and refreshments while networking with your city and county colleagues.
Registration Open
7:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Networking Breakfast
7:30-8:15 a.m.
General Session
8:30-10:00 a.m.
Get Them to “Yes”! Persuasive Critical Communication Skills for City Leaders
Successful city leaders have the skill set to demand decorum during city council meetings, resolve conflict, set and achieve strategic plans, persuasively communicate with department heads, and powerfully lead community meetings. The key to transforming perceptions, decreasing division and conflict, and increasing community trust is through strengthening the communication skills of everyone in the organization. In this interactive and engaging keynote, attendees will learn how to improve their overall communication skills, receive coaching and guidance as they practice implementing these techniques during group exercises, and apply the concepts learned.
Opening Remarks:
Susannah Meyer, President, Mayors and Council Members Department and Vice Mayor, Brentwood
Keynote Speaker:
Tracy Miller, TM Consulting, Expert Communications Coach and Former Senior Assistant District Attorney
Tracy Miller is a former prosecutor with over 25 years of legal experience and was the highest-ranking woman in the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. She led the daily operations of the 6th largest district attorney’s office in the nation, including supervising 155 attorneys and operating a 140 million dollar budget. Miller began her career as a law clerk for prosecutors Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden on one of the most visible cases in our nation’s history — the O.J. Simpson trial. As a communications expert, Miller transforms leaders by strengthening their skills to positively impact their influence on public perception while retaining and motivating those in their organization, engaging in healthy conflict, setting expectations, and increasing morale.
Strategies for Local Governments to Prevent Organized Retail Crime
10:15-11:30 a.m.
Organized theft continues to be a challenge for local municipalities across California. This session aims to introduce new strategies to local leaders to effectively combat this issue. By coordinating the right stakeholders in the public and private sector, you can be a force for change to create a safer shopping experience for your constituents, protect your tax base, and make it harder for your community to be targeted.
Moderator:
Mike Karbassi, Council Member, Fresno
Speakers:
Jason Daughrity, Captain, California Highway Patrol
Michael Lamb, Organized Retail Crime Investigations Manager, Rite Aid
Rachel Michelin, President/CEO, CA Retailers Association
Future of Homekey: Motel Conversions Over the Next 10 Years
10:15-11:30 a.m.
Homekey has become a key way to prevent and reduce homelessness. In two years, the program has created nearly 13,000 housing units at an accelerated rate. If funding for Homekey expires, cities will need to find new, creative ways to continue building off the program’s success. Prior to Homekey, this expert panel produced hundreds of converted permanent supportive housing units, with these properties later serving as the framework for the State’s program. This discussion will explore the future of motel conversions from a state, regional, local, and developer perspective. Panelists will open their playbook to share lessons learned and innovative approaches to zoning, funding, and long-term operations and services.
Moderator:
La Shelle Dozier, Executive Director, Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency
Speakers:
Timothy Lawless, Branch Chief, Homekey, Cal Department of Housing and Community Development
Michael Massie, Chief Development Officer, Jamboree Housing Corporation
Grace Ruiz-Stepter, Housing
and Community Development Director, Anaheim
Networking Lunch
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Reimagining Emergency Medical Services Through Mobile Integrated Healthcare
12:45-2:00 p.m.
The City of Beverly Hills’ Nurse Practitioner Program is an innovative Mobile Integrated Healthcare solution that offers a holistic, patient-centered delivery model. In this session, attendees will learn how the Nurse Practitioner Program enables firefighter paramedics/EMTs to focus on emergent calls, positively impacts the community’s health, treats chronic conditions, and explores potential avenues for reimbursement through the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare.
Moderator:
Julian Gold, Mayor, Beverly Hills
Speakers:
Greg Barton, Fire Chief, Beverly Hills Fire Department
Marc Cohen, Medical Director, Beverly Hills Fire Department
Sean Stokes, EMS Administrator, Beverly Hills
Speed Sessions
Navigating Housing Challenges Associated with Short-Term Rentals
12:45-1:15 p.m.
Short-term vacation rentals have boomed during and post pandemic. Many cities are struggling with how to identify and monitor activities at these properties while striking a balance for their community. Some cities opt to ban or create a cap on the number of short-term rentals while others do not. Learn best practices for every community and help to assure that cities are capturing revenue associated with this exploding industry.
