2016 - COFW Legislative Agenda Q
• The City of Federal Way
Federal Way
2
Federal & State
�ary
Leg�slative Priorities
...............
JAL
The City of Federal Way will work with our congressional Tax Incentives
and state legislative delegations to seek ways to mitigate the The City of Federal Way supports a proposal to allow a
environmental and public health impacts of commercial aircraft property tax exemption for qualifying new construction in
coming and going from SeaTac airport over Federal Way. This targeted urban areas and urges our delegation to support this
includes working with neighboring cities; teaming with our legislation. This will allow cities to incentivize
legislators to pass a Joint Resolution or Legislative Memorial new construction in certain designated areas,
to Congress, and to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recruit new businesses, and help create family
seeking solutions to the current flight patterns that are / wage jobs in underdeveloped areas. °.
negatively affecting the citizens of Federal Way. °y
_ - Infrastructure Improvements
o.°
Federal Way will seek funding for infrastructure
improvements in our Town Center, specifically along S 314th
&S 316th. These improvements will have a positive impact
Housing on our redevelopment efforts and benefit both the Town
Federal Way supports the elimination of the property tax Center Project, Performing Arts&Event Center, as well as
exemption for projects financed through the Housing Trust the proposed hotel site. The City appreciates our legislative
Fund (HTF). This incentive is a tremendous burden to cities delegations continued support in this effort.
and school districts as the HTF continues to fund massive
multi-family projects that create immediate and long lasting
impacts to public safety, community and school facilities.
The City of Federal Way encourages our legislative delegation The City of Federal Way will work with our legislative
to direct the DSHS to devise a formula for a balanced delegation to seek additional funding for improvements to the
geographic distribution of licenses for group homes to avoid 1-5/SR-18/SR-161 interchange. This will allow for enhanced
clustering in select residential neighborhoods, straining mobility and ease of access to Federal Way's economic centers.
infrastructure and destabilizing the community environment. The City will work to get additional _
Homelessness, Mental Health,and Drug Treatment funding from the unallocated portions of
Federal Way recognizes the need for greater accessto mental the recently approved gas tax.
health and substance abuse services. Federal Way is grateful to
the Legislature for its help in funding a regional hygiene day Public Records - •
shelter in our city. Together with the state, counties, and other
partners,we support developing strategies to The City of Federal Way and other municipalities need additional
address housing shortages and homelessness tools to resolve conflicts created by excessive public records
in cities of all sizes and locations. requests and requesters seeking voluminous, commercially
driven, or retaliatory requests. Such requests do not provide a
public benefit proportionate to the taxpayer dollars needed to
• fulfill these demands. New tools should include the ability to
seek relief from abusive requests in court, and the authority to
The City of Federal Way requests our legislative delegation to charge a reasonable fee for electronic and commercial requests.
seek $50,000 in capital funding to help finance a Veterans' We also must address the impact new technology has
Monument to be located in the Town Square Park. The on public records requests.
Monument will be a regional tribute honoring all
veterans and continues the city's long-standing Federal Way supports transparency in government
commitment to our veterans, reserve, guard and active and will continue to seek new ways to meet
duty personnel. and enhance this commitment.
• - : The City of Federal Way generally supports
-•- . the Association of Washington Cities ASSOCIATION
aF WASHINGTON
.•• . . - .•. , •; Legislative Priorities. Ci i i ES
- .. . ...
0
(5
. 1 �,2 Legislative •
ASSOCIATION
OF WASHINGTON - ity �) riorities
OFi IES
Washington's 281 cities and towns are where most residents live, learn, work, and play.
Working together, we need to make a concerted and assertive effort to ensure every
legislator knows that the state is only as strong as its cities and towns.
Infrastructure Public Records
Halt the diversion from critical infrastructure Strengthen the Public Records Act in response to
programs to help cities grow and prosper changing technology and burdensome requests
City infrastructure systems are a critical part of a larger Cities support open and transparent government and
network that serves and benefits the entire state.Diversion continue to seek the best ways to meet this commitment.
from programs that support basic local infrastructure means Unfortunately,there are a growing number of requestors who
that communities cannot affordably maintain and secure new monopolize resources with broad,voluminous,commercially-
infrastructure.We need to reboot,and potentially reformulate driven,or retaliatory requests that do not provide a public
this partnership.The state's abandonment of these programs benefit proportionate to the taxpayer dollars needed to
cannot be the only option. fulfill these requests.Cities need additional tools to resolve
conflicts outside the courtroom and the authority to charge
� a reasonable fee for electronic and commercial requests. We
Fiscal S u sta i n a b i l i t
also need to address the impact changing technology has on
Coa.zwufd juiio-rent and flexib a revenue for public records.
essential city services
The current method of funding city services is fundamentally Human Services, Homelessness
broken.Many available revenue options are either constricted, and Affo rd a b l e Housing
restricted,or unpredictable.Cities need stable revenue
streams to provide essential services such as public safety, Itrindnce the provision chi muco needed riumdn
infrastructure,and environmental protection to our growing service programs to address issues that drive
population. increased homelessness and public safety costs
Emergency Responsiveness Cities believe that investment in the state's human services
network is necessary.Greater access to mental health and
Heip cities prepare for and address impacts of substance abuse services is essential.Cities throughout the
natural disasters and other emergencies state are grappling with affordable housing shortages and
homelessness.Together with the state,counties,and other
As a result of recent experiences with devastating wildfires, partners,we need to develop strategies to address housing
landslides,and other emergencies,cities need better ways to shortages and homelessness in cities of all sizes and locations.
address emergency management.Examples include greater
ability to coordinate response and enhance communication in
emergencies,and the authority to ban fireworks sales and use
during dangerous conditions.
DaveWilliams
Directorof Government Relations
Contact: davew@awcnet.org-360.753.4137
Association of • • 1076 Franklin St SE,Olympia, ' 98501 :11 • '•' • •