March 4, 2020
League News
 
For more than a year, the League has proactively worked with city leaders on solutions to the housing crisis that is gripping the state. The League’s board of directors overwhelmingly approved a bold housing production proposal that lays the foundation for immediate production of housing across all income levels.


City officials from throughout the state will travel to Sacramento on April 22, 2020 for the League's Legislative Action Day. Cities will have an opportunity to meet with legislators to discuss the most pertinent topics affecting their cities, including priority legislative issues and the state budget.


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. The Senate and Assembly publish weekly television schedules online, as well as audio and video links when available.

Education and Conferences

At the Congressional City Conference scheduled for March 8-11 in Washington D.C., city officials will learn more about the common challenges affecting cities, get specialized training to build leadership skills, and conduct productive meetings with federal representatives regarding issues important to cities.

Opportunities for Cities
 
The California Public Utilities Commission Rule 20 undergrounding program lays out guidelines and procedures for undergrounding overhead electric facilities. This program is provided at four levels, known as Rule 20A, B, C, and D. Over the past several years, the Rule 20 Program has been fraught with issues related to the allocation of work credits and the buildup of unused work credits across the state. The Rule 20 Program has also been criticized for failing to focus on undergrounding projects designed to improve safety, such as wildfire mitigation and energy source reliability. 

More News and Events

The National League of Cities (NLC) will launch a $1.6 million dollar Census Rapid Response Grant program to help cities successfully Get-Out-The-Count in historically undercounted communities. Learn more about this grant and outreach to hard-to-count communities. Check out all of NLC’s 2020 Census resources available to cities and the grant Request for Proposal at nlc.org/census. 

Attracting new businesses, retaining employers, and providing opportunities for a skilled workforce are essential to fostering a healthy economy in our cities. This month,  Western City  magazine takes a look at some inspiring examples of the diverse approaches, programs, and tools that California cities are using to help support economic development and thriving communities. Read “ New Approaches Build Local Economies ” for fresh insights about these municipal efforts — in this month’s issue of Western City .

League in the News
The Governor last week announced 286 state-owned properties immediately available to cities and counties for $1 to use for homelessness solutions, and met with local leaders from the League of California Cities to outline his administration’s five-part approach and invite partnerships.

“Any successful strategies will require a sustainable, long-term funding commitment from the state,” League of California Cities spokeswoman Jill Oviatt said in a statement.
(appeared in 10 media sources including Los Angeles Daily News, San Bernardino County Sun, Redlands Daily Facts)