June 2024

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President

Austin Metoyer

Downtown Long Beach Alliance


Vice President

Chloe Shipp

San Jose Downtown Association


2nd Vice President

Suzanne Holley

DTLA Alliance


Secretary

Andrew Robinson

The East Cut


Treasurer

John Caner

Downtown Berkeley Association


Immediate Past President

Rena Masten Leddy, LPM

Urban Place Consulting Group

 

Membership Chair

Kathy Hemmenway

Walnut Creek Downtown


Marketing Chair

Mackenzie Carter, LPM

The Hollywood Partnership



At-Large Directors

Josh Coyne

Downtown San Diego Partnership


Savlan Hauser

Jack London District Oakland

 

Christian Martin

SOMA West CBD


Jameson Parker

Midtown Association Sacramento


Anthony Rodriguez

LA Fashion District


Marisa Rodriguez

Union Square Alliance


Andrew Thomas, LPM

Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. 

 

Brian Wallace

Playhouse Village Association

JOB ALERT

Executive Director - Excelsior Action Group (EAG), Excelsior District in San Francisco, CA 

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IN THE NEWS


The High Stakes of the Supreme Court’s Decision on Homelessness

CityLab

Advocates fear that the case centering on an Oregon town’s ban on outdoor sleeping could usher in a wave of local laws criminalizing homelessness.

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Architects transformed these rundown motels into vibrant homes for formerly unhoused families

Fast Company

A new kind of transitional housing for families in Southern California is filling a big gap.

READ MORE


Will Tourism Dollars Help Fund Anaheim’s Affordable Housing Trust?

Voice of OC

Anaheim City Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava wants to use tourism tax dollars – intended to market and improve the resort district – to help fund a housing trust that could bring more affordable homes to Orange County’s largest city.

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Apartment Developers In LA Are Slashing Costs By Getting Rid Of Parking. Some Neighbors Aren’t Happy

LAist

rive to any busy part of L.A., and discussions often turn to parking within a matter of minutes. Go to any local government meeting on new housing, and parking tends to come up even faster.

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What We Can Learn From ‘Ghost Rivers’

Next City

Baltimore buried these hidden streams. A public art installation is a reminder of the visible costs of trying to control our urban waterways.

READ MORE


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Letter from President of the Board, Austin Metoyer

The past month has seen significant legislative developments impacting California's downtown areas and business communities. Both federally and statewide, new decisions and policies are poised to have a profound effect on our communities. Even as I write, the California legislature is pivoting its approach on its main package of bills to address retail theft . Highlighting how fast and fluid things have been over the last couple of weeks. Know that CDA is prepared to advocate on your behalf and ensure you receive timely updates on upcoming changes. Jason Bryant provides a detailed overview of the recent state capitol activities—don't miss his insights!

U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Grants Pass Case


Last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a pivotal decision in the Grants Pass case concerning homeless encampments, marking a critical moment in our collective advocacy journey.

Since the 2018 decision in Martin v. Boise, the California Downtown Association has actively advocated for more effective and compassionate solutions to homelessness. Our commitment led us to support an amicus brief in 2019, urging the Supreme Court to hear and decide on the case, which was unfortunately declined. 


However, another opportunity to address the Court arose this past year when the High Court decided to take up the Grants Pass v. Johnson case.


In a 6-3 ruling authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the Supreme Court concluded that city ordinances regulating camping on public property do not constitute "cruel and unusual punishment" under the Eighth Amendment. Justice Gorsuch highlighted the complexity of homelessness and the necessity for varied public policy responses, stating that federal judges should not bear primary responsibility for devising these solutions.


This decision aligns with the perspectives and experiences many of you have shared, which we conveyed in an amicus brief filed by IDA and supported by CDA. The Court acknowledged the challenges cities face under the previous Martin and Grants Pass rulings, noting that these decisions have often hindered, rather than helped, efforts to move people experiencing homelessness into shelters.

