HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-04-14; City Council Legislative Subcommittee; ; 2020 Legislative UpdateCity Council Legislative Subcommittee
Meeting Date: April 14, 2020
To: City Council Legislative Subcommittee
From: Jason Haber, Intergovernmental Affairs Director
Item 2: 2020 Legislative Update
{cityof
Carlsbad
Recommendation: Receive an update on state and federal legislative and budget activity,
recent and ongoing advocacy efforts and operational needs, and provide feedback to staff.
Discussion:
In accordance with the public health measures in response to COVID-19, the California
Legislature has temporarily adjourned until at least May 4, 2020. Current indications are that
the number of bills that will move forward in 2020 will be greatly reduced and largely focused
on response and recovery efforts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The California legislative leadership has announced they will be holding hearings within the
next two weeks focusing on the state's COVID-19 spending. The Senate has created a COVID-19
subcommittee and will be holding their first hearing on April 16 at 2pm in the State Capitol to
review the State's COVID-19 spending, including spending authorized by the Legislature in
March. The Assembly has not announced hearings yet.
The Governor's office is in the process of preparing the May Revision and will be updating their
state budget proposal based on the latest economic forecasts considering the economic
impacts of COVID-19.
The city is receiving daily updates on state legislative and budget developments, as well as
summaries of the Governor's daily press updates from both California Strategies and Advocacy
and the League of California Cities. Recent examples of these updates, dated April 9, are
attached as Exhibits 1 and 2.
The League of California Cities has launched a dedicated COVID-19 response webpage with
resources for cities (https://www.cacities.org/Policy-Advocacy/Hot-lssues/Coronavirus-
Resources-for-Cities). The site provides updates on the latest news, resources, and guidance
from public health officials, the state, and the federal government specifically curated to help
local leaders navigate the current situation and serve their residents.
City Manager's Office
Intergovernmental Affairs
1200 Carlsbad Village Dr. J Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-434-2958 t
April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 1 of 15
April 14, 2020
Page 2
On March 22, the League of California Cities sent the letter attached as Exhibit 3 to the
Governor seeking relief for cities in the form of various delays, extensions and reductions of
statutory requirements.
On April 8, the National League of Cities sent the letter attached as Exhibit 4 to President Trump
seeking elimination of the 500,000 population threshold that determines eligibility for direct
funding support provided by the CARES Act. As cash flow issues affect cities of all sizes, the
League of California Cities, the National League of Cities and the City of Carlsbad will continue
to advocate for increased flexibility in this and other aid programs to facilitate direct support to
smaller cities such as Carlsbad, including building support for H.R. 6467, the Coronavirus
Community Relief Act (to provide $2508 to cities and counties with populations of less than
500,000}, as well as legislation to make state and local governments eligible for emergency paid
leave payroll tax credits.
City staff are in the process of identifying operational needs that might translate into additional
state and federal advocacy initiatives, which will be presented for discussion with and feedback
from the Legislative Subcommittee.
Exhibits:
1. April 9, 2020 -California Strategies and Advocacy: COVID-19 Update
2. April 9, 2020 -League of CA Cities: Notes from Governor's Press Conference
3. March 22, 2020 -League of CA Cities Letter to Governor Newsom
4. April 8, 2020-National League of Cities Letter to President Trump
April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 2 of 15
Exhibit 1
CAtlf"ORNIA STRATEC:IES. tLC:
California Strategies COVID-19 Update
Governor Newsom's Press Conference April 9, 2020
The Governor addressed today the need for more support in the form of lodging and travel
assistance for California's front-line health care workers, first responders, other direct care providers
including low income service providers. He mentioned stories of workers sleeping in their cars
avoiding long commutes after back to back shifts or fears of traveling home and infecting loved
ones. In response to the need to do more beyond offer moral support, the Governor announced a
new effort labeled, "Care for our Care Givers". The program includes a website, caltravelstore com
which will provide vouchers, stipends and extended discounts to these workers at 150 hotel sites
around the state. For higher wage health workers, they will receive vouchers for deep discounts
from participating hotels. For lower wage frontline workers, they will reimbursed 100% of their
lodging costs at these hotels. These hotel rooms will also function as isolation areas for those that
have tested positive for COVID-19 and are recovering or those who have been exposed to COVID-
19. The Governor also announced a second component of this Care for our Care Givers program
involving the airlines. Led by United Air, but now also including Southwest Air, Alaska Air and Delta,
the airlines will be offering free round trip airfares to any health care worker coming into the state to
help with COVID-19 cases, from anywhere in the US and worldwide. Both agreements between the
airlines and the hotels have an open time frame. The Governor explained that this new program was
developed out of a universal ask from the California Medical Association (CMA), California Nurses
Association (CNA) and the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) to provide necessary
lodging and travel for workers in this industry. He stressed that their would be no competition
between the need for these hotel rooms and those offered by Project Room Key.
Here are the highlights from today's press conference:
April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 3 of 15
• Today's numbers -The Governor provided an update on numbers -18,309 have been
infected in California with 2,825 in the hospital a ( 4.1 % jump from yesterday),. 1,132
are in ICUs (a 1.9% decrease from yesterday) and the total amount of dead has
increased 50 from yesterday to 492. The ICU bed numbers represented the first day-to-
day drop we have seen in CA, with a 1.9% drop from yesterday. However, the Governor
cautioned that this is merely a single day's data point, but he offered that "this is
certainly encouraging". Within a sampling of 53% of these "positive" tests, 30% are
Latino, 7% are African Americans, and 13% are Asian/ Pacific Islanders. Of the 492
deaths so far in California with a sampling of 54% of the cases, 25% were Latino, 8%
were African Americans, and 18% were Asian / Pacific Islander. The Governor
promised additional numbers from Native American and Caucasian data groups in the
coming days.
• Ventilators-The Governor reminded us that when California's 416 hospitals took their
initial inventory of ventilators this year, the number available within that system was
7,587. Last week, he updated those numbers to be 1 I ,063 ventilators within California's
hospital system. As for today, the hospital system is reporting that it has I 1,747
ventilators. The Governor indicated that 31.9% of these ventilators are currently being
used in the hospitals, but that there are over 8,000 in reserve. On top of the available
ventilators in the hospital system, the State of CA has its own cache. In response to
ongoing criticism about the Governor lending 500 ventilators to NY, NJ, IL and other
states, the Governor reminded us that 1) each county in CA currently has two times the
number of ventilators it needs every day; 2) these numbers are updated each morning on
a call with the public health officials from all 58 counties; 3) ventilators are pre-
positioned in warehouses across the state to move them to where they are needed within
hours; 4) unlike N95 and PPE worn by health care providers, ventilators can be re-used
multiple times on multiple patients; and, 5) it is the humane thing to do to help save
other American lives when we are sitting on a current surplus of ventilators.
• PPE -The Governor indicated that with the state's new "Go Big" program of PPE
procurement will begin to see an increase in numbers coming and going out to
healthcare workers, hospitals and first line responders. He expressed a continued effort
to double down on the procurement of both PPE and ventilators. When asked about
elevating priorities of getting PPE to Grocery workers at the same level as first
responders, he reiterated priorities for PPE as it comes into the state are: l)frontline
health workers; 2)first responders; 3)community clinics; and 4)grocery, warehouse
workers, transportation and delivery workers. He also reminded us about the state's
recent effort with Battelle and its new technology to sterilize 80,000 N-95 masks per
day.
• K12 and Distance Learning-As an update to his announcement last week regarding
the initiative by Google to set up I OOK broad band hot spots across the state, and to
provide 1000 Chrome books to students without access to "distance learning", the
Governor acknowledged that gaps still exist across the state. He said that he is hearing
from State Superintendent of Public Schools daily about the need for more broad band
access and a greater number of hardware needed to access distance learning curriculum.
