Issue highlights:

Cal Cities weekly COVID update: Jan. 21-27 

The League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman sent a letter to legislative leadership urging them to prioritize cities in the 2021-22 State Budget, and to allocate funding for cities to support pandemic response and recovery. Also, Cal Cities joined a coalition of counties, special districts, and schools to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to retain the April 10 deadline for property tax payments, and the White House announced an extension of federal COVID-19 support to states and local governments, directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to increase their reimbursement levels from 75 percent to 100 percent for expenses through Sept. 30, 2021. Read more

Register today for the League of California Cities 2021 City Managers Conference, starting Monday! Join your fellow city managers Feb. 1, 3, and 5 for sessions on key topics of interest to city leaders, peer-to-peer connections, and a closing keynote by David Wallace-Wells, New York Times best-selling author and Ted Talk speaker. This engaging talk on cities and climate change will motivate and inspire city managers to continue thinking about our environment and ways that policies and other decision-making play a role in mitigating the effects on our communities. Read more

Week two of the 2021 New Mayors and Council Members Academy is about to start and there is still time to register! Newly elected mayors and council members have a tremendous opportunity to learn the ropes of elected office and connect with peers during four days of educational sessions at the virtual League of California Cities 2021 New Mayors and Council Members Academy.  Register now

Thursday, Feb. 25, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. — Join the League of California Cities City Attorneys’ Department for a webinar to hear an overview of Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) requirements, explore the impacts of the Fourth District Court of Appeal opinion, and learn about strategies you can utilize in negotiating or challenging renewed MS4 Permits. Presenters: Casso & Sparks, LLP Partner John Harris, and Jones & Mayer Senior Associate Bruce Lindsay. Read more

The League of California Cities is seeking diverse, forward-looking topics for the 2021 Annual Conference & Expo at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento, Sept. 22-24. These sessions will support city leaders by arming them with the latest knowledge, resources, and tools to advance their communities and assist officials in their daily roles and operations within their city. Take advantage of this special opportunity to share expertise at the premier educational event for local elected officials, city department directors, and decision-makers throughout California, by submitting a proposal by March 31. Read more

Through Santa Clarita’s College Internship Program, interns get a taste of work life after completing their degree and gain exposure to key aspects of local government. The city benefits because it develops the next generation of public sector employees and provides professional development opportunities for current employees. Santa Clarita’s succession planning strategy has proven to be a success and can serve as a model for other cities as they work to develop future city employees and leaders. Read more 

Affordable housing for low-income residents in the cities of Los Angeles and Fresno will receive exterior and interior renovations with more than $34 million in tax-exempt affordable housing bonds, and the California Independent System Operator Corporation will refinance existing bonds with more than $174 million in A+ rated taxable bonds issued through the California Statewide Communities Development Authority. Read more

Be sure to submit your city's street or road infrastructure project or program by Jan. 29 for a chance to be honored with a 2021 Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Award! These awards highlight cities and counties that are employing projects, programs, practices, and innovative technologies and materials to achieve preservation, safety, and sustainability goals for the statewide local street and road system. Submit today

The Jan. 31 deadline for cities to apply for a Department of Housing and Community Development Local Early Action Planning grant is approaching fast! These flexible funds can be used for housing element updates, permit processing improvements, developing or improving accessory dwelling unit ordinances, rezoning efforts, or any project that accelerates housing production. For assistance with identifying projects, application review, or questions about the process, reach out to Institute for Local Government’s Karalee Browne or Melissa Kuehne. Apply today

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a favorable decision Monday, Jan. 25, in a case in which the League of California Cities filed a friend-of-the-court brief. The case arose in connection with a lease agreement between the city of Pasadena and the Western Justice Center, under which the center leases the historic Maxwell House from the city, and has the authority to rent the Maxwell House for community meetings. In a cancellation dispute, an external group sued both the city and the center claiming discrimination in violation with the First Amendment. The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision that the city is not liable for the discretionary decisions made by its tenant, making this an important win for cities. Read more

Congratulations to the cities of Fremont and San Francisco! On Jan. 25, 23 cities from across the country were chosen to be part of one of three new and distinct components of the Cities of Opportunity initiative by the National League of Cities. These cities have shown their commitment not only to responding to and recovering from COVID-19, but also building strong community partnerships and spurring job creation, employment, and economic opportunity for all their residents, with equity as a priority in all the work they do. Learn more

Wednesday, Feb. 10, 10-11:15 a.m. — The University of California (UC) Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) will discuss how heavier alternative fuel vehicles are expected to affect California pavements and bridges. In this webinar, participants will learn about UC ITS study findings, including the degree to which the weight limit increase could affect pavement damage and greenhouse gas emissions associated with pavement repairs, the potential costs of this pavement damage, and how any additional greenhouse gas emissions from increased repairs would compare to the anticipated emissions reductions from switching to alternative fuel trucks. Presenters: UC Davis Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the UC Pavement Research Center John Harvey, and UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies Senior Development Engineer Marshall Miller. Register now

March 7-10 — Join more than 1,000 leaders from America’s cities, towns, and villages for an immersive program that provides local leaders educational opportunities through hands-on trainings and seminars focused on common local-level issues. At NLC’s Congressional City Conference you’ll learn how to drive federal policy, engage in dialogue with federal officials, and strengthen intergovernmental partnership with decision-makers, while sharing ideas and building policy solutions for the future of your community.​ Register now

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