CBPA's Adaptive Reuse/Office Conversion Workgroup held its inaugural meeting yesterday. The workgroup was formed to discuss challenges and identify potential solutions to streamline the adaptive reuse of commercial properties. The shortage of housing has led some property owners to consider conversion to realize the highest value and best use of their property.

During yesterday’s meeting, Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee Chair Buffy Wicks, (D-Oakland) and Principal Committee Consultant Steve Wertheim joined industry leaders to discuss the current adaptive reuse landscape and review pragmatic policy solutions.

CBPA aims to be at the forefront of this issue by bringing stakeholders and lawmakers to the table to advance the interests of our members and our industry, while also improving the economic competitiveness and livability of our state.

CBPA joined the International Council of Shopping Centers, California representatives, and a coalition of groups in Washington, D.C. last week

to advocate for issues of importance to our state, including the fight against organized retail crime.

Organized retail crime is an issue that must be addressed. We encourage you to take action by asking your members of congress to cosponsor the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023.

This week, CBPA joined a coalition urging the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy to support Senate Bill 795 (Stern; D-Calabasas). The bill would direct the California Energy Commission to create an HVAC equipment sales tracking system and a code compliance data repository for HVAC and commercial lighting to improve code compliance and lower the cost of enforcement. A functional and efficient system for code enforcement will improve the safety and energy efficiency of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems installed and will further the state’s clean energy, affordability, and decarbonization goals.

CBPA has issued a letter of opposition to AB 1218 (Lowenthal; D-Long Beach) to the Senate Governance and Finance Committee. AB 1218 would move the replacement, relocation assistance, and right to return requirements in the Housing Crisis Act into a stand-alone section, thereby making these changes permanent while allowing the fundamentally important pro-housing production reforms included in SB 330 to expire.

The bill unfortunately will stop many important industrial projects which could have a negative impact on goods movement, jobs, and economic development.

This month, the FPPC adopted a slate of regulations to implement SB 1439. The regulations go into effect 30 days after the FPPC submits them to the Secretary of State – the FPPC will indicate the effective date on their website.

SB 1439, signed into law in 2022, requires the recusal of any local elected official if they have received a contribution of more than $250 from anyone seeking a discretionary decision, and also imposes a limit of $250 while the proceeding is pending and for 12 months after the final decision.