TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Patricia Matson, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Adopting the 2025 Legislative Platform (No Budget Impact) (City Manager Mirzakhanian).
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 25-0013
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 25-0013, adopting the 2025 Legislative Platform as recommended by the Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
The City Council periodically reviews bills, initiatives, or legislation pending in other governmental agencies.
In recent years, federal, State, and county governments have increased their involvement in local affairs and thus the City Council has increasingly taken positions on pending bills. The City has relied on the League of California Cities to flag or recommend positions that may affect the City. However, legislative bodies or actions by governments can require quick responses from the City that previously could not be accommodated due to the City’s process for taking positions, which at the time, would require up to three agendized City Council meetings to authorize an official City Council position.
At the December 19, 2023, meeting, City Council approved the development of a legislative platform, which would provide a process for the City to take positions on legislation more efficiently. Additionally, City Council approved establishing a Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee comprised of two City Councilmembers.
At the January 16, 2024, meeting, City Council approved the City Council Assignments for the Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee and assigned Councilmember Howorth and Councilmember Lesser.
At the March 5, 2024, meeting, City Council adopted Resolution No. 24-0019, which adopted the 2024 Legislative Platform recommended by the Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee.
DISCUSSION:
The document outlines statements or positions on a variety of matters which clearly state the Council’s legislative objectives that assist the Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee, staff, and City Council to efficiently and appropriately address proposed legislation, administrative, or regulatory actions as necessary.
The Legislative Platform document is organized as follows: 1) Overview, 2) Process, 3) General Guidance, and 4) Top Specific Priorities. The Platform also identifies the following process to outline how the City may take positions on legislation:
1. “City Official or Councilmember(s) receive a request to take a position on legislation;
2. Staff reviews the legislation for conformance with the Platform:
a. If a position conforms to the Platform, two Councilmembers assigned to the Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee will verify the position of City Council on the legislation with City staff. (Note: Should the two members on Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee disagree on legislation, the matter will be taken to the entire City Council for discussion.)
b. If a position does not conform to Platform, the legislation will be brought to Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee for a recommendation to the entire City Council. These matters may also be brought directly to the entire City Council, upon the request of the Council or in the event that timeliness of action by the City Council is required.
3. Upon approval of a position on legislation by the Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee or entire City Council, the Mayor is authorized to send a letter on behalf of the entire City Council to representatives of regional, State, county, and federal levels of government.
4. All letters generated based on this Platform and sent to representatives of regional, State, county, and federal levels of government shall be posted to the City’s Legislative Positions webpage on the City website.”
The process allows the City to more rapidly respond to developing legislation in communicating the City’s interests and objectives that year.
The proposed Legislative Platform sets forth the City’s legislative objectives for the 2025 calendar year and provides direction for legislative action and must be approved on an annual basis. The Platform contains broad policy statements pertaining to a variety of issues that impact the City of Manhattan Beach with a focus on local control.
On January 13, 2025, the Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee met and discussed a draft version of the 2025 Legislative Platform. Following discussion, the Subcommittee recommended the following key revisions for City Council consideration:
• Revising the City Council Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee composition from two City Councilmembers to the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, in alignment with the approved City Council Assignments;
• Removed references to municipal prosecution as this matter was addressed last year following the City’s efforts to sponsor Assembly Bill 2309 in the 2023-2024 legislative session;
• Added the following language to the Environmental Policies and Sustainability topic specific priority, “Support efforts to prepare, prevent, and adapt to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change, including wildfires, drought, sea level rise, and other extreme weather events.”
• Revised the topic specific priority regarding Electronic Bike Regulations and added the following language, “Support efforts that enhance regulations to address electric bicycle use and promotes public safety. Specifically, advocating for education requirements for all electric bike users, penalties for companies that market out of class electric bicycles, and pilot programs that promote age restrictions for certain classes of electric bicycles.”
• Added the following topic specific priorities: 1) Organized Retail Theft, 2) Updates to the Brown Act and 3) Transportation and Infrastructure Funding.
Attached to the report is a redlined version of the Platform showcasing the proposed edits as well as a version with all proposed edits accepted.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 25-0013, adopting the 2025 Legislative Platform recommended by the Legislative Ad Hoc Subcommittee.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
After analysis, staff determined that public outreach was not required for this issue.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City Council’s adoption of a Legislative Platform is not a “project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines because it does not have a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA, and no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 25-0013
2. Proposed 2025 Legislative Platform (Redlined)
3. Proposed 2025 Legislative Platform (Final)