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LEAGUE LAUNCHES NEW CITIZENS' LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION SERVICE HEARING DATE UNCERTAIN FOR AB 1160 CITIES URGED TO CONTACT LEGISLATORS With recent legislation such as last year's AB 1866 (Wright) and this year's AB 1160 (Steinberg), local residents are beginning to ask their city officials and the League staff how they can remain better informed about legislation that attempts to limit local land use authority or remove public participation or the ability of local communities to make land use decisions which reflect the unique issues in their communities. Many residents believe that they have been "left out of the (information) loop" and have no opportunity to voice their opinions on key legislative issues affecting their communities. In response to this problematic legislative trend, and in an effort to provide information directly to residents about significant pending legislation, the League will be launching a new webpage linked to its existing Housing, Community, and Economic Develop- ment page entitled "Citizens for Local Control" (CLC). The goal of this webpage, along with the develop- ment of a periodic newsletter that can be sent via e- mail to interested individuals and resident organiza- tions, is to create an information service tailored to inform California residents that are active in local affairs about significant pending state legislative proposals, budget issues, or other matters affecting the ability of California cities (and the residents they are accountable to) to address land use issues and provide services at the local level in a manner which reflects unique local issues and priorities. This information page will be oriented to serve the inter- ests of citizens that regularly attend local council meetings, or are active in local community groups, recreational programs, neighborhood associations, and other community activities. We hope that the CLC information network will become a valuable information tool to keep these active citizens up to speed on the progress of impor- tant legislative issues affecting their cities. For your interested residents, the new webpage and CLC email database will be active in several weeks at www.cacities.ora /ccic. Please contact Jessica Mullan, League policy analystat (916) 658- 8243, imu Ilan acacities.ora if you have any questions about this new project. AB 1160 (Steinberg) is an unprecedented effort by the state to dictate the specifics of local 2" unit housing on+inances and remove the public from the local land use - lecision- making process. This measure is a follow - up to last year's 1866 (Wright), which required all second unit applications to be ministerial. When AB 1160 was made a two-year bill, the pros- pect of an interim hearing was discussed to discern whether there are in fact problems with existing local second -unit ordinances that would merit this level of intrusion into local land use authority. Although the tentative date of November 18" was discussed the hearing never materialized. At this point it is unclear if a hearing on the bill will occur before January, when the author must either move the bill out of the Assembly, or it will be dead for the session. This is promising news and suggests that city efforts are making a difference by encouraging legislators to think twice before further restricting local land use authority so soon after cities have just finished updating their ordinances to reflect the changes imposed upon them by AB 1866 But this is no time to relax. Cities should continue to talk to their legislators and members of the Assembly Housing Committee about the legislation's flaws. Cites can help fight AB 1160 by: 1. Gettina on record in O000sition to AB 1160—If your city has not yet opposed this bill, you need to do so ASAP. Send a letter to your Legislator and the members of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee sooner rather than later. 2. Follow -uo —If your city has opposed AB 1160 already, keep up the good work. Pick up the phone to make a follow up call to your legislator to emphasize the concerns that you continue to have with the bill. A sample letter and talking points on AB 1160 are available at www.cacities.ora/hced. A list of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee members can be located at this site as well. For more information contact League Legislative Representative Dan Carrigg at (916) 658 -8222, email: dcaniao oncacities.ora. or Jessica Mullan at (916) 658- 8243, email: imullanOcacities.orq. Visit the League's Official Web Site- •www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS /PAGE 5