He also indicated that Superintendent Thurmond has submitted a Budget Request to
fund these purchases for the Governor's May Revise to the budget proposal he released
in January. In response to a question about how students will "catch up" because of lost
instruction time, the Governor indicated he is in discussions with Superintendent
Thurmond and State Board of Education President, Linda Darling Hammond, about
Summer School and other supports for students before the new school year starts in the
Fall.
April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 4 of 15
• Testing and Modeling-Secretary of CA Health and Human Services Dr. Ghaly,
responded to a question about testing protocols, the new serology tests being developed
and how they into transition to "community surveillance". He first gave an update on
the number of outstanding tests waiting for result-13,900. This is down from a peak of
59,500 tests waiting for results last week. He also said that they are encouraged by the
new serology (blood-based) tests, but that they are also reviewing how other countries in
the world who have been using testing for "community surveillance" and how they are
changing their thinking and strategies around such surveillance. Relative to the "point of
care" tests, he said they plan on getting these out to those "communities" who have been
underserved by the COVID-19 testing regimes, including communities of color, rural
communities and those with a high percentage of lower income residents. In response to
a question regarding more transparency in the State's modeling of the COVID-19 virus
-similar to the online postings in Santa Clara County-, the Governor suggested that
his daily briefings shine the necessary light on the model and how they are progressing
in real time. He again mentioned that local and State mitigation strategies (stay at home,
physical distancing) are working to flatten the curve, but also to extend the surge peak in
the curve of hospitalizations. He reiterated that th~ir current model shows the peak at
mid-May and possibly into June.
• Mental Health -The Governor reminded all that there are resources for teens, victims
of abuse, single moms and members of the LBGTQ community with support teams
specialized for California's different groups. All resources can be found at
Covid I 9.ca.gov.
• HealthCorps-The Governor made two announcements regarding HeaithCorp,ca,gov.
First, there have been 86,516 licensed health care providers who have signed up to re-
enter the CA health care system to help with COVID-19 cases. Second, as part of the
vetting and interviewing process underway since this site was first announced last week,
350 providers will be receiving letters today indicating that they have been accepted,
designating the geographic sites where they will be working, and providing them status
as part-time State workers. The Governor indicated that this first group of Health Corps
providers will be assigned to the federal medical field hospitals (FMS sites), eight of
which have been sent to CA and are in various stages of being set up and receiving
patients.
• Relief for Landlords and Tenants-In response to a question regarding emergency
funding to help landlords and tenants, the Governor responded that he is in contact with
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about including such relief in the next federal stimulus
package, but is also considering similar economic support for landlords, tenants and
small business owners in the May Revise of the CA budget proposal.
• Fishing Season -The Governor was clear that the state will not close the season
statewide but rather incremental phasing in concert with county leadership and the
Department of Fish and Game. The call for caution had originated from the Counties of
Inyo and Mono, concerned of rural healthcare sites being overwhelmed with an influx of
tourists with COVID-19.
CAUTION: Do not o en attachments or click on links unless you recognize the
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April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 5 of 15
Exhibit 2
League of CA Cities: Notes from Governor's Press Conference on COVID-19 -
April 9, 2020, 12:00pm
** Information transcribed and truncated for audience;
notes may not fully capture all information provided **
Governor Newsom
• Need to talk about care for our caregivers
• Stories of healthcare workers living in their cars or paying for hotel rooms to avoid
impacting their families.
• Announcement: Providing vouchers and stipends, and for low wage workers 100
percent reimbursable costs for hotels
• Hotels: 150 hotels part of this program who are providing deep discounts to the State
and extending these discounts to caregivers. Allows them to be closer to patients and
not worry about exposing their families and not worry about staying in the cars. Website
for this specific effort www.caltravelstore.com. Bringing more hotels into the program.
Open-ended commitment until crisis ends.
