Issue highlights:
Read below for more news and events.
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The House of Representatives is expected to vote this Friday or Saturday on the $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Relief Fund which includes $65 billion in direct and flexible funding for cities. Cal Cities is urging city officials to call their congressional representative THIS WEEK to let them know that they support the relief package. Cities can also submit a letter expressing support for the relief package. Please send in letters as soon as possible. Federal relief sample city letter
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This week the Governor signed a legislative package providing urgent relief to Californians experiencing pandemic hardship, including $600 stimulus checks to low-wage earners and $2 billion for small business grants. Ahead of legislative approval, Cal Cities issued its support for the package, but highlighted that more support is needed for California cities, who must be a priority investment in the state budget. Read more
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Before the pandemic, approximately one in five California students lacked high-speed internet or an appropriate computer to do school work at home. When the pandemic hit and a majority of students began distance learning, new barriers arose, including Internet speed limits. To address these challenges, the city of Temecula created WiFi gardens in public parks, where students can use city WiFi free of charge to complete their schooling. Read more
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Cal Cities President and El Centro Mayor Cheryl Viegas Walker testified today before a Senate hearing to share the city of El Centro’s experiences providing support for residents experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. President Viegas Walker shared how Homekey has provided local government officials with another tool they can use to collaborate and implement innovative projects to address homelessness in their communities. Read more
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On Monday, the House Budget Committee passed a $350 billion Coronavirus State Local Fiscal Relief Fund that would provide approximately $65 billion in direct and flexible funding to cities. This funding could be used for pandemic response and recovery as well as revenue replacement. Cal Cities urges city officials to call their congressional representative today and express support for the relief package, and will continue its advocacy efforts to ensure the proposal passes out of the House, through the U.S. Senate, and to President Biden for his signature. Read more
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Join your colleagues at the virtual 2021 Public Works Officers Institute, March 15, 17, and 19! This must-attend event will feature the latest developments in public works, legislative updates, peer-to-peer networking, and more. Be sure to get together with your fellow public works officers from across the state at the highly anticipated League Partner reception during this event! Register now
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The Municipal Law Institute Symposium is a one-day virtual event for local government attorneys and law students scheduled March 5. Presented by the League of California Cities, California Constitution Center, Institute of Governmental Studies, and the Bar Association of San Francisco, the symposium will bring attorneys and academics together to discuss “Converging Emergencies” and the lessons learned from an unprecedented year that raised challenging municipal legal issues regarding local finance, elections, housing, policing, race and equity, and more. Register now
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Planning commissioners, city planning directors, and associated staff are invited to attend four days of educational sessions and opportunities to connect with peers at the virtual 2021 Planning Commissioners Academy taking place March 25, 26, 31, and April 1. This academy is a must for new and seasoned planning commissioners alike, with sessions ranging from the basic roles and responsibilities as a planning commissioner, to updates on key legislative issues. Read more
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The Spring Conference has a rich tradition of excellence in providing California city attorneys with education on the latest municipal law issues along with opportunities for connecting with colleagues from across the state. The conference will take place on Fridays, April 30, May 7, 14, and 21, and will include a special peer-to-peer meet-and-greet followed by a City Attorneys’ Department meeting on Thursday, April 29. Read more
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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
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Graffiti destroys property, costs cities hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, and can blight entire communities. To address graffiti issues, the City of Escondido created a custom designed smartphone app to crowdsource information from the community to help keep their city clean and free of graffiti. Read more
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Each year, Cal Cities honors outstanding work in member cities throughout the state through the Helen Putnam Awards for Excellence. Apply online by April 8 at 5 p.m. Read more
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The newly launched League of California Cities Public Safety Task Force kicked off its first meeting on Thursday, Feb. 18, and featured a robust conversation on Cal Cities’ path forward on police reform policies. The task force consists of 22 presidential appointments from across the state with a breadth of experience and interest working on public safety issues, and the goal of the task force is to review and recommend updates to Cal Cities' public safety policy and guiding principles, which will inform and guide Cal Cities' advocacy on police reform. Read more
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The Legislature will host a number of oversight and informational hearings on a variety of policy areas of interest to cities in the coming weeks. More than 2,400 bills were introduced by the bill deadline of Feb. 19. The League of California Cities is reviewing all the bills introduced and will provide an update on key bills impacting cities soon. All hearings will be televised. The Senate and Assembly publish weekly television schedules online, as well as audio and video links when available. Read more
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Wednesday, March 3, 1:30-3 p.m. — Learn about how Curative is developing local partnerships to transition from providing large scale COVID-19 testing to vaccine distribution across California, and the importance of public-private partnerships, such as the one Curative has formed with the city of Riverside. Presenters: Curative California General Manager Agatha Bacelar, Curative California Director of Growth Haley Albert, city of Riverside Emergency Services Administrator Mark Annas, and city of Riverside Fire Captain Brian Guzzetta. Register now
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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. Hear from NLC’s Congressional City Conference general session speakers Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Moody's Analytics Chief Economist Mark M. Zandi, 52nd Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, and White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, and 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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Thursday, March 11, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — Hear from four local government icons about how best to tackle topics like social justice, equity, COVID-19 response and the growing polarization in our communities. This free webinar is the first in the Institute for Local Government’s new leadership series, LEADING LOCAL, which will serve as a thought leadership forum on challenging topics and issues local government leaders face. Presenters: San Diego County Supervisor (retired) Greg Cox, Oakland City Manager (retired) Henry Gardner, Santa Monica City Manager (retired) Rod Gould, Daly City City Manager (retired) Pat Martel. Register now
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Thursday, March 18, 10 a.m. — The Supreme Court's 2021 docket is set for the 2020-21 term. Many new cases of interest to states and local governments have been added, ranging from a takings case to a case involving college athlete pay. Join the State and Local Legal Center for a discussion of the most interesting cases for states and local governments to be decided this term. Register now
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