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Home My WebLink About2003-24 - 2003-2004 Legislative PlatformRESOLUTION NO. 2003- 24 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH APPROVING THE 2003 -2004 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 2 -year Legislative Session; 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 2003 -04 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 2003- 04 Legislative Platform during calendar years 2003 and 2004. If the Mayor is unavailable to sign a City advocacy letter, the Mayor may designate the Mayor pro Tempore or the City Manager to sign and issue the letter in the Mayor's absence. All correspondence prepared on the City's behalf will be copied to each Council member. ADOPTED this 27th day of May, 2003. STEVE BROMBE MAYOR ATTEST: LAVONNE HARKLESS CITY CLERK City of Newport Beach 2003 -04 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) Support legislation leading to greater financial independence from State government and which would result in greater predictability in local government budgeting. (b) Oppose legislation that would impose state and federal mandated costs for which there is no local reimbursement or offsetting benefits. (c) In the absence of statewide fiscal reform, the City shall oppose legislation that reduces or eliminates existing local revenue sources, including the city or redevelopment agency 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. (d) 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. (e) 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. (f) Oppose any changes in State law that would limit the ability of charter cities to preserve the local revenue base. (g) Support legislation that exempts affordable housing projects from prevailing wage requirements. 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. (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. (f) Support revisions of housing element requirements that allow rehabilitation of existing but deteriorated units to count towards housing goals and that minimize onerous data gathering and analysis. 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. As a neighbor to John Wayne Airport, the City is an active participant in the planning and operation of commercial airports in Orange County, The City shall advocate for legislative and executive actions that: (a) Promote 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 and the 2002 Agreement Extension. F" 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. 2003 -24 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 27th day of May, 2003, and that the same was so passed and adopted by the following vote, to wit: Ayes: Heffernan; Proctor, Ridgeway, Webb, Nichols, Mayor Bromberg Noes: None Absent: Adams Abstain: None IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the official seal of said City this 28th day of May, 2003. (Seal) City'Clerk Newport Beach, California