PREPARED BY: MATT RODRIGUEZ DATE OF MEETING: 03/03/2025
SUBJECT:
TITLE
CONSIDER CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION TO RATIFY A 2025-26 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL PROTECTING STATE OF CALIFORNIA FUNDING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE CITY OF SAN PABLO TRANSMITTED ON FEBRUARY 20, 2025 FROM SAN PABLO MAYOR CRUZ TO THE CITY’S STATE LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES, STATE SENATOR JESSE ARREQUIN (D-7TH) AND STATE ASSEMBLYMEMBER BUFFY WICKS (D-14TH)
CEQA: This proposed action is not a project as defined by CEQA.
Label
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve by Minute Order
Body
Compliance statements
Federal/State Budget Earmarks for San Pablo Projects is not a specific policy item contained in the adopted FY 2023-25 City Council Priority Workplan, effective May 1, 2023, but is an important part of City operations.
CEQA Compliance Statement
This proposed action is not a project as defined by CEQA as a budget or financing mechanism pursuant to 14 Cal. Code of Regulations Section 15378(b).
BACKGROUND
The City Manager’s Office (CMO), in collaboration with the City’s lobbyist, Townsend Public Affairs (TPA), have been in direct communication with the following City State of California (CA) Legislature Representatives, as follows:
State of CA Legislature Representatives:
State Senator Jesse Arrequin (D-7th District)
State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-14th District)
FY 2025-26 State Budget Challenges & Potential Clawbacks/Reductions
On February 7, 2025, after formal submittal of the City’s 2025-26 State of CA Budget Requests on February 1, 2025 to our State Representatives as noted above, the City Manager received an email notification requesting and recommending any critical areas where State of CA funding may be subject for potential cutbacks or reductions for addressing the current State Budget deficit looming for the upcoming FY 2025-26 period.
This notification prompted the City Manager to highlight and stress to our State legislators to advocate and support current and previous State Budget appropriations and grants that have been vigorously pursued since 2021 by City staff, with assistance and support from our State Legislators. Since 2021, there are a total of 14 State Budget appropriations and grant resources invested into the City of San Pablo and into their respective Districts that are active and being expended on critical capital infrastructure projects and public safety programs by the City (See Attachment).
It was underscored to our State Legislators that San Pablo is a small, low-income, socio-economically impacted community which relies heavily on State funding to assist in providing critical funding gaps for major infrastructure, essential community health programs/services, and providing new park facilities for our local residents, including meeting compliance with increased State of California regulatory requirements. Therefore, it is imperative that any State funding allocated to the City be sustained and shielded from any potential State funding claw backs or reductions for the 2025-26 period, if possible.
The City further understands the challenges facing the State Legislature and Governor’s Office and the grappling that is forthcoming over competing budget priorities to mitigate the forecasted deficit looming for the State Budget for the upcoming 2025-26 cycle.
San Pablo requested that our State Legislators continue to strongly advocate for protecting State funding appropriations already awarded to local cities in their respective Districts which took multiple years of advance planning, collaboration and project management.
City Manager Recommendation
In response to this request from our State Legislators, the City Manager drafted an appropriate letter outlining our concerns noted above for Mayor Cruz to transmit to the City’s State of CA Legislature Representatives on February 20, 2025 (See Attachment).
This evening, the City Manager requests formal ratification approval by majority vote (via minute order) of the attached letter from San Pablo Mayor Cruz (on behalf of the San Pablo City Council) transmitted on February 20, 2025 through our lobbyist, TPA via personal courier and US Regular Mail to the City’s State Representatives noted above.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact associated with this agenda item.
ATTACHMENT
Att A - Letter transmitted on February 20, 2025 from San Pablo Mayor Arturo Cruz re:
Protecting State Appropriations to the City of San Pablo to the City’s current State of CA Legislature Representatives