LBREPORT.com provides VIDEO coverage below as the Mayors exited their meeting with the Governor (held at LBCC's ELB campus).

[Scroll down for further.]

Governor Newsom told waiting reporters that he's included sums in his proposed FY20 budget to help City Halls meet "Regional Housing Housing Needs Assessment" housing numbers [such as those issued by the "Southern California Association of Governments" (SCAG.]

Mayor Garcia didn't appear at that media availability but was present earlier in the day a media availability that the Governor's media office described as a "tour [of] an affordable housing development [the Century Villages at Cabrillo in WLB] in Long Beach, one of the cities that is working hard to help address the housing needs in the region. The site, a 27-acre supportive housing community that provides temporary, transitional and permanent affordable housing for veterans, families, youth and children, serves more than 1,000 individuals on any given day."

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On exiting the meeting with Mayors of cities Sac'to deems "out of compliance," Governor Newsom said the purpose of the meeting was "collaboraton, to coordinate our efforts and to be there for each other," the Governor acknowledged that he'd "started this process off aggressively" [by calling out and suing the City of Huntington Beach [allegedly "out of compliance, which Huntington Beach denies.] Governor Newsom said: "I don't want to sue 47 other cities. I want to work collaboratively with all of the representatives of those communities and I want to know the challenges and struyggles they face..." The Governor said he leaves today's meeting "with a better understanding of their struggles and I hope they'll leave this meeting with a better appreciation of our collective desire as a state to do more and step up our game with respect to housing development."

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Asked by a reporter if there'd be more lawsuits, Gov. Newsom said "I hope not" and continued: "My intention here was to create the conditions of collaboration to help support these communities" but added "I can't promise there won't be [more lawsuits], I really can't, but I absolutely am committed to creating a process where no one will be surprised and where we will be held to account to supporting their efforts until they determine whether they want to cross that finish line."

LBREPORT.com followed up (VIDEO at 12:09) by asking: "What do you believe remains for cities to decide locally on land use, density, zoning and environmental impacts?" Governor Newsom responded: "All of the above" and said "Look: All this is about is planning...All we're asking for is for folks to plan, to set up the tone and tenor, to gauge the community. to get public feedback, and to comply with state law." The Governor ocntinued continued:

Look: I was a former County Supervisor. I was a former Mayor. I intimately appreciate the hysteria almost at times that people feel around new development in their backyard, and what that means to their quality of life, and what that means to their community as they've known it for decades and so we have to bridge that. And I don't want to dismiss that. I'm not here to the trample on that anxiety or those legitimate concerns. I'm trying to respect that at the itme respect the fact that as Governor I am required, I think as table-stakes as Governor to address the issue of affordability, because if I don't do that, I don't belong here.

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The Governor's office said the meeting with multiple Mayors included "top staff from the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency as well as the Department of Housing and Community Development to assist the mayors in attendance and address their specific questions and concerns."

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