HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2407-3241CITY OF PALO ALTO
Policy & Services Committee
Special Meeting
Wednesday, November 06, 2024
7:00 PM
Agenda Item
1.Discussion and Recommendation on the Annual Legislative Guidelines and Legislative
Platform. CEQA Status – Not a Project
Policy & Services Committee
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: November 6, 2024
Report #:2407-3241
TITLE
Discussion and Recommendation on the Annual Legislative Guidelines and Legislative Platform.
CEQA Status – Not a Project
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Policy & Services Committee recommend that City Council approve
the 2025 Federal and State Legislative Guidelines.
BACKGROUND
As part of the City’s state and federal legislative advocacy program, staff and Townsend Public
Affairs, the City’s federal and state legislative advocates, work to identify and analyze potentially
impactful legislation and communicate the City’s public advocacy positions to legislators. The
program is guided by the Advocacy Process Manual1 and a City Council-approved set of
Legislative Guidelines2. The Guidelines provide direction to staff and the City’s legislative
advocates on issues that are important to the City Council and likely to become a legislative issue.
In consultation with the Mayor, staff use the Guidelines to respond to issues throughout the year.
These Guidelines allow for flexible and quick responses to emerging issues in the fast-paced
legislative environment without returning to the City Council each time an issue arises.
The Policy & Services Committee and subsequently the City Council adopt updated Guidelines
annually before the start of the new legislative year. Recommendations from tonight’s Policy &
Services Committee meeting will be taken to the City Council for discussion and adoption in
January 2025.
ANALYSIS
The draft 2025 Legislative Guidelines are included as Attachment A. Recommended updates are
marked in red. Updates reflect topics the City Council has expressed interest in and topics
1 Advocacy Process Manual: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/intergovernmental-
affairs/advocacy-manual-updated-jan-2020.pdf
2 City of Palo Alto’s 2024 Federal and State Legislative Guidelines:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/city-manager/legislation/adopted-2024-legislative-
guidelines.pdf
expected to be prominent in the upcoming legislative year. Some of the topics expected to have
legislative action include:
•expiring tax credits (low-income housing tax credit and child tax credit)
•potential reform to financing tools (tax increment financing and enhanced infrastructure
financing districts)
•possible re-authorization of the cap-and-trade program
•regional transportation ballot measure
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
ATTACHMENTS
APPROVED BY:
Page 1 of 4
The City of Palo Alto’s 20245 Federal and State Legislative Guidelines
Adopted January 22, 2024
These Guidelines reflect and activate the City Council’s priorities; they do not supplant them.
They work to guide staff and the City’s legislative advocates on issues that are important to the
City Council, and likely to become a legislative issue. These Guidelines are not rank-ordered and
are meant to allow for a flexible and quick response by staff and advocates, without the need to
return to the City Council to seek guidance. The Guidelines work in conjunction with the City
Council-approved Advocacy Process Manual and the City Council action to do “Strategic
Weighing in on Issues of Interest”1 (June 22, 2021 CMR 12344; Minutes). The City Council’s
annual priorities are also guidance for the City’s legislative platform.
The below Foundational Principles represent the ideals that form the core of the City’s policy
agenda. The Legislative Guidelines all rise from and strengthen four foundational principles:
1. Promote Local Fiscal Sustainability:
Support measures that promote fiscal stability, predictability, financial independence, and
preserve the City’s revenue base and maximum control over local government budgeting.
Also protect local revenue sources and prevent unfunded mandates.
2. Support Funding Opportunities:
Protect, seek, and increase funding for programs, projects, and services. Seek opportunities
that allow the City to compete for regional, state and federal funding. Support funding for
programs including, but not limited to, economic development, infrastructure investment,
housing, transportation projects (such as road improvements, rail grade separations,
bicycle and pedestrian safety, multi-modal transportation systems and transit-oriented
development), air quality, water quality and local water reliability, parks and recreation,
historic preservation, natural resources, hazard mitigation, public safety and public health.
3. Preserve Local Control:
Preserve and protect the City’s powers, duties, and discretion to enact and engage in local
processes and policy making concerning local affairs and oppose efforts and legislation
from state and regional bodies that preempt local authority and do not align with City
priorities. Advocate for longer lead times for implementation of new legislation that
adversely impacts Palo Alto. Oppose items that preempt or reduce the authority or ability
of local government to determine how to effectively operate local programs, services,
activities, and governance.
4. Protect the health and safety of the community:
Support policies and funding that enrich the quality of life for the Palo Alto community with
services that provide for a safe, fulfilling, and vibrant life. Support policies that promote
equity.
