HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 12f - Voting Delegates for the 2024 Cal Cities Annual Conference
DATE: August 20, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Dominic Lazzaretto, City Manager
By: Justine Bruno, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT: DESIGNATE MAYOR MICHAEL CAO AS THE VOTING DELEGATE AND
COUNCIL MEMBER EILEEN WANG AS THE ALTERNATE VOTING
DELEGATE FOR THE 2024 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 October
16-18, 2024, in Long Beach. 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, October 18, 2024. Consistent with Cal Cities’ bylaws, a city’s Voting
Delegate and up to two Alternate Voting Delegates 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 and bylaw
amendments.
It is recommended that the City Council designate Mayor Michael Cao as the Voting
Member and Council Member Eileen Wang as the Alternate for the 2024 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 Wednesday, September 25, 2024. Once the
delegates have been approved, the Voting Delegate/Alternate Form will be forwarded to
Cal Cities (see Attachment).
Voting Delegates for the 2024 Cal Cities Annual Conference
August 20, 2024
Page 2 of 2
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. At this time, there has been one policy
resolution submitted for consideration by the General Assembly. More information on that
proposal and any other submissions that may follow will not be available until the very
end of August. In advance of the Annual Conference, as more information is available,
the City Council may be asked to provide specific input on the proposed policy resolutions.
Any resolutions introduced during the Conference are left to the Voting Delegate to
consider and act 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.
On August 1, 2024, Mayor Michael Cao was installed as the Los Angeles Division
President of the League of California Cities, and previously served as the Division
Secretary in 2023 as well. Also in 2023, then Council Member Cao and Council Member
Wang, were selected as the Voting Delegate and Alternate for the Annual League
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.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact for selecting Voting Delegates. There is sufficient funding in the
FY 2024-25 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
under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and designate Mayor Michael
Cao as the Voting Delegate and Council Member Eileen Wang as the Alternate Voting
Delegate for the 2024 League of California Cities Annual Conference.
Attachment: 2024 Annual Conference Voting Delegate/Alternate Form
1400 K Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814 • 916.658.8200 • calcities.org
DATE: Wednesday, July 10, 2024
TO: Mayors, Council Members, City Clerks, and City Managers
RE: DESIGNATION OF VOTING DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES
League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo, Oct. 16-18, 2024
Long Beach 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 Oct. 18, 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.
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. 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.
Following council action, please submit your city’s delegates through the online
submission portal by Wed., Sept. 25. When completing the Voting Delegate submission
form, you will be asked to attest that council action was taken. You will need to be
signed in to your My Cal Cities account when submitting the form.
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.
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.
Council Action Advised by September 25, 2024
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.
Please view Cal Cities’ event and meeting policy in advance of the conference.
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 Long Beach
Convention Center in Long Beach, will be open at the following times: Wednesday, Oct.
16, 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 17, 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. On Friday, Oct. 18, 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 submitting your voting delegate and alternates by
Wednesday, Sept. 25. If you have questions, please contact Zach Seals at
zseals@calcities.org.
Attachments:
• General Assembly Voting Guidelines
• 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.
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 Cal Cities represents cities with one voice. These policies directly guide Cal Cities’ advocacy to promote
local decision-making, and lobby against statewide policies that erode 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 work.
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, and 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, and
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 to the General
Assembly. All Petitioned Resolutions
are considered by the General
Assembly, unless disqualified.2
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).