AgdaPkt 2006-03-27 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

2006 CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES TRAN PROGRAM AVAILABLE ONLINE The League of California Cities is pleased to announce the availability of the 2006 California Communities Tax and Revenue Anticipation Note (TRAN) Program online. Califomia Communities is the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) sponsored by the League and the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) that provides low-cost financing options to local government and public entities. To enroll in the 2006 TRAN program, visit www.cscda.awikdox.com. In addition, California Communities is offering a new product through the 2006 TRAN Program called Discount Prepayment Notes. Cities can issue TRANs to finance the prepayment of certain costs at the beginning of the fiscal year and lever- age the benefits of available discounts. A web-hosted conference call with information about Discount Prepayment Notes will be available on Wednesday. March 22. from 10 a.m. to 11 i\JIl,. To view the web-hosted presentation, visit www.callinfo.com. To access the audio portion of the call dial (866) 365-4406 and enter access code 3624137#. The 2006 TRAN Program represents the 14th year that the League has sponsored a TRAN program through the California Statewide Commu- nities Development Authority. The program has provided nearly $6 billion in cash flow financing to nearly 150 California cities, counties and special districts since 1993. For more information, please contact Dan Harrison at (916) 658~8267 and dharrison@cacities.org, or Catherine Bando, the program financial advisor of RBC Capital Markets, at (213) 362-4137 and catherine.bando@rbcdain.com. Additional details on the TRAN program can be found at www.cacornrnunities.org or www.cscda.awikdOX.com. 9A Page 15 SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS CITY ENFORCEMENT OF NON- DISCRIMINATION POLICY In a unanimous decision, the California Supreme Court has ruled that the City of Berkeley's enforcement of its non-discrimination policy, adopted as part of the City's program to provide free marina berths to non-profit organiza- tions, did not violate the constitutional rights of an organization whose parent group had a policy of excluding homosexuals and atheists. Berkeley, in the past, had provided free bert~ space to the Sea Scout local chapter, an organI- zation whose parent group is the regional council of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1997, Berkeley adopted a policy governing the award of free berths to non-profit organizations. In order to qualify for a free berth, the organi- zation must not limit a person's access to marina facilities on any of several improper bases, including the person's religion or sexual orienta- tion. The Sea Scouts, given their affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America, were unable to unam- biguously represent that they would not discrimi- nate against homosexuals or atheists in the future. Berldey determined that the Sea Scouts could not comply with the City's non-discrimination policy, and therefore, declined to provide the Sea Scout's with a free berth. Members of the Sea Scouts sued Berkeley, alleging violations of their constitutional rights of free speech and associa- tion. The Supreme Court disagreed, and held that a city may constitutionally require someone receiving public funding or a public subsidy to provide written, unambiguous assurances that they will comply with the city's generally appli- cable nondiscrimination policy- The Court held that Berkeley reasonably concluded that the Sea Scouts had not provided those unambiguous assurances, and therefore, Berkeley was not Continued on Page 4 Visit the Leaguels Official Website-www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS. PAGE 3 March 10, 2006 . Issue #10