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Receive an update from staff and the County’s State Legislative Advocate on the status of legislation that is of interest to the County and on items discussed at the Board’s Legislative Committee on February 4, 2019 and its recommendations
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Published Notice Required? Yes _______ No ___X__
Public Hearing Required? Yes _______ No ___X__
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors receive an update from staff and the County’s State Legislative Advocate on State and Federal legislation of interest to the County and a verbal update on County legislative proposals and on items discussed at the Board’s Legislative Committee on February 4, 2019 and its recommendations.
SUMMARY:
Staff will provide an overview of items discussed at the Board’s Legislative Committee on February 4, 2019. The County’s Legislative Advocate, Karen Lange of Shaw/Yoder/Antwih, Inc., will provide a verbal update on developments at the Capitol and key legislation of interest to the County. The informational items before the Board were reviewed by the County’s Legislative Committee and are discussed individually in the discussion section below.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The legislative program is designed to result in additional funding and cost avoidance relative to Solano County. The cost of preparing this report and compiling the information is a General Fund cost covered in the County Administrator’s administration budget.
DISCUSSION:
The County’s Legislative Committee Members, Supervisor Erin Hannigan and Supervisor John Vasquez met on February 4, 2019 to discuss both Federal and State issues. Joe Krahn of Paragon Government Relations, the County’s Federal Legislative Advocate and Karen Lange of Shaw/Yoder/Antwih Inc., the County’s State legislative advocate participated in the meeting as well.
The County’s February 4, 2019 Legislative Committee agenda included a Federal update (Attachment A) and State update which will be provided verbally at the Board meeting. In addition, a Federal Budget update and State Budget Update is contained in Attachments B and C respectively. Below is a link to the February 4, 2019 Legislative Committee agenda.
<http://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=29994>
The agenda included several action items, each is discussed individually below:
S. 127 (Feinstein D-CA) Mare Island Naval Cemetery Transfer
On January 15, 2019 Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Mike Thompson introduced legislation to restore the historic Mare Island Naval Cemetery, the oldest military cemetery on the West Coast. The legislation would transfer control of the cemetery, which has fallen into disrepair, from the City of Vallejo to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to facilitate much-needed repairs and provide ongoing maintenance. This legislation would transfer control of the cemetery from the City of Vallejo to the VA and place it specifically under the purview of the National Cemetery Administration. The VA would pay no fee to acquire the land but would assume the obligation of maintaining the cemetery in the future.
In addition to Senator Feinstein, the Senate bill is cosponsored by Senators Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.).
In addition to Congressman Thompson, the House bill is cosponsored by Representatives Susan Davis (D-Calif.), Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-D.C.), Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.), Paul Cook (R-Calif.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Albio Sires (D-N.J.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Duncan Hunter (D-Calif.), James McGovern (D-Mass.), Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.),Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Peter King (R-N.Y.), Anne Kuster (D-N.H.) and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.).
Following a discussion, the Legislative Committee recommended a support position on the bill but wanted to include language in the letter urging the inclusion of funding to restore and maintain the cemetery as well. Subsequently, the County’s federal advocacy team confirmed that the bill does not explicitly authorize any money for restoration and/or maintenance of the Mare Island site, however the VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA) receives an annual appropriation from Congress to maintain cemeteries under their purview and, if Mare Island is added, they would need to dedicate resources for the appropriate activities. Therefore, the draft support letter provided in Attachment D for the Board’s consideration does not include language urging additional funding to be included in the bill, but staff can revise the letter to include such language at the Board’s direction.
HR.357 (Garamendi D-CA-3) Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area Act
On January 9, 2019 Congressman John Garamendi reintroduced the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area Act (H.R.357) to establish California’s first National Heritage Area, with Reps. Jerry McNerney (D-CA09), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA11), Mike Thompson (D-CA05), and Doris O. Matsui (D-CA06), as original cosponsors.
A National Heritage Area designation would authorize $10 million in federal funding over 15 years to provide matching grants to local governments, historical societies, and community nonprofit organizations throughout the Delta. This federal funding would support cultural and historical preservation and environmental conservation projects under a locally developed management plan, coordinated by California’s Delta Protection Commission.
Designating the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as a National Heritage Area would have no impact on water rights, landownership or land use, or hunting and fishing within the designated Heritage Area. As confirmed by the National Park Service, which administers the National Heritage Area program, designations do not affect individual property rights in any way nor do they restrict local land use decisions.
The Legislative Committee discussed the House bill and recommended a support position on the bill. Since the February 4, 2019 Legislative Committee discussion, Senator Diane Feinstein also reintroduced the Senate companion bill (S. 316) the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Act, which she has sponsored since 2010. Subsequently the language from these two bills was added as a manager’s amendment to a Senate omnibus Public Lands package (S 47). As a result, Congressman Garamendi requested letters of support to facilitate the retention of the language when the House considers S 47. The County’s advocacy team, Paragon Government Relations drafted a joint letter to both members, consistent with prior Board approval on previous NHA bills, supporting the intent of both bills. A copy of the joint letter is included as Attachment E to the staff report.
ACA 1 (Aguiar-Curry) Local government financing: affordable housing and public infrastructure: voter approval
The California Constitution prohibits the ad valorem tax rate on real property from exceeding 1% of the full cash value of the property, subject to certain exceptions. This measure would create an additional exception to the 1% limit that would authorize a city, county, or city and county to levy an ad valorem tax to service bonded indebtedness incurred to fund the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of public infrastructure or affordable housing, if the proposition proposing that tax is approved by 55% of the voters of the city, county, or city and county, as applicable, and the proposition includes specified accountability requirements.
The Legislative Committee deferred this item to the next Legislative Committee meeting on March 11, 2019 allowing for additional information to be provided by Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry’s staff who have been invited to attend. No action is required from the Board at this point.
Resolution supporting Fairfield Suisun Sewer District amending Chapter 303, Statutes of 1951 (the Enabling Act) to provide collection, treatment, and disposal for sewage to the cities of Fairfield and Suisun City
In addition to the cities of Fairfield and Suisun City, Senator Dodd has asked the County to adopt a resolution to indicate support of the Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District’s (FSSD) request for legislation to amend its Enabling Act for the extension of sewer service to Middle Green Valley as identified in the voter-approved County General plan.
Following a short presentation and discussion, the Legislative Committee recommends adopting the resolution contained in Attachment F supporting the FSSD pursuit of legislation to amend the FSSD Enabling Act as approved by the FSSD Board of Directors on February 19, 2018.