Item 30 - Legislative Advocacy Services; Local, State, and Federal Government Associations

Home Browse Search

Statement of Qualifications for State Legislative Advocacy Services | City of Santa Ana Page 9 FIRM AND TEAM EXPERIENCE Casey Elliott, State Capitol Director: Casey brings 20 years of legislative and public policy experience to TPA. Casey develops and implements legislative strategies for local public agency clients throughout California. Casey maintains relationships with key members and staff of the State Legislature, the Administration, and select state agencies. Casey has expertise in the policy sectors of municipal finance, budget, redevelopment, education, local governance, water resources, parks and recreation, and cultural resources. Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. State Capitol Director 2006-Present As State Capitol Director, Casey oversees a team of 12 TPA lobbyists registered with the California Secretary of State. Casey provides timely expert analysis of legislative and budget proposals introduced each legislative session for their potential effect on TPA clients. Some of Casey’s accomplishments include: • Working with the City of Oakland and the City of Santa Ana, Casey helped advance legislation and state budget requests to secure funding for California’s largest cities to help address issues surrounding homelessness. These efforts culminated in the creation of the Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP). Approved as part of the 2018 state budget, HEAP provided a $500 million block grant program designed to provide direct assistance to cities and counties to address the homelessness crisis. HEAP contained a specific pot of funding for large cities, including a combined $12.3 million for Oakland and Santa Ana. Building on the success of the HEAP program, in 2019 the State Budget created the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Grant Program, a $650 million grant that provides local jurisdictions with funds to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address their immediate homelessness challenges. The HHAP program maintained dedicated funding for California’s largest cities, including a combined $28.1 million for the cities of Oakland and Santa Ana. • Through his work with the Department of Finance, the Legislature, and the Office of the Governor, Casey has been able to lessen the impact of RDA dissolution on TPA clients. Specific outcomes include: having over $35 million in projects in Santa Ana, Lafayette, Brea, and Hayward recognized as enforceable obligations; facilitating accelerated transfer of former RDA assets in Buena Park to allow for new development; and the passage of legislation to allow expenditure of certain development agency bond proceeds. • Casey worked closely with the City of Santa Ana to craft an advocacy strategy for the City to transfer customers from Diamond Park, and mutual water company servicing approximately 90 families with aging infrastructure and no access to safe drinking water, onto the City water system. Ultimately, TPA was able to secure a line-item in the FY11 State Budget to provide $7.5 million in Proposition 84 bond funds for public water agencies to take-over control of under-funded and under-performing mutual water companies located in the cities of Santa Ana and Maywood. • Casey helped the Rancho Santiago Community College District and Coast Community College District secure over $68 million in funding through the State Budget for three