HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-11 - 2002 Legislative PlatformRESOLUTION NO. 2002- 11
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
APPROVING THE 2002 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
WHEREAS, the City Council historically promotes legislative actions consistent
with the goals and functions of the City of Newport Beach; and
WHEREAS, such legislative actions are typically included within the City's adopted
Legislative Platform for the coming year; and
WHEREAS, such promotion once required separate City Council actions to approve
individual letters of support or opposition related to specific pieces of legislation; and
WHEREAS, this piece -by -piece approval can delay important actions necessary to
assist in the passage or defeat of legislation; and
WHEREAS, the City Council seeks to efficiently pursue legislation that reflects the
Legislative Platform and the goals of the City, now, therefore be it
RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Newport Beach that the City Council
hereby adopts the attached Legislative Platform for 2002 and be it also
RESOLVED that the Mayor is hereby authorized to make statements and write
letters necessary to support legislative actions consistent with the City's adopted 2002
Legislative Platform during Calendar Year 2002. If the Mayor is unavailable to sign a City
advocacy letter, he may designate the Mayor pro Tempore or the City Manager to sign and
issue the letter in his absence. All correspondence prepared on the City's behalf will be
copied to each Council member.
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
ADOPTED this 22" d day of January, 2002.
MAYOR , j
City of Newport Beach
2002 Legislative Platform
I — FISCAL STABILITY. The City's objective is to protect existing city revenue sources and to
limit the cost of government upon the taxpayers of Newport Beach. The City also seeks to
protect Newport Beach residents and businesses from onerous fiscal actions by other levels
of government which may impair our ability to protect our quality of life. Therefore, the
City shall:
(a) Advocate for a stable, safe, and economical supply of electricity and natural gas provided by
either investor -owned utilities or public- sector providers.
(b) Support legislation leading to greater financial independence from State government and which
would result in greater predictability in local government budgeting.
(c) Oppose legislation that would impose state and federal mandated costs for which there is no local
reimbursement or offsetting benefits.
(d) In the absence of statewide fiscal reform, the City shall oppose legislation that reduces or eliminates
existing local revenue sources, including the city share of property tax, sales and use tax, local
governments' share of vehicle license fees, transient occupancy taxes, business license taxes, and
State subventions to local governments.
(e) As a part of a comprehensive reform package, the City will support changes in the State -Local
fiscal relationship if the changes maintain or improve revenues to local governments, promote
local discretion on land use decisions, and result in the long -term stability of local government
revenue sources.
(f) Support legislation that reforms California's tort system to curtail unreasonable liability
exposure for public agencies and restore the ability of public agencies to obtain affordable
insurance.
(g) Oppose any changes in State law that would limit the ability of charter cities to preserve the
local revenue base.
II — REGIONAL COORDINATION. The City supports regional cooperation that does not
infringe on local areas of authority without offsetting financial benefit. Therefore, the City
shall:
(a) Support reform of existing state, regional, and local planning processes only if directly linked to
reforms in the current revenue and tax structure of state and local governments.
(b) Oppose legislation that creates or grants powers to sub - regional or regional bodies that would
infringe on local concerns.
III — LABOR RELATIONS. The City respects the working conditions, benefits, and rights of
Newport Beach employees and the conservative fiscal management principles of the
community. Therefore, the City shall:
(a) Oppose legislation that would impose compulsory and binding arbitration with respect to public
employees; with the State's passage of binding arbitration for fire and police wages, the City
shall advocate for full reimbursement from the State Mandates Claims Fund for any arbitration
awards resulting from SB 402 (Burton, 2000).
(b) Oppose legislation that imposes mandated employee benefits that are more properly decided at
the local bargaining table.
(c) Oppose efforts that reduce local control over public employee disputes.
(d) Oppose legislation that would grant public employees the right to strike.
(e) Support legislation to reform worker's compensation formulas to rely on higher thresholds for
compensability or a proportionate exposure formula.
