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HomeMy WebLinkAbout25A - GOVT LIAISON SERVICES TOWNSENDLOBBYIST STATE LOBBYIST REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: JULY 6, 2010 TITLE: APPROVED ? As Recommended AGREEMENT FOR GOVERNMENT ? As Amended ? Ordinance on 15t Reading LIAISON SERVICES WITH TOWNSEND ? Ordinance on 2"d Reading PUBLIC AFFAIRS ? Implementing Resolution ? Set Public Hearing For CONTINUED TO ~Gra ~ FILE NUMBER CIT MANAGER RECOMMENDED ACTION Direct the City Attorney to prepare and authorize the City Manager and Clerk of the Council to amend the agreement for government liaison services with Townsend Public Affairs in an amount not to exceed $50,000. DISCUSSION Townsend Public Affairs has served as the City's representative in Sacramento for ten years. Their services include the review and monitoring of state legislation and funding opportunities as well as working with state agencies on regulations and policies that affect the City. Townsend Public Affairs represented Santa Ana's interests in Sacramento this past year on issues such as local government finance, the state budget, state enterprise zone, redevelopment, water related issues and a variety of other legislative proposals. In addition, they worked to pursue grant opportunities such securing a CaIGRIP grant and monies for park and community centers. In past years, Townsend Public Affairs has secured funding for the Discovery Science Center, synthetic turf for Eddie West Stadium, and youth intervention and crime prevention grants. 25A-1 Townsend Agreement July 6, 2010 Page 2 FISCAL IMPACT Funds are available in the Public Works Administrative Services account (no. 01104012-62300) and the Community Development accounts (nos. 57018841-62300, 57018842-62300 and 57018843-62300). APPROVED AS TO FUNDS AND ACCOUNTS: Cyn is J. Nelson Francisco Gutierrez Deputy City Manager Executive Director for Development Services Finance & Mgmt. Services Agency 25A-2 PUBLIC AFFAIRS, INC. MEMORANDUM To: Ms. Jill Arthur, Executive Director, External Affairs City of Santa Ana From: Christopher Townsend, President Sean Fitzgerald, Director, Southern California Date: May 25, 2010 Subject: Year End Report -Legislative Advocacy and Grant Support Thank you for the continued opportunity to represent the interests of the City of Santa Ana through our work supporting the City's legislative and funding-related initiatives. The report below is intended to summarize our activities over the past year as well as to update initiatives still pending. State Budget As one might expect, a substantial portion of our work over the past year has focused, in one way or another, on the state budget in general and the protection of local revenues in particular. Most notable among these initiatives are: Protecting HUTA Revenues - AB 8x 5 (Assembly Budget Committee) was passed earlier this year to implement yet another deferral of HUTA payments to local governments. While any deferral of these monies caused hardship for cities, the duration and severity of this deferral, however, would threaten the City's ability to meet the repayment schedule for bonds that are secured by the City's HUTA revenues. As such, TPA has been working collaboratively with Senator Correa, Assemblyman Solorio, Budget Committee staff, the Department of Finance and City staff over the past several months to craft a solution that would protect the City and its bondholder agreements. The language that has been crafted is slated for inclusion as part of this year's budget and will provide a workable solution for the City. Enterprise Zone -TPA has worked with the City on two fronts this past year with regard to Enterprise Zones. First, our team helped City staff engage with the state's Housing & Community Development Department to facilitate the execution of the City's final EZ designation contract. This paperwork had been stalled for quite some time and TPA was able to help City staff expedite the issue with HCD. 25A-3 The second issue involving Enterprise Zones is SB 974 (Steinberg), which is an example of the dozens of bills introduced each year seeking to modify or kill the EZ program. In this case, Senator Steinberg has proposed shifting funding from some of the more significant EZ programs to fund a new "career pathways" program that would also be created within the legislation. Given the value provided by the EZ program as part of the City's economic development efforts, and its specific importance those benefits play in an ongoing business location effort, TPA has engaged actively on this legislation to ensure that our representatives understand clearly the negative impacts that this bill would have. SB 974 is currently awaiting a vote on the Senate Floor, where Senator Steinberg's leadership position may carry the day in moving the bill over to the Assembly, but TPA will work to kill this bill in the Assembly and as part of the budget process. Capital Project Funding Initiatives Proposition 84 -Competitive Parks Funding City staff submitted a timely application to the Department of Parks & Recreation for the Prop. 84 Parks Competitive Grant program for the Willard Intermediate School Joint Use Project. There is $180 million available in this first round of grants and the state