2015-05-13 LEGISLATIVE - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mayor Pro Tern Vincent Sarmiento asked whether there had been any discussion in the Governor's office regarding subsidies for desalination of water. Casey Elliot responded Governor Jerry Brown's office has been considering desalinization as part of the implementation of the Proposition 1 water recycling component but there have been no discussions about additional funding for desalinization. Mayor Pro Tern Vincent Sarmiento asked for additional information regarding Senator Tony Mendoza's proposed bill allowing counties which have more than 2 million residents to increase the number of seats on their boards of supervisors. Mayor Pro Tern Sarmiento also inquired about Assemblymember Tom Daly's proposed bill regarding the school facilities fee. Casey Elliot responded Senator Tony Mendoza's measure was introduced as a constitutional amendment in the middle of May expanding the number of board of supervisor seats for charter counties larger than 2 million to seven or more seats after the 2020 census. The measure will need a two - thirds vote in both Houses to be placed on the 2016 ballot. Casey Elliot commented he will provide Mayor Pro Tern Sarmiento information on Assemblymember Tom Daly's proposed school facilities fee bill and Mayor Pro Tern asked Townsend Public Affairs to include the bill in their legislative monitoring. 4. League of California Cities Briefing, January 2015 to March 2015 Tony Cardenas was not present to provide an update. Mark Lawrence noted a handout was provided which highlights bills of interest to the League. 5. Review and Recommend Approval of 2015 Legislative Platform City Manager David Cavazos reviewed the items on the Legislative Platform that are new for 2015: Immigration Reform, Homeless, Veterans, Body Cameras, Safe Mobility, Gangs, Domestic Violence, Promise Zone, Affordable Housing, Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts, Goods Movement and Mobility, Sales Tax, Renewable Energy Grants, Receivership Actions, Water Conservation, Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, Automated Meter Infrastructure, Replacement Water Wells, and the Reclaimed Water System Master Plan. Councilwoman Michele Martinez expressed interest in the City seeking funding for an open data platform. The City received over 600 public records requests in 2014. An open data platform would allow the public to search City records on their own, reducing staff time used to research requests and increasing efficiencies. Councilwoman Michele Martinez would also like the City to seek funding for first and last mile connections for the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center and the infrastructure surrounding those connections. Mayor Pro Tern Vincent Sarmiento suggested prioritizing Legislative Platform items and aligning the prioritization with the federal government's priorities. His top priorities include affordable housing and economic development (particularly attracting and retaining businesses). Mayor Pro Tem Vincent Sarmiento also commented on the Medical Marijuana item in the Community Safety section, noting the City has moved beyond enforcement issues to operational concerns and understanding the dynamics of a new industry. He Legislative Council Committee Minutes May 13, 2015, Page 4