2014 - COFW Legislative AgendaCITY E
Federal Way
2014
STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
MAYOR
Jim Ferrell
CITY COUNCIL
Jeanne Burbidge
Bob Celski
Dini Duclos
Susan Honda
Kelly Maloney
Martin Moore
CITY ADMINISTRATION
Chris Carrel, Communications and Government Affairs Coordinator
Martin J. Durkan, Contract Lobbyist
CITY OF
...... Federal Way
2014 STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
The City of Federal Way's 2014 Legislative Agenda focuses on priority areas of transportation
infrastructure and service, economic development and fiscal health, and public safety. The City
will focus its efforts on the following legislative items and funding requests and work with other
stakeholders and lawmakers to support legislative action on these items.
Transportation
• Complete the Triangle Project
• Transportation infrastructure funding
• Metro transit funding
Economic Development and Fiscal Health
• Restore local liquor revenue sharing to historic levels
• Restore Building for the Arts grant
Public Safety
• Increased sentencing for felony attempts to elude police
• Fully fund the 2013 Metal Theft Prevention Iegislation
Effective local framework for legalized collective gardens and marijuana sales
The City may also take positions for or against issues that arise either as legislation or through
the State of Washington budget process, according to their impact on city administration and
programs, the Federal Way community and local economy.
The Legislative Agenda is guided by five key principles:
1. Maintaining revenue sources
2. Promoting economic growth
3. Preserving and enhancing the City's ability to deliver high -quality, cost-effective services
to citizens and businesses
4. Ensuring quality of life
5. Retaining local decision -making
The 2014 legislative session is a 60-day session. Anticipated legislative priorities in this short
session are transportation, fish consumption/water quality and budget proposals. Gov. Inslee has
proposed a supplemental operating budget and a capital budget. However, these are likely to face
significant opposition in the Senate.
City of Federal Way 2014 Legislative Agenda Page 2
Completion of the "Triangle" Project — Federal Way supports funding of $114 million to
complete remaining phases of the "Triangle" interchange - Interstate 5, State Highway 18, and
State Route 161. Project components will include ramps connecting southbound I-5 to SR 161
and S. 3561h Street, northbound I-5 to eastbound SR 18, reconstruction of the I-5/SR 161
undercrossing, and restoring the Weyerhaeuser Way connection to SR 18. The project is
essential to Federal Way's economic development, and will improve access to local businesses
while enhancing freight mobility for Port of Tacoma traffic. The project is also important for
safety and is expected to reduce collisions over 50% at a societal cost savings of up to $600,000
annually.
Transportation Investment Funding — The Legislature is expected to consider a major
statewide transportation funding package. The City is advocating for inclusion of the Triangle
Project, as well as I-5/S. 32W' and I-5/SR-509 improvements. Additionally, it is vital that a
transportation package support Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) funds, direct
distribution funds and local funding options, including Metro transit. A key priority for the City
will be to ensure that any funding for local roads ensures equity for cities like Federal Way that
have consistently invested in roads maintenance.
Metro Transit Funding — In 2011, the state legislature authorized a temporary funding source
for King County Metro to mitigate revenue shortfalls related to the recession while the
legislature developed a statewide transportation funding package. The funding measure expires
in June, 2014. Without replacement funding Metro has indicated that up to 600,000 service hours
will be eliminated systemwide, including significant service cuts in Federal Way. Those cuts
would likely include eliminating four routes and reducing six others that serve Federal Way,
representing unacceptable impacts to our commuters. If a funding source does not arise as part of
a statewide transportation package, the City will support Metro's request to the legislature to
authorize putting a measure before King County voters to approve transit funding
Restore local liquor revenue sharing to historic levels — Historically, the state has shared
liquor revenues from liquor profits and liquor excise taxes with cities and counties in recognition
of the local public health and safety impacts caused by alcohol consumption. Following passage
of Initiative 1183, the Legislature suspended liquor excise tax revenue sharing in 2012, and then
restored it in 2013 at 50% of historic levels. The 2012 suspension resulted in a $435,000 cut in
the City's liquor excise tax revenues. Additionally, the Legislature in 2012 capped liquor profit
revenue sharing to cities and counties at $49.4 million, which effectively reduced the percentage
shared with local government from 50% to 35% and secured all future excess liquor profits for
the state.
