TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Kacey Duncan, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT:
title
Policy statements for 2018 Oregon Legislative Session
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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ISSUE:
Shall the City Council approve the attached legislative policy statements as direction for staff to assign priority to legislative bills during the 2018 Oregon Legislative Session and authorize City Council’s Legislative Committee to respond to bills outside the scope of the policy statements?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Approve the attached legislative policy statements as direction for staff to assign priority to legislative bills during the 2018 Oregon Legislative Session and authorize City Council’s Legislative Committee to respond to bills outside the scope of the policy statements.
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
The Oregon State Legislature will convene February 5, 2018. Adopting policy statements guides the City’s responses and positions on issues expected to come before the Oregon Legislature during the session.
Given the brevity of the 2018 legislative session, and the speed at which legislation moves, staff is recommending that City Council delegate the authority to adopt official City positions on legislation to the City Council’s Legislative Committee. This change will allow the City to be responsive and nimble throughout the short session.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The legislative policy statements address broad topics of economic development, financing and revenue, human resources, telecommunications, public safety and land use (Attachment 1). The policy statements provide an overarching framework for representing the City on legislation in the absence of a specific recommendation on a particular bill.
For the 2018 short legislative session, the recommendation is for City Council’s Legislative Committee be delegated the authority to provide guidance on bills that are outside City Council’s adopted policy statements. Currently, when proposed legislation is outside the scope of the policy statements, the City's legislative bill review process includes three primary steps: (1) the City's position on individual bills of interest is proposed by staff; (2) the position is reviewed and deliberated by the City Council’s Legislative Committee; and (3) the Committee’s recommendation is provided to City Council for consideration at the next City Council meeting.
Staff will update City Council throughout the 2018 Legislative Session and provide a summary report at the session's end. For bill evaluation, staff will recommend opposition or support and prioritize responses based on impact to the City.
1. Very High Priority- Major fiscal or policy impact. Mayor, councilors, and/or staff should work to support or oppose the bill.
2. High Priority- Moderate Impact. Staff should be involved in supporting or opposing the bill.
3. Medium Priority- Watch for changes. Staff may become involved if time/resources permit.
4. Very Little/No Priority- Does not warrant staff effort unless amendments change anticipated impact.
To continue a coordinated and unified response, the Mayor and Councilors are asked to communicate substantive legislative contacts to Courtney Knox Busch (cbusch@cityofsalem.net <mailto:cbusch@cityofsalem.net>) or Kacey Duncan (kduncan@cityofsalem.net <mailto:kduncan@cityofsalem.net>). The email should identify the date of the legislative contact, the legislator(s) or key staff with whom contact was made, bill(s) discussed, and a summary of the position(s) and comments shared. The information will be provided to the City’s contracted legislative consultant, the Legislative Committee and City Council as appropriate.
Courtney Knox Busch
Strategic Initiatives Manager
Attachments:
1. 2018 Salem Legislative Policy Statements