• Airlines: United Airlines contacted the State after hearing about
www.healthcorps.ca.gov that if people are traveling into the State to help, we will pay for
their airfare roundtrip all around the world. Southwest, Alaska, and Delta also stepping
up in this effort. Info at www.caltravelstore.com. Open-ended commitment until crisis
ends.
o 86,516 have signed up on the site.
• Those in the healthcare workforce and have tested positive or have been exposed, we
are providing these rooms for them. Thank partners in this endeavor.
Updated Numbers
• Positive Cases: 18,309
• ICU: 1,132 (1.9 percent decrease from yesterday)
• Hospitalized: 2,825 (4.1 percent increase from yesterday)
• Deaths: 50 (492 total)
• Curve flattening but stretched.
• Disaggregation of this data (address existing disparities, and access to treatment, testing
and vaccines)
o Between 53 to 54 percent now disaggregated (37.2 percent yesterday)
o 37.2 percent of the data (6,306 of 16,957 cases) has been disaggregated on
basis of race; CAUTION -less than 40 percent all of the data.
April 14, 2020
• Hispanic/Latino Community:
• 30 percent positive cases
• 25 percent deaths
• Black Community:
• 7 percent positive cases
• 8 percent deaths
• Asian Community
• 13 percent positive cases
• 18 percent deaths
Item #1 Page 6 of 15
Exhibit 2
o Data is LIMITED; be careful until full data set analyzed
o More information forthcoming on Native Americans and others.
o More information forthcoming on strategies.
Ventilators
• 7, 587 (one month ago) within 416 hospitals
• 11,063 (one week ago)
• 11,747 (today)
o Make the point about the concern about California's willingness to help other
states was the responsible thing to do to save lives. The hospital system is
utilizing 31.8 percent of its ventilators meaning 8,000 ventilators not being used
which does not include the State's ventilators.
o Ventilators are different than PPE, ventilators can be used over and over again.
o The other states have firm commitments to return the ventilators.
o We cannot sit on assets when we can save lives.
o Aggregate data versus county by county. County health directors contacted
everyday about their supplies and their needs. Resolve is they have two times
as many items of what they need in determining how to redistribute assets.
o Things can change, and we need to double down on our procurement of assets.
Strategies include regionally repositioning ventilators.
PPE
• Yesterday announcement of procurement of PPE ~ over next few weeks
• Healthcare, grocers, and others need
• Put them out as quick as we receive
Fishing Season
• Those anxious about delay of fishing season. Passionate about fishing myself and
getting inundated about concerns about canceling. We want to delay, not deny. Two
small counties -Mono and Inyo -worried about overwhelmed by people who want to
get out and fish. Concerned about the number of people. Other counties expressed
similar concerns.
• Working on a county by county basis determination.
• We deeply care about addressing anxiety and that we are not denying the season, just
delaying.
Other Information
• Resources available to help those who are troubled. www.covid19.ca.gov.
Questions and Answers
Q: Rollout of Chromebooks and hotspots, but hearing from school officials that some students
still will not be able to access, so what will state do for those kids?
A: Being worked on in real time. Dept of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction
working on this. There are gaps, even with help from Google. SPI requesting more help,
assets to help with distance learning along with broadband access. Applaud SPI and has
April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 7 of 15
Exhibit 2
requested budgetary help. Looking at potential summer support and looking at the fall. More to
say in upcoming days.
Q: Reports about pandemic perfect storm for LGBTQ youth. They are lacking support. For
those still enrolled in schools, has Governor's Office or SPI look at specific issues for these
kids?
A: Deeply personal issue for me. We struggle as a nation to address the needs of these youth.
California bears a unique responsibility to meet those needs. Los Angeles County has a large
population. Big part of our agenda and focus, and why we have established these helplines and
specific resources on www.covid19.ca.gov for the LGBTQ community.
Q: Santa Clara County made its model public, will California make its model public to show why
May?
A: Yes. Monitoring all counties. Our models have improved because individuals have met the
moment in doing what they should be doing for the stay at home order.
Q: How can you assure counties that they will get ventilators if they need them, and how do you
prioritize who gets them in a surge? How will you use the antibody tests results to inform
decision making?
