Wildfire Awareness Week:
Tree Mortality Creates Added Hazard for Fire Season
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This is Wildfire Awareness Week in California and the risk for catastrophic wildfires this year is exceptionally high due to the drought and tree mortality. “If you haven’t been in the mountains and foothills recently, you might be shocked at how many trees are dead or dying,” said CSAC President and Amador County Supervisor Richard Forster. “People have to know that the potential for catastrophic fires this year is much higher than usual.”
“The rain we received this winter and spring has been great, but with over 29 million dead trees due to the drought and bark beetle, our fire conditions still remain elevated,” CALFire Chief Ken Pimlott said in a news release. “While our firefighters are preparing for what could be another busy fire season, this week is an important reminder that all Californians must do their part and be ready.”
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Big Tobacco had a very bad day yesterday, with Governor Brown signing all but one of a tobacco regulation package into law and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)steeping up to regulate all tobacco products.
Yesterday, Governor Brown signed five out of the six tobacco bills that were passed by the Legislature during the Second Extraordinary Session on Health Care (Special Session) earlier this year. All six bills are outlined in the chart below, and the new laws include raising the tobacco purchasing age from 18 to 21 years old, classifying e-cigarette and vapor, or “vaping,” devices as tobacco products, and stronger tax and licensing strictures.
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What does $1 Billion of Missing April Revenue Mean for May?
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As reported last week, April is a critical month for state revenue collections. The LAO released preliminary totals and analysis, which includes some bad news. Personal income tax revenue, which makes up almost two-thirds of the state’s General Fund revenues, came in about $1 billion below projections for the month and that represents a decrease of 2.6 percent when compared to April 2015 collections.
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County Elections Funding Formula Coming Soon
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When Governor Brown approved a supplemental budget allocation for elections administration, he made $16.173 million dollars available to counties through Assembly Bill 120. Counties will be able to request funding for duties related to conducting the June 7 primary election and verifying petition signatures for ballot initiatives seeking to be placed on the November ballot.
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Administration’s Proposed California Endangered Species Act Fee
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The Governor’s Budget proposes several changes to address shortfalls in the Environmental License Plate Fund (ELPF). One of the Administration’s proposals to address this shortfall is establishing a new fee to cover costs associated with processing California Endangered Species Act (CESA) incidental take permits. These permits are required for projects that might result in the “take” of an endangered or threatened species, and are processed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW).
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CSAC Webinar: Safety Up, Costs Down, Putting Results First
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Recent public safety reforms, such as 2011 realignment and Proposition 47, have placed California in a unique place. Counties are now responsible for a wide array of offenders, some of which are staying longer in jail. Serving this variety of criminogenic needs, counties have new incentives to find methods that maximize their resources.
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New Medicaid Waiver Bills Moving Along
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Two identical bills which would implement California’s new Medicaid Section 1115 “Medi-Cal 2020” Wavier, are currently moving through the Legislature. The new waiver, which was approved in December 2015, builds on the success that California has achieved in expanding coverage, transforming care, and improving health outcomes since the implementation of the ACA.
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Major Amendments to Dababneh PACE Bill
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AB 2693, by Assembly Member Dababneh, was amended yesterday in the Assembly Local Government Committee to eliminate the provisions of the bill that would have subordinated Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) liens in statute. The bill will now focus on disclosure requirements to property owners interested in financing energy and water efficiency and renewable energy improvements with a PACE assessment.
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SCOTUS: City Can't Demote Employee Based on False Accusation
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In a case with implications for municipal governments all over the country, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned earlier decisions regarding a city that demoted an employee due to an erroneous belief he violated city policy.
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Trial Court Revenue Distribution Training Sessions Offered
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The Judicial Council and State Controller’s Office have partnered to provide semi-annual training sessions on trial court revenue distribution. The sessions are being offered May 19 in San Diego and June 1 & 2 in Sacramento from 9:30 am-3:00 pm. These in-person trainings are free and open to all interested individuals.
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Funding for Broadband and Elections Explored in Upcoming Webinars
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Two upcoming webinars this month feature not only informative updates but also funding opportunities for counties related to elections and broadband implementation.
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Whole Person Care Pilot Calls For Counties Scheduled
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The next two county organization-sponsored monthly conference calls on Whole Person Care Pilots for counties have been scheduled for May 26 at 4pm and June 23 at 4pm.
The specific topics for discussion will be announced at a later date. Interested county staff can register for the May 26 call here; and for the June 23 call here.
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Spotlighting County Best Practices
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CSAC has produced a series of videos and blog postings highlighting California Counties’ best practices. The programs we are spotlighting are recipients of our annual Challenge Awards, which recognize the innovative and creative spirit of California county governments.
This week, in our final installments in the series, we featured two innovative programs:
Tuolumne County Emergency Residential Water Program
Foster Youth Get a STEP Ahead in San Mateo County
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New Schedule for CSAC Bulletin
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For the past several years CSAC has been publishing our weekly Bulletin on Fridays. Starting today, we will begin sending the Bulletin to you on Thursday afternoons by 3:00 p.m.
Why the change? Well, we asked, and most of the people who responded to our survey said they’d prefer to get the Bulletin on Thursday afternoons as opposed to Friday. And also, the legislative week is typically over by Thursday afternoon, when legislators return home to their districts. We’re going to work hard to synthesize the important policy and legislative news and get it to you a day sooner.
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Tick Tock! Advance Registration for CSAC Legislative Conference Ends Friday
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CSAC’s advance registration rate ends Friday so don’t delay signing up for the 2016 CSAC Legislative Conference. After Friday, you can still register for the conference on-site, but you will not be able to take advantage of reduced fees.
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A roundup of bills from all policy areas of interest to counties that are not included in this week's Bulletin articles.
Administration of Justice
Parole Suitability Notification
AB 898 (Gonzalez) – Support
As Amended January 13, 2016
Jail Milestone Credits
AB 1597 (Stone, M) – Support
As Amended March 9, 2016
Housing, Land Use and Transportation
General Plans
SB 1000 (Leyva) – Support if Amended
As Amended on April 12, 2016
Second Units
SB 1069 (Wieckowski) – Oppose
As Amended on April 26, 2016
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Click here to see the latest county and local government job postings.
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