Cal Cities Advocate: New Cal Cities governance changes + Top bills for cities + Local officials join forces to address homelessness crisis

April 19, 2023

Issue highlights:

Cal Cities Board adopts positions on housing and homelessness bills; takes a deep dive into the state’s fentanyl crisis
State Bills in Brief: April 19-26
Cities, counties come together to underscore the urgent need to find shared solutions to homelessness

Read below for more news and events.

Cal Cities Board adopts positions on housing and homelessness bills; takes a deep dive into the state’s fentanyl crisis

Illegal fentanyl, affordable housing, homelessness, and changes to the General Assembly process dominated the Cal Cities Board of Directors meeting last week in Sacramento. The Board also unanimously adopted a set of changes to improve future General Assemblies. Read more

Assembly Public Safety Committee votes down Proposition 47 reform

Despite robust support from the League of California Cities and other stakeholders, a bill that proposed modest, but meaningful reforms to Proposition 47 (2014) failed to pass out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday. It could be taken up at another hearing later this year. Read more

Cities, counties come together to underscore the urgent need to find shared solutions to homelessness

Local governments took center stage last week in Sacramento. Cal Cities' press conference and special joint convening with the California State Association of Counties on homelessness drew the attention of Capitol insiders at Politico, CalMatters, Los Angeles Times, and The Sacramento Bee. Read more

Appellate court finds state law unconstitutionally penalizes charter cities for exercising home rule authority

The California Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District recently ruled a 2018 state law unconstitutional to the extent it penalizes charter cities for exercising their “home rule” authority to manage their own municipal affairs. The 2018 state law prohibited cities from adopting taxes on certain groceries, such as sodas. Read more

State Bills in Brief: April 19-26

If you saw an indistinguishable blur during last week’s City Leaders Summit, it was probably one of Cal Cities’ seven lobbyists. Lawmakers in each house have until April 28 to get their bills through their respective fiscal committees. It is a busy month for all involved, to say the least. Speaking of which: The Cal Cities Board of Directors adopted positions for seven bills, including a support if amended position for SB 4 (Wiener). The bill would allow schools and churches to build certain housing projects on their properties by right. Read more

Cal Cities Speaker Series presents: Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director, National League of Cities

Tuesday, April 25, 10:00 a.m. — Clarence Anthony has been at the forefront of American politics for 20 years. Now leading the National League of Cities (NLC), Anthony is a fierce advocate for local governments and their residents. Join Anthony for the latest installment of the Cal Cities Speakers Series, as he provides an update on key developments at the federal level and discusses the vital partnership between Cal Cities and NLC. Register today

Retail cannabis access grant applications due April 28

The state is accepting applications for a first-of-its-kind Local Jurisdiction Retail Access Grant. The grant is intended for jurisdictions that do not license cannabis retail but have plans to develop a retail program. Funding can be used for community engagement, environmental reviews, permitting expenses, and other costs. The grant prioritizes programs with equity provisions and areas with high cannabis consumption, but little to no access to legal cannabis. Read more

Deadline extension! Turn your greens into green with the Organics Grant Program

CalRecycle is accepting applications for its Organics Grant Program, which helps cities and other stakeholders meet their SB 1383 obligations. Eligible projects must be in California; facilitate or result in greenhouse gas emission reductions; and increase the quantity of green materials or food materials that will be diverted from landfills. Co-digestion and anaerobic digestion projects have additional requirements. Apply by May 2. Read more

Key broadband expansion program gets a second deadline extension

The CASF Broadband Infrastructure Grant deadline has been extended again due to the delayed release of the 2023 California Interactive Broadband Map. The program helps subsidize the cost of middle-mile and last-mile networks, the last leg of infrastructure needed to increase broadband access. Preference will be given to projects in communities with low broadband access and communities facing socioeconomic barriers to broadband access. Apply by June 1. Read more.

$736 million in Homekey funds available to address housing and homelessness

A third round of Homekey funding is available. The program helps cities quickly build or purchase housing, including hotel conversions, for people experiencing homelessness. Due to demand, applicants should submit their applications as soon as possible. Unsure about how to develop a Homekey project? Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom and others publicly praised a motel conversion in Redlands, with one expert calling it an “important model” for other cities. Read more

Last chance! Cal Cities Board of Directors applications due April 26

Do you have a keen understanding of the complex issues facing California's cities and how they are responding? Consider serving on the 2023-24 Cal Cities Board of Directors. Board members play a key role in shaping both state policy and the actions of Cal Cities. Cal Cities is accepting applications from city officials interested in serving in one of six at-large board positions, first vice president, or second vice president. Applications are due April 26. Read more

Guide to Local Recovery Update: April 19

The National League of Cities (NLC) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury created new resources to help cities file their required State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund reports. NLC also launched a new tool to help cities identify federal climate action grant programs. Federal funding for workforce development and energy efficiency is now available as well. Read more

Feedback wanted on statewide Action Plan for Preventing and Ending Homelessness

The California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) is seeking feedback on its Action Plan for Preventing and Ending Homelessness as part of its annual update. The Action Plan drives the state’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness. Cal ICH will host two webinars to provide an overview of the process and solicit feedback and suggestions for future revisions. Read more

