City leaders and lawmakers discuss shared challenges and solutions during City Leaders Summit, a new Cal Cities advocacy and education event
More than 200 city officials gathered for the City Leaders Summit last week, a brand-new advocacy and education event. The summit offered three days of opportunities for officials to advocate for city priorities at the Capitol — including during a news conference that received statewide coverage — and discuss local solutions to statewide problems during educational sessions.
Top legislative issues highlighted in meetings with lawmakers
The summit kicked off with a briefing on the top legislative issues currently facing cities. Of the more than 2,500 bills this session legislators are debating, some have the potential to significantly impact the quality of life and fiscal stability of cities. League of California Cities staff highlighted bills related to the 2022 State Action Agenda, including measures related to parking and accessory dwelling unit standards, local housing and transportation plans, local bridge funding, mental health services, disaster preparedness, and organic waste recycling.
The briefing also included an overview of Cal Cities’ state budget requests, followed by a rally and news conference outside the Capitol. During the news conference, close to 100 city leaders waved signs and called on the Governor and the Legislature to draw on the state’s extraordinary budget surplus for housing, economic development, and organic waste recycling programs — and for reimbursements for costs related to state mandates that have gone unpaid for the past two decades. The budget surplus is at an estimated $100 billion.
“The state’s historic surplus … provides lawmakers with an incredible opportunity to be a true partner to cities in advancing our shared goals towards housing and climate resiliency,” said Cal Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman. “We’re simply asking the state to put its money where its mandates are.”
City officials also urged lawmakers to support Cal Cities’ budget ask and Action Agenda across 35 meetings with members of the Legislature and the Administration.
Local leaders called on legislators to oppose three bills that would undermine local zoning and development standards, SB 897 (Wieckowski), AB 2011 (Wicks), and AB 2097 (Friedman). All three measures would restrict local decision-making and eliminate community input. Additionally, both AB 2011 and AB 2097 would hinder cities’ ability to negotiate with developers for community benefits.
City leaders were in strong support of AB 2120 (Ward), a bill that would ensure 55% of the bridge funds headed to California through the federal infrastructure package are allocated to local projects through a needs-based allocation. This change would nearly double the federal funding available to local bridges to an estimated $800 million annually. Nearly 12% of all local bridges are rated in poor condition under federal standards, compared to 3.3% of state bridges.
Local officials also advocated for SB 929 (Eggman), SB 1154 (Eggman), and AB 2547 (Nazarian). This suite of bills would expand the type of data collected and shared among agencies, create a new registry for available services, and provide subsidies to support vulnerable populations. The package of bills aims to improve access to behavioral health services and provide additional support for those who are either experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of experiencing homelessness.
Additionally, city officials voiced their support for AB 1985 (R. Rivas). Cosponsored by Cal Cities, this bill would create an online database of organic waste products on the market so local governments can connect with local farmers and community members seeking organic waste products. The bill would also continue to explore needed changes to SB 1383’s procurement requirements.
Local government champions recognized
Cal Cities recognized Senators Lena Gonzalez and John Laird for their work supporting local issues at the Capitol. While the senators were officially honored with the Distinguished Legislative Leadership Award in September 2021 for their unwavering support and dedication to local communities, they were only available to receive their awards in person this month.
Sen. Laird was instrumental in helping cities secure additional funding and time to implement SB 1383 (Lara, 2016) organic waste diversion regulations. Sen. Gonzalez authored SB 4, which prioritizes the broadband needs of California's unserved and underserved communities while providing local governments the flexibility and funding to expand deployment.
Education sessions focus on major challenges to cities
In between meetings with lawmakers, city officials also received updates on important statewide topics, such as land use and planning, wildfire resiliency, succession planning, workplace culture, and downtown economic development.
In a session on mental health and homelessness, local and state leaders spoke about how all levels of government can work together to ensure access to behavioral health services for all Californians. Even though cities traditionally have a limited role in providing mental health care, the speakers explained how cities can address many of the contributing factors, such as housing insecurity, access to transportation, or air and water quality.
“We can’t stand by and watch as people disintegrate on our streets,” said Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh, one of the panelists.
Toby Ewing, executive director of the state’s Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission urged city officials to approach mental health the same way they approach fire safety: Reduce the need for emergency fire services instead of focusing solely on how to put out fires.
“We need to reduce the need for crisis services, as well as get better at crisis services,” Ewing said.
Goh and Ewing were also joined by Sen. Thomas Umberg, Citrus Heights Mayor Porsche Middleton, and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg,
“If we want to effectively address homelessness, we need to address mental health and substance abuse,” Steinberg said.
In another panel, lawmakers and city officials spoke about the intersection of land use planning and climate change. Sen. Dave Cortese spoke about the need to think differently about land use and the importance of forming coalitions to achieve shared climate change and housing goals.
“The opposition can’t show up and mobilize in 58 counties if you take action,” said Cortese, who noted that the state and cities often face well-funded opposition to shared climate and housing goals.
Fellow panelist Assembly Member Laura Friedman spoke about the need to rethink local zoning practices.
“Everything has to be seen through the lens of climate change,” said Friedman, who pointed to neighborhoods in Sacramento and Glendale as good examples of forward-thinking housing development. “Housing is all wrapped up in transportation and they have to be solved together.”
"While it's science, it's not rocket science," said panelist Kacey Lizon, deputy executive director for planning and programs at the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. "Listen and collaborate, because that's ultimately how we're going to find novel solutions.”
Others spoke about the need to build welcoming workplaces that attract the best employees while simultaneously retaining and rewarding them. Building good workplace culture is about being intentional about even the smallest details and interactions.
“Not trusting someone is usually not a one-way street,” said Dr. Maria Church, CEO of Government Leadership Solutions who led a session on workplace culture. “It usually involves both directions.”
“It’s not really about equity; it’s about humanity,” said Berké Brown, a partner at Fogbreak Justice who advised city officials on how to build truly inclusive communities.
The summit also featured a keynote presentation from Tracy Miller, a prosecutor with over 23 years of legal experience, who coached city leaders on their communication skills.
"When you prepare to speak to a group, think about your audience, and what they care about before you start framing your message,” Miller said. “If you care more about your audience [than yourself], I promise you will give a fantastic presentation.”
Keynote speaker Nicole Lance, a former assistant city manager with almost 13 years of experience in local government, counseled city officials on how to implement “micro strategies” that build capacity or improve success and satisfaction.
Additional information about this year’s event can be found on the City Leaders Summit web page.