April 15, 2020
Executive Director's Message
League News

Local governments have been fronting the costs of coronavirus-related expenses, while at the same time facing decreased tax revenues. However, this hasn’t stopped California cities from finding creative ways to serve their communities and ensure the safety and health of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 
Serving on the League board of directors is an opportunity for you to be a statewide leader shaping state policy and the actions of the organization. The League is currently accepting applications from city officials interested in serving on the board in one of six at-large positions or as second vice president.
 
 
The League of California Cities has launched a COVID-19 webinar series, which provides strategies for maintaining continuity of city operations during this unprecedented period. 
In addition, webinars from the National League of Cities and Institute for Local Government are also providing some great resources. 

Education and Conferences

The League has opened its call for session proposals for two of its educational conferences, the Municipal Finance Institute and the Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar. Both conferences will be held Dec. 9–10 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey. 

Opportunities for Cities
 
Affordable apartments for low-income families and seniors in Los Angeles are getting renovations and funding with tax-exempt, multi-family affordable housing bonds issued by the California Statewide Communities Development Authority

Cities Should Plan to Review and Comment by May 20
 
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is providing advance notice that the updated SB 1383 regulatory language and final list of documents relied upon for the rulemaking will be released on Monday, April 20. This will start a 30-day comment period that will conclude at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20.  

 
The Board of State and Community Corrections established new due dates and timelines for the California Violence Intervention and Prevention grant, to account for the widespread impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. Cities can now review the re-released Request for Proposals and must submit proposals by the new deadline of June 5. 

More News and Events

The majority of America’s cities, towns and villages are not eligible for direct relief under the CARES Act, due to the 500,000 population threshold. The United States Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities conducted a joint survey to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cities and towns from more than 2,400 local officials. The resulting infographic and fact sheet paint an urgent picture that Congress cannot ignore. The House has offered a proposal to address this specific funding issue by introducing the Coronavirus Community Relief Act (H.R. 6467), a bill to provide $250 billion in funding to all local governments with fewer than 500,000 residents. Cities are encouraged to reach out to your California Members of Congress to ask them to support this bipartisan legislation.


The California Legislature has decided to suspend sessions and take a break until May 4 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the Legislature will host a couple of informational hearings related to COVID-19 budget issues. Some hearings, if not all, will be televised. The  Senate  and  Assembly  publish weekly television schedules online, as well as audio and video links when available.

Recent legislation significantly expands an employer’s obligation to provide lactation accommodations for employees — and provides consequences for noncompliance. The law applies to public agencies as well as private employers. Is your city prepared and complying with the new requirements? “ New Law Expands Workplace Lactation Accommodation Requirements for Employers ” explains what you need to know — in this month’s issue of Western City magazine.
League in the News
Coping with COVID-19 in California’s Cities , April 14, Public Policy Institute of California
California’s cities have been at the forefront of bold actions to manage the coronavirus pandemic. We talked to Carolyn Coleman, executive director of the  League of California Cities , about the big challenges that the pandemic is bringing to cities across the state.

"Depending on how long the COVID-19 pandemic lasts, cities may not be able to physically access certain records due to office closures, limited staffing, or limited IT capability until they are permitted back into city offices," said Corrie Manning, general counsel for the league, which represents nearly 500 cities in the state.
(appeared in 22 media sources including Sacramento Bee , Fresno Bee, Merced Sun-Star)