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February 2019
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Andrew Thomas
Westwood Village Improvement Association

1st Vice President
Steve Snider
Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt-Uptown District Associations
 
2nd Vice President
Emilie Cameron 
Downtown Sacramento Partnership

Secretary
Kathy Hemmenway
Walnut Creek Downtown
 
Treasurer
Austin Metoyer
Downtown Long Beach Alliance
 
At-Large Directors
Marshall Anderson
Downtown San Diego Partnership

John Caner
Downtown Berkeley

Karin Flood
Union Square Business Improvement District

Suzanne Holley
Downtown Center Business Improvement District (LA)

Rena Leddy
LA Fashion District
 
Steve Mulheim
Old Pasadena Management District

Chloe Shipp
San Jose Downtown Association
 
Immediate Past President
Steven Welliver
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
CDA MEMBERS
Arlington Business Partnership
Arts District Los Angeles BID
Bixby Knolls Business
Improvement Association
BLVD Association
Carmichael Improvement District, Inc.
City of Beverly Hills
City of Monterey Park
City of Ontario
City of San Diego - Economic Development Dept.
Civitas
Downtown Alameda Business Association
Downtown Association of Santa Cruz
Downtown Berkeley Association
Downtown Business Association-Bakersfield
Downtown Center BID
Downtown Long Beach Alliance
Downtown Modesto Partnership
Downtown Oakland Association/ Lake Merritt Uptown District Association
Downtown Pomona Owners Association
Downtown Roseville Partnership
Downtown Sacramento Partnership
Downtown Santa Barbara, Inc.
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
Downtown SLO
Downtown Vacaville BID
Downtown Ventura Partners
Downtown Visalians, Inc.
East Hollywood BID
Figueroa Corridor Partnership
Gateway to LA Airport Business District
Gilroy Economic Development
Greater Broadway District
Hollywood Property Owners Alliance
Kono CBD
LA Downtown Industrial District BID
LA Fashion District BID
La Jolla Village Merchants Association
LeerCorp
Old Monterey Business Association
Old Pasadena Management District 
ParkSmart, Inc.
Paso Robles Main Street Association
Playhouse District Association
Progressive Urban Management Associates, Inc.
R Street Sacramento Partnership
Riverside Downtown Partnership
San Jose Downtown Association
South Park BID
Sunnyvale Downtown
Telegraph BID
Temescal Telegraph BID
The River District
The Unity Council
Times Square Alliance
Tracy City Center Association
Tulare Downtown Association
Union Square BID
Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association
Westwood Village Improvement Association 


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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Andrew Thomas VP
Next month, BID leaders and downtown practitioners will come together to take part in the West Coast Urban District Forum (WCUDF), the signature annual event hosted by the California Downtown Association, the International Downtown Association and this year’s host district, the San Jose Downtown Association. If you have not yet registered for this event, I strongly encourage you to do so. CDA has lined up exceptional Keynote and Master Talk speakers, and the Breakout Sessions will focus on important issues that touch all of our districts. For a complete list of speakers, sessions and activities, click here for the full program.

Every WCUDF is unique in its own way, in no small part due to their host destinations. Conference attendees are certainly in for something special this year. Downtown San Jose is a destination that embraces its historic character while welcoming exciting new development. I encourage you to take time to explore this amazing district and take in everything it has to offer. If you haven’t spent time in San Jose recently, prepare for a terrific experience.

Hundreds of hours —many of them volunteer hours — have been invested into making the #WCUDF20 a terrific conference that will spur creativity and bring additional value to our work. In advance of this year’s conference, I would like to thank everyone who has dedicated their time and energy to this event. I am excited to see you all in San Jose, and please take a moment to find me and say hello. I look forward to meeting you.

Andrew Thomas, CDA President
Executive Director
Westwood Village Improvement Association
REGISTER TODAY FOR #WCUDF2020
The West Coast Urban District Forum is March 11-13, 2020. Master Talks and breakout sessions will explore how managing downtowns and public spaces has become much more than flower baskets and events. Register online by Wednesday, March 4, 2020.
Attend Master Talks from Somjita Mitra, the Chief of Economic Research at the California Department of Finance and Dwayne Marsh, Former Deputy Director of Government Alliance on Race and Equity. Review the preliminary program here.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Governor Newsom Doubles-Down on Homelessness During State of the State Address 

If it wasn’t obvious before, it became abundantly clear that Governor Newsom’s top public policy agenda item this year is tackling homelessness during the annual State of the State Address. 

During his address last week, the Governor outlined an aggressive plan to tackle some of the root causes of homelessness and investments to serve the approximately 150,000 Californians who are homeless today. Calling the current state of affairs a “disgrace”, Newsom dedicated the entire State of the State address to this single issue. 

“No amount of progress can camouflage the most pernicious crisis in our midst, Newsom said, “the ultimate manifestation of poverty: homelessness.”

In his address, Newsom detailed a five point plan. First, the Governor called for “quickly and humanely” reducing street homelessness. His plan called for utilizing state properties – some 286 locations – that could be made available for temporary housing via trailers and other temporary structures.  

Secondly, the Governor called for an overhaul of the Medi-Cal program through a request to appropriate $695 million to provide mental health services for the homeless. In addition, for major reforms to existing law to get help to individuals who do not have the capacity to help themselves – often to ensure life-saving treatment can be afforded the mentally ill. 

Third, Newsom announced the establishment of the “California Access to Housing Fund” to assist with increasing housing supplies by converting existing commercial properties into rental units set aside for those in most need. On the topic of additional housing supply, Newsom used his time to call out cities and counties to produce greater housing density and affordability. 

Recent statewide polling data demonstrates homelessness and housing is the number one issue on the minds of likely voters in California. All told, Governor Newsom has committed $1.4 billion in the 2020-21 State Budget to pay for a number of programs, including rent subsidies, board & care homes, health services and affordable housing.  

AB 2093 (Gloria, D-San Diego) OPPOSED 
In other news, for the second consecutive year, CDA’s Board has seen the introduction of legislation that would place a new mandate on all public agencies, including BIDs, to require storage of every transmitted email for at least 2 years. As written, the bill creates no new disclosures or exemptions of any records, but still requires all emails to be saved, regardless if the email is a public record or not. 
The very same bill, AB 1184 (Gloria), advanced through the Legislature last year against the objections of CDA and at least a half dozen public agency organizations. Ultimately, Governor Newsom vetoed AB 1184 citing the imbalance in the bill – significant costs to implement yet without meaningful public benefit to warrant those costs. CDA believes there is no value to saving inconsequential emails – particularly if they will never require to be released. CDA will again help lead a coalition of public agencies including the California Special Districts Association and the League of California Cities who oppose AB 2093 this year. 


Jason Bryant 
Bryant Government Affairs
February 2020 Legislative Update 

Joining us in San Jose for #WCUDF20? Jason Bryant will be leading an in-depth discussion of the legislative issues that could support and/or threaten our urban placemaking efforts here in California. The “Under the Dome – Setting the Downtown Agenda” session will be held on Friday at 10:30 am.
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