A: Testing 13,900 backlog but were at approximately 59,000 recently. We are not doing
traditional testing, but doing blood-based tests. Dr. Ghaly -encouraged by the testing and want
to use these test responsibility. Strategy to use ventilators are prepositions and mutual aid
system, and contacting critical access hospitals. Ability to call back the ventilators we loaned,
and refurbished ventilators across the state. Governor -goal to find another 10,000 ventilators,
discussion of prototypes by Virgin Orbits.
Q: Distribution of masks prioritizing, and that the-state is not providing grocery chains PPE, can
you be clear on the distribution?
A: Healthcare workers, first responders. Looking at grocers, and logistics supply chain next.
Q: Costs to the state about hotels and how does it compete with Project Roomkey room
availability?
A: Does not compete with. We have 8,472 rooms now and approximately 2,000 homeless
individuals in those rooms. These are larger hotel chains helping and being paid for by FEMA
and the State. Similar to Project Roomkey. Priorities for reimbursement through FEMA is
exposed or ill with COVID-19. Facebook 25 million. 350 people are getting letters today to
begin to work with healthcorps -prioritized at FMS sites and are part-time state employees.
Prioritization: front line employees in health care system, first responders. Opening up as new
supplies come in to broaden priorities to include grocers, and want to see if we can extend that
into our logistics system, IHSS as well.
Q: Are you looking to provide emergency funding to help property owners and renters?
A: We are having discussion with legislative leadership, and am thankful to them. Communicate
on a consistent basis and been extraordinary leaders during this time, along with the rest of the
Legislature. Also extend to federal partners in Congress. Working closely with Speaker Pelosi
on the next federal stimulus including renters, property owners, small business owners,
hospitals, caregivers. In process of reviewing of May Revise budget and will be updating that
proposal based on the information we are receiving -it will be sober, but hopefully will advance
the cause of doing our best for as many people as we can especially our most vulnerable.
April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 8 of 15
2019-Z0Z0
LEAGUE OFFICERS
President
John F. Dunbar
Mayor, Yountville
First Vice President
Cheryl Viegas Walker
Council Member, El Centro
Second Vice President
Cindy Silva
Council Member, Walnut Creek
Immediate Past President
Janet Arbuckle
Council Member, Grass Valley
Executive Director
Carolyn M. Coleman
March 22, 2020
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor, State of California
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Newsom:
Exhibit 3
Thank you for your leadership and partnership during this unprecedented public
health crisis. The League of California Cities appreciates the open lines of
communication with your Administration and the combined effort to address needs
in real time.
With our cities on the front lines of responding to this crisis, while continuing to
deliver essential services, it is critical that we continue to work together as new
issues and concerns arise. We know you share our intent to make the best decisions
we can to protect our communities.
City resources and personnel are stretched thin, as they navigate the response
necessary to contain the COVID-19 outbreak while complying with the
requirements for social distancing and self-quarantining. Many city employees who
would normally assist in ensuring that cities comply with certain statutory
requirements have been pulled from their regular assignments to work on
emergency response efforts.
In light of this, the League of California Cities respectfully requests that you take
immediate action to pause certain statutory requirements, so that cities can devote
the resources necessary to protect the health and safety of all Californians.
Specifically, we request the following relief during the period that began on
March 4, 2020 with the issuance of your Proclamation of a State of Emergency as a
result of threat of COVID-19 ("State of Emergency"):
Review and Approval of Development Proiects
o Existing law requires completion of review and decisions on development
applications within strict time limits. Failure by a city to approve or
disapprove a development project within those time limits may result in the
project being "deemed" approved.
• Relief Requested: Extend the deadlines in the Permit Streamlining Act
(Gov. Code§ 65920 et seq.), Housing Accountability Act (Gov. Code§
65589.5), Subdivision Map Act (Gov. Code§ 66410 et seq.), and
Government Code section 65852.2, relating to Accessory Dwelling Units,
by 120 days from when the deadline would otherwise expire if the
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deadline would have expired during the State of Emergency or the
application is submitted during the State of Emergency.
