Issue highlights:
Read below for more news and events.
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Cal Cities is seeking session proposals for California’s premier municipal education event: the Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo. The conference attracts thousands of leaders from city government, including mayors, council members, city managers, city clerks, city attorneys, and fiscal officers. Read more
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An appellate court has upheld a trial court ruling that rejected a lawsuit challenging an affordable housing project. The opinion — published after a request from the city and Cal Cities — will allow public agencies to better defend themselves from baseless lawsuits while building affordable housing. Read more
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Cal Cities is accepting submissions for the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence program. The awards recognize outstanding city programs that support thriving communities, improve public service, and enhance public trust. Entries must be submitted online by April 14. Read more
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The Federal Transit Administration announced $1.7 billion in funding for clean fleets and the U.S. Department of Transportation is holding a webinar on upcoming grants and related tools. New recovery resources are also available from the Local Infrastructure Hub and the National League of Cities. Read more
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Friday, Feb. 3, 8:30 a.m. — Technology can make the business of government more efficient, easy, and even more exciting, but at what cost? Hear from experts about the wide range of technology-related issues facing municipal lawyers in 2023, including cybersecurity, social media, and the Brown Act, at the annual Municipal Law Institute Symposium. Six hours of minimum continuing legal education credits are available. Register today
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Wednesday, Feb. 15, 10:00 a.m. — Paul Mitchell is one of California’s leading experts on election outcomes, trends, and redistricting. Join Mitchell for the latest installment of the Cal Cities Speaker series, where he will share information about California’s post-election results and demographics. Mitchell will discuss how the election will impact cities in 2023 and what they need to know about redistricting now that data has been tabulated. Register today
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March 29-31 — Planning commissioners must navigate some of the state’s most ambitious — and controversial — housing and environmental laws while also balancing the needs of their community. Navigating these obligations can be challenging, even for the most seasoned planning commissioner. Taking place March 29-31 in Garden Grove, the Planning Commissioners Academy provides city officials with information needed to meet these challenges. Register today
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March 29-31 — Solutions to California’s biggest infrastructure challenges are often developed at the local level by public works officers. The League of California Cities helps them meet these challenges head-on by providing training and information through events like the Public Works Officers Institute. This year’s Institute will cover a range of topics, including sustainable water supplies, recycling changes, extreme hazards, and major grant opportunities. Register today
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Has your community launched a forward-thinking project or program that preserves and improves existing local transportation systems? Nominate it for the 2023 Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards Program. The winning projects will be featured during the Cal Cities Public Works Officers Institute/CEAC Spring Conference in March and Western City magazine. Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 3. Read more
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Thanks to relatively easy roadway access, agricultural lands have long been vulnerable to illegal waste, which can lead to serious health and environmental issues. CalRecycle’s Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement Grant Program helps local governments clean up illegally dumped material from farms and ranches. Grants are limited to $50,000 per site, with a limit of $200,000 per year for each eligible applicant. Applications are due Feb. 9. Read more
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Properties where illegal dumping occurs lose economic value; create public health, safety, and environmental problems; and degrade the enjoyment and pride in the affected communities. The Illegal Disposal Site Abatement Grant Program helps local governments clean up these sites, restore them, and turn today’s problems into tomorrow’s opportunities in the form of reimbursement grants of up to $500,000. Applications are due. Feb. 15. Read more
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Many unauthorized dumping sites were once sources of economic benefit. The Legacy Disposal Site Abatement Partial Grant Program helps clean up sites where the responsible party either cannot be identified or is unwilling or unable to pay for timely remediation and where cleanup is needed to protect public health and safety and/or the environment. Cities can finance a wide range of remediation projects under the program. Applications are due Feb. 15. Read more
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Thursday, Feb. 2, 9:00 a.m. — Last year, California lawmakers passed the Solar Access Act (SB 379, Wiener). This new law requires most cities and counties to adopt SolarAPP+, which automates permitting for standard residential solar and storage systems. Join Cal Cities and the California State Association of Counties for an overview of the law’s requirements and SolarAPP+, as well as information about how to receive a grant from the California Energy Commission. Join the webinar
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Thursday, Feb. 2, 10:00 a.m. — Taxing cannabis can lead to increased economic development and tax revenues for local governments. Join Andrew Freedman, Colorado’s first cannabis czar, and other nationally recognized experts to learn what steps are needed to create or improve a local cannabis program. The California Cannabis Authority JPA provides access to sophisticated data analytics and promotes cooperation between local governments. Register today
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The City Clerks Association of California is accepting nominations for four awards: Municipal Clerk of the Year, Assistant/Deputy Clerk of the Year, Pat Hammers Spirit Award, and the new Lifetime Achievement Award. The awards recognize city clerks who have made significant and exemplary contributions to their city/district, community, or profession. Nominations are due March 10 at 5:00 p.m. Read more
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Feb. 28, 10:00 a.m. — CalRecycle is hosting a series of informational webinars on SB 54 (Allen, 2022). The landmark plastics recycling law requires all packaging in the state to be recyclable or compostable by 2032 and 65% of all single-use plastic packaging to be recycled in the same time frame. None of these costs will be borne by cities thanks to Cal Cities’ sustained advocacy. CalRecycle will begin the implementation process this year. View all CalRecycle webinars
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Fiscal certainty is critical to the sustainability of local services that residents rely upon. In the face of economic uncertainty and a growing state deficit, Cal Cities is focused on pushing back against any proposals that would disrupt this certainty. Read more
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Local governments have developed their budgets in essentially the same way for decades — and for good reason. It is simple, predictable, and provides a sense of control. However, there are new forces that both make the traditional budget less tenable and offer new ways to achieve more optimal, fairer results. Read more
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Feb. 1-3 (Sold out!)
Feb. 3
Feb. 8-10 (Sold out!)
Feb. 14
Feb. 15
Feb. 15
Mar. 8-10
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Mar. 29-31
Apr. 12-14 (Save the date!)
May 17-19 (Save the date!)
Sept. 20-22 (Save the date!)
Dec. 13-14 (Save the date!)
Dec. 13-15 (Save the date!)
Dec. 14-15 (Save the date!)
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