Environment, Energy, Natural Resources

Support:

• Measures that assist local government funding to convert fleets to alternative fuels to improve air quality.
• Legislation that allows for innovation and local flexibility in developing, maintaining and expanding cost-effective programs that increase vehicle ridership.
• Proposals that increase funding for environmental protection programs and capital projects, including resources, opens space, and shoreline protection.
• Policies for funding of acquisition, development and rehabilitation of parks and recreation facilities and open space.
• Legislation to promote environmentally friendly programs that address reasonable protection of resources such as pesticide use, care of trees, ecological systems and open space.
• Measures to develop and increase the availability of alternative fuel refueling infrastructure.
• Proposals funding construction of restrooms, parking lots, access ways, lifeguard and maintenance facilities, landscaping and other infrastructure on public beaches.
• Measures that promote cooperation with neighboring communities and other governmental agencies in preserving open space resources, including properties, that lie outside the City's jurisdiction, but are important to residents.
• Initiatives funding state mandated fingerprinting of all park staff and volunteers responsible for supervision of minors.
• Legislation for the expansion of electric generation and supply in the State including a waiver of air quality emission standards when electricity supply is critically low.
• State and Federal funding legislation for storm water infrastructure improvements and storm water quality programs.
• Proposals increasing funding to public agencies to encourage reduced consumption, develop alternative energy sources, and shift usage to non-peak hours.

Oppose:

• Air quality legislation that restricts the land use authority of cities.
• Legislation in decreasing assistance to local government fuel emission reduction programs.
• Legislation that dictates the mix of generating sources used by municipal utilities.
• Measures that interferes with local utility rate setting authority and opposes any legislation that restricts the ability of a city to transfer revenue from a utility to the City's general fund.
• Mandates to phase-in fixed number of alternative fueled vehicles for fleets in the absence of federal funding.
• Legislation that would increase exposure to or reduce immunities from governmental liability related to the ownership, construction, operation or maintenance of recreational facilities.
• Mandates encouraging the urbanization of developed parkland or productive agricultural space.