Moderator:
John Minto, Immediate Past President, Mayors and Council Members Department and Mayor, Santee
Speaker:
Dustin Reilich, VP Sales & Government Relations, Deckard Technologies, Inc
Speed Sessions
Best Practices in Addressing Illegal Dumping
1:25-1:55 p.m.
Illegal dumping of durable waste (e.g., auto parts, household appliances, mattresses, furniture, construction and home renovation waste, and electronics) is different from littering and requires distinct prevention and mitigation strategies. To help policymakers and other stakeholders better understand the significant environmental, economic, and societal harms that illegal dumping creates (both where the dumping occurs and in surrounding communities), this presentation identifies drivers of illegal dumping and explores public policy options to address the problem. Also, hear what several cities have accomplished through implementing pilot projects using these best practices.
Speaker:
Taylor Grimes, Special Projects Coordinator, Mattress Recycling Council
City Council and Staff’s Role in Workplace Investigations
2:15-3:30 p.m.
What if a department head brought a harassment complaint against a city manager directly to a council member? How do you handle the complaint and the department head’s requests for updates on the investigation? This session will take attendees through the required legal and policy processes and review what confidentiality means in this scenario. The presenter will also discuss the practicalities of providing public service during an ongoing investigation.
Moderator:
Lori Ogorchock, Department Director, Mayors and Council Members Department and Council Member, Antioch
Speaker:
Shelline Bennett, Partner, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
Surplus Land Act and its Housing and Land Use Impacts
2:15-3:30 p.m.
California continues to face a housing crisis and the state legislature continues to pass laws to accelerate the production of affordable housing. The Surplus Land Act seeks to increase housing by requiring public agencies to follow a state-controlled process, including offering public property to affordable housing developers prior to selling or leasing property for other uses. Learn how this law impacts local land use and how to navigate the sale, lease, and use of public property to pursue public-private projects that produce economic development results while staying in compliance with state requirements.
Moderator:
Larry Kosmont, Chairman and CEO, Kosmont Transactions Services
Speakers:
Troy Brown, City Manager, City of Moorpark
Matthew Cody, Of Counsel, Best Best & Krieger
David Zisser, Assistant Deputy Director, Local Government Relations & Accountability,
CA Department of Housing & Community Development
Universal Inclusionary Housing
3:45-5:00 p.m.
This session will discuss expanding inclusionary housing requirements to cover existing rental properties. Many were exempted by the Palmer decision. One approach is with a parcel tax based on the number of rental units, offering inclusionary housing as an in-lieu option. The tax would exempt existing housing developments with affordable housing, significantly expanding affordable housing opportunities. Unlike rent control, it won’t affect the new housing starts, which are affected by the existing inclusionary housing regulations. Existing properties, previously protected from inclusionary housing requirements, have government-created lower operating costs.
Moderator and Speaker:
Stuart Kasdin, Council Member, Goleta
Speakers:
Ethan Walsh, Attorney, Best Best & Krieger LLP
Rob Wiener, Executive Director, California Coalition for Rural Housing
Partnering for Protection: Looking Past Jurisdictions to Provide School Safety
3:45-5:00 p.m.
The dreadful rise in school violence often brings unity through grief, but what happens if the city and its partners are united before something so horrific happens? Can it be prevented? Can they work cooperatively while respecting boundaries? Attendees will learn different tactics to cooperate across organizations to provide proactive strategies to address the rising violence in schools.
Moderator:
Frank Oviedo, Assistant City Manager, Santa Clarita
Speakers:
Steve Ellis, Administrative Director Student Safety and Security, Corona Norco Unified School District
Larry Gonzalez, Chief of Police, Riverside Police Department
Registration Open
7:45-10:30 a.m.
Networking Breakfast
7:45-8:45 a.m.
How Cities Can Fight Crime with Civil Litigation
9:00-10:15 a.m.
Drugs such as meth and fentanyl are a major problem in California. What happens when a property becomes a hotbed for drugs and criminal activity? What can city leaders do? The answer is a Drug Abatement lawsuit, codified at H&S 11570 et seq. This is a powerful civil tool that allows public agencies to shut down drug properties. The city can also recover its attorney fees and costs for the lawsuit making it cost-neutral for the city.
