2022 - COFW Legislative PrioritiesCITY OF
Federal Way
Centered on Opfmnunity
State Legislative Priorities for 2022 Legislative Session:
Drug possession (Blake decision)
Support removing the requirement that an officer may only arrest a person for
possession of narcotics upon the third time the person is detained for
possession of narcotics and increase state funding for drug treatment programs.
Under the current law, officers must refer persons who possess narcotics to treatment
rather than arrest them until the third time the person is apprehended with narcotics.
This approach allows persons to continue to possess unlawful narcotics with no
accountability. In addition, we support recriminalizing the possession of drugs to a
felony level offense.
In the alternative, should the Legislature not reinstate felony level possessions, the City
of Federal Way proposes a graduated scale, removing warnings. First offense, simple
misdemeanor. Second offense, gross misdemeanor, and the third offense and all after
should be a felony.
Vehicle pursuits by police
Support "reasonable suspicion" as the standard rather than "probable cause" to
allow police officers to engage in vehicle pursuits.
The law, as currently adopted, only allows police officers to engage in a vehicle pursuit
of a suspect if the officer has developed probable cause for a very limited category of
crimes: violent offenses, sex offense, or escape.
Under the current "probable cause" standard officers rarely engage in pursuits of
criminal suspects. This allows suspects to flee in vehicles before officers have time to
develop the necessary facts to meet the higher standard of probable cause.
In addition, the City of Federal Way understands the concerns raised by those who have
had negative experiences when wrongly accused by police and advocate for the best
possible training of law enforcement personnel to ensure all in our community feel safe.
Opposition to HB 1692 and amendment to RCW 94.41.010
This bill proposes to eliminate drive -by shooting as a basis for elevating
murder in the first degree to aggravated murder in the first degree.
Language to be removed from RCW if bill passes.
• "The murder was committed during the course of or as a result of a shooting
where the discharge of the firearm, as defined in RCW 9.41.010, is either from a
motor vehicle or from the immediate area of a motor vehicle that was used to
transport the shooter or the firearm, or both, to the scene of the discharge."
Use of force — reasonable suspicion vs. probable cause.
Support allowing officers to use force when they have "reasonable suspicion"
that a crime has occurred as opposed to "probable cause." Under the current law,
an officer cannot physically detain a criminal suspect unless they have developed
probable cause.
This creates a challenging environment for officers as criminal suspects often flee a
scene before an officer can investigate and develop the necessary factual basis to meet
the probable cause standard.
Reverting to the "reasonable suspicion" standard, which was the standard used by
officers for decades in Washington, will allow officers to have more reasonable control
over a crime scene and provide the appropriate amount of time to develop the
necessary facts to dispel or confirm their suspicions of criminal activity.
Support for Youth Violence Prevention
Youth violence is a significant problem that affects thousands of young people each day,
and in turn, their families, schools, and communities. Youth violence and crime affect a
community's economic health, as well as individuals' physical and mental health and
well-being. Homicide is the third leading cause of death for youth in the United States.
Youth violence is preventable. To prevent and eliminate violence and improve youth
well-being, communities should employ evidence -based, comprehensive approaches
that address the multiple factors that impact violence, both factors that increase risk of
violence and factors that buffer against risk and promote positive youth development
and well-being.
Prevention, intervention, and treatment strategies that are trauma -informed are key.
Many youths have experienced traumatic events, including physical, sexual, and
emotional abuse; family and community violence; natural disasters; and the ongoing,
cumulative impact of poverty, racism, and oppression.
The City of Federal Way would like to request funding for programs that meet the goal
of reducing youth violence.
Land use — Zoning Mandates
Oppose state legislation that would mandate duplexes be allowed on every
residential parcel in a city with a population over 25,000.
Blanket mandates treat every neighborhood in every city exactly the same and fail to
recognize that the suitability of higher density development can vary within a city
depending upon the unique characteristics of individual neighborhoods. Such a mandate
would dramatically diminish the traditional role of city elected officials in determining
where best to locate various housing densities in their local neighborhoods and it would
also undermine the principle of local control.
Instead, the state should look to provide incentives to cities that promote higher
densities and leave local zoning decisions with city elected officials.
An example of this overreach can be found in the recently passed ESSHB 1220 — the City
of Federal Way advocates for the overturn this law, so local control over zoning can be
restored.
Transportation revenues
Approve a transportation revenue package that emphasizes local transportation
resources which can be used to maintain and improve the transportation system.
A revenue package should focus on stable and long-term funding that the City can invest
in its transportation system with flexible options for seeking and using the revenues.
The City of Federal Way specifically requests transportation funding for the following
projects:
• City Center Access ($50 Million Level)
The City Center Access project improves access from Federal Way's City Center to
and across 1-5. Additionally, it improves intermodal and multi -modal access by
modifying the existing over -utilized S 320r" Street interchange in order to better
accommodate concentrated urban growth and provide multi -modal connections
with transit agencies.
• Improvements to the SW 336th-SW340th Corridor ($20 Million Level)
Construct the SW 336th St to SW 340th St corridor, including a roundabout at SW
340th Street and Hoyt Road SW. With traffic from the City of Tacoma's Brown's
Point area and the City of Federal Way, this area has seen an increased level of
congestion. Traffic is projected to continue to increase and with the anticipated
Sound Transit South Federal Way station improved connections between Tacoma
and Federal Way are needed.
Widen S 356th St between 15t Ave S and SR-99 (Pacific Highway S) ($20 Million
Level)
This area has seen an increased level of congestion from the combined City of
Tacoma Brown's Point area and the City of Federal Way. With the Sound Transit
Tacoma Dome Link Extension project and WSDOT's triangle project, this corridor
is anticipated to be a vital connection for travelers going from both Federal Way
and Tacoma to the South Federal Way Station.
Increase Circulation and Traffic Capacity in Downtown Federal Way ($5 Million
Level)
The City of Federal Way has limited connections from the downtown area to the
regional transportation network, with limited ways to disperse traffic. To
partially address this, this circulation improvement project includes:
Reconstruction of S 3141h St between Pete von Reichbauer Way S and 23rd Ave S,
all but 25% of this section of roadway is a private street in a failing condition;
extending sidewalks on S 312th Street from Steel Lake Park going east; and
construction of sidewalk on S 3361h St between SR-99, Pacific Highway S and 201h
Ave S.