2010 - COFW Legislative Agenda2010 DRAFT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Proposed "Top Priorities" (in no particular order)
Increased funding for economic development. Four of the five Council goals for 2009 involve
increasing economic development opportunities in Federal Way. One of those initiatives is to
pursue a Performing Arts and Conference Center (PACC). This Legislative Session, Federal
Way will actively take part in a legislative initiative to extend and re -purpose King County -only
taxes currently dedicated to financing Safeco Field and Qwest Field. Re -purposing legislation
Would need to in a stream of year-to-year revenue for cultural arts and/or performing arts
facilities such as the PACC.
Transportation needs. As the Legislature awaits an "Alternative Transportation Financing"
report that could lead to action in 2011, Federal Way will use the 2010 Session to call attention
to some of its key transportation needs:
• Additional funding for the 1-5/SR-18/SR-161 "Triangle" Interchange;
• Funding for the 1-5/320th St. bridge widening, safety, and earthquake remediation
• Funding for the I-5/State Route 509 project
• Direct distribution funding needs for local governments
• Additional funding for the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB)
Stormwater funding to carry out NPDES Phase II obligations. In 2009, the AWC joined with
environmental groups to promote ESHB 1614, calling for imposition of a $1.50-per-barrel fee on
oil at the refinery source. Revenues would be used to help local government address
stormwater issues, particularly those required under NPDES Phase II. A major push for this will
occur in 2010, with cities such as Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver and Bellevue poised to join AWC
and environmental groups. The oil industry and other business groups will attempt to portray
this new fee as a tax. Federal Way could use its share of the revenue on 1) projects that would
enhance water quality for new road projects, 2) projects designed to inventory, assess and
repair surface water infrastructure, and 3) on public education and outreach.
Preserve auto theft funding. Actively work to preserve auto theft funding and ensure against
further cuts to an account that has helped local law enforcement achieve significant success in
the fight against vehicle thefts. Action by the 2007 Legislature to stiffen automobile theft
sentences, and to create an "Auto Theft Prevention Authority" to grant funds to regional law
enforcement teams, has been very successful in reducing the number of vehicle thefts. In 2009,
the Legislature reduced grant funding from $14 million to just under $6 million. This forced the
successful regional auto theft team in South King County to eliminate crime analysts.
Proposed "Support/Oppose" Policy Positions
Environment
• Support increased funding for the Puget Sound Partnership.
• Ensure that with Climate Change, Puget Sound Partnership, etc., cities are not left with expensive
mandates and requirements.
• Support the Secure Medicine Return Bill. Under legislation likely to be brought forward in 2010,
medicine syringes and containers will be collected and disposed to help prevent poisonings,
misuse, and environmental contamination.
- Fire
_ , Support legislation allowing cities served by fire districts the same fire -impact -fee collection,,
,authority that cities with in-house fire departments already have: ,This was in the form of HB 1080 .
in the 2009 Session.
Fiscal/Budget .
• Streamlined Sales Tax (SST) Mitigation Funding: Support efforts by AWC and individual cities to
protect "full -mitigation" funding under SST:
• Protect funding categories critical to cities - Work with the AWC and other cities to preserve
funding for everything from annexation sales tax credit funds to the Public Works Trust Fund to
housing funds to sex offender address verification funds to the Washington Wildlife, Recreation
and Parks (WWRP) program.
• No unfunded mandates, erosion of local authority: This is an annual staple of our Agenda.
• Flexibility/Efficiency/Cost-Savinq Items: Organizations such as AWC are likely to propose some
increased flexibility and efficiency/cost-saving-items to the Legislature to help relieve local
jurisdictions of costs, regulatory burdens, etc. Federal Way has raised issues such as SEPA
duplication, which we can forward to Commerce and others. Be prepared to support.
• Protect existing Public Health funding. Support preservation of existing funding.
• Brokered Natural Gas: Support preservation of the authority of cities to impose a "BNG" tax.
• WCIA immunity issue for municipalities: Support efforts by Green River Valley cities, in concert
with the Washington Cities' Insurance Authority, to assure liability immunity for good -faith flood -
response and flood -prevention actions taken by municipalities. This liability immunity already is in
place for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and for King County.
Flood Response
• "Joint Underwriting Association" established for supplemental flood insurance for Green River
Valley -area businesses: Support a likely 2010 legislative initiative by South King County
lawmakers that involves the establishment of a "Joint Underwriting Association" to assure a way
for Valley -area businesses to obtain supplemental flood insurance.
Funding Requests or Requests involving Taxing/Fee Authority
• "9-1-1 Taxes — New Technologies such as Voice-Over-Intemet Protocol: 9-1-1 taxes are imposed
on land -line and cell -phone calls, but a number of emerging technologies, including VOIP, are not
subject to the tax. Law enforcement, fire, and dispatch centers see this as a major hole in the
system that threatens public safety. In 2009, legislation (2SHB 2029) to address this loophole
came forward. While 2SHB 2029 received a majority vote, it was classified as a tax bill subject to
the 2/3 majority requirements of Initiative 960 and the 2/3 majority was not achieved. This issue
may well be back in 2010 and so will the fee vs. tax' debate.
