No direct fiscal impact to the County related to the adoption of the Legislative Platforms.
For the past 15 years, the Board of Supervisors has adopted an annual State and Federal Legislative Platform that establishes the County's priorities and policy positions regarding potential legislation and regulation. The adopted Platforms of the Board of Supervisors are available at: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2859/Legislation.
The State Legislative Platform includes County-sponsored bill proposals, legislative or regulatory advocacy priorities for the year, and policy statements that provide direction and guidance for identification of and advocacy on bills or measures which would affect the services, programs or finances of Contra Costa County. The Federal Legislative Platform establishes the County's federal funding needs and policy positions with regard to potential federal legislation and regulation. These documents are utilized by the Board of Supervisors, the County's state and federal advocates, and staff as the basis for advocacy efforts.
The State and Federal Legislative Platforms have been prepared each year by staff of the County Administrator's Office in collaboration with County department heads, other key staff, and the County's state and federal advocates, and with input from the Board's commissions/committees and the public. CAO staff generally conducts outreach in the fall of year year regarding the Platform process and invites input so that draft documents can be considered by the Legislation Committee in November and/or December of each year. Elements of the Platforms related to the subject matter of the Board of Supervisors' Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee (TWIC) are also reviewed by that Committee prior to the Proposed Platforms being presented to the Board of Supervisors for adoption.
With direction from the Board for the 2020 Platforms to be more streamlined, concise and provide greater prioritization, staff of the CAO's office conducted 2020 Platform input meetings on multiple occasions and convened a "2020 Platform Workgroup" to solicit input on Platform structural and formatting changes. Numerous conference calls with the federal advocates from Alcalde & Fay (Paul Schlesinger, Perrin Badini, and Anne Cullather) and state advocates from Nielsen Merksamer (Jim Gross and Michelle Rubalcava) were also held as part of this process.
With assistance from the Platform Workgroup, CAO staff gathered the legislative platforms of 10 urban counties and analyzed their structure and content. Of note:
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Several counties combine their federal and state advocacy agendas into one document;
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Some counties adopt 2-year platforms to coincide with the two-year legislative cycle;
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Most platforms contain information about the county; a map of the county and its supervisorial districts; the members of the Board of Supervisors (occasionally, also congressional delegation members); and demographic and financial information about the county were also sometimes included.
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Orange County developed additional 1-page documents specifically to identify their state and federal priorities;
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Sacramento County included its procedures and protocols for expedited positions and consideration of statewide ballot measures;
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Many platforms also included the county's Mission, Visions, Values and Principles.
The consensus of the staff comprising the Platform Workgroup was to recommend that the County maintain separate Federal and State platforms. However, the Workgroup recommended that the County move toward a two-year document to coincide with the next legislative cycle beginning in 2021. The Workgroup also recommended that the documents be modified to include 1-2 pages of introductory and demographics information about the County, similar to what other county platforms provide, and that the County's mission, vision and values be incorporated as well. In order to reduce the size of the Platforms, moving away from specific policy-based platforms to principle-based platforms would be preferable. However, staff recommended retaining or incorporating the existing 2019 Platform as an appendix or a reference in the document so that existing policies could be retained until amended by the Board of Supervisors.
At its October 3, 2019 meeting, the Legislation Committee (Chair Burgis, Vice Chair Mitchoff) provided direction to staff on the development of the Platforms, largely consistent with the recommendations of the Platform Workgroup. CAO staff continued soliciting input from Departments and advocates on the development of the 2020 Platforms consistent with the direction from Legislation Committee related to structural/format changes. Departments had an opportunity to provide further input at a Legislative Training and Platform Input session conducted on October 9, 2019, and several preliminary drafts were provided to the Platform Workgroup and CAO staff.
At its December 19, 2019 meeting, the Legislation Committee received and reviewed the Draft 2020 State and Federal Legislative Platform, provided direction to staff on amendments, and directed staff to present the Proposed 2020 Platforms to the Board of Supervisors for adoption at its meeting on January 14, 2020, time permitting.
