Is your entire staff reading this newsletter? Please forward to your team and ask them to sign up!

2020 is nearing its end. If you are exhausted, I can empathize. This year has been an interminable series of gut punches, and it seemed that every time we picked ourselves off of the mat, we were hit again.

But we downtown placemakers are nothing if not resilient and versatile. We continued to lift up ourselves and our communities and to lead in every way imaginable. We have delivered essential cleaning and safety services. We have communicated public health information to our stakeholders, and grant and aid packages to our business community. We have raised money to buy local meals and then deliver them to hospitals. We have created shop local campaigns, set up outdoor dining, placed social distancing markers on our sidewalks, connected our most vulnerable population to services and housing, removed thousands of graffiti tags, and completed countless other actions to help our districts. In my 20 years in this industry, I can’t think of a time when we were needed more.

Like our members, the California Downtown Association has worked incredibly hard during the past year. We strongly advocated for two bills which were signed into law. These are AB 1976 (Eggman, D-Stockton) dealing with Laura’s Law, a bill which strengthens California’s mental health laws; and SB 288 (Wiener, D-San Francisco), a bill which provides important CEQA exemptions for transit projects. CDA successfully held off another legislative attempt to create burdensome and costly email storage requirements. We joined coalition partners to defeat at the ballot box Propositions 15 and 21. CDA also made the painful last-minute decision to pivot from our 2020 West Coast Urban District Forum that was scheduled for mid-March to a scaled-back virtual conference.

Despite the challenges of the past year, I am optimistic about 2021. In California, it is very likely that the multiple vaccines currently being administered will lead to a robust economic recovery. In 2021, CDA is prepared to build upon our affirmed position as leaders advocating for our members’ legislative priorities. CDA is also working on a March 2021 virtual event on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and CDA has determined to hold our 2021 West Coast Urban District Forum in San Jose at the earliest possible date.

As I complete my second and final year as CDA President, I look back with pride at the accomplishments of the organization. None would have been possible without the incredible dedication of my fellow Board members, and the commitment and support of our CDA members. I also am incredibly excited to work with incoming President Steve Snider. Steve is a tremendous leader and advocate for our downtown places. CDA is in excellent hands.

It has been my pleasure to work with each of you. On behalf of the CDA Board of Directors, have a terrific holiday season and a fantastic start to the new year.  

Executive Director

Westwood Village Improvement Association

  

The California State Legislature was sworn-in on December 7^th which marked the start of the 2021-22 legislative session. While the ceremonies are mostly for organizing purposes and to officially swear-in those who won their races in November, it was also the first day for lawmakers to introduce new legislation, which offers a sense of the priorities for the upcoming session.

A series of promising bills were introduced that are designed to address some of California’s more systemic issues related to housing affordability and the economic impacts suffered by small businesses who have been shuttered or severely limited due to the state’s “stay-at-home” orders. Given CDA’s advocacy efforts in 2020, we can expect to reengage on priority housing, homelessness and COVID economic recovery related legislation.  

While the deadline to introduce legislation is several months away, the list of bills below is a good preview of some of the legislation that the CDA Board will review and consider. CDA will continue to track and monitor all newly-introduced legislation and we encourage our members to share with us any bills or legislative ideas that are important to you and your members. 

Assemblyman Chiu (D-San Francisco) has introduced bills designed to extend residential eviction protections through December 31, 2021 which are set to expire on February 1, 2021. Chiu has two bills related to evictions.

Senator Caballero (D-Salinas) has also introduced a similar tenant protection measure, albeit a more modest bill, that would extend eviction protections through April 1.

Assemblyman Gabriel (D-Encino) has introduced a bill that would allow local governments to expand outdoor dining privileges once restaurants are permitted to resume outdoor dining. 

Senator Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reviving a measure that stalled this year that would allow cities to voluntarily expedite rezoning of lots restricted to single-family housing for up to 10 units. 

Senate Pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) is reintroducing a bill to allow up to two duplexes on a single-family parcel. 

Bryant Government Affairs

December 2020 Legislative Update 

The San Diego Union-Tribune

The San Diego Planning Commission this week endorsed a plan to cut short-term rentals by 50 percent.

The Source Metro

Big news today on Metro’s plans to build a light rail line in the San Fernando Valley: The Metro Board certified the...

Courtnhouse News

A Los Angeles County judge has overturned a county ban on restaurants serving guests outdoors as arbitrary and backed...

Next City

A San Francisco Department of City Planning survey in 1976 hinted at a possible future for the building built in 1922 ...

Cities Today

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved two new autonomous vehicle (AV) programmes that will ...

San Francisco Chronicle

Over the next year, San Francisco’s homeless department says it will “end homelessness” for 2,300 people living in...

Next City

A new program run by the California Statewide Communities Development Authority is designed to help cities meet their...

Do you have your ear to the ground when it comes to the latest downtown news in your region? To submit news to be considered for inclusion in the newsletter, please contact us.