September 15, 2021
Take Action
It’s not too late to voice your opposition against SB 9! 

Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Sunday, Oct. 10 to take action. Here's what you can do: Contact your Regional Public Affairs Manager to include your city in a coalition letter to the Governor — now with more than 260 cities signed on. Send your own letter urging the Governor‘s veto or make a 20-second video about why SB 9 is bad for your community and upload it here. We will brand it and push it out far and wide on social media. There will be additional opportunities to record your opposition to SB 9 at the Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo, so stay tuned!
Cal Cities News

The final night of California's legislative session passed with little fanfare, perhaps in part because lawmakers were capped at a dozen bills each this year. Gov. Gavin Newsom now has until Oct. 10 to sign or veto the hundreds of bills pending on his desk, including nearly 30 priority bills for cities. Read more

Extreme heat may be the greatest climate-related health threat to Long Beach residents in the coming decades. Concerned, the city set out to implement new initiatives and strengthen existing extreme heat programs, with a focus on protecting vulnerable populations now and in the future. Read more

We can’t wait to see our city officials in person after 18 months of virtual meetings and events. The programming for this year’s Annual Conference and Expo features two visionary and inspiring keynote speakers, as well as a variety of exciting speakers and timely presentations on key topics for local leaders. Watch video

Billions of dollars in state and federal housing funding for cities were announced in the past week. Additionally, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued an important update on the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Final Guidance and the National League of Cities is hosting two webinars on American Rescue Plan implementation. Read more
Education and Events

Thursday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. — The Governor has until Oct. 10 to sign or veto bills that have reached his desk. This is the final opportunity for city officials to express their support or opposition on key bills. Join the League of California Cities for a briefing on the bills that cities need the Governor to sign or veto. Together with a strong, united voice, we can protect and promote cities’ interests. Your voice can make a difference! Register today
 
Preparing for the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo in advance is a necessary ingredient to creating a valuable and memorable experience. Cal Cities has compiled a list of tips to help get you back to in-person events and ensure you get the most out of your time. Read more

For the first time in two years, city leaders throughout the state will come together in-person to collaborate on shared issues and celebrate the successes of the past year, at the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo, Sept. 22-24, in Sacramento. Western City invited conference speakers to share key insights from their upcoming talks. Read more

More than 150 exhibitors are scheduled to showcase their products, solutions, and services to the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo attendees. Get to know the exhibitors in the pages of Western City before meeting them in-person at the conference. The Expo will be open Sept. 22 and 23. Read more

At this year’s League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo, the Institute for Local Government will host sessions on a number of timely topics related to our core pillars of work, including leadership and governance, public engagement, sustainable and resilient communities, and workforce and civics education. Read more
Opportunities for Cities

The California Statewide Communities Development Authority recently issued tax-exempt bonds to acquire workforce housing in Fairfield and renovate senior housing in Berkeley. It also issued tax-exempt bonds for a nonprofit developer, owner, and operator of senior housing communities located throughout California. Collectively, the three issuances total $412,220,000. Read more
More News and Events

The League of California Cities is now accepting leadership applications for the chair and vice chair positions in all seven policy committees through Sept. 20. In order to accurately reflect the state’s diverse communities and perspectives, leaders from all regions are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants will be reviewed on their leadership skills, policy awareness, and experience within Cal Cities. Applications must be submitted online. Read more

The League of California Cities is accepting leadership committee applications for the Coastal Cities Group through Sept. 20. Composed of the 61 cities located within the coastal zone, the Coastal Cities Group collaborates on sea level rise mitigation efforts, land use regulations, and works to foster a more collaborative relationship between cities and the California Coastal Commission. Read more

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration will soon require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure that their workforce is fully vaccinated or produce a negative test result on at least a weekly basis before coming to work. The rule is expected to impact some cities. The National League of Cities hosted a conversation on legal and policy considerations surrounding municipal employee vaccine mandates. Learn more

The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has filed proposed emergency regulations to consolidate, clarify, and make consistent cannabis regulations to the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL). The public comment period begins Wednesday, Sept. 15 and closes on Monday, Sept 20. Comments must be sent to both OAL and DCC by mail or email. Learn more
Cal Cities in the News

Organizations like the League of California Cities claim SB 9 would actually be detrimental to affordable housing without the appropriate safeguards. “The Planning and Zoning Law provides for the creation of accessory dwelling units by local ordinance, or, if a local agency has not adopted an ordinance, by ministerial approval, in accordance with specified standards and conditions,” the local governance advocacy association wrote in an opposition letter. “This bill, among other things, would require a proposed housing development containing no more than two residential units within a single-family residential zone to be considered ministerially, without discretionary review or hearing, if the proposed housing development meets certain requirements,” the letter continued. Read more
Sept. 29

Sept. 30

Dec. 8-9 (Registration open!)

Dec. 8-10 (Registration open!)

Jan. 20-21 and 27-28 (Save the date!)