While this ruling does not solve the issue of homelessness, it represents a crucial step toward enabling cities to use a broader range of tools in addressing the crisis our districts are facing. As an industry, we must remain committed to collaborating with public and private sector partners to provide comprehensive support, services, and housing opportunities for those in need.


At the state level, CDA continues to advocate for increased funding for homelessness programs, the implementation, and expansion of the CARE Court program and enhanced mental health support through Prop 1. We are currently analyzing the Supreme Court's decision to understand its full impact on our cities. We will share additional resources in the coming weeks to assist you in adapting your homelessness action plans.

I encourage all members to engage with their respective cities to comprehend how this decision will influence their local efforts. Together, we can continue to make our downtowns welcoming and safe spaces for everyone.

Government Affairs Report by Jason Bryant

With deadlines approaching to pass the 2024-25 State Budget and to withdraw ballot initiatives, June was an incredibly busy month for several CDA priority issues in the Capitol. A number of the organization’s priority bills were also heard in committee, including the legislative retail theft package, BID assessments and alcohol service options in entertainment zones. CDA has been an active participant in advocacy efforts and negotiations on many of these issues and continues to push its legislative agenda forward.  


Taxpayer Protection Initiative Removed from Ballot  

One of the most controversial issues this year in Sacramento was the Taxpayer Protection Act that the California Business Roundtable qualified for the November 2024 ballot. The measure would have made it more challenging to raise taxes in California, including by requiring the Legislature to seek approval from the voters for any new or higher state tax. The measure would have also increased the margin to pass voter-initiated special taxes at the local level to two-thirds (from a simple majority) and restrict how officials calculate the costs of fees to fund public services to force some of those charges to be reclassified as taxes. It was heavily opposed by the Governor, Legislative Leadership, local government and the labor community. These groups successfully sued in California Supreme Court to have the ballot measure removed. Justice Goodwin Liu wrote that the proposed changes “are within the electorate’s prerogative to enact, but because those changes would substantially alter our basic plan of government, the proposal cannot be enacted by initiative.” Proponents of the initiative said they will consider a more limited initiative for 2028.


Senate Bill 1103 – Commercial Property Leases and Operating Costs – CDA Oppose  

Senate Bill 1103, which puts into place onerous transparency and proportionality requirements for fees a landlord may charge certain tenant to recover building operating costs passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. CDA has been part of the broad business and real estate coalition that has been opposing the bill.  Additionally, with the help of John Lambeth, CDA has been working directly with the author’s office to try to secure amendments that specifically carve out BID assessments from the requirements of the bill. 


SB 969 (Wiener, D-San Francisco) – Brick & Mortar Take-out Service within Entertainment Zones – CDA SUPPORT 

CDA supported SB 969, which passed out of the Assembly Governmental Organization committee this month, with strong bi-partisan support. This measure would allow local jurisdictions to create designated outdoor “entertainment zones” that will enable local brick-and-mortar bars and restaurants to sell takeout alcoholic beverages to patrons for consumption at street fairs, outdoor festivals, and other activations. SB 969 will aid the recovery of downtown small businesses by removing barriers to brick-and-mortar businesses participating in nearby outdoor events, like street fairs and festivals. It will allow municipalities to create entertainment zones that allow neighborhood businesses – which are currently barred from selling alcoholic beverages to-go during festivals – to participate on equal footing with outside vendors and to engage in new types of events structured around “entertainment zones”. 


State Budget Agreement Reached

Governor Newsom, Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Speaker Robert Rivas reached an agreement on the 2024 state budget last week. The agreement maintains the multi-year fiscal structure proposed to balance the budget in both 2024-25 and 2025-26, based on current revenue and spending projections. In a particularly challenging budget year, many programs saw funding cuts, deferrals and delays to find $46.8 billion in fiscal solutions to balance the budget. According to the Governor and legislative leadership, this budget will support the state’s fiscal stability, while preserving key programs that Californians depend on. 

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CDA District Digest Copyright 2024

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