ILG Webinar: How Local Governments Can Build and Maintain Fiscal Health

Thursday, April 27, 11:00 a.m. — The annual budgeting process is often heavily based on sales tax projections, a revenue source that continues to be impacted by economic uncertainty. Join ILG and others to learn about current sales tax trends and solutions that can help your city maximize tax revenues and achieve long-term fiscal health. The city of Pacific Grove will share how these solutions helped their business community not just endure, but thrive. Register today

Berkeley and Monterey’s awarding-winning infrastructure projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Two innovative infrastructure projects in the cities of Berkeley and Monterey received top honors from the Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Award program. The statewide program recognized Berkeley for its renovation of the “worst streets in town” and Monterey for a citywide adaptive traffic control system. Read more

Is your city ready to regulate 5G wireless infrastructure? Think again

In 2018, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission placed stringent limits on local regulations that control the placement of small wireless facilities. Even if your city passed new regulations early on, it could be at risk due to changes in the law that favor the streamlined deployment of all types of wireless facilities. Read more

California cities urge Newsom and state to provide $3 billion in homelessness crisis funds, April 13, Washington Examiner

California cities are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) administration to grant $3 billion a year in homelessness funding. In a rally at the California Capitol on Wednesday, around 100 city officials made their funding demands. … “We believe every single person deserves housing,” said Erica Stewart, mayor of San Luis Obispo. “The cities alone are not going to be able to do this forever," she added. "We can’t do it. But we are your partners in action." Read more

California cities to state: Pay up on homeless crisis, April 13, CalMatters, The Sacramento Observer, The Desert Review, and 1 other

… Though 84% of California cities have launched programs to address homelessness, most are struggling to fund them, according to a survey of 189 cities released by the League of California Cities … Carolyn Coleman, executive director and CEO of the League of California Cities [said,] “The demand for housing and services are outpacing their efforts alone, straining capacity and draining resources for all the essential services that our cities provide.” Read more

California mayors demand $3 billion annually in homelessness funds from Newsom, lawmakers, April 13, The Sacramento Bee, Merced Sun-Star, and The Fresno Bee

The League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties gathered several dozen city, county and state officials in Sacramento on Wednesday for a one-day conference on homelessness. Their principal goal was to lobby for an annual appropriation for local governments to help the unhoused. … “We should not be asking for something,” said Ali Sajjad Taj, Cal Cities president. “This is something that we should get anyway. ... It is (a) moral imperative that every level of government come together and prioritize this crisis.” Read more

California cities, counties hold convention to tackle homeless crisis, April 12, CBS

For the first time, The League of California Cities and The State Association of Counties convened in Sacramento to come up with a joint plan to tackle the homeless crisis. … "Frankly, while the investments that have been made are certainly welcome, and they've been put to good use in our communities, this is not a one a one budget problem," Director Carolyn Coleman said. "This is an ongoing problem, and we really need the resources that are commensurate with the scope of other prices. We won't solve it in one budget cycle." Read more

League of California Cities rallies to secure $3B in permanent funding for homelessness, April 12, KCRA

Hundreds of civic leaders from around the state are convening in Sacramento this week for the start of the City Leaders Summit, the League of California Cities' biggest advocacy event.… The group is calling for the state to invest $3 billion in "ongoing, permanent funding to prevent and reduce homelessness and boost affordable housing." "Cities can’t solve this challenge alone. We need the state to be a strong partner with us," said Carolyn Coleman. Read more

Who’s responsible for the homeless? April 12, Politico

Cal Cities argue that the billions of dollars in state grants are helpful, but not sustainable. Ahead of the summit today, the organization is hosting a rally at the Capitol, calling for an ongoing source of funding to the tune of $3 billion a year. “This is not a one-time problem,” said Carolyn Coleman, executive director and CEO of Cal Cities. “This is decades in the making, and the solutions that we move forward with must be commensurate with that and must be long-term and sustainable in nature.” Read more

New survey results show cities are making progress reducing homelessness, April 12, PublicCEO

... City leaders shared the barriers cities face when serving unhoused residents and called on the state to find a permanent home in the budget to prevent and reduce homelessness and boost the supply of affordable housing. “The state’s homelessness crisis is so severe that the Governor has called in the National Guard, and several city leaders have declared emergencies in their jurisdictions. However, lasting progress will be out of reach without an ongoing source of state investment in local communities,” said Cal Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman. Read more

If California cities want homeless funding, they better stop blocking housing, April 16, Los Angeles Times

... it’s frustrating to see some cities — though certainly not all — and organizations like the League of California Cities ask for more state funding while fighting efforts to reduce those obstacles [to affordable housing] and create more opportunities for residential development. ... League officials argue that those laws often require cities to dedicate staff time and funding to implementing state laws, which makes it harder for them to create local policies to address housing and homelessness. Read more

For more than six decades, Kronick has provided general counsel and special counsel services to over 100 public agencies. We are one of California’s most experienced municipal law firms and offer our clients years of collective expertise. Read more

California Water Service delivers water to more than 2 million people in 110 communities up and down the state. We believe everyone should have access to water that is safe, clean, reliable, and affordable. Read more