MONROE CITY COUNCIL. Agenda Bill No

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1 MONROE CITY COUNCIL Agenda Bill No SUBJECT: Approval of 2018 Legislative Priorities DATE: DEPT: CONTACT: PRESENTER: ITEM: 10/17/2017 Administration Deborah Knight Deborah Knight Final Action #1 Discussion: 10/17/2017 Attachments: 1. Proposed 2018 Legislative Priorities 2. Association of Washington Cities 2018 Legislative Agenda 3. Snohomish County Regional Policy Priorities REQUESTED ACTION: Move to approve the City of Monroe 2018 Legislative Priorities, as presented. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND Each year the City has an opportunity to identify legislative priorities in order to advance local initiatives in partnership with state and county officials. Mayor Thomas, City Staff, and Mr. Bryan Wahl, the City s government affairs consultant with Green Light Strategies, are looking for discussion and feedback on the proposed 2018 Legislative Priorities (Attachment 1). The City typically adopts its legislative priorities in the fall to prepare for the beginning of the State legislative session on January 8, The Association of Washington Cities will hold its annual Legislative Action Days on January 24-25, This is an opportunity to meet with the City s legislative delegation one-on-one regarding the City s priorities. The Legislative Agenda list of funding and policy proposals reflects the City of Monroe s position on key initiatives that are expected to arise in the form of legislation, budget decisions, or policy decisions in the upcoming 2018 Session of the State Legislature. The 2018 Legislative Agenda (Attachment 1) is organized around the City s 2018 budget themes: Safer, Stronger, Smarter, and Strategic: 1. Increase funding options to support homelessness programs at the state and local level. 2. Ensure Marketplace Fairness Act is effective/legal before eliminating SST mitigation. 3. Restore growth in the local share of liquor revenues that were effectively capped in statute in Build support for a.1% sales tax option for parks maintenance, operations and capital 5. Adopt a capital budget so that critical community projects such as the Lake Tye Park allweather, multi-purpose fields can move forward. 6. Support the 191 st Street WSDOT lease. Fund design and permitting $1,200,000 (capital budget request). 7. SR522 Complete practical design work on interchange and widening improvements. 8. SR522 Advance $10 million from 2022 to 2019 using savings from current projects. IMPACT BUDGET There is no specific budget associated with adopting the 2017 Legislative Agenda. The 2018 budget includes funding for the contract with Green Light Strategies to provide legislative and government affairs consulting services throughout the legislative session. MCC Agenda 10/17/2017; Page 1 of 6

2 Securing requested funding through the State Capital and Transportation Budget for priority capital improvements will serve state and city residents. TIME CONSTRAINTS The 2018 Legislative session begins on January 8, The Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Legislative Action Days is scheduled for January 24-25, Ideally, the City Council will adopt the City s legislative priorities in October This provide sufficient time for Mayor Thomas and City Staff to begin contacting the City s legislative delegation regarding the City s priorities. MCC Agenda 10/17/2017; Page 2 of 6

ATTACHMENT 1 CITY OF MONROE CITY COUNCIL 2018 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES Transportation SR 522: Complete practical design assessments of the SR522 Interchange and Widening projects, in order to produce

Advance $10 million in Connecting Washington transportation investment package funds allocated for SR522 pre-engineering and design.

3 ATTACHMENT 1 CITY OF MONROE CITY COUNCIL 2018 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES Transportation SR 522: Complete practical design assessments of the SR522 Interchange and Widening projects, in order to produce updated design concepts and accompanying design and construction estimates. Advance $10 million in Connecting Washington transportation investment package funds allocated for SR522 pre-engineering and design. Capital Budget Lake Tye Park Athletic Fields: Adopt a Capital Budget to fund installation of allweather multi-purpose fields for Lake Tye Park, for joint use by the City of Monroe Parks & Recreation Department and the Monroe School District. 191 st Street Extension: Support the city s efforts to fast-track the lease process with WSDOT to access unused WSDOT right-of-way for the vital roadway extension. Support capital budget request for $1,200,000 for right-of-way and permitting. Policy/Fiscal Issues Human Services/Homelessness/Affordable Housing: Support and improve a strained mental and behavioral health system; and enhance actions to increase affordable housing and to decrease homelessness. Fiscal sustainability: Protect shared-revenue streams (Liquor revenues, Marijuana taxes, etc.) necessary for essential city services; and, programs cities rely upon (Basic Law Enforcement Academy, Municipal Research and Services Center, etc.). Ensure the Market Place Fairness Act is effective before eliminating SST. Support 0.1% sales tax option for parks: Additional flexibility with existing tools such as making an optional sales tax authority for parks maintenance, operations and capital a council decision. MCC Agenda 10/17/2017; Page 3 of 6

