Report Prepared by: Mike Conway, Assistant to the City Manager
Title
SUBJECT: City of Merced Legislative Platform 2017-18
REPORT IN BRIEF
Approve City of Merced Legislative Platform for 2017-18.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion approving the City of Merced Legislative Platform for 2017-18.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to other than recommended by staff (identify specific findings and/or conditions amended to be addressed in the motion); or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer to staff for reconsideration of specific items (specific items to be addressed in the motion); or,
5. Continue to a future meeting (date and time to be specified in the motion).
AUTHORITY
Charter of the City of Merced, Section 200.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the 2017-18 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION
Council has expressed a desire for the City to take a stronger role advocating on behalf of the City in the regional, state and federal arenas. Currently the City participates in the annual One Voice trips conducted by the Merced County Association of Governments and relies heavily on the League of California Cities to monitor legislation affecting the City. However, this isn’t comprehensive, and does not always account for some of the unique situations facing Merced, such as having a UC campus as a neighbor or being a charter city.
Council has added the position of Legislative Director to coordinate the City’s advocacy efforts, and provided direction to hire a consultant to assist the City. The Legislative Platform serves as the policy document to guide the City’s advocacy efforts.
The guiding principles of the Legislative Platform are:
• The City favors legislation that enhances our ability to provide services to our residents;
• The City favors legislation that unburdens the local government from needless rules and regulations;
• The City favors legislation that provides additional revenue or enables us to seek new or innovative revenue streams;
• The City is opposed to legislation that limits our self-rule or inhibits the ability of our residents to participate in local government decisions;
• The City opposes legislation that adds new or unjustified rules and regulations;
• The City is opposed to unfunded mandated or any other legislation that adds more costs to City operations that aren’t reimbursed, or takes away City funding or revenue streams without replacing the funds.
The Legislative Platform goes into greater detail on a number of issues directly affecting the City to help the Council understand the magnitude of legislation that could affect City operations, however the issues are generally covered under the six guiding principles.
Staff will use the Legislative Platform to advocate on behalf of the City using a variety of means including letters, phone calls, personal meetings, testimony and media outreach. Council will be kept aware of staffs efforts and receive copies of materials that are distributed.
If there are matters not addressed in the Legislative Platform that come up staff will bring them before Council for its consideration.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
There is no direct impact on City resources. No appropriation of funds is needed.
ATTACHMENTS
1. City of Merced Legislative Platform for 2017-18