AgdaPkt 2003-01-27 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I lkq GRASSROOTS PANEL SETS 2003 PROGRAM GOALS Strengthening grassroots working relation- ships with business, labor and community groups, improving the League's political image with key interest groups, improving the public's opinion concerning the importance of city services, and achieving success in specific legislative advocacy efforts are the 2003 goals established for the League's Grassroots Network by the Grassroots Advisory Committee (GAC) in a meeting January 9. The committee also determined that city manager members of the GAC will work with League staff to develop activity -based account- ability measures for the program. The committee's January 9 meeting in Sacra- mento was called to review recent activities of the Grassroots Network and discuss methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the program. The membership of the GAC includes one elected official representative from each of the League's 16 regional Divisions and one city manager from each of the 10 grassroots regions. Under the leadership of Chair Lee Ann Garcia, Mayor, Grand Terrace, the GAC will meet quar- terly. The committee reviewed and concurred with a post - election briefing document on the League's involvement in the Proposition 46 campaign prepared by the Grassroots Network staff. The League's grassroots program was credited by other participants in the campaign as "making the difference" in the voter approval of the ballot measure. The work on Prop. 46 yielded another major benefit: the development of new League coalition partners among housing advocate groups. Among recommendations endorsed by the GAC were that League resources should be committed to selected campaigns earlier ... with campaign planning to begin now for the March 2004 ACA 11 (infrastructure fund) statewide ballot measure. Getting all League subunits... divisions, departments, policy committees and caucus ... well informed early-on about a ballot measure and the rationale for League involvement was also en- dorsed. The League's grassroots Regional Represen- tatives will be playing a leadership role in the LOCAL (Leave Our Community Assets Local) campaign this year, focused on protecting local services impacted by the state budget. The Representatives will coordinate newspaper edito- vial board meetings, arrange for coalition partner meetings with legislators, provide briefings to community-based organizations and secure additional coalition partners. League Legislative Representative Jean Korinke demonstrated the new grassroots tools available through the League website, available at www.cacibes.org/advocacycenter. The tool is proving highly effective already in the League's effort to generate letters to legislators in response to the Govemor's budget proposals. SENATOR KUEHL TO AUTHOR LEAGUE - SPONSORED WATER BOARD BILL Senator Sheila Kuehl has agreed to author a League - sponsored bill to clarify that the individual who fills the slot designated as "associated with a municipal government" must be a mayor or city council member. The bill would apply to new appointees and not existing appointees. For example, in 2002 only four of the nine regional board slots for municipal government meet this criteria. The League believes that the intent of the phrase "associated with a municipal government" means a mayor or city council member. At this time, we do not yet have a bill number. The League thanks Senator Kuehl for her willingness to help the League address this problem. Visit the League's Official Web Site-- www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS/PAGE 3