HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 10e - Voting Delegates for League of Cal Cities Annual Conference
DATE: August 15, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Dominic Lazzaretto, City Manager
By: Justine Bruno, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT: DESIGNATE COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL CAO AS THE VOTING
DELEGATE AND COUNCIL MEMBER EILEEN WANG AS THE
ALTERNATE VOTING DELEGATE FOR THE 2023 LEAGUE OF
CALIFORNIA CITIES ANNUAL CONFERENCE
CEQA: Not a Project
Recommendation: Approve
SUMMARY
The League of California Cities (“Cal Cities”) Annual Conference is scheduled for
September 20-22, 2023, in Sacramento. An important component of the conference is
the annual General Assembly meeting, which is attended by member cities and will begin
at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, September 22, 2023. Consistent with Cal Cities’ bylaws, a city’s
Voting Delegate and up to two Alternates must be designated by City Council action. The
Voting Delegates and Alternates are designated by the City Council to represent Arcadia
and vote on resolutions that establish Cal Cities policy. Currently, Council Member
Michael Cao and Council Member Eileen Wang are registered to attend the conference.
It is recommended that the City Council designate Council Member Michael Cao as the
Voting Member and Council Member Eileen Wang as the Alternate for the 2023 League
of California Cities Annual Conference.
DISCUSSION
To vote on behalf of Arcadia at the Annual General Assembly meeting, the City Council
must select a Voting Delegate and up to two Alternate Voting Delegates. A city’s Voting
Delegate and Alternates must be selected by City Council action and cannot be
designated by individual action of the Mayor or City Manager alone. Arcadia must provide
evidence of such action to Cal Cities by Monday, August 28, 2023. Due to the cancellation
of the first City Council Meeting in August, this is the last meeting that the City Council
can make these designations before the August 28 deadline. Once the delegates have
Appoint Voting Delegates for the 2023
League of Cal Cities Annual Conference
August 15, 2023
Page 2 of 2
been approved, the Voting Delegate/Alternate Form will be forwarded to Cal Cities (see
Attachment).
Resolutions are due 60 days before the beginning of the annual conference and are
presented to members of the General Assembly for action. In prior years, member cities
have submitted resolutions for consideration before voting delegates were selected. This
allowed the entire City Council to consider any proposed resolutions together and provide
some initial direction to the Voting Delegates. This year, there are no policy resolutions
for consideration by the General Assembly; however, it is still possible that resolutions
could be introduced during the conference for consideration. Any resolutions introduced
during the conference will be left to the Voting Delegate to consider and take action upon.
Traditionally, voting delegates have been assigned by order and/or seniority on the City
Council as well as by expressing an interest in attending the General Assembly session.
Council Members Cao and Wang have registered to attend the Cal Cities Conference this
year. Council Member Cao was recently appointed as Secretary to the Los Angeles
Region of the League of California Cities and has expressed a specific interest in serving
as the Voting Member for this conference.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed designation of voting delegates and alternates does not constitute a project
under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) under Section 15061(b)(3) of
the CEQA Guidelines, and it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the
environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact for selecting Voting Delegates. There is sufficient funding in the
FY 2023-24 budget for three Council Members to attend the League of California Cities
Annual Conference, in addition to other educational and professional pursuits.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine this action does not constitute a
project, and therefore, is exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act
(“CEQA”); and designate Council Member Michael Cao as the Voting Delegate and
Council Member Eileen Wang as the Alternate Voting Delegate for the 2023 League of
California Cities Annual Conference.
Attachment: 2023 Annual Conference Voting Delegate/Alternate Form
1400 K Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814 • 916.658.8200 • calcities.org
DATE: Wednesday, June 21, 2023
TO: Mayors, Council Members, City Clerks, and City Managers
RE: DESIGNATION OF VOTING DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES
League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo, Sept. 20-22, 2023,
Sacramento SAFE Credit Union Convention Center
Every year, the League of California Cities convenes a member-driven General Assembly
at the Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo. The General Assembly is an important
opportunity where city officials can directly participate in the development of Cal Cities
policy.
Taking place on Sept. 22, the General Assembly is comprised of voting delegates
appointed by each member city; every city has one voting delegate. Your appointed
voting delegate plays an important role during the General Assembly by representing
your city and voting on resolutions.
To cast a vote during the General Assembly, your city must designate a voting
delegate and up to two alternate voting delegates, one of whom may vote if the
designated voting delegate is unable to serve in that capacity. Voting delegates may
either be an elected or appointed official.
