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Board of Directors
President
Karin Flood
Union Square Business Improvement District
 
President-Elect
Steven Welliver
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
 
Vice President
Andrew Thomas
Westwood Village Improvement Association
 
Secretary
Maggie Campbell
Downtown Santa Barbara, Inc.
 
Treasurer
Blage Zelalich
City of San Jose
 
At-Large Directors
Chip 
Downtown Association of Santa Cruz

Byron Best
 
Jessica Lall
Central City Association
 
Joseph Mariani
Hollywood Entertainment District BID
 
Steve Mulheim
Old Pasadena Management District
 
Steve Snider
Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt-Uptown District Associations
 
Liz Studebaker
City of San Diego
 
Dominic Tartaglia
San Luis Obispo Downtown Association
 
Immediate Past President
Kent Smith
LA Fashion District 

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CDA Members
Arlington Business Partnership
Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association
Central City Association
Chrysalis
City of Citrus  Heights 
City of Dana Point
City of Folsom
City of Glendora
City of Lancaster
City of Los Angeles, Office of the City Clerk
City of Monterey Park
City of Ontario
City of San Diego - Economic Development Dept.
City of Temple City
City of Tracy
Civitas
County of Santa Cruz - Office of Economic Development
Dinuba Chamber of Commerce
Downtown Association of Santa Cruz
Downtown Berkeley Association
Downtown Long Beach Associates
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown  Modesto Partnership
Downtown Oakland Association/ Lake Merritt Uptown District Association
Downtown Oxnard Merchants Association
Downtown Pomona Owners Association
Downtown Roseville Partnership
Downtown Sacramento Partnership
Downtown San Diego Partnership
Downtown San Mateo Association
Downtown Santa Barbara, Inc.
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
Downtown Vacaville BID
Downtown Ventura Partners
Downtown Visalians, Inc.
Figueroa Corridor Partnership
Gateway to LA Airport Business District
Gilroy Economic Development
Hollywood Property Owners Alliance
Ironsmith, Inc.
LA Downtown Industrial District BID
LA Fashion District BID
MJM Management Group
North Tahoe Business Association
Old Pasadena Management District 
ParkSmart, Inc.
Paso Robles Main Street Association
Progressive Urban Management Associates, Inc.
R Street Sacramento Partnership
Riverside Downtown Partnership
San Jose Downtown Association
San Luis Obispo Downtown Association
South Park BID
The Downtown Burbank Partnership
The Placemaking Group
The River District
Tracy City Center Association
Tulare Downtown Association
Ukiah Main Street Program
Union Square BID
Urban Place Consulting Group, Inc.
Vista Village Business Association
Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association
Westwood Village Improvement Association  
Wilshire Center Business Improvement District
December 2017
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Looking Back

I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season, and that those of you in Southern California have not been too impacted by these menacing fires. As I reflect on the past year, we have been faced with many challenges, but have still accomplished much of what we set out to do. It has been a pleasure working with the very capable CDA Board and IDA staff this past year to communicate, advocate and deliver value to all of our members. As my term as President comes to a close, I want to thank everyone for actively participating in CDA whether on legislative calls, board calls or WCUDF planning efforts.

On the legislative front we made some real progress working with our lobbyist, Jason Bryant, on issues that are important to our respective districts including housing, homelessness, public safety and more. Our biggest win was perhaps fighting a bill that would have made responding to public records requests much more onerous. Through this process we came together to strategize our response and use our CDA network to effectively advocate directly to the bill's author. 

On the communications front we delivered consistent monthly newsletters with timely news and updates and refreshed our website to better showcase our organization. Our CDA membership has remained steady. The WCUDF in Long Beach was a huge success as many of you can attest to because you came, contributed sponsorships, served on panels and learned best practices by engaging with each other. 

Overall, 2017 has been a terrific year for CDA. It is with a sense of collective accomplishment that I now pass the baton to Steven Welliver to build on our success. 


Sincerely,

 
Karin Flood
Executive Director
Union Square BID



Looking Ahead

The year ahead will be a busy one for the California Downtown Association. In 2018, CDA will continue to grow and strengthen its legislative advocacy efforts in Sacramento. Look for announcements soon about new ways to get involved and contribute your community's unique voice and perspective to the discussion. We also hope to grow our membership base and reach more urban place management organizations, cities and industry partners across California. If you have colleagues who would find CDA membership valuable, please suggest they visit the membership section of our website.

I hope to have the opportunity to meet many of you face-to-face at the West Coast Urban District Forum in Walnut Creek, March 13 - 15, 2018. A special thank you to Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association and the International Downtown Association for partnering with CDA to produce the West Coast's premiere networking and professional development event for place management professionals.

On behalf of the CDA Board of Directors, we wish your communities a safe, happy and prosperous holiday season, and we look forward to partnering with you to ensure a successful new year.

Best,

 
Steven Welliver
Deputy Chief Executive 
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.

WEST COAST URBAN DISTRICT FORUM
Join Walnut Creek Downtown, California Downtown Association and IDA for the West Coast Urban District Forum  March 13-15, 2018!

