HomeMy WebLinkAbout05 - Legislative Platform for 2000•
NEWPORT BEACH -CITY COUNCIL 1�
January 11, 2000 Regular Meeting
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TO: Members of the Newport Beach City Council
FROM: Dave Kiff, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT: Legislative Platform for 2000
RECOMMENDED
ACTION:
ITEM 5
Adopt Resolution 2000 -_ relating to the City's Legislative Platform for 2000
and authorizing the Mayor to issue letters consistent with the Platform.
EXECUTIVE Tltis item asks the Council to approve the City's Legislative Platform for 2000.
SUMMARY: The 2000 Platform is similar to the 1999 Platform except for a few changes within
the Municipal Finance section (see Attachment). The Resolution associated with
the Platform allows the Mayor to send letters to the Legislature and to Congress
consistent with the Platform.
BACKGROUND: Each year, the City Council adopts broad policy guidelines that direct City staff's
activities relating to the City's legislative agenda in Santa Ana, Sacramento, and
Washington. The guidelines cover the following issue areas:
1 - Municipal Finance
2 - Regional Government
3 -Labor Relations
4 - Surface Transportation
5 - Planning, Zoning, and LAFCO Law
6 -Bay Protection and Environmental Quality
7 - Aviation
During the course of the legislative year (December through September in both
the State Legislature and the US Congress), the City offers its opinion on dozens
of pieces of legislation. In 1999, the City corresponded with its legislators
frequently on:
• The FY 1999 -2000 State Budget, including the City's DNA fingerprinting
grant.
• Assembly Member Cardenas' bill to exempt home -based businesses from
business license taxes.
• Legislation relating to residential care facilities.
• Legislation appropriating funds for the restoration and maintenance of
Upper Newport Bay.
Newport Beach City Council
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BACKGROUND: . Attempts to require that cities enter into binding arbitration for wage and
(cont'd) benefit disputes for police and fire employees.
The City is a member of the League of California Cities, the lobbying arm of the
state's 400+ municipalities. When the League asks the City to contact its
legislators on a particular bill, the City often must act quickly to issue an
advocacy letter under the Mayor's signature. The adoption of the 2000
Legislative Platform and its accompanying resolution allows City staff to prepare
and issue these letters as promptly as possible as long as the letters are consistent
with the Platform.
In the Mayor's absence, the resolution allows the Mayor to designate the Mayor
pro Tempore or the City Manager to prepare and issue letters on behalf of the
City's Platform position. The resolution also directs City staff to provide all City
Council Members with copies of the City's legislative correspondence.
As to the text of the Platform itself, the 2000 Platform proposes limited changes
from the 1999 Platform -the most significant change is in the Municipal Finances
section, where the City offers its support for comprehensive changes in the State -
Local fiscal relationship as long as the changes do not disadvantage cities (see
§I[e) of the Platform). Significant changes from the 1999 Platform are underlined
in the attached version of the 2000 Platform.
ATTACHMENT: Resolution 2000 -_ containing the City's Legislative Platform for 2000 .
0 RESOLUTION NO. 2000-
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A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
APPROVING A LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
FOR 2000
WHEREAS, the City Council historically promotes legislative actions consistent with
the goals and functions of the City of Newport Beach; and
WHEREAS, such promotion once required separate City Council actions to approve
individual letters of support or opposition related to specific pieces of legislation; and
WHEREAS, this piece -by -piece approval can delay important actions necessary to assist
in the passage or defeat of legislation; and
WHEREAS, the City Council seeks to efficiently pursue legislation that reflects the goals
of the City,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Newport
Beach that Mayor John E. Noyes is authorized to make statements and write letters necessary to
support legislative actions consistent with the City's adopted 2000 Legislative Platform during
Calendar Year 2000. If Mayor Noyes is unavailable to sign a City advocacy letter, he may
designate the Mayor pro Tempore or the City Manager to sign and issue the letter in Mayor
Noyes' absence. All correspondence prepared on the City's behalf will be forwarded as an
informational item to Council members. Such correspondence shall be consistent with the
attached Legislative Platform for the City:
ADOPTED this 11th day of January, 2000.
ATTEST:
LaVonne Harkless
NEWPORT BEACH CITY CLERK
John E. Noyes
MAYOR OF NEWPORT BEACH
2000 Legislative Platform
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City of Newport Beach
2000 Legislative Platform
I - MUNICIPAL FINANCE. The City's objective is to protect existing revenue levels and to
limit the cost of government upon the taxpayers of Newport Beach. Therefore, the City
shall:
(a) Oppose legislation that would make cities more dependent on the State for financial stability and
policy direction.
(b) Support legislation leading to greater financial independence from State government and which
would result in greater predictability in local government budgeting.
(c) Oppose legislation that would impose state and federal mandated costs for which there is no
guarantee of local reimbursement or offsetting benefits.
