September 16, 2020
League News

City leaders live in a world where juggling many expectations is part of the norm. 2020 only compounded those expectations, as city officials faced what many would describe as the most difficult year ever in public service. Ranked as a Top 10 TED Talk, Neil Pasricha shares how resilience, change, and growth can come from times of challenge, and focuses on the relationship between happiness and leadership. Read more

As wildfires ravage much of the Golden State, the city of Santa Rosa knows the importance of being prepared for disasters. The city has implemented a communications program utilizing multilingual materials that are easy-to-understand and provide clear instructions on how residents can prepare, access safety information, and be ready to evacuate during an emergency. Read more

Serving as a member of a policy committee is often the first introduction to League engagement. Share the issues facing your community and collectively help identify and develop policy recommendations that will establish the League’s policy direction in the state Capitol. Policy committee appointments will begin in mid-October. Those interested in serving should start by reviewing which policy area is of interest.  Read more
Education and Conferences

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1:30-3 p.m. Join League Partner, Kaiser Permanente, for a webinar to learn how your city can help staff and residents return to work in a safe and effective way. The webinar will highlight the health considerations employers will need to address as they safeguard workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare to bring employees back to traditional work environments. Presenters: Kaiser Permanente Senior Workforce Health Consultant Brianne Jackson and Workforce Health Consultant Jennifer Castillo. Register now
 
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m.Join the League of California Cities Latino Caucus and special guest Secretary of State Alex Padilla for a webinar providing information and tools for the 2020 General Election in November. Read more
Opportunities for Cities
 
Time is running out for cities that have not yet applied for the California Department of Housing and Community Development Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Response Round 1 (CDBG-CV1) funding for local assistance. The CDBG-CV1 funding will provide support for communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline to submit an application for the $18.7 million in new federal funds has been extended to Sept. 21 at 5 p.m. Read more  

There are just two weeks remaining to complete the 2020 Census and help secure billions of dollars in funding for your community and state. Cities have been great partners in the statewide effort, especially on reaching the hardest to count individuals, and these efforts are making a difference. Keep encouraging Californians to complete the 2020 Census by Sept. 30. It’s not too late for California to be counted. Visit www.CACensus.org for more information and take your Census today!
More News and Events
 
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 5:30-7 p.m. — Join us for a fun “virtual” CitiPAC Trivia Night event! Teams will be broken into regional divisions and will compete against each other. Contestants will be asked several rounds of questions with the ability to break into separate zoom rooms to discuss and confer on their final answers. The event will provide a fun informal way to interact and connect with conference attendees while supporting CitiPAC in its efforts to protect local control at the ballot box. Attendance is free and a suggested contribution of $25 will get you a CitiPAC martini glass and mixology package to be used during the virtual reception. Register now  
 
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear several cases relevant to states and local governments in its 2020-21 term, which begins Oct. 5. Many are holdovers from the 2019-20 term, but the Court has also accepted numerous new cases of interest. Hear from attorneys who will argue some of the top cases as they discuss some of the new term's most relevant decisions to states and local governments. Presenters: Deepak Gupta of Gupta Wessler; Andrew Pinson, Georgia's Solicitor General; and Kevin Daley of the Washington Free Beacon. Read more

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented California cities with unprecedented, ever-evolving challenges. Cities have adapted operations to comply with safety regulations, keep their staff healthy, and protect public health while still continuing to provide essential services. Many cities are changing the way code enforcement is practiced. Learn more in this month’s Western City magazine.
League in the News
Just 15 days to finish Census, Sept. 16, Antelope Valley Press

“Filling out your Census is crucial to ensure that our community gets its fair share of funding,” Palmdale Mayor Steve Hofbauer said in a statement. “According to the League of California Cities, ‘for every person left uncounted in California, we could lose $1,000 in federal funding yearly for the next 10 years.’ The stakes and risks of an undercount in the 2020 Census are too high to ignore. The economic, political, and social impacts of an accurate Census count will shape our future.”