Moderator and Speaker:
Ryan Griffith, Attorney & Receiver, Bay Area Receivership Group
Speaker:
Adam Abel, Assistant City Attorney, Santa Rosa
Why a Balanced Masculine and Feminine Leadership Approach Matters
9:00-10:15 a.m.
Seventy-six percent of employees are disengaged at work. Staff eventually leave because they don't feel seen, heard, or appreciated. Who knew the answer to this lies in a TV show called “Ted Lasso”? Ted Lasso's leadership style, which combines both feminine and masculine traits, is vital for organizations because it demonstrates the effectiveness of a holistic and inclusive approach to being a leader. Attendees will learn how to rise above the antiquated “Mad Men” way of managing and embrace a Ted Lasso standard of leadership where people are the priority.
Moderator:
Melissa Hunt, First Vice President, Mayors and Council Members Department and Council Member, Anderson
Speaker:
Jeff Harry, Positive Psychology Play Speaker, Rediscover Your Play
Closing General Session
10:30 a.m.-noon
Citizens, Cities, Resilience: Engage the Never Give Up Mindset
Imagine what you could learn from a man who rescued his two small children when they were kidnapped to the Middle East. Attendees will learn about advocacy, resilience, perseverance, and how to overcome obstacles both professionally and personally.
Closing Remarks:
Ali Sajjad Taj, President, League of California Cities and Council Member, Artesia
Susannah Meyer, President, Mayors and Council Members Department and Vice Mayor, Brentwood
Keynote Speaker:
Scott Lesnick, Global Leadership Keynote Speaker, CSP, Certified Speaking Professional and Author
Scott Lesnick is an author, trainer, and global leadership keynote speaker who motivates audiences with powerful, entertaining messages and interactive sessions. His memoir “Kidjacked – A Father’s Story” and his book “Lifejacked: Life Lessons on Leadership” both received critical acclaim. Lesnick has spent 24 award-winning years in sales and management at Shaw Industries, a Berkshire Hathaway Fortune 500 company. He earned a Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association — a designation given to roughly 17% of members worldwide — and served as the Dean of the Academy in 2016-17. Lesnick is a graduate of the University of Miami, Florida.
Adjourn
Noon
2023 Summit Session Materials
- Cal Cities advocacy materials
- Map to Wednesday's Member Rally and Press Conference
- Best Practices in Addressing Illegal Dumping - Grimes
- Cal Cities homelessness survey
- City Council and Staff’s Role in Workplace Investigations - Bennett
- Future of Homekey Motel Conversions Over the Next 10 Years
- Get Them to “Yes”- Persuasive Critical Communication Skills for City Leaders - Handouts
- Get Them to “Yes”- Persuasive Critical Communication Skills for City Leaders
- How Cities Can Fight Crime with Civil Litigation
- Navigating the Housing Challenges Associated with Short Term Rentals
- Reimagining Emergency Medical Services Through Mobile Integrated Healthcare - Stokes
- Strategies for Local Governments To Prevent Organized Retail Crime - Daughrity and Lamb
- Strategies for Local Governments to Prevent Organized Retail Crime - Karbassi
- Surplus Land Act & Its Housing and Land Use Impacts - Kosmont
- Surplus Land Act & Its Housing and Land Use Impacts - Zisser
- The Shared Path to Preventing and Reducing Homelessness - Schneider
- Universal Inclusionary Housing - Kasdin
- Why a Balanced Masculine and Feminine Leadership Approach Matters
Previous Conference Session Materials
- Build It, They Will Come
- Cal Cities Legislative Priorities Briefing Materials
- Critical Communication Skills for City Leaders - Handout
- Critical Communication Skills for City Leaders - PowerPoint Slides
- Emerging Issues and Cutting-Edge Solutions for Challenges Facing California Cities
- Finding Successors – Finding Future Leaders in your City Staff
- Foundations of an Equitable and Inclusive Community
- Food for Thought- Ingredients for a Vital Downtown in a Post Covid Digital World
- How Cities Can Fix Dangerous Properties and Increase Revenue
- Land Use and Zoning – Who Is Making the Decisions?
