AgdaPkt 2002-12-02 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

IZH -5- IS YOUR CITY PERFORMING STATE MANDATED ACTIVITIES?. Cities carrying out state-required activities are urged to consider quickly whether they believe that the activity constitutes a state mandate - which would ultimately require reimbursement of program costs by the state. The urgency is due to some significant changes to the State Mandate program and processes enacted as part of the final 2002-03 budget legislation. Of most importance are: 1. State Funded Mandates were funded with only $1,000 for the 2002-03 budget year, effectively deferring payment on all outstanding and future claims. 2. Time limits were added for filing test claims a. For mandates placed into statute prior to January 1, 2002, all test claims must be filed by Aug. 31,2003. b. For mandates placed into statute-after January 1, 2002 and after, there is a 3-year limit for filing test claims. Before a mandate qualifies for reimbursement a local agency must first succeed in a test claim action before the Commission on State Mandates (CSM). The successful test claim by a single city establishes the opportunity for every city with similar costs to file reimbursement claims. Examples of state mandates exist in most areas of local government: finance's production of investment reports; city clerk's agenda preparation and posting; risk management's worker's compensation cancer claims; planning's update of housing elements; fire's SID's training of firefighters; police's traffic accident investigation of distracted drivers. Because of the short timeframe for filing claims on pre-2002 mandates, every city is encouraged to consider what activities they are currentljf undertaking that can be considered a state mandate. The League and CSAC created the Advisory Committee on State Mandates in 1994, in part to file test claims and monitor the status of pending test claims. If you have any questions or ideas for test mandate claims, contact Jean Korinke, (916) 658-8245,jkorinke@ca¢ities.or_o. To find out more about existing mandates that impact cities, and further details on the above cited process reforms (and more) initiated this year, go to www.cacities.org/manda[es. GRANT FUNDING FOR ENERGY, POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECTS The StEPP Foundation is looking for projects with significant and measurable environmental benefits to fund in Califor- nia and around the country. Established in July 2001, the StEPP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization whose primary mission is to increase the number of energy efficiency, renewable energy and pollution prevention projects implemented at the local, state and national levels for the benefit of the public. The Foundation offers opportunities for organizations across the country to demonstrate the positive benefits of renewable energy, energy efficiency and pollution prevention projects in their communities. Funding is provided to a limited number of projects, in one-year to three-year time frames. Projects must meeta minimum funding requirement. Applications can be made online through the Foundation's Web site at www.steppfoundation.org. The online form takes about l0 - 15 minutes to complete and will log your project idea into the StEPP Foundation's national database to be matched with funding sources when available. The site also contains a list of the core principles which guide the project selection process. The StEPP Foundation operates a project selection process several times during the year, which meet the following core principles: For more information, please contact the StEPP Foundation at www.steppfoundation.org, or contact Ellen Drew at ellen.drew@steppfoundation.org. Visit the League's Official Web Site--www,cacities,org PRIORITY FOCUS/PAGE 5