Housing Elements
o Existing law requires cities to review their Housing Elements "as frequently as
appropriate" in order to evaluate progress made and any changing conditions
affecting its housing needs, and to report on the status and progress of
implementing the Housing Element annually. Depending on jurisdiction and other
factors, a minimum four-year, five-year, or eight-year revision cycle applies. The
housing elements in several regions will be due in the next year or two ( upcoming
deadlines can be found at the following link:
https://www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/housing-element/docs/6th-
web-he-revised-duedate.pdf. Although some of these deadlines seem far off,
there are many things that have to be done prior to submitting a Housing Element
to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), including
the solicitation of robust public input (statutory community meetings, California
Environmental Quality Act scoping meetings, etc.). Further, in developing their
housing elements, cities benefit from technical assistance from HCD and are
required to plan for their share of the regional housing need developed by
councils of governments. Orders to self-isolate, closure of government facilities,
and closure of many businesses will make it virtually impossible to engage the
community in the manner required by this mandate. Moreover, many cities are
preparing comprehensive General Plans, in addition to their mandatory Housing
Elements, to ensure that their General Plans are internally consistent. Because of
the necessary measures cities must take during this public health emergency,
cities will not be able to devote the time and attention necessary for adoption of a
community-supported Housing Element in a timely manner.
• Requested Relief: Extend the dates by which cities must submit their
Housing Elements to HCD by six months if they are required to submit
their Housing Elements in 2020 or 2021. Extend the requirement in
Government Code section 65400 that cities submit an annual report on the
status and progress to HCD before April 1, 2020 by 120 days to
July 30, 2020.
Housing and Community Development (HCD) Grant Programs
o Existing law authorizes HCD to administer programs that provide grants and
loans (from both state and federal housing programs) that create rental and
homeownership opportunities. Without these programs cities have fewer
resources to ensure all Californians, including veterans, seniors, people with
disabilities, farmworkers, and individuals and families who are experiencing
homelessness, have access to housing.
• Requested Relief: Direct HCD to extend the application deadlines for all
HCD grant programs that would otherwise expire during the State of
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April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 10 of 15
Emergency to 120 days after the Governor terminates the State of
Emergency.
California Environmental Quality Act
o Existing law establishes certain deadlines that lead agencies must comply with to
determine the environmental impact of proposed projects.
• Relief Requested: Direct the Governor's Office of Planning and Research
to adopt guidelines extending lead agency deadlines established pursuant
to the California Environmental Quality Act by 120 days from when the
deadline would otherwise expire if the deadline would have expired during
the State of Emergency, including but not limited to:
• Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq., which sets forth the
requirements of environmental review of projects and establishes
publication and public comment periods, as that section applies to
applications deemed complete prior to the declaration of the State
of Emergency;
• CEQA guidelines section 15102, which provides 30 days to
determine whether an EIR or Negative Declaration will be
required;
• CEQA guidelines section 15103, which provides a 30 day window
within which an agency must review and comment on a notice of
preparation;
• CEQA Guidelines section 15104, which requires that a meeting
requested by a project applicant be convened within 30 days of the
request;
• CEQA guidelines section 15105, which establishes the public
agency review period for a draft environmental impact report or
negative declaration;
• CEQA guidelines section 15107, which provides that a negative
declaration for a private project must be completed within 180
days of the application being deemed complete.
• CEQA guidelines section 15108, which provides that an
environmental impact report for a private project must be
completed within one year of the application being deemed
complete.
Transportation Funding
o In order for cities to obtain SB 1 (Beall, Statutes of 2017) road maintenance and
rehabilitation account funds, existing law requires cities to maintain their existing
commitment of local funds for street, road, and highway purposes. The amount of
this commitment is calculated pursuant to Streets & Highways Code section 2036.
