TITLE
Recommendation to respectfully request City Council approval of the 2014 Federal Legislative Agenda as recommended by the Federal Legislative Committee.
DISCUSSION
Each year, City staff reviews the Federal Legislative Agenda and recommends changes to the Federal Legislation Committee to ensure that the agenda is up-to-date and addresses the legislative concerns of the City. The 2013 agenda was sent to all departments for their input and includes changes the City Council approved throughout the year. Attached for your review are staff's proposed changes.
BUSINESS GROWTH AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Item C: The Boeing Company
Item 3 is amended to reflect the City's support for job training funds to ensure the local workforce is optimally positioned to meet the changing needs of the aerospace industry.
Item 5 is added in support of efforts to optimally position Long Beach to support the manufacture of Boeing's 777x Jetliner and related components.
Item G: Los Angeles River Dredging
This item is amended to reflect the City's effort to dredge the Los Angeles River basin, which is located in the Queensway Bay area.
COMMUNITY SAFETY
Item A: Public Safety and Crime Prevention
Item 8 is removed, as the Schroder Hall project is moving forward and has secured the necessary funding to proceed.
Item 11 is added reflect City Council action on September 17, 2013 to support increasing penalties for individuals paying for sex with a minor, including examining the creation of a felony for this crime, increasing monetary penalties, requiring registration as a sex-offender, forfeiting certain assets, and other appropriate measures that can prove effective to curtail this crime.
Item B: Public Health
Item 4 is added to support increased funding to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention's Community Transformation Grants for local governments to promote activities that prevent disease.
Item 5 is added to oppose funding cuts to nutrition programs including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides food security and improved nutrition for families and individuals of all ages.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Item D: Wetlands
Item 2 is amended to reflect the City's support for a publicly held wetlands mitigation bank, which can be used to support investments in Long Beach wetlands restoration projects.
Item O: National Park Study
Item O is deleted, as the scope of the National Park Study will not encompass the City of Long Beach.
NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT
Item B: Libraries
Item 2 is added to support legislation that provides public libraries with access to affordable e-books and audio books.
Item F: Affordable Housing
Item 3 is amended to support full funding for administrative costs associated with providing Section 8 vouchers and housing assistance programs in Long Beach.
Item 4 is added to support full funding for housing assistance programs that are currently utilized in the City.
Item K: Arts
Item K is amended to include art "facilities" within the City's scope of support for community arts programming.
Item M: Helicopter Noise
Item M is added to reflect the City Council's support on October 8, 2013 for reducing helicopter noise in residential neighborhoods.
CHILDRENIYOUTH & EDUCATION
Item A: Good Health
Item 3 is added to allow the City to oppose funding cuts to Women, Infant and Children (WIC) nutrition programs that provide supplemental food, health care referrals and nutrition education to low-income mothers and children.
TRANSPORTATION
Item A: Transportation Funding
Item 5 is amended to update the City's support for the next Transportation Highway bill to include support for pedestrian access, bicycle systems, general mobility, goods movement and zero emission projects in Long Beach.
Item 6 is removed as the efforts to enhance funding for the Alameda Corridor is complete.
ADDITIONAL ISSUES OF STATE LEGISLATIVE IMPORTANCE
Item Q: Citizens United
Item Q is added to reflect the City Council's support on November 5, 2013 for legislation or a constitutional amendment that would stipulate that the expenditure of corporate money to influence the electoral process is not a form of constitutionally protected speech.
NEXT STEPS
A Federal Legislative Committee meeting has been called for December 4, 2013 to review and discuss these recommended changes.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER