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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/07/1994 B A K E R S F I E L D Alan ~Manager Patricia M. Smith, Chair Staff: Trudy Slater Patricia J. DeMond Lynn Edwards AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT LEGISLATIVE AND LITIGATION COMMITI'EE Thursday, July 7, 1994 12:15 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room 1. ROLL CALL Members present: Councilmember Patricia M. Smith, Chair; Councilmember Patricia M. DeMond; Councilmember Lynn Edwards 2. APPROVAL OF JUNE 2, 1994 MINUTES Minutes were approved as submitted. 3. PRESENTATIONS None. 4. PUBLIC STATEMENTS None. 5. DEFERRED BUSINESS None. APPROVED AUGUST 4~ 1994 F LE COPY Agenda Summary Report Legislative and Litigation Committee July 7, 1994 Page -2- 6. NEW BUSINESS A. LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM Committee members discussed extending Bakersfield's sphere of political influence beyond its municipal borders through informational networking, including relationships with the League of California Cities and the National League of Cities, and the need for Council members to become more involved whenever possible. Other issues included the committee's ability to generate position papers on statewide issues of City interest. One suggestion for the Legislative Platform was to encourage the full utilization of informational networking organizations available to the City. Staff will forward the current Legislative and Litigation Platform to the Council for suggestions which will be considered at the next Legislative and Litigation Committee meeting on August 4, 1994. Staff was directed to place a review of the City's relationship with the National League of Cities on the next committee agenda. City Manager Alan Tandy and Assistant City Manager Gail Waiters will be asked for their experiences with the National League of Cities. Staff will contact the National League of Cities regarding its mission and goals. B. SB 1615 (GRAFFITI) Staff presented an overview of SB 1615 (Wyman) relating to graffiti, the proposed increases in fines and community service time for those committing graffiti. Committing graffiti on street and freeway signs, signals, or other traffic control devices is proposed to be a misdemeanor. The bill has passed the Senate and was currently in the Assembly Public Safety Committee with no hearing scheduled. It failed passage in the Assembly Committee on Public Safety, but has been granted reconsideration. The similarities as well as differences between SB 1615 and AB 2595 were discussed. Staff was directed to contact Senator Wyman's office to find out why the bill has not recently moved forward. C. AB 2595 (GRAFFITI) Staff provided an overview of AB 2595 relating to graffiti and its proposal to enhance community service requirements for juvenile offenders. One parent or guardian would be required to be present at the community service site, and the liability of the parent or legal guardian to pay a fine the minor is unable to pay would be expanded. Agenda Summary Report Legislative and Litigation Committee July 7, 1994 Page -3- Committee members were interested in whether the two bills would merge at some point in the political process and are supportive of efforts to include parental involvement and increased fines as methods to combat graffiti vandalism. Staff was directed to place a committee report on the Council agenda for August 10 to cover both bills which must either be passed by the Legislature or die by August 30. AB 2595 is scheduled for hearing on August 8. D. AB 3720 (TELECOMMUNICATIONS) Staff reported on the status of AB 3720, a bill proposed by Pacific Bell which would require the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to require competitive intrastate interexchange telecommunications service, subject to specified conditions. In addition, the bill will require the PUC to "lift the federal restrictions on long- distance, manufacturing, and cable programming offerings by California telephone companies at the time the PUC opens the local telephone market to full competitive entry at the end of 1996." The bill specifies that its provisions only take effect if AB 3643 takes effect. AB 3643 requires the PUC to initiate an investigation and open a proceeding to examine the current and future definitions of universal service in telecommunications. If current proposed federal legislation (HR 3636, HR 3626, S1822, and S2111) passes, California's AB 3720 is moot. The Committee felt that more information was needed on the proposed legislation. Staff was directed to contact other cities as well as other proponents and opponents of the bill for additional information and bring that information back to the meeting of August 4, 1994. 7. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 1:35 p.m. Staff In Attendance: Administrative Analyst Trudy Slater; Deputy City Attorney Michael Allford TS:jp