July 28, 2021
Cal Cities News

Last Thursday, the League of California Cities briefed city officials on bills of interest currently working their way through the legislative process. The webinar, Summer Recess Briefing on Priority Bills, is now available online, along with its corresponding slides, which contain a short description of each bill. Read more

Just under a quarter mile to the end and back, the Sky Walk is 100 feet above ground within the city of Eureka’s treasured Sequoia Park and Sequoia Park Zoo. This project is a mighty example of a city demonstrating how #LocalWorks on many levels – in fact, the sky is the limit. Read more

The League of California Cities and a coalition of partners produced a first-of-its-kind report on the state’s transportation infrastructure and a related, customizable database demonstrating the economic benefits locally. Read more

Explore the latest update in your Guide to Local Recovery: The League of California Cities signed on to a National League of Cities’ (NLC) letter about the need for federal infrastructure funding with 400 city officials; Cal Cities released an updated version of its American Rescue Plan Act revenue loss calculators; updated FAQs from NLC on American Rescue Plan Treasury Department guidelines; and this week’s FEMA reimbursements webinar recording now available. Read more
Education and Events

The League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo is shaping up to be a can’t miss educational and networking event, filled with dynamic panel discussions, keynotes, breakout sessions, and opportunities for city leaders to connect directly with their peers. Taking place September 22-24 in Sacramento, this year’s conference will offer nearly 40 breakout sessions. Breakout sessions cover a wide variety of topics, including pension updates, equity and justice, the ever-evolving conversation on homelessness, and the role local leaders play in planning California's future. Read more

Thursday, July 29, 10:00 a.m. — As the state continues to recover and rebuild from the pandemic, how can we ensure that local economies are not left behind? Join the League of California Cities for a special presentation by Lenny Mendonca, former Chief Economic and Business Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, about California's post-pandemic economic outlook and how state and federal governments can help drive local economic recovery. Additionally, learn about best practices for how city leaders can be the “helpers” in their communities while also keeping their mental health and self-care top of mind. Register now

The League of California Cities is soliciting session proposals and speakers for the 2022 City Managers Conference, scheduled for Feb. 2-4 in Monterey. The conference sessions provide great opportunities to share research and information with city managers at their annual gathering. Proposals must be submitted online by Aug. 9. Read more

Friday, August, 13, 10:30 a.m. — Are you new to municipal law? Did you recently transfer into an advisory position? Have you not yet responded to a Public Records Act request, or feel that you have not yet mastered the art of preparing a response? If any of the above describes you or someone you supervise, this Essential Hour presentation is designed for you! Join us for a presentation during which we will discuss Public Records Act basics, offer tips and suggestions, and provide samples and takeaways. Register now
Opportunities for Cities

Tuesday, Aug. 3, 11:00 a.m. — The California Association for Local Economic Development will host a webinar with Economic Development Administration Representative Malinda Matson, who will discuss the unprecedented $3 billion Notice of Funding Opportunity was released on July 22. The webinar will review the specific funding programs available, including $750 million available for travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation, as well as how to apply for these funds. Register now

The League of California Cities Rural City Information Exchange is a valuable platform for rural cities to easily and effectively share ideas and best practices specifically geared to their communities. There are ample opportunities for rural cities to connect with and learn from each other, including a meeting at the Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo, quarterly conference calls, a rural city listserv, webpage, and webinars. Read more

The stakes are high as cities engage in major planning efforts and adopt new budgets to ensure that they have the planning, infrastructure, and resources to adapt to this new normal. But how do we ensure that the new plans and policies we create will actually make our communities more equitable, environmentally resilient, and economically vibrant? The Institute for Local Government (ILG) offers five strategies. Read more

When the opportunity arose to create a model program with students and local businesses, the city of Santa Maria stepped up. The city partnered with a local ag-related businesses to create a successful hands-on educational program, from work of planting pumpkins, and networking with community members, to creating fun events. Read more
More News and Events
 
Thursday, July 29, 3:00 p.m. — After more than a year of shelter-in-place orders, California has begun the process of fully re-opening workplaces. In this Leading Local webinar, we’ll explore the anxiety that local leaders and staff may be feeling about the evolving COVID re-opening guidance and discuss strategies to balance self-care considerations with shifting state and federal extra space? Presenters: Dr. Miguel Gallardo, Professor of Psychology and Program Director of Aliento, Pepperdine University; Rob Lechner, Director of Facilities and Security Operations, SMUD; Michael Youril, Partner, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore. Register now

Thursday, Aug. 5, 2:00 p.m. — Authentic community engagement and well-designed community conversations can help quell a number of common community concerns related to housing development. While elected officials do not often plan and lead community engagement efforts, they play a critical role in understanding their residents’ vision, concerns and needs. This webinar will share tips to effectively listen to and communicate with your community on housing topics. Presenters: Ruben Abrica, Councilmember, City of East Palo Alto; Delo Freitas, Senior Planner, City of Arcata; Wendy Nowak, Principal, PlaceWorks. Register now

Attention all cities that own or maintain underground facilities. As of January 1, 2021, any entity with underground facilities are required to respond to “call before you dig” excavation requests through one of two California call centers, DigAlert (Southern California) and USA North (Northern California), that manage communication between excavators and utility operators. Read more
Cal Cities in the News

A first-of-its-kind report finds that upcoming spending on federal, state, and local infrastructure will generate nearly $200 billion in economic activity in California, annually, over the next decade, as well as support 700,000 jobs per year...The research was conducted by Dr. Alison Premo Black, Chief Economist at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), and released by the California Alliance for Jobs (CAJ), California Transit Association, California State Association of Counties (CSAC), and the League of California Cities (Cal Cities). Read more