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Councilmember Pentin noted the City has a Legislative Committee and reported there are 2,700 bills <br /> that are currently in the State legislature. He added the City Council has established priorities which <br /> staff is busy working on and indicated he does not want to waste staff time on bills that are constantly <br /> changing. He reported Councilmembers are able to bring up specific bills of interest during City Council <br /> meetings and indicated he does not agree with adding a separate item on the agenda at this time. <br /> Councilmember Testa felt it would be foolish to not make every effort to be proactive on upcoming bills <br /> and stressed the importance of staying vigilant and be as proactive as possible. <br /> Mayor Thorne agreed with Councilmember Pentin about the timing and the amount of staff resources it <br /> would take. He noted there are other groups keeping up with what is happening in the State and felt it <br /> would be more appropriate for Councilmembers to bring up concerns as they meet with State <br /> legislators and receive comments from residents concerned with specific bills. <br /> Councilmember Testa suggested having a trigger mechanism so that if there is a bill that is especially <br /> egregious, Councilmembers could request a response from the City. <br /> Councilmember Pentin suggested speaking to the City Manager and convening a meeting of the <br /> Legislative Committee. <br /> City Manager Fialho pointed out the City Council took a position on several housing bills and suggested <br /> as there is traction or updates brought up by individual Councilmembers, the Mayor is authorized to <br /> have the City take a position as long as it is consistent with City Council action. He added there is a <br /> mechanism, under the current process, to communicate with him regarding upcoming legislation and he <br /> would convene a meeting of the Legislative Subcommittee who would form a recommendation for the <br /> City Council to consider. <br /> In response to Councilmember Narum's question, City Manager Fiahlo addressed the roles of lobbyists <br /> for regional advocacy. <br /> Councilmember Testa reiterated she would like to support LAFMA in their opposition to SB 332 and <br /> asked that the City Manager proceed with the process to look into that. <br /> Councilmember Brown noted this period has been intense with legislative bills that will affect the <br /> Tri-Valley and agreed with Councilmember Testa relative to SB 332. <br /> Mayor Thorne asked the City Manager to look into SB 332 and see which direction would be best to <br /> address this matter. City Manager Fialho stated he will convene a meeting of the Legislative <br /> Subcommittee within the next week or so to consider this and other pieces of legislation. <br /> Councilmember Pentin commented on SB 332, adding the entire State would be affected, and opined it <br /> will not have the legs to make it through the entire legislature. He agreed with having the Legislative <br /> Subommittee review this particular piece of legislation. <br /> Councilmember Testa commented on the intent of the bill. <br /> It was noted City Council should limit its discussion on how to deal with it at this time. <br /> Councilmember Narum felt the City Council must be careful not to lose sight of its role. <br /> Councilmember Testa pointed out the City Council should be weighing in on the various bills, reported it <br /> is being described as a war on local control and local communities, and the City must be more vigilant <br /> than in the past. <br /> City Council Minutes Page 6 of 7 May 21, 2019 <br />