SUMMARY OF
PROPOSED STATE PLATFORM CHANGES
Additions to the Proposed 2020 Platform:
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County Profile
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Demographic Highlights
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Governance
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Legislative Platform Purpose
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Mission, Vision, Values statement
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To Priorities: Added Climate Change, Housing and Homelessness (previously Homelessness), and Transportation for Seniors, Persons with Disabilities
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Re-framed the Priority related to Healthto include Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder
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Sponsored Bill proposals: Three new proposals have been included.
Bill Proposal #1 relates to legislation to increase the cap for a countywide general sales tax measure, which has not been authorized as yet by the Board of Supervisors.
Bill Proposal #2 is a carry-over from the 2019 Platform related to solutions to the problem of illegal dumping.
Bill Proposal #3 is a request from the Department of Conservation and Development to sponsor legislation to return to source State Lands Commission lease revenue.
Bill Proposal #4 is a request from the Employment and Human Services Department to sponsor legislation to allow telephonic reassessments for IHSS clients.
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Included all Department input on text changes, when provided.
Substantive text changes were made to the sections related to:
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Climate Change
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The Delta
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Emergency Preparedness, Emergency Response
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Flood Control
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Health Care
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Homeless Services
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Human Services
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Justice Systems
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Land Use/Community Development (added "Natural Resources")
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Transportation
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Waste Management
Eliminated:
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All explanatory comments (including for Priorities)
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Removed State Budget and Realignment Implementation from Priorities
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Policy sections related to Eminent Domain, Indian Gaming, Levees, and Pipeline Safety
Note that the Proposed 2020 Platform includes the statement that "Until the 2021-2022 Platform is adopted, the 2019 Adopted Platform policies are considered a component of this Platform." This note was included (p. 5) as a recognition of the direction to move to a two-year Platform in 2021 that is principle-based while recognizing that the 2020 Platform does not fully achieve that goal and, therefore, maintains (carries over) the adopted 2019 policies during this year.
In addition, the Legislation Committee directed staff to update and include in the State Platform the County's protocol for position development, which will be addressed in a subsequent Board agenda item.
SUMMARY OF
PROPOSED FEDERAL PLATFORM CHANGES
Additions to the Proposed 2020 Platform:
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County Profile
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Demographic Highlights
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Governance
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Legislative Platform Purpose
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Mission, Vision, Values statement
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Federal Funding Needs: Project Specific (consolidation of prior identified projects and inclusion of Airports)
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Federal Funding Needs: Program Specific
Substantive text changes were made to the sections related to:
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Climate Change
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Criminal Justice and Mental Health
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The Delta
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Health Care
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Homeless Services
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Human Services
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Natural Resources/Permit Streamlining (new)
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Telecommunications and Broadband
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Transportation/Mobility Management and Coordination
Policy Positions have been refashioned as "Priority Policy Statements," to focus federal advocacy efforts on specific subject matters.
Eliminated:
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Appropriations and Grants--Support Positions
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Policy positions on: Agricultural Pest and Disease Control; Beneficial Use of Dredged Materials; Child Care; Child Support; Cost Shifts to Local and State Government; Designation of Indian Tribal Lands and Indian Gaming; Federal "Statewideness" Requirements; Multi-Service Centers; Municipal Securities; Pension and OPEB Participation; Preservation of federal deduction on State and Local Taxes; Public Housing Programs; Second Chance Act; Streamlining Permitting for Critical Infrastructure, Economic Stimulus, and Alternative Energy Projects-- "Green" Job Creation; Volume Pricing
If the Board of Supervisors does not adopt a State and/or Federal Legislative Platform, there will be no document that establishes the priorities, principles and policy statements of the Board of Supervisors and establishes the basis of its advocacy efforts for 2020.
Speakers: Marianna Moore, Budget Justice Coalition; Patty Hoyt, ADAPT San Ramon.