Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Advocacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Soledad adopts updated 2026–27 legislative platform; council asks subcommittee to reformat and prioritize housing, infrastructure and DEI
Summary
Council adopted an updated legislative platform for 2026–27 with additions on governance/transparency, land‑use protections, workforce development and DEI; members asked the legislative subcommittee to reformat the document for public use and to emphasize priorities such as housing, water/wastewater, public safety and equity.
The Soledad City Council unanimously approved an updated legislative platform for 2026–27 after staff and the legislative subcommittee revised last year’s platform to reflect recent state activity and emerging priorities.
The updated platform adds a governance and transparency section that responds to discussions about public‑meeting access and Brown Act practice; expands housing language to include land‑use provisions that protect local decision‑making; adds workforce‑development language under fiscal sustainability; and renames the climate section to “climate resiliency and natural resources and energy,” with provisions supportive of reliable, affordable renewable energy.
Council members also requested expanded language and advocacy tools addressing services for LGBTQ+ residents and immigration‑related state activity, and they asked staff and the legislative subcommittee to produce a public‑facing, one‑page summary (a front‑matter 'priorities' box) that highlights immediate advocacy needs: housing and homelessness, water and wastewater infrastructure, public safety and economic development, and inclusion of diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
One specific edit adopted at the meeting revised a rail‑related line in the infrastructure section; rather than advocating immediate resources to bring a train station to Soledad, the platform will state that the city will "monitor efforts related to funding and operations of a train station in Soledad," reflecting regional funding priorities and timelines discussed by council members.
The council directed the legislative subcommittee to refine the platform’s public format (staff will provide a template and return with a formatted document) and to prioritize outreach to the city’s legislative delegation should state budget deliberations affect the city’s top priorities. The council unanimously approved the resolution with the agreed edits.