Please complete the attached voting delegate form and email it to Cal Cities office
no later than Monday, August 28.
New this year, we will host a pre-conference information session for voting delegates to
explain their role. Submitting your voting delegate form by the deadline will allow us time
to establish voting delegate/alternate records prior to the conference and provide pre-
conference communications with voting delegates.
Please view Cal Cities’ event and meeting policy in advance of the conference.
Action by Council Required. Consistent with Cal Cities bylaws, a city’s voting delegate
and up to two alternates must be designated by the city council. When completing the
attached Voting Delegate form, please attach either a copy of the council resolution
that reflects the council action taken or have your city clerk or mayor sign the form
affirming that the names provided are those selected by the city council.
Please note that designating the voting delegate and alternates must be done by city
council action and cannot be accomplished by individual action of the mayor or city
manager alone.
Council Action Advised by August 28, 2023
Conference Registration Required. The voting delegate and alternates must be
registered to attend the conference. They need not register for the entire conference;
they may register for Friday only. Conference registration is open on the Cal Cities
website.
For a city to cast a vote, one voter must be present at the General Assembly and in
possession of the voting delegate card and voting tool. Voting delegates and
alternates need to pick up their conference badges before signing in and picking up
the voting delegate card at the voting delegate desk. This will enable them to receive
the special sticker on their name badges that will admit the voting delegate into the
voting area during the General Assembly.
Transferring Voting Card to Non-Designated Individuals Not Allowed. The voting
delegate card may be transferred freely between the voting delegate and alternates,
but only between the voting delegate and alternates. If the voting delegate and
alternates find themselves unable to attend the General Assembly, they may not
transfer the voting card to another city official.
Seating Protocol during General Assembly. At the General Assembly, individuals with a
voting card will sit in a designated area. Admission to the voting area will be limited to the
individual in possession of the voting card and with a special sticker on their name badge
identifying them as a voting delegate.
The voting delegate desk, located in the conference registration area of the SAFE Credit
Union Convention Center in Sacramento, will be open at the following times:
Wednesday, Sept. 20, 8:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. On
Friday, Sept. 22, the voting delegate desk will be open at the General Assembly, starting
at 7:30 a.m., but will be closed during roll calls and voting.
The voting procedures that will be used at the conference are attached to this memo.
Please share these procedures and this memo with your council and especially with the
individuals that your council designates as your city’s voting delegate and alternates.
Once again, thank you for completing the voting delegate and alternate form and
returning it to Cal Cities office by Monday, Aug. 28. If you have questions, please
contact Zach Seals at zseals@calcities.org.
Attachments:
• General Assembly Voting Guidelines
• Voting Delegate/Alternate Form
• Information Sheet: Cal Cities Resolutions and the General Assembly
1400 K Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814 • 916.658.8200 • calcities.org
General Assembly Voting Guidelines
1. One City One Vote. Each member city has a right to cast one vote on
matters pertaining to Cal Cities policy.
2. Designating a City Voting Representative. Prior to the Cal Cities Annual
Conference and Expo, each city council may designate a voting delegate
and up to two alternates; these individuals are identified on the voting
delegate form provided to the Cal Cities Credentials Committee.
3. Registering with the Credentials Committee. The voting delegate, or
alternates, may pick up the city's voting card at the voting delegate desk in
the conference registration area. Voting delegates and alternates must sign
in at the voting delegate desk. Here they will receive a special sticker on
their name badge and thus be admitted to the voting area at the General
Assembly.
4. Signing Initiated Resolution Petitions. Only those individuals who are voting
delegates (or alternates), and who have picked up their city’s voting card
by providing a signature to the credentials committee at the voting
delegate desk, may sign petitions to initiate a resolution.
5. Voting. To cast the city's vote, a city official must have in their possession the
city's voting card and voting tool; and be registered with the credentials
committee. The voting card may be transferred freely between the voting
delegate and alternates but may not be transferred to another city official
who is neither a voting delegate nor alternate.
6. Voting Area at General Assembly. At the General Assembly, individuals with
a voting card will sit in a designated area. Admission to the voting area will
be limited to the individual in possession of the voting card and with a
special sticker on their name badge identifying them as a voting delegate.
7. Resolving Disputes. In case of dispute, the credentials committee will
determine the validity of signatures on petitioned resolutions and the right of
a city official to vote at the General Assembly.
CITY: ________________________________________
2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
VOTING DELEGATE/ALTERNATE FORM
Please complete this form and return it to Cal Cities office by Monday, August 28, 2023.