received applications totaling approximately $1.8 BILLION in projects, so this promises to be a very competitive program. TPA has been actively involved with DPR staff since the program's passage back in November 2006, through the implementing legislation and the guideline development process of the past couple years. Our relationships and technical knowledge will now be focused on ensuring that the City's application continues progressing through the review process. The next step in this program is site visits that will be conducted by DPR staff in the coming months. In addition to the Willard project, City leadership also requested that TPA lend our expertise to the Santa Ana YMCA in connection with their expansion project. Our team met with the Santa Ana YMCA leadership on several occasions and provided comprehensive guidance on their application for Proposition 84 funding. Transportation Funding for Bristol With budget challenges impacting funding sources for the City's Bristol project, TPA has J been engaged to work cooperatively with City staff, OCTA and their respective state and federal consultants to identify potential sources of funding that will help maintain needed funding levels. TPA remains actively engaged in this process working with all relevant parties to explore opportunities at all levels for additional funding. Diamond Park Mutual Water Company In early 2010, City staff engaged TPA to examine grant and regulatory issues related to the Diamond Park Mutual Water Company (DPMWC), a small privately held water provider serving approximately 70 homes in Santa Ana. The single well serving those homes had been cited by the CA Department of Public Health (CDPH) for nitrate contamination that were approaching unsafe levels. At that time, the City had just begun outreach to the residents served by DPMWC and were asked TPA to research funding opportunities that could be applicable in helping connect the DPMWC service 2 5A-4 area to the City's water system. TPA subsequently identified and reported on three types of funding that CDPH administers and our team remains actively involved in helping the City and DPMWC secure those funding opportunities as part of a successful resolution of the challenges faced by DPMWC and its residents. Santa Ana Unified School District In the fall of 2009, TPA advised staff from the Santa Ana Unified School District on various funding programs available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, specifically California's application to the Race to the Top program. TPA provided comprehensive summaries of the Race to the Top program during a meeting with Superintendent Jane Russo at Santa Ana Unified School District and conducted a conference call with relevant staff to explain the application, the State's competitive chances, the political forces, and the ramifications of participation or declining to participate. TPA continued to advise on the steps necessary to be included in the state's Race to the Top application. On January 7, 2010 the Santa Ana Unified School District decided to participate in the state's Race to the Top application and passed the required MOU. In March this year we learned that the state's application was not successful. The State will reapply for Round 2, but chances are slim. Upcoming State Funding Opportunities Proposition 84 -Nature Education Facilities Funding Separate from the more traditional parks grant program, the Nature Education Facilities (NEF) grant program focuses on capital projects focused exclusively on providing supplement educational opportunities around natural resources-related topics. There are $93 million in this first, and only, round of grants. Applications are due July 1, 2010. City staff intends to submit an application to this program for improvements at the Santa Ana Zoo. TPA will work closely with the City throughout this process, most especially with DPR in an attempt to secure funding for the City in what promises to be another highly competitive program. Water Bond While it certainly took a good bit of wrangling among state leadership, agreement on a legislative water bond has been reached and the measure will appear on the ballot this coming November. Early polling shows strong support for the measure among voters, and the Governor even included spending related to the bond in his May Revise budget proposal. In short, this is now a very real opportunity on the horizon. We've attached a summary of the provisions in the bond for your reference. Proposition 84 - 2"d Round of Competitive Parks Funding Regardless of the success of the City's pending application in the first round of this program, there will be additional opportunities to secure funding from this program. TPA has already spoken with City staff about this second round of funding and how we can prepare to make the most of our first round application (again, regardless of outcome). TPA remains actively engaged with DPR with regard to future funding rounds and will be ready to engage at the earliest possible time to keep the City ahead of any developments. As of now, applications for the second round will be due no earlier than early 2011, though that timeline could change depending on the time taken to complete the first round. 25A-5 25A-6