To: Board of Supervisors
From: County Administrative Office
Agenda Section: Time Certain Matter
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
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9:30 AM - 2024 Legislative Platform, Direct Spending Requests
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Provide input and direction to staff as desired regarding the proposed state and federal legislative platforms for 2024;
2. Provide input and direction as desired on state and federal policy issues to receive priority advocacy services;
3. Prioritize congressional and state direct funding requests;
4. Adopt the proposed state and federal legislative platforms, incorporating any changes desired by the Board, as the final platforms for 2024;
5. Direct the County Administrative Officer to submit the final version of the legislative platform to the state and federal officials, county-related associations and contractors, as appropriate; and
6. Authorize and direct the County Administrative Officer to advocate as needed to support the county’s legislative platform, and resolutions adopted by the Board, during 2024.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
All county funds
DISCUSSION:
Each year, Humboldt County departments review and recommend state and federal legislation that would improve and enhance county financing, operation, and efficiency in service delivery. The county contracts with Shaw/Yoder/Antwih/Schmelzer/Lange (SYASL) to provide state legislative advocacy on behalf of the county and to advise departments on legislative proposals. On Oct. 17, Karen Lange of SYASL spoke to your Board regarding the county’s legislative advocacy efforts during the 2023 session of the California Legislature. Ms. Lange also met with a number of department heads regarding particular state issues on Oct. 26. SYASL later reviewed the state portion of the legislative platform.
The county contracts with Paragon Government Relations for federal legislative advocacy services and to advise departments on legislative proposals. Joe Krahn, Hasan Sarsour and Tom Joseph of Paragon met with your Board and several department heads in October to discuss federal issues impacting the county, and they have reviewed the federal portion of the 2024 Legislative Platform.
The platforms being presented to your Board today are the result of 4 months of collaborative work between departments, the County Administrative Office, partners, SYASL, and Paragon. The platforms take into consideration your Board’s Strategic Priority Framework. These platforms are being submitted to your Board for review and modification as your Board finds appropriate.
This year’s platform provides a significant change to the organization of legislative issues and aligns more cohesively with the policy areas used by the California State Association of Counties (CSAC). In addition, this year’s document is nearly 30 pages shorter than prior years as much of the context for policy positions have been removed and what remains are only the support/oppose positions. Each support/oppose position is still backed by a document explaining the background. Items in red are proposed to be added this year, and staff have noted the items being removed. Pairing down the content, along with the reorganization, hopefully will make for a more readable and digestible document.
Recommended actions:
In order to most effectively approach advocacy services staff is seeking direction on identification of the primary legislative priorities based on relative importance to the Board and in consideration of the state and federal agendas. Identifying a primary list of state and federal priorities would allow the county, SYASL, and Paragon to work more effectively with state legislators and members of Congress, as well as applicable agencies and would ensure that the county’s effectiveness is not diluted.
Below your Board will find current year priorities along with recommendations for 2024 priorities:
Proposed Legislative Priorities
1. Resources to support offshore wind, provide community benefits
(Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources Item 4c)
2. Fire/EMS response
(Emergency Services, Disaster Response/Preparedness Item 1a)
3. Housing development, Workforce and Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) integration
(Housing, Land Use, Infrastructure & Transportation Item 1a, 1e)
Congressional and State Directed Funding Requests
Humboldt’s state and congressional representatives typically ask for direct spending requests, or earmarks, in the spring. The requests are chosen by lawmakers and submitted to their respective governments and committee for inclusion into already established funding mechanisms. These requests must be prioritized by agencies submitting more than one request, and the county has been advised to only submit the proposals that are best positioned for speedy execution.
This year the county has prepared three directed funding requests, and staff are requesting your Board prioritize them by order of preference:
1. Redwood Drive, Garberville Complete Streets (Attachment 3)
2. Scenic Drive (Attachment 4)
3. Public Health Lab (Attachment 5)
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no immediate financial impact to approving the Legislative Platform. However, if one or more of the direct funding requests are approved, the county would potentially receive amounts specified in the request forms.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Approving the Legislative Platform and identifying the issues that should receive priority advocacy services will allow staff to be more efficient when working with state and federal agencies and lawmakers on behalf of the county.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Framework.
Core Roles: Strengthen climate change resiliency
New Initiatives: Advance local interests in natural resource discussions
Strategic Plan: 1.1 - Increase access to housing
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
All county departments, Harbor District, Redwood Coast Energy Authority
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board discretion
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Legislative Platform
2. CSAC Policy Areas Document
3. Public Works, Redwood Drive Direct Spending Request
4. Public Works, Scenic Drive Direct Spending Request
5. Public Health Lab Direct Spending Request
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A