City of Federal Way 2014 Legislative Agenda Page 3
The City of Federal Way is joining cities and counties statewide in asking legislators to restore
liquor profit and liquor excise tax revenue sharing to historic levels. Liquor privatization is
significantly increasing the availability of alcohol in Washington State, and cities are
experiencing a growing occurrence of alcohol -related public safety impacts. The burden for
increased public safety due to liquor privatization falls primarily on the Iocal police, courts and
social services.
Building for the Arts grant — Federal Way was awarded a $325,000 Department of Commerce
grant in 2010 for design for the performing arts and conference center, of which $98,023 has
been reimbursed. Due to impacts of the Cheat Recession and timing of the conceptual design
phase, the City sought an extension through the 2013-2014 capital budget. In July, Department
of Commerce confirmed the grant had been reappropriated through the 2013-2014 capital
budget. However, the department has since informed us that this information was in error and the
grant expired. The City is seeking an appropriation of $218,852 to restore the grant funding for
design costs.
Increased sentencing for felony attempts to elude police — Currently, when car thieves flee
from the police and cause dangerous car chases they are punished for the auto theft crime but
often don't serve an added sentence for endangering bystanders and police. While the Sentencing
Reform Act provides for a 12-month jail time "enhancement" to sentences for causing car chases
that endanger bystanders, it is not required to be served at the end of the sentence and often isn't.
Experienced auto thieves know this oversight in the law means they likely won't serve time for
fleeing the police, creating a perverse incentive to flee and putting officers and innocent
bystanders at risk. The City proposes legislation that would correct this oversight in the
Sentencing Reform Act and require that the mandatory jail time for police elusion be served in
addition to the required jail sentence for other auto theft crime.
Metal and Copper Wire Theft — In the 2013 legislative session the City was successful in
passing comprehensive metal theft prevention legislation that provided for increased penalties,
and a statewide licensing system for metal scrap retailers. Due to budget concerns, however,
funding needed to fully implement the licensing system, a statewide no -buy database, and
provide for grants to support local law enforcement efforts did not materialize.
The City is advocating $1.4 million be allocated to address this serious statewide crime problem.
The theft of metal and copper wire from parks and streetlights, as well as from private property,
is on the rise statewide. Costs to the City to repair damage caused by metal and copper wire theft
rose from 10,961 in 2011 to more than $I 10,000 in 2012. In addition to the impact to parks and
City of Federal Way 2014 Legislative Agenda Page 4
public infrastructure, metal theft is a serious safety threat and is a significant impact to
businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Effective local framework for legalized collective gardens and marijuana sales —
In 2014, legalized marijuana sales will begin in Washington State at licensed stores. Both state
and federal agencies have acknowledged that effective local law enforcement is the foundation
for legalized marijuana to be successful. However, while the marijuana initiative will increase
demand for local law enforcement, court services and social services, current taxing structures do
not provide additional revenues to local communities. The City will support legislation to
address this funding imbalance and direct portions of marijuana revenues to cities and counties.
Additionally, in 2013, the City Council enacted a one-year moratorium on marijuana collective
gardens and marijuana sales in the city in order to provide the city sufficient time to provide a
thoughtful approach to regulating legalized marijuana. Federal Way, like many Washington
cities, is concerned about the impacts legalized marijuana will have on public safety, public
health, schools and the economy, among other issues. The City believes it is essential to use its
police powers under its zoning authority on legalized marijuana to allow the City and community
time to draft an appropriate programmatic and regulatory response. This is particularly
important, given the critical role local law enforcement plays in ensuring the viability of the legal
marijuana market.
City of Federal Way 2014 Legislative Agenda Page 5