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BRAC UPDATE: CONGRESS VOTES TO MAINTAIN LIST OF FACILITIES The collected policies of the Channel County SLATED FOR CHANGE cities are posted on the Institute for Local Gov- On October 27, the U.S. Congress took action to ernment (ILG) website (www.ca-ila.ora/ complete the Base Realignment and Closure ethicscodes) , and include: (BRAC) process by voting not to reject the list of military facilities slated for change. %1.~ The U.S. Department of Defense prepared the list of military facilities in order to transform our military to meet our nation's future security needs. It was reviewed and modified by a commission of retired military leaders and other experts and then forwarded to the president and ultimately Congress. The October 27 vote was likely the final step in that process and virtually ensures that the existing BRAC list will be enacted without change. "This is very good news for California," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "In its preparations and review, the Pentagon and the BRAC Commission recognized what we here in California have long known - California is critical to our nation's ability to meet the threats of the 21 st century and our military bases have unique advantages because of their location in California in meeting those threats." ........................ SENATE from page 1 . Sen. Tom Torlakson replaces Sen. Kevin Murray as caucus chair. . Sen. Kevin Murray replaces Sen. Carole Migden as Appropriations chair. . Sen. Carole Migden replaces Sen. Richard Alarcon as caucus whip and Sen. Elaine Alquist as Public Safety chair. . Sen. Elaine Alquist replaces Sen. Joe Simitian as Human Services chair. . Sen. Joe Simitian replaces Sen. Alan Lowenthal as Environmental Quality chair. . Sen. Alan Lowenthal replaces Sen. Tom Torlakson as Transportation and Housing chair. The new assignments present a good opportu- nity for city officials represented by these senators to reach out to them, and to congratulate them on their new assignments. You can find their addresses and phone numbers on the Legislative Resources page of the League's website. ETHICS from page 1 .............. . Goleta Simi Valley San Luis Obispo Port Hueneme Fillmore Morro Bay Thousand Oaks Pismo Beach Paso Robles (Council Policies and Procedures, Chapter 2) Oxnard (Administrative Manual, Standards of Ethics) . . . . . . . . . In 2004, the League encouraged cities to adopt positive, values-based ethics codes as part of its focus on ethics and public confidence as a strategic priority. Research conducted by ILG (the League's non-profit research arm) indicated that when it comes to the effectiveness of ethics codes, process is almost more important than product. For those whose conduct is to be guided by such a code, having a significant role in develop- ing it ensures greater adherence to it. Regular review and updating of the code is also important. As Council Member Natoli observed, "The goal is to foster a culture of ethics and ethical decision- making at city hall." For more information about public sector ethics and ethics laws, please visit ILG's Ethics Resource Center at www.ca-ilg.org/trust. Our Mission Restore and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all Californians. PAGE 2 - PRIORITY FOCUS November 10, 2005 - Issue #44 Visit the League's Official Website-www.cacities.org