  

Experts will share best practices on enhancing downtown quality of life and cultivating the next generation of leaders. 

Registration is now open. Take advantage of the early bird rate of $345 and save $100!  Visit the event  website  for more information and to register today.



2018 Master Talk Announced! 
Dr. Steven Goodwin, TurningWest

Leadership is an art. But unlike the art of a Picasso or Michelangelo, one is not born with an innate ability. Anyone can learn the art of leadership. Dr. Steven Goodwin is a lifelong student of leadership who will illumine for us some of the secrets to learning to be a leadership artist.


Get social! What questions will you come ready to ask? Share them on Twitter using #WCUDF18.
SPONSORSHIP
W e look forward to seeing you all at the West Coast Urban District Forum in Walnut Creek, March 13-15, 2018. Kathy Hemmenway, her team, and the planning committee are working hard to develop interesting, relevant content and great networking events.
 
On the fundraising side, our goal is to help companies expand their business by introducing them to other districts. Your organization can contribute and support the efforts by passing along the sponsorship packet to your vendors. By supporting the conference, you will help enable CDA's budget to include legislative activities in 2018. Please consider stepping up as a sponsor and spreading the opportunity to your contacts.

Thank you for your consideration.

Karin Flood
CDA POLICY CORNER
Ballot Initiative Filed to Repeal Costa-Hawkins --- California's Rent Control Law

California cities and counties would be able to expand "rent control" measures under a proposed 2018 statewide ballot measure that was filed in October by leaders of tenant advocacy groups.

The measure would repeal the Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which limits the ability of a city and county governments to enact stronger rent control laws. The Costa-Hawkins Act has prohibited local governments from regulating the price of rents on rental units built after 1995. The law also requires all local rent control ordinances to allow property owners to set the rent at market rate should a tenant vacate the property. Apartment developers and landlord groups are strongly supportive of Costa-Hawkins.

The initiative is supported by several community based organizations including the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and the faith-based organization LA Voice. The effort is supported by major tenant rights groups including groups who have supported local rent control and occasionally have supported growth limitation initiatives.

This year, Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), introduced a bill (AB 1506) that would have repealed Costa-Hawkins, but was shelved due to opposition from business, development and multi-family housing builders opposed the legislation. These groups successfully argued that repealing Costa-Hawkins would exacerbate California's housing crisis by deterring new housing construction. Assemblyman Bloom is expected to take up AB 1506 again in January.

The initiative sponsors need to collect roughly 370,000 valid signatures from eligible voters no later than June 2018 in order to qualify the initiative for the November 2018 election. The California Downtown Association Board will continue to monitor the initiative effort and may consider taking a position if the measure qualifies.


Jason Bryant 
Bryant Government Affairs
December 2017 Legislative Update 

IN THE NEWS
The Great American Single-Family Home Problem 
The New York Times
Building more housing, more densely, could help address a widespread economic challenge. A fight over one lot in Berkeley, Calif., shows how tough that could be.
How Two Mayors Think Locally and Act Globally
CityLab
Local leaders like Eric Garcetti have always juggled a lot. Now they've got the world on their shoulders.

Sacramento Envisions a New Tourism District East of Golden 1 Center
The Sacramento Bee
After months of debate, the city of Sacramento is finally settling on a plan to build a more robust entertainment and convention district at the eastern edge of downtown.
MacArthur Park's Alvarado Street Triple Scramble Boosts Pedestrian Safety
StreetsBlogLA
Last month SBLA reported on one new scramble at the intersection of Alvarado Street and 7th Street.
What Jerry Brown Must Get Done Before He Retires to that Ranch Up in Colusa County
The Fresno Bee
As Gov. Jerry Brown completes a remarkable 15th year in California's highest office, his standing has never been higher, nationally and internationally.

California Cities to Launch Biggest Electric Bike-Share System in U.S.
Next City
Davis, California, has long held a special place among U.S. bicycle cities. In 1967, it was the first to paint official bike lanes.
Lee's Legacy: San Francisco's First Chinese-American Mayor Paved the Way for Future Generations
San Francisco Examiner
English speakers in San Francisco knew him as Edwin Mah Lee. But to San Francisco's 144,000 Cantonese speakers he was 李孟賢.
Robots Are Being Used to Deter Homeless People from Setting Up Camp in San Francisco
Business Insider
In San Francisco, autonomous crime-fighting robots that are used to patrol parking lots, sports arenas, and tech company campuses are now being deployed to keep away homeless people.
Modesto Leaders Ban Cannabis Shops Downtown
The Modesto Bee
The Modesto City Council voted late Tuesday night to allow as many as 10 marijuana dispensaries in the city.
CDA'S NEW WEBSITE
Have you filled out the membership directory form yet?

CDA has built a new website with a membership directory.  In order to include your organization accurately, please take minute to fill out this directory form . Thank you!

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CDA District Digest Leadership

Executive Editor:
Karin Flood
President, CDA
Editor:
Allison Shashok
Marketing & Communications Manager, IDA

Do you have your ear to the ground when it comes to the latest downtown news in your region?
To submit news to be considered for inclusion in the newsletter, please contact Allison Shashok at allison@downtown.org.