Forms not sent by this deadline may be submitted to the Voting Delegate Desk located
in the Annual Conference Registration Area. Your city council may designate one
voting delegate and up to two alternates.
To vote at the General Assembly, voting delegates and alternates must be designated by your
city council. Please attach the council resolution as proof of designation. As an alternative,
the Mayor or City Clerk may sign this form, affirming that the designation reflects the action
taken by the council.
Please note: Voting delegates and alternates will be seated in a separate area at the General
Assembly. Admission to this designated area will be limited to individuals (voting delegates
and alternates) who are identified with a special sticker on their conference badge. This
sticker can be obtained only at the voting delegate desk.
1. VOTING DELEGATE
Name:
Title:
2. VOTING DELEGATE - ALTERNATE
Name:
Title:
Email: _______________________________
Email: ______________________________
3. VOTING DELEGATE - ALTERNATE
Name:
Title:
Email: _____________________________
ATTACH COUNCIL RESOLUTION DESIGNATING VOTING DELEGATE AND ALTERNATES OR
ATTEST: I affirm that the information provided reflects action by the city council to
designate the voting delegate and alternate(s).
Name: ____________________________________ Email: _________________________________
Mayor or City Clerk: ________________________ Date: __________ Phone: ________________
(circle one) (signature)
Please complete and email this form to votingdelegates@calcities.org by Monday,
August 28, 2023.
Sixty days before the
Annual Conference and
Expo, Cal Cities members
may submit policy
proposals on issues of
importance to cities. The
resolution must have the concurrence
of at least five additional member cities
or individual members.
How it works: Cal Cities
Resolutions and the General Assembly
General Assembly
General Resolutions Policy Committees
Developing League of California Cities policy is a dynamic process that engages a wide range of members to
ensure that we are representing California cities with one voice. These policies directly guide Cal Cities advocacy
to promote local decision-making, and lobby against statewide policy that erodes local control.
The resolutions process and General Assembly is one way that city officials can directly participate in the
development of Cal Cities policy. If a resolution is approved at the General Assembly, it becomes official Cal
Cities policy. Here’s how Resolutions and the General Assembly works.
The petitioned resolution
is an alternate method
to introduce policy
proposals during the
annual conference. The
petition must be signed by
voting delegates from 10% of member
cities, and submitted to the Cal Cities
President at least 24 hours before the
beginning of the General Assembly.
Petitioned Resolutions
The Cal Cities President
assigns general resolutions
to policy committees where
members review, debate,
and recommend positions for
each policy proposal. Recommendations are
forwarded to the Resolutions Committee.
Who’s who
The Resolutions
Committee includes
representatives from
each Cal Cities diversity
caucus, regional
division, municipal
department, policy
committee, as well as
individuals appointed by
the Cal Cities president.
Voting delegates
are appointed by each
member city; every city
has one voting delegate.
The General Assembly
is a meeting of the
collective body of
all voting delegates —
one from every
member city.
Seven Policy
Committees meet
throughout the year to
review and recommend
positions to take on
bills and regulatory
proposals. Policy
committees include
members from each Cal
Cities diversity caucus,
regional division,
municipal department,
as well as individuals
appointed by the Cal
Cities president.
During the General Assembly, voting delegates
debate and consider general and petitioned
resolutions forwarded by the Resolutions Committee.
Potential Cal Cities bylaws amendments are also
considered at this meeting.
Cal Cities policy
development is a
member-informed
process, grounded
in the voices and
experiences of city
officials throughout
the state.
For more information visit www.calcities.org/general-assembly
Prior to the Annual Conference and Expo
Resolutions Committee
The Resolutions Committee
considers all resolutions.
General Resolutions approved1
by either a policy committee
or the Resolutions Committee
are next considered by the General
Assembly. General resolutions not approved,
or referred for further study by both a policy
committee and the Resolutions Committee
do not go the General Assembly. All
Petitioned Resolutions are considered by the
General Assembly, unless disqualified.2
• Voting delegates will receive increased communications to prepare
them for their role during the General Assembly.
• The General Assembly will take place earlier to allow more time for
debate and discussion.
• Improvements to the General Assembly process will make it easier for
voting delegates to discuss and debate resolutions.
What’s new in 2023?
During the Annual Conference and Expo
1 The Resolution Committee can amend a general resolution prior to sending it to the General Assembly.
2 Petitioned Resolutions may be disqualified by the Resolutions Committee according to Cal Cities Bylaws Article VI. Sec. 5(f).