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HomeMy WebLinkAbout18 - NB-2 - Participation in National League of - 2/17/2015CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: FEBRUARY 17, 2015 ITEM NUMBER: NB -2 SUBJECT: PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES ANNUAL CONFERENCE DATE: JANUARY 22, 2015 FROM: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE PRESENTATION BY: THOMAS R. HATCH, CEO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DAN BAKER @ (714) 754-5156 RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council provide formal approval, per Council Policy 100-8 (Attachment 1) for Mayor Mensinger to attend the annual National League of Cities (NLC) Congressional City Conference, March 7-11 in Washington, D.C. This conference brings together more than 1,000 elected and appointed city leaders to focus on the federal policy issues that are important to local governments. BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS: NLC is a bipartisan organization dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. Throughout the year, NLC advocates for municipalities through full-time lobbying and grassroots campaigns. The Congressional City Conference is a unique opportunity for city leaders to join NLC's efforts and advocate on behalf of NLC's federal action priorities that will affect the City of Costa Mesa and communities nationwide. The conference will include sessions and learning opportunities to gather tangible takeaways on a variety of topics important to the City of Costa Mesa, such as infrastructure, public safety, and current federal regulations. In addition, multiple opportunities will be available for Mayor Mensinger to hear directly from policy makers and leaders on the issues of timely importance. It will also allow the Mayor to garner current information on the federal policies that affect cities, the latest funding opportunities, and emerging practices that can be implemented in Costa Mesa. In addition, Mayor Mensinger will be participating in strategic policy committees. These committees are designed for peer to peer idea exchanges and for setting and developing the federal policies that are important to cities. The committee meetings at the conference are where local leaders come together and introduce the topics that will be put on the table for debate for the upcoming year. Policy meetings will be held for the following committees at the conference: • Community & Economic Development • Energy, Environment & Natural Resources • Finance, Administration & Intergovernmental Relations • Human Development • Information Technology & Communications • Public Safety & Crime Prevention • Transportation Infrastructure & Services Lastly, it is the responsibility and duty of elected officials to stay up-to-date on the latest political news affecting cities. At the Congressional City Conference, Mayor Mensinger will hear directly from administration officials about the federal laws that have the potential to impact Costa Mesa. By attending, Mayor Mensinger will join city leaders at intimate, intensive workshop sessions on topics ranging from economic development to funding opportunities, and more. Meetings will also be scheduled between Mayor Mensinger and some of the Orange County Congressional members. City CEO Tom Hatch will also be scheduled to attend the NLC conference if the City Council approves this item. FISCAL REVIEW: The estimated cost for the mayor to attend will be approximately $2,500. Appropriations for attendance will come from Fiscal Year 2014-15 contingency funding. LEGAL REVIEW: There is no legal review required for this item. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that the City Council provide formal approval, per Council Policy 100-8 (Attachment 1) for Mayor Mensinger to attend the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C., March 7-11. With a new session of Congress just getting underway, it will be vital to share with Costa Mesa's and the nation's legislative representatives what is important to the community. DANIEL K. BAKER Public Affairs Manager ATTACHMENTS: 1 Council Policy 100-8 THOMAS R. HATCH Chief Executive Officer ATTACHMENT 1 CITY OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA COUNCIL POLICY SUBJECT POLICY EFFECTIVE PAGE NUMBER DATE CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE, MEETING & 100-8 11/15/05 1 of 1 TRAINING EXPENDITURES PURPOSE The purpose of this regulation is to establish clear rules on the use of funds from the City Council's Meetings and Conferences Account as it pertains to discretionary expenditures. Nothing in this policy is intended to supplant or otherwise change existing policies, code provisions or other legal restrictions on the expenditure of public funds. POLICY All expenditures from the City Council Meetings and Conference Account shall be processed in accordance with existing Purchasing Rules & Regulations. Funds appropriated to this account are for the express purpose of conference & meeting attendance and professional development & training, as follows: 1. Each member of the City Council is permitted to select the specific training, conference or event of their choosing, subject to the provisions of this policy. 2. City staff shall be responsible for making all arrangements and processing payments in connection with Meeting & Conference attendance. City Council members are asked to advise staff of their interest in selected training and conference attendance sufficiently in advance of the event so as to avoid late registration expenses and/or increased costs for travel or lodging. 3. Any out of state travel will require prior approval of the full City Council. 4. Upon adoption of this policy, each member of the City Council shall be entitled to expend up to $2,000 annually for Meetings and Conferences. This amount may be adjusted annually by adoption of the City's Operating Budget. Unexpended funds in this account will not be carried over from one fiscal year to another. 5. Nothing in this policy shall preclude any member of the City Council from requesting the full City Council to authorize additional funds for Meeting & Conference attendance. Such a request must be made at a regular meeting of the City Council and follow the normal posting and noticing requirements. PROCEDURE All purchases shall be processed in accordance with adopted purchasing procedures and with the required, supporting documentation. The City Manager's Office is required to produce a summary report of all expenditures from the City Council Meetings and Conference account. This report shall be made available to each City Council member and available for public review in the City Clerk's Office.