Feb. 19, 2014

Issue #12

Editor's Note

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CalPERS Adopts Critical Rate of Return and Demographic Assumptions

Majority of League Recommendations Approved, Development of a Workable Waiver Policy Planned

Yesterday after extensive hearings, workshops and stakeholder engagement, the PERS Board of Administration voted to retain its current long-term assumed rate of return at 7.5 percent and adopted separate actuarial assumptions for the mortality of state and local employers. While the rate of return decision is not expected to influence employer or employee rates, CalPERS estimates that the new mortality assumptions will cost local agencies an average of up to 9 percent of payroll for safety classifications and up to 5 percent of payroll for miscellaneous employees by year five of the phase in. Some city officials believe these estimates may be low because of the continued decline in the local government workforce in many cities, reducing the number of active employees contributing to CalPERS.

Pension Reform

Massage Industry Regulation Sunset Review Committee Scheduled for March 10

League Advocating for Revised Regulations to Give Cities Effective Local Control to Combat Illegal Activity

With SB 731 (Oropeza) set to sunset on Jan. 1, 2015, work continues on analyzing the effects of this 2008 legislation that established a voluntary certification process through the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) for massage professionals. The Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee and the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee have scheduled a meeting on the matter on Monday, March 10 at 9 a.m. in the State Capitol, Room 4203. The committee will issue a report prior to the March 10 hearing, which the League will make available.

Legislation, Massage Regulation

New Brownfield Development Tool for Cities Webinar Scheduled Early March

Free for League Members and Partners

AB 440 (Gatto, 2013) will help local agencies investigate and clean up property for development. Learn more about this new authority and what it may mean for your city in a League-sponsored webinar on March 6 from 10:00–11:15 a.m.

Economic Development, Meetings and Events

League Asks OPR to Carefully Consider Alternatives to LOS in CEQA Analysis of the Significance of Transportation Impacts

The Office of Planning and Research (OPR) took the first step towards implementation of SB 743 (Steinberg, 2013) when it released a document entitled “Preliminary Evaluation of Alternative Methods of Transportation Analysis” for which comments were due Feb. 14.

CEQA, Greenhouse Gases, Land Use, Transportation
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