Roseville staff propose platform updates on water, housing, energy and labor as council reviews 2025 advocacy priorities

Roseville's City Council used a Jan. 15 special workshop to review staff-proposed edits to the city's 2025 legislative platform, focusing on water-system rules tied to wildfires, validation requirements for lead-service-line inventories, library and ADA funding priorities, first-responder health programs and electric utility priorities including cost-containment and regional-market participation.

The platform sets the policy direction staff and the city's lobbyists use when seeking state and federal funding and when responding to proposed legislation. Deputy City Manager Megan Shai told council the platform guides advocacy year-round and that staff aims to return a final draft for council consideration in March.

Staff presented a set of targeted additions and clarifications across several platforms. In administrative services and critical-concerns sections, staff proposed that city advocacy on state ballot measures be brought back to full council for direction and that the platform explicitly clarify what information the city can provide about ballot measures. The parks-and-libraries section would add support for reinstating state library-building funds and for increased funding for ADA improvements to parks and facilities. Staff also proposed language supporting investments in first-responder health and wellness programs to address long-term risks such as cancer among firefighters.

On environmental utilities, Noelle Maddock told council that state Water Board changes to the Phase 2 stormwater permit will require active engagement and that Roseville seeks to pursue additional funding opportunities for an energy-recovery project at the Pleasant Grove Wastewater Treatment Plant. Maddock also described recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency changes to the lead-and-copper rule that now require agencies to inventory customer-owned service lines and validate statistical analyses of initial inventories. Maddock said Roseville conducted about 800 tests in the city's oldest neighborhoods and identified no privately owned lead service lines; staff is requesting an "off-ramp" or streamlined validation path for agencies that meet specific criteria to avoid large validation costs for ratepayers.

Amber Blixt of Roseville Electric outlined the electric department's additions, including support for state Renewable Portfolio Standard cost-containment measures, flexibility on state mandates to preserve reliability and affordability, advocacy for the "Light Up Navajo" initiative and preparatory language so Roseville can respond to potential 2025 regional-energy-market legislation (including Day-Ahead market participation discussions).

Outside lobbyists provided context for the state and federal outlook. Mike Miller of the Ferguson Group told the council the federal government is operating under a continuing resolution and that Congress has until March 14 to act on FY25 appropriations, a timetable that could affect congressional earmarks and community project funding. Jason Gonzales summarized the 2024 California legislative session and flagged several items staff will monitor, including AB 98 (warehouse setback rules), housing-and-homelessness proposals in the governor's budget and wildfire-related legislation added to an extraordinary session.

Councilmembers and staff requested clarifying language in several platform sections, including labor-relations protections to preserve local collective-bargaining processes and additions on the National Flood Insurance Program and community-rating concerns; staff noted Roseville currently holds a Class 1 FEMA community-rating-system rating. Council directed staff to incorporate tonight's feedback and bring the revised platform back to the council for consideration and action at a March meeting.

"The policy direction that council sets today is what allows us to effectively advocate on city related issues throughout the year," Deputy City Manager Megan Shai said. "We regularly send advocacy letters and what we do here today, at the platform workshop, is foundational to that work."