In addition, cities are required to develop a list of projects they propose to be
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April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 11 of 15
funded with SB 1 funds by May 1 of each year. If a city does not submit the list of
projects within 90 days of the May 1 deadline, the city forfeits the funding.
• Requested Relief: Reduce the requirement in California Streets and
Highways Code section 2036(b) that cities expend a certain amount of
general fund revenue for street, road, and highway purposes by 25 percent
to account for the reduction in spending during the fourth quarter of the
fiscal year, as a result of the State of Emergency. Extend the deadline to
submit a list of projects established by the California Transportation
Commission pursuant to California Streets and Highways Code section
2034 in its "Local Streets and Roads Funding Program 2019 Reporting
Guidelines" (August, 2018) by 120 days to August 29, 2020.
Public Records Act
o Existing law requires an agency to respond to a request for a public record within
10 days of receiving the request. Under "unusual circumstances" ( as defined), an
agency may extend the period for responding by up to 14 days. "Unusual
circumstances" does not include a public health emergency, such as the State of
Emergency. Some cities may be able to continue to comply with the current
statutory deadlines. Other cities will not, due to factors such as limited staffing or
IT capability.
• Relief Requested: State that the phrase "unusual circumstances" found in
Section 6253(c) includes the State of Emergency. Suspend the provision
of Government Code 6253(c) that limits the extension to respond to 14
days for all Public Records Act requests other than those for records
created during, and relating to, the State of Emergency.
Political Reform Act -Form 700
o Existing law requires certain local elected officials and employees to submit a
Statement of Economic Interest, also known as Form 700, by April I of each year.
Failure to timely file Form 700 results in the imposition of fines in the amount of
$10 per day up to $100.
• Relief Requested: Direct the Fair Political Practices Commission (1) not
to impose fines under Government Code section 91013 for failure to
timely file Form 700s by April 1, 2020; and (2) to establish a new filing
deadline after the Governor terminates the State of Emergency.
California Government Claims Act
o Existing law requires cities to provide certain notices to claimants who submit a
Government Claims Act claim within very short deadlines, ranging from 20 to 45
days. If the city does not provide such notices within the deadlines, the city may
lose certain defenses and may be subject to longer statutes oflimitations. The
Governor's Executive Order N-35-20 appears to offer some relaxation of these
requirements, including the time within which the State must act upon claims.
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April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 12 of 15
l l \.._ ~F~19oht~
~CITIES
However, there are some remaining ambiguities, including the time within which
local agencies must act upon claims.
• Relief Requested: Toll the requirements that local agencies provide notice
to Government Claims Act claimants-including but not limited to those
under Government Code sections 910.8, 911.3, 911.6, 912.4, and 915.2-
until 20 to 45 days after the Governor terminates the State of Emergency,
if either the deadline to provide notice would have expired during the State
of Emergency or the claim is submitted during the State of Emergency.
Solar Permits
o Existing law provides that an application for approval of a solar installation will
be deemed approved in the absence of a written denial within 45 days.
• Requested Relief: Extend the deadline in Civil Code section 714(e)(2)(B)
by 120 days to 165 days if the deadline would have expired during the
State of Emergency or the application is submitted during the State of
Emergency.
Wireless Telecommunication Facilities:
o Existing law provides that a collocation or siting application for wireless
telecommunications facility shall be deemed approved if certain requirements are
met, including that a city or county fails to approve or disapprove the application
within a "reasonable period of time."
• Requested Relief: Suspend application of Government Code section
65964.1 until the Governor terminates the State of Emergency.
Financial Reports
o Existing law provides that cities must submit to the State Controller information
on annual compensation for the previous calendar year no later than April 30.
• Requested Relief: Extend the deadline in Government Code section
53891 for submitting compensation information to the State Controller by
120 days to August 28, 2020.
