Roseville reviews legislative platform updates, emphasizes local control and flood project funding
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Summary
City staff and lobbyists presented proposed edits to Roseville’s state and federal legislative platform, prioritizing local control on land use, expanded park and library funding priorities, public-safety technology, and a $50 million Pleasant Grove retention basin that will seek FEMA and developer funding.
The Roseville City Council on Feb. 4 reviewed proposed updates to the city’s legislative and regulatory platform aimed at aligning staff advocacy with council priorities and protecting local authority.
City government and community relations manager Rob Ocara told the council the platform serves as the city’s ‘‘policy road map’’ and guides how staff and lobbyists engage lawmakers, agencies and regional coalitions. ‘‘The platform becomes the foundation for every advocacy action we take,’’ Ocara said, noting the document shapes messaging and positions year-round.
Why it matters: Staff said the edits are intended to bolster Roseville’s ability to influence state and federal decisions that affect finances, permitting and local services. The redline presented to council trims technical critiques in some sections while adding clearer, policy-oriented language designed to protect city revenue and local land-use authority.
Key changes and details: Staff described several department-specific updates. Under development services, the platform strengthens language that reinforces local control over land use and calls for transparent, consistent and timely state and federal permitting supported by adequate agency staffing. Ocara said the changes broaden the housing approach ‘‘beyond funding to address construction costs and workforce shortages.’’
Parks, recreation and libraries sections were revised to consolidate and clarify support for sustained, equitable funding of facilities and programs and to explicitly add priorities for mental-health and addiction services, homelessness response, ADA accessibility and facility reinvestment. ‘‘We work to expand, focus on inclusion, safety, and modern community needs,’’ Ocara said.
Public-safety language was shifted away from an emphasis on mandated regionalization to favor voluntary, cooperative approaches that preserve local control while enabling collaboration when it improves service delivery. The platform also adds support for public-safety technology investments and funding to address emerging risks, including lithium-ion battery hazards.
Critical concern: Pleasant Grove Retention Basin. Staff described a proposed $50 million flood-mitigation project in northwest Roseville designed to retain about 2,100 acre-feet of stormwater to offset downstream impacts from new development. Construction was described as potentially beginning in 2028, contingent on pursuit of an $18 million FEMA flood-mitigation assistance grant and supplemental developer mitigation fees. Ocara said the basin is listed under the platform’s critical concerns and that staff will continue to pursue grant and partner funding.
Utilities and environmental provisions: Amber Blixt, legislative and regulatory manager for Electric Utilities, said proposed edits focus in the platform’s critical-concerns section and include protecting the city’s free allowances in California Air Resources Board rulemaking, removing RPS cost-containment language because a local RPS policy was adopted, and continuing advocacy for initiatives such as the Light Up Navajo program. Noelle Maddock, environmental utilities government-relations administrator, said water, wastewater and solid-waste policies were consolidated for clarity and that staff proposes adding language on PFAS regulatory alignment, gate-safety standards under Cal/OSHA, and advanced clean-fleets provisions that recognize renewable natural gas as a compliance pathway.
Process and next steps: Staff said council feedback would be incorporated into a final redline and that the platform will return for formal consideration and adoption at a future meeting. Ocara also said staff is exploring a two-year legislative-platform update cycle aligned with the state calendar to improve efficiency.
Public comment: The mayor opened the floor for public comment on the item; no members of the public spoke.
The council adjourned the workshop and moved into closed session. The updated platform will return to the council for formal action at a later date.
