|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Looking to weigh in on state politics, the Mountain View City Council put forward a long list of legislative priorities Tuesday evening that supports more funding for local affordable housing, transportation and climate change goals.
In 2021, the city hired a political consulting firm, Renne Public Policy Group (RPPG), to help communicate its legislative interests at the regional, state and federal level. Since then, the city has developed a lengthy list of “policy statements” that the council discussed at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
The study session kicked off with comments from some of the region’s state and federal elected officials, including state Sen. Josh Becker, Assembly member Marc Berman and a representative from the office of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.
Attending virtually, each of them provided updates about the budgetary outlook for the year and how it could impact impending legislation. The overall message was that this year’s budget likely would not be as robust as previous years.
Becker and Berman also highlighted some of the bills that they planned on introducing this legislative season, which addressed a wide range of issues from climate change to housing, transportation and artificial intelligence.
The presence of the politicians underscored the purpose of the study session, which was to tee up the city’s legislative priorities so it would be in a better position to potentially influence bills as they come through the pipeline.
As part of its legislative platform, the city has crafted a list of priorities, framed as policy statements, that indicate support for particular issues. Part of the council’s task on Tuesday evening was to provide direction on these 125 statements. Ultimately, the council followed staff’s recommendation and added five new ones, removed two and modified 11.
The added policy statements expressed support for more funding in areas that aligned with the city’s affordable housing, transportation and environmental goals.
One substantial modification to the legislative priorities involved the removal of language that said the city would only support legislation if it “does not erode local control.” Council member Ellen Kamei asked for this removal, stating that the language wasn’t necessary because the city had adopted its priorities and would only support legislation that was in its best interests anyway.
The other council members agreed, with Council member Lucas Ramirez noting that state laws respect objective standards created at the local level. “And that gives us a lot of control because we get to decide what those objective standards are,” he said.
The study session also provided the public with the opportunity to weigh in on the city’s legislative platform. The Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Planning (MVCSP) provided the most robust set of comments. It praised the city for its attention to issues like housing affordability and anti-displacement legislation. But it also urged the council to consider adding more statements to support environmental efforts, related to construction techniques and materials, electrical infrastructure, water use and “green” streets.
Deb Henigson, a MVCSP member, made a pitch for the city to support a “stop as yield” law for bicyclists. When the legislation, known as AB 1713, was proposed in 2022, it was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
However, states that have enacted “stop as yield” laws – where bicyclists do not have to come to a full stop at stop signs – have shown that there are fewer crashes with bicycle riders, according to Henigson, who cited research from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration.
Council members deliberated on this particular policy request, ultimately deciding that the issue should be further studied before committing to it, as it also would necessitate a major educational component for drivers and cyclists.
Overall, the council members expressed strong support not only for the legislative platform but also for RPPG’s services. In a recent news story, CalMatters reported on state lobbying expenditures in 2023, with Mountain View making the list at $87,000 – an expenditure that the council members all agreed was well worth it.
“I think we’re actually getting a really good deal,” said Council member Margaret Abe-Koga. “The progress we’ve made in terms of being able to co-sponsor legislation and especially in terms of going out for grant money and earmarks, that is something that we weren’t able to do and we really needed it. And so, I think we’ve shown that we really are benefiting from that,” she added.
The City Council plans to adopt its legislative platform at the next council meeting on Feb. 27.