(f) Support workers compensation reform which curtails stress claims by stipulating that benefits can
only be paid when it can be shown that a sudden and extraordinary job event was the predominant
cause of the stress injury and would repeal the minimum rate law.
(g) Oppose workers compensation reform that would exclude police officers, firefighters, and others
with life- threatening jobs from the increased proof stress threshold.
IV — SURFACE TRANSPORTATION. The City supports expanded transportation systems,
programs and services. Therefore, the City shall:
(a) Support legislation that helps local agencies finance local transportation facilities.
(b) Oppose legislation that requires additional State and Federal review of projects that are
predominantly of regional or local significance.
(c) Support legislation that gives local agencies greater access to and discretion over transportation
funds.
V — PLANNING, ZONING, and LAFCO LAW. The City seeks to protect and strengthen the
City's land use authority, including zoning, incorporation, annexation, and community
development. Therefore, the City shall:
(a) Support efforts to strengthen the legal and fiscal capability of the City to prepare, adopt and
implement plans for orderly growth, development, beautification and conservation of local
planning areas, including but not limited to, regulatory authority over zoning, subdivisions, and
annexations.
(b) Support efforts that are consistent with the doctrine of "home rule" and the local exercise of
police powers over local land use, including expanding cities' ability to regulate the placement of
neighborhood -based residential treatment centers and group homes.
(c) Oppose development agreements in cities' spheres of influence in undeveloped areas that do not
conform to city standards.
(d) Support the existing right of the City of Newport Beach to annex areas within its Sphere of
Influence.
(e) Oppose efforts to change the Cortese -Knox Act ( LAFCO Law) in any manner that would
adversely impact the ability of recognized regional entities to plan for regional facilities,
including aviation facilities.
VI — WATER QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. The City supports
effective measures to improve the environment, including water quality, solid waste,
hazardous materials clean -up, and ocean, beaches and bay protection. Therefore, the
City shall:
(a) Support legislation and funding measures that would increase water supply and improve water
quality in this region.
(b) Support measures that permit the sale, lease, exchange or transfer of surplus water within the
State.
(c) Support measures that maintain and enhance local authority and flexibility to regulate solid
waste and recyclable materials.
(d) Support legislation that limits local government liability as a third party in Superfund cleanup
litigation.
(e) Support measures providing funds or other capabilities to maintain and protect the ocean,
beaches, harbor and bay.
(f) Pursue legislative and executive action that provides long-term sources of funds and /or services
to enhance and protect Newport Bay.
(g) Pursue legislative and executive action to continue the annual Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
offshore petroleum drilling moratorium and pursue the establishment of a permanent wildlife
preserve off the Orange County Coast.
(h) Support measures that improve funding resources and the science associated with water quality
testing and beach closure standards.
(i) Advocate for Regional Board control over fines and fees collected from water quality violations
so that such fines and fees remain in the region to be used directly for water quality
improvements.
VII—AVIATION. Asa neighbor to John Wayne Airport, the City is an active participant
in the local and regional planning and operation of commercial airports in Orange
County. The City shall advocate for legislative and executive actions that are
consistent with the City Council's Policy A -17 (Newport Beach Aviation Policy),
including:
(a) Promoting the ability of local airport operators to impose aircraft noise controls.
(b) Actions that preserve, extend, or recreate the John Wayne Airport (JWA) 1985 Settlement
Agreement.
(c) Promoting the use of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro as Orange County's second
commercial airport.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF ORANGE } ss.
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH }
I, LAVONNE M. HARKLESS, City Clerk of the City of Newport Beach, California, do
hereby certify that the whole number of members of the City Council is seven; that the foregoing
resolution, being Resolution No. 2002 -11 was duly and regularly introduced before and adopted by
the City Council of said City at a regular meeting of said Council, duly and regularly held on the
22nd day of January, 2002, and that the same was so passed and adopted by the following vote, to
wit:
Ayes: Heffernan, O'Neil, Bromberg, Glover, Adams, Proctor, Mayor Ridgeway
Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the
official seal of said City this 23rd day of January, 2002.
(Seal)
City Clerk
Newport Beach, California