4 ATTACHMENT Legislative Priorities The key to growing strong cities and towns in Washington starts with addressing housing shortages and affordability, helping individuals with mental health and drug addiction issues, and providing tools to enhance local economic vitality. The 2017 legislative session was the longest in history and yielded numerous helpful policy and budget actions for Washington s 281 cities and towns. However, critical issues remain unresolved and need to be addressed in the 2018 legislative session. The Legislature needs to swiftly adopt a capital budget so that critical community projects can move forward, and take action on the following city priorities to help our communities and state thrive. Strengthen city tools to address housing conditions in our communities Cities large and small are experiencing challenges with housing in their community from shortages of affordable housing, to a lack of workforce housing, to neighborhood impacts of abandoned foreclosed properties. Cities need a variety of local option tools to address the problems of their specific local circumstances. AWC urges the Legislature to adopt: 1) A new construction sales tax reimbursement pilot program to attract new multi-family housing in cities outside of our urban core; 2) A means for cities to mitigate the impacts of abandoned and bank-owned foreclosed homes; and 3) Additional flexibility with existing tools such as making the optional sales tax authority for affordable housing a council decision. Direct funds to mental health, chemical dependency, and social safety net programs Enhance economic development tools and programs that foster business development in cities Economic development opportunities vary greatly across the state. Some communities have commercial or industrial areas that have deteriorated or lack the needed infrastructure for critical development, and others lack access to adequate broadband services. AWC supports expansion of current programs and funding, and will engage key legislators and stakeholders to identify tools that can help foster vital economies in all corners of our state. Preserve state-shared revenues with cities and increase law enforcement training funds The state operating budget continued to fund traditional shared revenues such as liquor revenues and municipal criminal justice assistance at the levels provided in recent years. As the Legislature considers a supplemental budget, AWC will encourage the provision of additional funding for four additional Basic Law Enforcement Academy classes during the biennium to ensure that new recruits receive training as quickly as possible. Although cities are not frontline service providers, many of the problems associated with mental health and chemical dependency show up in our communities and on our streets. Increasingly, local public safety personnel play an expanding role in addressing these impacts. AWC actively supports and will engage with those seeking to direct resources to address these challenges and will collaborate with the state, counties, and providers to find ways to deliver support services in the most effective manner. Contact: Dave Williams Director of Government Relations davew@awcnet.org Association of Washington Cities 1076 Franklin St SE, Olympia, WA awcnet.org 09/28/17 MCC Agenda 10/17/2017; Page 4 of 6

5 2017 Regional Policy Priorities Snohomish County Snohomish County ATTACHMENT 3 date here Rev. Jan 2017 Transportation & Infrastructure Support efficient and timely delivery of Snohomish County regional projects funded in Connecting Washington and encourage any project cost savings to be reinvested in the region. Support the modernization of the Port of Everett s International Seaport through capital investments in dock, rail, and surface transportation improvements. Develop planning and funding solutions for chokepoint and congestion relief in alignment with priorities of Snohomish County Committee for Improved Transportation (SCCIT). Provide options and tools to local governments and agencies to sufficiently fund local road, transit, and infrastructure improvements for community development. Education & Workforce Identify and implement a framework that will ensure that the State fully funds basic education, while mitigating impacts of local levy authority cuts. Provide appropriate capital and program funding for UW Bothell, WSU North Puget Sound at Everett/Everett University Center, Everett CC, Edmonds CC and the WSU College of Medicine to expand STEM and other high-demand programs. Provide adequate resources and tools for school retrofits, construction and expansion due to population growth and seismic safety concerns. Support Career Connected Learning by fully funding CTE programs, continued funding of STEM Networks including Snohomish STEM, and allocation of funds for career pathway programs and facilities. Economic Prosperity & Competitiveness Promote the importance our highly skilled workforce, educational institutions, and tax policies all play in attracting and retaining aerospace and non-aerospace companies and jobs in Snohomish County. Protect local economic development organizations state funding (i.e., protect funding for ADOs like EASC). Support programs and tools that promote tourism and recreation in Snohomish County. Community Vitality & Resiliency Honor longstanding partnerships between the State and local governments by avoiding further reductions in shared revenues, and any other actions that hamper the ability of cities, counties and public agencies to provide essential services to citizens. Support the long-term funding in the MTCA account for the Port of Everett s Mill A/Seaport Environmental Cleanup. Expand access and funding for services treating behavioral health needs and homelessness that enable citizens to fully participate and succeed in the local workforce and contribute to the community. Support programs and tools that ensure that adequate housing supply is available and accessible to the local workforce. MCC Agenda 10/17/2017; Page 5 of 6

2017 Snohomish County Quick Facts Snohomish County date here Transportation & Infrastructure 55% of residents work

2 bil in unmet transportation demands over the next decade, including $798 mil in priority needs 44% of Snohomish

Washington State The Port of Everett supports the #1 customs export district in Washington State Education & Workforce

County have difficulty finding qualified employees 90% of career jobs need a credential or some college.

Snohomish County $1 bil tourism industry, 4 th largest in Washington State State s 2 nd fastest growing county 8,600

Community Vitality & Resiliency Economic Impacts of Aerospace in Snohomish County $8.2 bil in wages $39.

6 2017 Snohomish County Quick Facts Snohomish County date here Transportation & Infrastructure 55% of residents work outside the county There will be $3.2 bil in unmet transportation demands over the next decade, including $798 mil in priority needs 44% of Snohomish County residents commute to King County 60% of jobs within Snohomish County are tied to international trade; 40% in Washington State The Port of Everett supports the #1 customs export district in Washington State Education & Workforce 21% of Snohomish County jobs are in manufacturing - the highest in Washington State 84% of businesses in Snohomish County have difficulty finding qualified employees 90% of career jobs need a credential or some college. Currently only 31% of Washington State students receive one Economic Prosperity & Competitiveness 280,000 jobs within Snohomish County $1 bil tourism industry, 4 th largest in Washington State State s 2 nd fastest growing county 8,600 manufacturing jobs gained since 2008, #1 in the U.S. Community Vitality & Resiliency Economic Impacts of Aerospace in Snohomish County $8.2 bil in wages $39.85 bil in business revenues 92,450 jobs 50% of all renters and more than 1/3 of all homeowners in Snohomish County are cost-burdened 1,000+ residents are homeless at any given time Approximately 1,100 units of affordable housing are needed each year over the next 20 years MCC Agenda 10/17/2017; Page 6 of 6

AGENDA City Council Special Meeting

AGENDA City Council Special Meeting 6:30 PM - Wednesday, January 25, 2017 Tibbetts Creek Manor, 750 17th Ave NW, Issaquah WA Page Purpose A joint meeting between the City Councils of Issaquah and Sammamish