- Lessons Learned in the Recovery After the Camp Fire
- Stop Shoulding Yourself
- Water Quality Solutions for Your Community- The True Source Control Story
Speaker Center
In the Speaker Center, you can find resources for all speaker-related details including deadlines, audiovisual requests, presentation submission directions, panelist agreements, and key event contacts.
Below are key presenter deadlines and a link to the Speakers Agreement. Please read and complete the required fields to acknowledge your acceptance of the League of California Cities’ presenter guidelines. Providing your digital signature
allows Cal Cities to move forward in planning and promoting your session, as well as publish your name and affiliation on our website and in marketing materials. Your contact information will remain strictly confidential.
Should you have any questions, please contact the education department.
Important deadlines
March 14: Complete the Speakers Agreement and note any specific audiovisual requests. On the day of their presentation, speakers are provided a one-day complimentary registration (not including meals or special events), which needs to be completed via the form. If you would like to register for additional conference days or activities, please contact Megan Dunn.
By March 29: Submit your final presentation to Cal Cities via the presentation submission page.
April 21: Discounted hotel rate cut off. Once you register for the conference, you will be prompted to book a hotel room.
April 5: Deadline for advanced conference registration.
Now-April: To ensure each speaker is comfortable with their responsibilities during the presentation, please hold at least one conference call with all of the panelists in your session. The session planning chair, typically the person who submitted the proposal for the conference, is responsible for connecting with the other speakers to hold a session planning call.
Our goal is to provide exceptional educational experiences, networking opportunities, and innovative tools that will make attendees and their cities more successful. Studies show that adults learn best when they are actively involved in the process rather than passively listening or watching. Most attendees are knowledgeable about the subject, and therefore are interested in hearing what others know and what their experiences have been. Accordingly, we urge you to plan your presentation with these suggestions in mind.
- "The presentation was a 'sales' pitch for a particular product or service."
- "I couldn't read the slides."
- "One speaker took so much time that the others were not able to give their full presentations."
- "I'd like more practical knowledge."
- Relevant content for experienced audiences that stretches thinking and provides new approaches.
- Content that is delivered in an engaging way and draws on the experience of the attendees.
- Examples and case studies of real success (and successful failures).
- Try to add stories, anecdotes, testimonials, or demonstrations that emphasize your point. We all remember a good story, and thus more easily the lesson with it.
- Provide tools and information that the audience can implement.
- If there are other speakers in your session, coordinate with them in advance to decide your speaking order and ensure that all presentations fit into the assigned time allotment. If you do not have the contact information for your co-presenters, please contact us at education@calcities.org.
- Selling from the podium creates conflict of interest problems. Cal Cities educational sessions should never be an advertisement. Therefore, presentations may not include any commercialism for specific products or consulting services.
Submitting Your Session Materials
Presentation materials are an important element of Cal Cities educational programs. Please submit your presentation in either a Microsoft-friendly format or as a .pdf file no later than Wednesday, March 29.
It is Cal Cities' goal to make a positive impact on the environment by integrating environmental considerations into all seminars. Some things to keep in mind are:
When naming your session materials, please use your session title. For example: "YourSessionTitle"
If your session group has created multiple presentations, please combine all presentations into one document before submitting to us, in the order the presenters are speaking.
Please contact the education department with any questions, concerns, or assistance needs you may have.
The League of California Cities encourages our presenters to use the most engaging educational platform possible when speaking at the City Leaders Summit. We recognize that each session has a unique format and presentation style based on the preferences of the speaker(s) and content being presented, but the following three examples are provided as a general guideline in planning your session.
- Welcome
- Frame session
- Introduce speakers
- Summary of relevant experience
- Learning objectives
- Core session content
- Summary of key points
- Facilitate Q&A
- Final comments
Panel Discussions: 75 minutes, 1 speaker
- Welcome
- Frame session
- Introduce speaker
- Summary of relevant experience
- Learning objectives
- Core session content
- Summary of key points
- Facilitate Q&A
- Final comments
Speed Sessions: (20 minutes)
Speaker #1 (15 minutes)
- Self-introduction
- Frame session
- Fun and engaging presentation
Final thoughts (5 minutes)
- Facilitate Q&A
- Final Comments