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8A Page 8 'Legislative Action Days'Continued from Page 1... Infrastructure and housing are two of the key issues the League is focused on this year. During your lobbying activities, keep in mind the following messages. Housing • Housing is fmportant for Every Californian. It's critical that all families have a good hame. It makes our communities safer, provides a better business climate and guarantees a better quality of fife for all Californians. • 7ime to Embrace the fdea of Incentives. It is time#o consider permanent incentives for building affordabls housing. Housing fegislatian in recent years has focused on grea#er planning requirements for cities. Sut it takes more than planning. Particularly for affordable housing, it takes resaurces to create fhe incentives for the market to act. �rop. 1C is a good star�, but the needs are much greater. • Integrated Locat Ptanning. it is akay to make housing a priority,but don't take away the ability to make a communi#y. Local agencies are responsible for integrating a number of things within the genera!plan. !n addition to housing, cities must consider flood dangers, fire and seismic hazards, economic devefopment,farmland and habitat protection, air quality,and countless other factors that reflect local concerns and traditions. Local governments need flexibifity to properly balance these campeting needs. Infrastructure—Prop. 9 B: The lnfrastructure Bond • Support SS 286. Predictable funding is essential to ensure that cities can move fprward on vital local projects. • Cit9es must have timely access to local street and road bond funds. This provides critical funding in the 2007-2008 fiscal year when Prop.42 money is not available to cities. Cities can put this money to use rmmediately for traffic congestion relief,transit, traffic safety, storm damage, maintenance, construction and other projects to improve the local transportation system. In contrast, many other programs in Prop. 1 B are noi ready to commence construc#ion for several years. • Ensure consistency with provisions of Prop. 1 B and the wilt of the voters without attaching additional criteria,conditions or sanctions to access bond funds. As outlined in Prap. 1B, cities should receive local street and road funds as a direct allocation from the State Controller's Office. Cities should not be required to go through the California Transporfation Commission process to access funds. This wiH result in significant project delays and is contrary to voter intent. Infrastructure—Prop. 1C:The Housing Bond • These funds should focus on the critical needs of locaf govzrnments to improve and expand "table setting" infrastructure. Examples of this include upgrading and expanding outdated or undersized sewer water and storm drain systems, expanding downtown parking and street capacity and addressing brawnfields problems. This wifl lead to greater opporEunities for infill housing development. . The applicat9on process for the bonds shauld not eliminate or reduce the ability o#srrEall cities to compete for available funds.This is an excellent oppo�tunity to reinforce compact land development patterns, revitalizing urban cores,transit-oriented development and the preservation of open space and farmlands. • Keep the intent of the voters,with necessary oversight and accountability. Funds should be altocated in a cost-efficient manner to maximize public investments, through 2