HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - June 15, 2022 C-20CITY OF
ab� zl."o
CALIFORNIA
COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
AGENDA ITEM Co20
AGENDA TITLE: Receive Report Regarding Communication Opposing Assembly Bill 2357
MEETING DATE: June 15, 2022
PREPARED BY: City Clerk
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive report regarding communication opposing Assembly Bill 2357.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The City received a request for communication from the California
Economic Development Association requesting members send a letter of
opposition for AB 2357, immediately, in light of this bill having passed
through the House of Representative to the Senate.
This amendment to the Surplus Lands Act, AB 2357, expands the authority of the Department of Housing and
Community Development (DCH) over surplus land decision-making at the local level. Historically, under the
control of local governments, the ability of municipal districts, cities and counties to sell or lease properties they
no longer need for economic development is eroding. AB 2357 removes language that preserves surplus land
decision-making by local governments and gives the authority to HCD to review any action to dispose of
land. Reviewing any action to dispose of land produces even longer delays than caused by AB 1486 in
2019. The City of Lodi supports the development of affordable housing on surplus land and agrees that DCH is
an appropriate agency to administer provisions of the Act. However, this administration should not cause
unnecessary and impractical pathways to economic development by restricting the disposal of surplus land that
is unsuitable for affordable housing. This said, the City of Lodi supports suspending any further legislative actions
relative to expanding the authority of DCH until more input can be obtained by holding special hearings on
difficulties at the local level to accomplish economic development.
The attached letter, signed by Mayor Pro Tempore, was sent out on June 7, 2022.
FISCAL IMPACT:
FUNDING AVAILABLE:
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Olivia Nashed
Olivia Nashed
City Clerk
APPROVED, Steve Sc h W a b a U e r
Stephen Schwabauer, City Manager
CITY COUNCIL
MARK CHANDLER, Mayor
MIKEY HOTHI,
Mayor Pro Tempore
SHAK KHAN
DOUG KUEHNE
ALAN NAKANISHI
June 6, 2022
The Honorable Philip Ting
State Capitol, Ste. 8230
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Assembly Member Ting:
CITY OF LODI
CITY HALL, 221 WEST PINE STREET
P.O. BOX 3006
LODI, CALIFORNIA 95241-1910
(209) 333-6702 / FAX (209) 333-6807
www.lodi.aov citycierk0i)1odi.g-ov
STEPHEN SCHWABAUER
City Manager
OLIVIA NASHED
City Clerk
JANICE D. MAGDICH
City Attorney
The City of Lodi regrets that it must Oppose AB 2357, which undermines the ability of local
agencies to conduct effective and efficient economic development activities on properties they
acquire or otherwise own. By removing language that preserves surplus land decision-making
by local agencies, the bill expands the scope of authority for the Department of Housing and
Community Development (HCD) to review "any action to dispose of /and. "This amendment
includes properties retained for agency use, properties declared "exempt surplus," and
properties that local agencies are authorized by other laws to acquire and dispose of for
economic development purposes.
The implementation of the Surplus Lands Act (SLA), including HCD's recent guidelines, have
created unproductive and unnecessary delays for local government agencies seeking to dispose
of land that is both suitable and unsuitable for affordable housing. Assembly Bill 2357 would
compound those difficulties by expanding state reviews and delays affecting properties retained
for agency use and for those properties declared exempt surplus.
The City of Lodi has been delayed in disposing of land which has already completed the NOFA
process with no expressions of interest.
Rather than expanding the scope of the SLA in this form, the Legislature should hold special
hearings to more thoroughly evaluate the difficulties, bureaucratic delays and unintended
consequences caused by implementation of the existing law on local agency activities.
For these reasons, the City of Lodi regrets that it must respectfully Oppose AB 2357. Please
feel free to contact me at mhothi@Iodi.gov.
Sincerely,
/ 0,*;:
Mikey Hothi
Mayor Pro Tempore
Cc: Senator Anna Caballero, Chair, Senate Committee on Governance and Finance
Senator Scott Wiener, Chair, Senate Committee on Housing
Members, Senate Committee on Governance and Finance
Members, Senate Committee on Housing
Gurbax Sahota, Chief Executive Officer, California Association for Local Economic
Development