1 City Council, June 22, 2021; Agenda Item # 7; Staff Report # 12344
https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=81546&dbid=0&repo=PaloAlto
Page 2 of 4
The City of Palo Alto’s 20245 Federal and State Legislative Guidelines
Adopted January 22, 2024
The Legislative Guidelines create the framework for organizing the City’s policy interests, while
guiding staff and contracted legislative advocateslobbyists in their advocacy efforts on behalf of
the City. The items below provide direction for the City’s efforts when addressing reasonable
government actions.
Page 3 of 4
The City of Palo Alto’s 20245 Federal and State Legislative Guidelines
Adopted January 22, 2024
• Supports responsible processing of recyclables once removed from Palo Alto and other
communities, including promoting processing facilities and recyclables markets within
the United States
• Strengthens and modernizes the State and Local electric grids and grid capacity
• Supports the protection of our natural environment, including open space, trees/tree
canopy, and biodiversity
Financial
The City supports government action that:
• Supports the long-term stability of CalPERS and the ability of local governments to mitigate
and manage with flexibility its pension obligations
• Protects the funding sources for the sustainable delivery of City services
• Supports the continued deductibility of tax-exempt municipal bonds and the restoration of
Advance Refunding of Tax-Exempt Municipal Bonds
•Supports the continuance of tax credits available at the federal level to support low-
income individuals in achieving housing affordability and financial stability
• Supports the lowering or maintaining of voter thresholds for local revenue measures
• Supports maximum flexibility for local government in contracting and contract
negotiations
•Supports reforms to local revenue financing tools for the purpose of supporting the
development of affordable housing and public infrastructure
• Supports efforts to attract and retain resources for current and future smaller businesses
in Palo Alto
• Preserves local discretion in the assessment, collection, and usage of development fees
Governance, Transparency, and Human Resources
The City supports government action that:
• Preserves local government’s ability to manage its own employment issues, including, but
not limited to hiring, evaluating, disciplining, and/or terminating and negotiating collective
bargaining agreements with employees’ representatives
• Supports reasonable regulatory efforts surrounding policies regarding cybersecurity,
drones, shared mobility services, returning to Obama-era net neutrality regulations, and
smart city initiatives
•Provides for the incremental and thoughtful integration of artificial intelligence
technologies
• Protects individual privacy and allows the City to safeguard customer information
• Maintain existing records collection and retention requirements
• Promote teleconferencing flexibilities under the Ralph M. Brown Act
• Allows the City to support the collaborative work of regional partners, trade associations,
other local governments and organizations, and Joint Powers Authorities
Page 4 of 4
The City of Palo Alto’s 20245 Federal and State Legislative Guidelines
Adopted January 22, 2024
• Provides for the equal treatment of all individuals
Housing
The City supports government action that:
• Supports reasonable housing policies that recognize local autonomy to maintain the local
public process and preserve local government’s ability to determine land use policies and
development standards
• Provides flexible, ongoing funding for (a) affordable housing, (b) homelessness, and (c)
infrastructure (such as parks, utilities, roads, and transit) required to support the increased
housing production and keep pace with local development goals Promotes the
development and enhancement of safe and affordable housing and accessible housing
within the City for all economic segments of the population
• Promotes funding and tax incentives for the identification, acquisition, maintenance,
adaptive reuse, and restoration of historic sites and vacant structures
• Fosters reasonable ratios between jobs and housing
• Supports the development and implementation of efficient and environmentally
sustainable land use and building practices
• Supports the provision of greater lead times for Palo Alto to implement state legislation
when necessary to comply with new land use and housing requirements within the local
context
Public Safety
The City supports government action that:
• Supports efforts which seek to modify policing services, including but not limited to
alternative public safety models and funding to address community mental health
issues, expansion of requirements regarding police data and rules regarding prior
employment information transparency, and expansion of data and communications
including radio encryption
• Provides for greater public safety support resources especially related to organized retail
theft operations
• Reduces weapons-related violence via the enactment of common-sense firearm reforms
• Enhances fire and emergency training and response capabilities. Mitigate fire safety
risks. Advocate for funding and policy to mitigate wildfire risks and funding for fire
services in general as well as funding for emergency services.
• Updates, implements, and refines processes, services, and programs affecting the City.
This includes, but is not limited to, public safety reform efforts and streamlining
reporting mandates
• Support legislation that would address ongoing safety concerns and help prevent acts of
violence motivated by hate, including improving data collection and reporting