Police Department Registration
o Existing law requires sex offenders to register with the police department within
five days of moving into or changing their address, or 30 days if the individual is
without housing. Existing law also requires arson offenders to register with the
police department within 14 days of moving into or changing their address in a
jurisdiction. These registrations require in-person fingerprinting, photographs, and
signing of documents. Fingerprinting is problematic at this time, in light of the
social distancing recommendations, as it requires person to person contact (police
department employees must hold the registrants hand in place to scan).
• Requested Relief: Toll the deadlines for fingerprinting in penal code
sections 290 (sex offenders) and 457.1 (arson offenders) until the
Governor terminates the State of Emergency.
1400 K Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814-3916 I www.cacities.org I (916) 658-8200
April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 13 of 15
Thank you again for your leadership and partnership during these uncertain times. I
appreciate your consideration of these urgent requests. If you have questions or would
like to further discuss, please do not hesitate to contact me at (916) 658-8200.
Sincerely,
Carolyn M. Coleman
Executive Director
1400 K Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814-3916 I www.cacities.org I (916) 658-8200
April 14, 2020 Item #1 Page 14 of 15
CITIES STRONG TOGETHER
NATIONAL
LEAGUE
OF CITIES
Dear President Trump,
Exhibit 4
On behalf of the National League of Cities (NLC), and the 19,000 cities, towns, and villages we represent,
we write to urgently request your support for additional funding for local governments. Municipalities
from across the country are concerned about receiving the fiscal relief needed given their falling revenues
and the unbudgeted spending necessary to enact extraordinary measures to contain the spread of the
novel coronavirus.
2020 OFFICERS
President
Joe Buscaino
Councilmember
Los Angeles. California
First Vice President
Kathy Maness
Councilmember
Lexington, South Carolina
Second Vice President
Vince Williams
Mayor
Union City, Georgia
Immediate Past President
Matt Zone
Councilmember
Cleveland, Ohio
Chief Executive Officer/
Executive Director
Clarenca E. Anthony
N LC requests that the administration asks Congress to provide relief to residents in cities, towns, and villages that have
fewer than 500,000 people. In addition, we ask the administration to ensure that Congress not set a minimum population
requirement that could limit which cities, towns, and villages receive funding.
Section 601 of the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) provided a $150 billion fund for states, tribal governments, and units of local
government, which is commonly read to mean cities or counties with a population in excess of 500,000 people. The 36
cities in the United States with a population of more than 500,000 residents represents only 14 percent of the country's
total population, and represents .18 percent of all the municipalities. Approximately, 283 million people live outside of
these 36 cities that will receive direct funding from the CARES Act.
As the White House works with Congress on the next funding bill, which we hope will include funding for state and local
governments, it is important that Congress does not impose a population threshold. We hear that Congress might be
considering imposing a threshold that cities, towns, and villages have a population of at least 50,000 in order to qualify for
the next round of funding. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) threshold of 50,000 people is a threshold
intended to send funds into denser, urban neighborhoods. It makes no sense to use that threshold for local budget relief in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-related economic decline is not an urban problem. It's every city and town's
problem, including rural communities.
If a threshold is set whereby a city, town, or village will need a population of 50,000 or more to qualify, then only 780
municipalities will qualify. Moreover, nearly 200 million Americans live in cities, towns, and villages with fewer than 50,000
people, leaving the municipalities that these people live in without direct federal aid.
We need to do better, and we must do better. We cannot leave hundreds of millions of Americans in a position where their
community cannot access direct aid.
NLC is the voice of America's 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people, and is a resource
and advocate for the nation's cities and their leaders. We are ready to assist your efforts in any capacity. If NLC can be of
further help to you in this crisis, please contact Irma Esparza Diggs, NLC Senior Executive and Director of Federal Advocacy,
at 202-626-3176 or diggs@nlc.org.
Sincerely,
Clarence E. Anthony
CEO and Executive Director
National League of Cities
e c202) 626-3000
April 14, 2020
Joe Buscaino
President, National League of Cities
President Pro Tempore, Los Angeles City Council
0 660 North Capitol St. NW Suite 450 I Washington, DC 20001
Item #1
0 www.nlc.org
Page 15 of 15