The city of Santa Clarita renewed its contracts for federal advocacy Tuesday, but it remains in a bit of a holding pattern for an important decision on one of its biggest issues.  Murray, Montgomery and O’Donnell Partners are asking for $77,000 a year for a two-year contract to work with the 119th Congress for federal advocacy services.  The majority of the firm’s efforts “will be spent working with the city’s federal delegation and administrative staff on securing federal investments for local projects,” according to the Santa Clarita City Council agenda for Tuesday.   Masis Hagobian, intergovernmental relations officer for the city, wrote in the agenda the focus is on “district-based funding opportunities established through congressional action,” which is pejoratively referred to as “pork barrel legislation.”  The firm’s work benefitted the city during the 118th Congress by helping to secure “approximately $8.8 million in the Federal Appropriations Act of 2023 and 2024 for three city projects that will improve local traffic circulation and traffic safety,” according to a city report.  That doesn’t mean Cemex isn’t a primary focus, Hagobian said in a recent interview.  “Cemex will always be the top priority when it comes to federal issues for the City Council,” Hagobian said, explaining the city’s perspective on the current stalemate.  The international mining conglomerate wants to build a massive mine in Soledad Canyon, and the city has opposed the plan for decades.  Currently, the status of the mine’s effort is that the State Water Board has said it will not reconsider its decision to have a public re-noticing of Cemex’s application for water rights.  The rights were initially applied for years ago, but the state has said it will give the city another chance to protest Cemex’s request to use the Santa Clara River for its mining operations.  Cemex filed an appeal in court, which it lost, and then filed another appeal of that decision.  Now the city, the State Water Board and Cemex are waiting to hear back on what the court will do, which is largely out of the city’s hands and with those of the appellate court.  “In regard to a timeline related to the appeal, we don’t know what that looks like,” Hagobian said.  The city does have a federal “legislative vehicle” related to its Cemex fight that MMO Partners are expected to be a part of, Hagobian said.  The agenda describes the goal as trying to secure an expansion of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor.  This would help surround the projected mine site on the east side of the Santa Clarita Valley with a preserved biological habitat.  “MMO Partners has assisted the city in developing advocacy strategies related to supporting and amending the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act, including arranging briefings with committee consultants and the offices of the chairs of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and House Committee on Natural Resources,” according to the city’s agenda.   The MMO Partners’ retainer will remain at the same compensation level as the current contract: $6,000 per month plus reimbursement of reasonable, out-of-pocket expenses, which are not to exceed $5,000 annually. This results in an annual contract maximum of $77,000. The overall contract authorization for the two-year period is $154,000  The post Cemex remains focus as city looks at federal advocacy  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.