(d) In the absence of statewide fiscal reform the City shall oppose legislation that reduces or
eliminates existing local revenue sources, including the city share of property tax, sales and use
tax, vehicle license fees, transient occupancy taxes, business license taxes, and State subventions
to local governments.
(e) As a part of a comprehensive reform package, the City will support changes in the State -Local
revenue sources.
(f) Support legislation that reforms California's tort system to curtail unreasonable liability
exposure for public agencies and restore the ability of public agencies to obtain affordable
insurance.
(g) Oppose any changes in State law that would limit the ability of charter cities to preserve the local
revenue base.
II -- REGIONAL GOVERNMENT. The City supports regional cooperation that does not
infringe on local areas of authority without offsetting financial benefit. Therefore, the City
shall:
(a) Support reform of existing state, regional, and local planning processes only if directly linked
to reforms in the current revenue and tax structure of state and local governments.
(b) Oppose legislation that creates or grants powers to sub - regional or regional bodies that
would infringe on local concerns.
III -LABOR RELATIONS. The City respects both the working conditions, benefits, and rights
of Newport Beach employees and the conservative fiscal management principles of the
community. Therefore, the City shall:
(a) Oppose legislation that would impose compulsory and binding arbitration with respect to
public employees.
(b) Oppose legislation that imposes mandated employee benefits that are more properly decided
at the local bargaining table.
(c) Oppose efforts that reduce local control over public employee disputes.
(d) Oppose legislation that would grant public employees the right to strike.
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2000 Legislative Platform
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(e) Support legislation to reform worker's compensation formulas to rely on higher thresholds
for compensability or a proportionate exposure formula.
(f) Support workers compensation reform which curtails stress claims by stipulating that
benefits can only be paid when it can be shown that a sudden and extraordinary job event
was the predominant cause of the stress injury and would repeal the minimum rate law.
(g) Oppose workers compensation reform that would exclude police officers, firefighters, and
others with life - threatening jobs from the increased proof stress threshold.
IV - SURFACE TRANSPORTATION. The City supports expanded transportation systems,
programs and services. Therefore, the City shall:
(a) Support legislation that helps local agencies finance local transportation facilities.
(b) Oppose legislation that requires additional State and Federal review of projects that are
predominantly of regional or local significance.
(c) Support legislation that gives local agencies greater discretion over transportation funds.
V - PLANNING, ZONING, and LAFCO LAW. The City seeks to protect and strengthen the
City's land use authority, including zoning, incorporation, annexation, and community
development. Therefore, the City shall:
(a) Support efforts to strengthen the legal and fiscal capability of the City to prepare, adopt and
implement plans for orderly growth, development, beautification and conservation of local
planning areas, including but not limited to, regulatory authority over zoning, subdivisions,
and annexations.
(b) Support efforts that are consistent with the doctrine of "home rule" and the local exercise of
police powers over local land use, including expanding cities' ability to regulate the
placement of neighborhood -based residential treatment centers and group homes.
(c), Oppose development agreements in cities' spheres of influence in undeveloped areas that do
not conform to city standards.
(d) Support the existing right of the City of Newport Beach to annex areas within its Sphere of
Influence.
(e) Oppose efforts to change the Cortese -Knox Act ( LAFCO Law) in any manner that would
adversely impact the ability of recognized regional entities to plan for regional facilities,
including aviation facilities.
VI -BAY PROTECTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. The City supports effective
measures to improve the environment, including water quality, solid waste, hazardous
materials clean -up, and ocean, beaches and bay protection.
(a) Support legislation and funding measures that would increase water supply and improve
water quality in this region.
(b) Support measures that permit the sale, lease, exchange or transfer of surplus water within the
State.
(c) Support measures that maintain and enhance local authority and flexibility to regulate solid
waste and recyclable materials.
(d) Support legislation that limits local govemment liability as a third party in Superfund
cleanup litigation.
(e) Support measures providing funds or other capabilities to maintain and protect the ocean,
beaches, harbor and bay.
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2000 Legislative Platforni
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(f) Pursue legislative and executive action that provides long -term sources of funds and /or
services to enhance and protect Newport Bay.
(g) Pursue legislative and executive action to continue the annual Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
offshore petroleum drilling moratorium and pursue the establishment of a permanent
wildlife preserve off the Orange County Coast.
VII-AVIATION. Asa neighbor to John Wayne Airport, the City is an active participant in
the local and regional planning and operation of commercial airports in Orange County.
The City shall:
(a) Support measures promoting the ability of local airport operators to impose aircraft noise
controls.
(b) Support legislative and executive actions that preserve the John Wayne Airport (JWA)
Settlement Agreement.
(c) Support legislative and executive actions that promote the use of Marine Corps Air Station
(MCAS) El Toro as Orange County's second commercial airport.
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