That the City Council:

A. Designate a voting delegate and up to two (2) alternate voting delegates to attend the League of California Cities (Cal Cities) Annual Conference in Long Beach, October 16-18, 2024; and

Each year, Cal Cities hosts an annual conference for its member cities.  This year the conference will occur in Long Beach from Wednesday, October 16 to Friday, October 18, 2024.  The Cal Cities General Assembly will occur on Friday, October 18, 2024 at 8:30 a.m., at which time member cities will consider and vote upon any resolutions that establish Cal Cities’ policy, and potential Cal Cities bylaws amendments are considered. 

In order to be eligible to cast a vote during the General Assembly, the City Council must first designate a voting delegate from among its members.  Each City may also appoint up to two (2) alternate voting delegates; the first alternate would only cast his/her City’s vote in the event the delegate is unable to attend the General Assembly.  The second alternate would only cast his/her City’s vote in the event both the voting delegate and the first alternate are unable to attend the General Assembly.  The voting delegate or alternate must be in attendance to cast his/her City’s vote.  The voting delegate packet is included as Attachment 1.

Alternately, each year the League of California Cities (“Cal Cities”) accepts resolutions from member cities and elected officials on issues of importance to municipalities. The resolutions are reviewed by the appropriate policy committees, and their recommendations are presented at the General Assembly meeting, scheduled for Friday, October 18, 2024. The voting delegates in attendance at the General Assembly meeting will make the final determination on the resolutions. This year, one resolution has been introduced for consideration by the Cal Cities’ General Assembly.

It is important that the City be represented at the Cal Cities’ General Assembly meeting to vote on the proposed resolution(s) in accordance with City Council direction. Cal Cities encourages each City Council to consider the resolution(s) so that the voting delegate can accurately represent the City’s position. Supporting Cal Cities’ resolution(s) does not commit cities to adopt or implement any Cal Cities positions in their local communities.

Proposed Resolution
The Cal Cities’ resolution packet, which includes the full text of each resolution, is attached for City Council consideration. Below is a summary of the resolution.
 

A RESOLUTION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES CALLING FOR THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE TO ENACT LAWS THAT ENSURE THAT “WHAT APPLIES TO ONE, APPLIES TO ALL” IN THE FAIR AND EQUAL TREATMENT OF ALL GOVERNMENTAL OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

This Resolution, brought forth to Cal Cities in response to concerns about the perceived unequal treatment of local and state governmental officials under current California law, seeks to address the discrepancy where certain laws and regulations apply solely to local officials but not to state legislators. This issue has been raised by city officials who believe that the current legal framework places an unfair burden on local government officials compared to their state counterparts.

The end goal of this Resolution is to ensure fairness and equal treatment across all levels of government. Specifically, it proposes that Cal Cities call upon the California Legislature to enact laws that guarantee the principle of “what applies to one, applies to all.” This means that any law or regulation imposed on elected officials of California cities and counties should equally apply to members of the California State Assembly and Senate. The Resolution further clarifies that exceptions should only be made when they pertain to the inherent powers of the legislative branch under the California Constitution.

It is important to note that while this Resolution represents a formal request by Cal Cities, it is not binding. The Resolution itself does not have the force of law but rather serves as a strong advocacy position that Cal Cities will use to lobby the California Legislature. The effectiveness of this Resolution depends on the Legislature’s willingness to enact the proposed changes into law. The League of California Cities staff analysis of the proposed resolution is included in Attachment 2.

Although the City of La Habra’s Legislative Platform is silent on the matter of the fair and equal treatment of all government officials, it is important that all representatives at the local, county, and state level all have the same rules to be governed by.  At a Special Meeting of the City Council on May 6, 2024, the City Council approved and directed staff to draft a resolution in response to SB 1439 to address the discrepancy where certain laws and regulations apply solely to local officials but not to state legislators. The City Council further directed staff to work with the League of California Cities or other advocacy groups to draft a resolution.  Staff contacted a representative at the League of California Cities, and was informed that the Cal Cities will not take any action until the resolution is considered at the upcoming General Assembly meeting at the Annual Conference in October.  Therefore, staff recommends that the voting delegate recommend approval of the resolution at the General Assembly meeting of October 18, 2024.  If approved at the General Assembly, the City will then work with Cal Cities for further action, if required.
 

There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.  Expenses to attend the meeting have been budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Budget.  The Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget includes funding for each City Councilmember to attend the Cal Cities Annual Conference if they so desire.

The designation of a voting delegate and alternates and resolution to the Cal Cities Annual Conference is relevant to the following areas of the General Plan:
ED 8.1 - 9.3

It is also consistent with the following City Council Goals and Objectives:
Goal 6, Objective A: Communicate effectively with the City Council by providing information, resources, and policy recommendations to assist in the decision-making process