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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
October 2017
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

The California Downtown Association stands in solidarity with the downtowns and rural areas in Napa, Santa Rosa, 
Son oma and the surrounding areas who have been facing a ser ies  of deadly and catastrophic fires over the past weeks. While the fires  are nearing containment, there remains considerable damage and loss to so many individuals. We urge CDA  members to join other California leaders and the greater community to support those  affected. Together we can lessen the trauma for many experiencing perhaps the most dire challenges of their lifetime. 

We recently touched base with Craig Smith the Executive Director of Downtown Napa Association who suggested that we could best offer our support in the following ways:

Gift cards and direct donations to non-profits are most helpful at this time because then people can purchase the specific items that they need. The lead organization for this is the Napa Community Foundation at www.napavalleycf.org.


A second organization for people to consider donating to is rebuildwinecountry.org where 100% of the proceeds are used to rebuild destroyed homes. 

Thank you all for your consideration. We are all stronger when we are able to reach out and help each other in a time of need.


Sincerely,

 
Karin Flood
Executive Director
Union Square BID

CDA'S NEW WEBSITE
Have you filled out the membership directory form yet?

CDA is building a new website and we are adding a membership directory!  In order to include your organization accurately, please take minute to fill out this directory form . Thank you!

CDA POLICY CORNER
Affordable Housing - AB 56/SB 2
We are very pleased to report that Governor Jerry Brown has signed AB 56 (Holden) - a CDA-supported bill - into law. AB 56 allows the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank "IBank" to fund public development facilities like city street improvements, drainage, water supply and other mitigation measures that often make infill and transit-oriented housing projects difficult or impossible to develop. AB 56 provides greater flexibility for the financing of infrastructure improvements in order to realize new housing opportunities in urban areas.

Although a somewhat technical bill, AB 56, along with passage of the broader housing package this year (including SB 2) represents significant progress on affordability and availability of new housing opportunities in California. The Governor signed the housing package last month during a signing ceremony in San Francisco where he was joined by housing advocates, labor and business leaders.


AB 1479 - Public Records Act requests
Last week, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed Assembly Bill 1479 by Assemblyman Bonta (D-Oakland). The bill would have required public agencies (including BIDs) to name a custodian of records to administer all PRA requests. As previously reported in this column, AB 1479 was amended in August removing the civil penalty provisions in order to address the strong opposition of CDA and other public agencies.

We do expect legislation to be introduced next year to require additional disclosure requirements under the Public Records Act - placing similar burdens on PBIDs that the previous version of AB 1479 had created. You'll see the veto message from Governor Brown below which he keeps the door open on strengthening public record disclosure requirements. We will have to be diligent in our advocacy efforts should legislation be introduced next year on this topic.

An excerpt from the veto message from Governor Jerry Brown:
"I am not convinced the bill would have any measurable impact on the speed or accuracy in responding to Public Record Act requests. While I am open to future discussions about strengthening public records disclosures for all branches of California government, this bill has the potential to further confuse an already complex process."


SB 611 - Reforms to the DMV's Disabled Parking Placard Program
We are pleased to report the Governor has signed CDA-supported SB 611 by Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) which implements a number of reforms to the DMV's disabled parking placard program to curtail fraudulent use.

Abuses within the state's disabled placard program were highlighted by a CA State Auditor report that determined more than one million placards were issued in the past five years that may lack sufficient evidence that the applicant would qualify for the placard.

As we know, California allows anyone with a disabled placard to park for free at any metered space without time limits; unfortunately, this can result in situations where unauthorized holders of disabled placards misuse them in order to gain the benefit of free and unlimited parking.


Jason Bryant 
Bryant Government Affairs
October 2017 Legislative Update 

IN THE NEWS
To Cut Traffic Deaths, We Have to Tackle Distracted Driving
The Sacramento Bee
There is no such thing as a traffic "accident." When cars collide, or when a pedestrian or a cyclist gets hit, it's the result of an action or a choice, not mere happenstance. In other words, it is preventable.

No Sanctuary in Fire-Stricken California's Immigrant Communities
The Nation
Toxic smoke, destroyed homes, and fears of deportation are hitting immigrant communities all at once across Northern California.
 
What Everyone Can Learn From L.A.'s Gentrification
CityLab
Los Angeles has always been an "exceedingly improbable phenomenon," historian Wade Graham explains at the start of season two of the podcast "There Goes the Neighborhood."
3 years ago, Stockton, California, was bankrupt. Now it's trying out a basic income.
Vox.com
A city on the outskirts of Silicon Valley is using Facebook money to fund a basic income trial.
READ MORE

Dockless Shared Bikes: From China... To Los Angeles?
StreetsBlogLA
When I returned to China last month to give some talks about my new book, it was my first visit in over two years. When I arrived in Shanghai, I was astounded by the vehicle street scene.
San Francisco Planning to Remove the Great Highway as Coastal Erosion Takes its Toll
Planetizen
In the 1920s, the city of San Francisco extended the shoreline of south Ocean Beach by some 200 feet. Now the coast there is eroding as a result of that action, and the Great Highway is on shaky ground.
Santa Monica Installing New Bus-Only Lanes on Lincoln Boulevard
Curbed LA
Crews in Santa Monica are at work right now re-striping Lincoln Boulevard, giving the city its first bus-only lane, as Santa Monica Next reports.
"Spookomotive" Trains to Treat Old Sacramento Visitors for Three Weekends in October
Sacramento Press
Delightful, not frightful...California State Parks and the California State Railroad Museum & Foundation will once again offer engaging and entertaining "Spookomotive" train rides for three weekends...

Former FBI Agent Talks Negotiation at Bixby Knolls Mixer
The Grunion
"All four of those behavioral styles were hijacking airplanes, but do it totally differently," said Bob LeFever, former profiler for the FBI.

New Law Bans California Employers from Asking Applicants their Prior Salary
SFGate.com
California employers can no longer ask job applicants about their prior salary and - if applicants ask - must give them a pay range for the job they are seeking, under a new state law that takes effect...

Internal Affairs: Former San Jose Officials Launch a New Cannabis Business Association
The Mercury News
Move over, chamber of commerce and labor unions. There could soon be a new political powerhouse in Silicon Valley - and it's marijuana.
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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.


CDA District Digest

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