• *"Local Revitalization Financing" (LRF) Program: Under 2SSB 5045 enacted in 2009, the
Department of Revenue received $2.5 million per year (beginning in 2011) to award as state -
matching funding to economic development projects that demonstrate job -creation and revenue -
generation will occur if public infrastructure investments are made. The DOR will award full or
partial funding to six projects; six others would not receive funding. AWC and several cities will
push for additional per -year funding beginning in 2011. While FW already received "LRF"
funding, it is in our interest to SUPPORT these efforts.
*Public Works Trust Fund: The 2009 Legislature diverted nearly all of the PWTF funds into the
2009-11 operating budget. We seek to list this item as a way to remind the Legislature that
restoring funds for the PWTF is a high priority for local -governments.
General Local Government/Miscellaneous
• Oppose "reject all bids" and "contracting claims" legislation and other related legislation that -
undermines current contracting, bidding authority.
• Oppose efforts by telecommunications companies to undermine local franchising authority.
Housing
• Housing Trust Fund Transitional Housing Opportunity Rental Assistance (THOR), youth shelter
and homelessness funding: Federal Way will support efforts to ensure these programs are not
subject to further cuts, and will push to see housing -related funding cuts restored in 2011.
Law Enforcement-related/Courts
• Law Enforcement Academies: Be prepared to join other law enforcement agencies in opposing
legislation that would unnecessarily undermine the current model of law enforcement academy
funding and training.
• *Support weapons safety legislative initiatives brought forward by others — including safe storage.
• Oppose efforts to reauire Municipal Courts to hear all Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO)
and Anti-Harrasment Order (AHO) ,cases: Municipal Courts currently have discretion to hear
these cases, but are not required to. Legislation was headed off two Sessions ago — nothing
introduced in 2009.
Land-Use/Planning/GMA/Housing & Housing Inspections
• Transit -Oriented Development — Oppose "mandate -driven" — support incentivizing: Last Session
we joined AWC and many individual cities in opposing legislation (SHB 1490) that would have
mandated local jurisdictions to require a 50 units -per -acre level of density around transit stations.
We will join many others in pushing for incentives, not mandates, as a way of encouraging
"transit -oriented development" projects and density around transit stations.
• Support enhanced "Civil Warrant" authority to inspect homes or properties with substandard
conditions.
• Support legislation giving cities and counties more authority to implement changes that arise out
of Subarea Plans (these are exempt from provisions of law that prohibit changes to GMA plans
more often than once per year — but implementing the changes is not).
Parks
• Oppose any "dark skies" legislation that would unnecessarily undermine local control, including
the ability to make local decisions on evening lighting of play fields.
• Support legislative initiatives that clarify authority for parks officials to trap moles/rodents.
• Support efforts to position the Washington Wildlife Recreation and Parks (WWRP) program for
additional funding in 2011.
Personnel/Labor-Management/Liability
• Oppose expansion of leave programs that add costs, burdens
• Oppose expansions to LEOFF and pension programs that add costs, burdens
• Oppose changes to Workers' Compensation and "presumptive illness" laws that add costs,
burdens
• Support legislative initiatives to limit local liability
• Oppose legislation that would add liability exposure -:including areas such as "recreational
immunity" and offender supervision
Public Records/Public Disclosure
• Support legislative initiative to help offset growing costs of dealing with public records
requests: clarify public records requirements for "meta -data" records; enhance ability of local
governments to protect the identity of "complainants whose safety would be *emardized by
public release of their names.
Transportationfrransit
• *Authorization for cities to form "street utilities" for maintenance and preservation needs: Support
street -utility authorizing legislation brought forward by the Association of Washington Cities
(AWC) and a number of individual cities.
• . (NOTE: Bellevue is highly unlikely to bring this forward in 2010)
Proposed Track/Monitor Issues
Budget/Fiscal
• Public defense, indigent defense funding: Guard against reductions, need for added funding.
• Gang prevention/intervention funding -- Support initiatives brought forward by others.
• Support initiatives regarding funding assistance for *ail offender medical costs
Economic Development
• Support authorizing legislation for "Community Facilities Districts"
• Suggort infrastructure funding initiatives
Land-Use/Planning/GMA
Su ort efforts b AWC Planning Directors American Planning Association APA to move GMA
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Plan update requirements from eve Nseven years to eve N10 ears:
• Support additional refinement of annexation laws.
Law Enforcement/Courts
• Track discussions of Courts of Limited Jurisdiction Domestic Violence -Work Groug
General support of most WASPC legislative' initiatives
• Oppose efforts to move 9-1-1 funding oversight from the Military Department to the Washington
State Patrol: The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) will oppose
this if it is proposed, and we would join this effort.
C. Classifying pseudo -ephedrine and phenyl-propanolamine as schedule III controlled substances:
Support WASPC's efforts to have these methamphetamine pre -cursor chemicals classified as
schedule III controlled substances.
• Clarifying legislation on ignition interlocks — be prepared to support.
Transportation
I 'Support technical revisions to Transportation Benefit District (TBD) statute
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