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Report regarding requests for policy advocacy including letters of support or opposition for State and Federal legislation (Megan Wooley-Ousdahl, Deputy City Manager)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that City Council, by motion, direct staff to develop a legislative platform which would include granting the Mayor authority to sign documents implementing the platform. Once adopted, this platform will serve as the official guide for staff to engage in policy work including preparing and transmitting letters of support or opposition that align with the City’s official position on State or Federal legislation in a consistent and timely manner.
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BACKGROUND
Staff are currently receiving requests from a variety of sources, including individual councilmembers, to provide letters of support for or opposition to specific legislative bills. Staff have no formal delegated authority to evaluate and respond to such requests, nor any officially defined process to receive such authority. Past practices on responding to policy advocacy requests have been inconsistent. Without a clear policy, it is difficult to determine whether any type of policy advocacy, including letters of support or opposition, reflects a collective City Council position. Staff seek direction on how City Council wishes staff to determine if and when to engage in policy advocacy on behalf of the City Council.
DISCUSSION
The City Council has full discretion to determine if and how the City should engage in advocacy at the State and Federal levels. Advocacy by cities takes many different forms and ranges widely. Some cities choose to spend no resources on any effort, and, on the other end of the spectrum, some cities choose to dedicate many resources including hiring full time staff and/or dedicated lobbyists. Below is a list of the more common approaches and suggestions staff has recently heard.
1) Create a Council-adopted Legislative Platform (recommended option). The City Council could adopt a “playbook,” likely at the start of each two-year legislative cycle, outlining the City’s official stance on broad policy areas (such as housing, transportation, sea level rise, public safety, fiscal sustainability, etc.). Staff could then react quickly to State and Federal bills without the need for a Council vote for each request. This allows for the broadest possible form of engagement such as making calls to the offices of locally elected officials. Letters of support or opposition that align with the legislative platform can be prepared by staff and signed by the Mayor as representing the official City position. Alternatively, signatory authority could be granted to the City Manager.
2) Prepare letters for every Councilmember request. Staff can prepare letters for each individual request. Since these requests are not vetted by the full Council, these letters could be signed by the requesting Councilmember and include a disclaimer which states: This letter represents my individual position as a Councilmember and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the South San Francisco City Council. Staff advocacy beyond letter writing would not be undertaken.
3) Delegate decision authority to the Mayor. The Mayor would be granted the decision-making power for which requests are honored and would be authorized to undertake advocacy including signing and sending letters.
4) Delegate decision authority to an established Council subcommittee. A subcommittee of the City Council could be delegated the authority to make decisions regarding advocacy work, including which letters to send. The subcommittee members could sign the letters. The subcommittee would be required to follow the Brown Act which requires advance noticing and publication of the agenda prior to the subcommittee meeting date and other requirements.
5) Request City Council consideration of any advocacy work as requests arise. Staff could seek City Council direction on each request for policy advocacy (including sending letters) by creating and incorporating an agenda item and staff report on agendas for regular or special City Council meetings.
The goal of any process would be to allow for transparency on the issues that Council supports or opposes; increase the nimbleness and efficiency of staff to submit letters of support or opposition on legislative matters of import to the Council; and ensure that all correspondence accurately reflects the official position of the City.
If Council is interested in a legislative platform, staff can return with a draft platform for consideration at an upcoming meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT
Staff time is the primary cost for developing a legislative platform and preparing letters of support or opposition. The City of South San Francisco currently contracts with the lobbying firm Townsend Public Affairs. As part of the monthly retainer, Townsend could assist staff with the preparation of the draft legislative platform for Council’s consideration.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the City Council consider the options presented in this staff report for policy advocacy and responding to Councilmember requests for legislative letters of support or opposition. Staff’s recommendation is that Council approve a motion to direct staff to develop a Legislative Platform for the 2025-2026 Regular Session, which will be presented to the City Council at a future meeting for formal adoption. Once adopted, this platform will serve as the official guide for staff to prepare and transmit letters of support or opposition that align with the City’s official position on State and Federal legislation in a consistent and timely manner.