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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCDN 2017-11-13 Item 2A - Resolution - 2018 Legislative AgendaCity of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Public Safety Committee Community Development and Neighborhoods Committee FROM: Rachel Bianchi, Communications and Government Relations Manager CC: Mayor Ekberg DATE: October 31, 2017 SUBJECT: 2018 Legislative Agenda (Updated after PS Committee) ISSUE The City of Tukwila develops an annual legislative agenda for use in Olympia during the legislative session. BACKGROUND The City's Legislative Agenda provides direction to staff and consensus among the elected officials as to what policy positions are taken on behalf of the City of Tukwila during the legislative session. At the Public Safety Committee meeting on November 6, 2017 the following were added to the draft legislative agenda with full support of the Committee: • Economic Development staff asked that an item be added to preserve the flexibility in the definition of "tourist." Last session a bill was considered that would have changed the definition of "tourist" to be visitors from more than 50 miles away or from a different state or country. This change would inhibit Tukwila's ability to attract day visitors with lodging tax funds. Since there is a good change the bill will return in 2018, it seemed prudent to include it on the adopted legislative agenda. • Councilmember Quinn asked, and his colleagues agreed, to include an item on monitoring the effect of the McCleary decision and changes to education funding made in the 2017 legislative session to ensure that Tukwila students are benefiting from these new policies. RECOMMENDATION The Council is being asked to approve the resolution and consider this item at the November 13 Committee of the Whole meeting and subsequent November 20 Regular Meeting. The City's lobbyist, Jennifer Ziegler, will provide a legislative update at the November 20 meeting. ATTACHMENTS Resolution in draft form Attachment A — Updated Legislative Agenda 1 2 [0 I] A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, ADOPTING A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR USE DURING THE 2018 WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. WHEREAS, the City Council has agreed to pursue certain legislative issues for 2018; and WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes this agenda is not all encompassing, in that certain additional items may arise during the legislative session that require support or opposition; and WHEREAS, a legislative agenda outlines the priority issues that elected officials may discuss when speaking to members of the Washington State Legislature; and WHEREAS, the City Council agreed to these priorities at the Regular City Council Meeting on November 20, 2017; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: The Tukwila City Council has identified priorities for the 2018 Washington State Legislative Session that provide a framework for advocacy on behalf of the community. The City of Tukwila 2018 Legislative Agenda is hereby incorporated by reference as Attachment A. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, at a Regular Meeting thereof this day of , 2017. ATTEST/AUTHENTICATED: Christy O'Flaherty, MMC, City Clerk Dennis Robertson, Council President APPROVED AS TO FORM BY: Filed with the City Clerk: Passed by the City Council: Resolution Number: Rachel B. Turpin, City Attorney Attachment A: City of Tukwila 2018 Legislative Agenda W:\Word Processing\Resolutions\Legislative Agenda for 2018 10-31-17 RB:bjs Page 1 of 1 3 4 ATTACHMENT A City of Tukwila 2017 Legislative Agenda Transportation & Infrastructure • Join the US DOT, Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board, the City of Tukwila and other partners to fund the Strander Extension project to increase freight mobility and remove 55,000 vehicles a day from 1-405, 167 and other nearby roadways. • Create stable, reliable infrastructure assistance funding for cities to assist in repairing roads, bridges and other public infrastructure that support economic development. Housing & Human Services • Provide future stable funding for homelessness by eliminating the sunset and increasing the document recording fee. • Create new local options to generate revenue for housing and human services and for capital construction of affordable housing. • We strongly encourage the state to adequately fund human services programs for the health of the safety net. Shared Revenue • The State must continue its role as a partner with cities. • Maintaining existing programs such as Streamlined Sales Tax Mitigation Payments, which provides Tukwila over $1.1 million annually, is part of this partnership. • In addition, the state must retain the local share of liquor taxes to allow jurisdictions to address impacts, such as public safety, of privatized liquor in our cities. Revenue Reform • Allow cities the authority and flexibility to address the fact that growth in the cost of services continue to outstrip revenues. • The state should amend the law that limits annual property tax growth to 1 percent and work with cities to authorize additional funding flexibility and opportunities at the local level. Streamlined Sales Tax Mitigation • Jurisdictions significantly and adversely impacted by the sunset of streamlined sales tax mitigation payments must be made whole. • Department of Revenue's sales tax projections appear to be inflated and indicate significant loss of revenue for the City of Tukwila. Education • Implement needs based funding for allocation of social emotional student support resources and expand funding for learning opportunities for summer school students. • Increase funding for homeless students and secondary ELL student and incorporate early learning for low income students as a part of Basic Education. • Continue to monitor outcomes of the McCleary decision and funding identified in the 2017 legislative session to ensure Tukwila students benefit. Law Enforcement • Increase funding for law enforcement training to ensure that all police officers have access to key resources that save lives. Preserve Lodging Tax Flexibility • Ensure the definition of "tourist" in Washington State remains flexible to allow jurisdictions and Lodging Tax Advisory Committees to distribute lodging tax dollars in a manner that best serves each individual community. 5