Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/08/2017 02 Partnerships Committee MeetingBUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDASTATEMENT Item No. 2. For Meeting of: August 8, 2017 ITEM TITLE: Partnership Committee Meeting SUBMITTED BY: SUMMARY EXPLANATION: Discussion Items: 1. Discussion of federal legislative and administrative priorities 2. Discussion of draft letter to U.S. Congress members re: H.R. 2997 3. Discussion of draft letter re: Historic Preservation Commission request for funding generated from recorded documents surcharge ITEM BUDGETED: STRATEGIC PRIORITY: APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL: City Manager STAFF RECOMMENDATION: BOARD/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date D Special meeting • 8/4/2017 D Draft letter DACA 8/4/2017 D Draft letter HR 2997 8/4/2017 D Draft letter Historic Preservation Comm 8/4/2017 D 2017-2018 Leg Priority amended 8/4/2017 Type Cor Memo Cor Memo Co\kr Memo Cover Memo Cover Memo 2 LL ° To: Yakima City Council Members From: Communications & Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler Subject: August 8th Special Council Partnership Committee Meeting Date: Friday, August 4th, 2017 Council members, A special meeting of the Council Partnerships Committee has been called for Tuesday, August 8111 at 1:30 pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Because additional Council members other than those on the Council Partnerships Committee will be attending and thus a Council quorum will be present, the meeting has been noticed as required by the RCW. The meeting agenda includes the following three items: 1. Federal legislative and administrative priorities specifically related to the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ("DACA") program 2. A request for a letter to be sent to various members of the U.S. Congress under Mayor Coffey's signature regarding H.R. 2997 3. A request from the City's Historic Preservation Commission for a letter to be sent to the Yakima County Board of Commissioners under Commission Chair Molly Storrs' signature regarding funding generated from document recording fees Item #1 concerns a proposed response by the City Council regarding the potential for DACA to be rescinded or weakened. DACA provides temporary relief from deportation and a two-year work permit to qualifying young adults ages 15 to 30 who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Mayor Coffey and Councilmember Dulce Gutierrez will present a proposed response, in the form of a draft letter which is included in the special meeting packet, to the potential for DACA to be rescinded or weakened. Item #2 concerns a proposed response by the City Council regarding the 21s1 Century Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization Act ("H.R. 2997"). H.R. 2997 contemplates the privatization of the U.S. air traffic control system. I will present a proposed response, in the form of a draft letter under Mayor Coffey's signature which is included in the special meeting packet, expressing concerns the City has regarding the potential negative effects privatization of the U.S. air traffic control system could have on operations at the Yakima Air Terminal -McAllister Field as well as other airports across the nation. Item #3 concerns a request from the City's Historic Preservation Commission for the commission to send a letter to the Yakima County Board of Commissioners regarding the use of funding generated from document recording fees. I will present a draft letter under the signature of Historic Preservation Committee Chair Molly Storrs, which is included in the special meeting packet, requesting County Commissioners consider allocating a portion of that funding for use by the Historic Preservation Commission to promote historical preservation or historical programs. Please let me know if you have any questions or need more information about any of the items on the August 811' Special Council Meeting agenda. 3 August ---, 2017 The Honorable Donald J. Trump President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President, On July 21St, 2017, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and 19 other attorneys general from across the United States addressed a letter to you urging that you maintain and defend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ("DACA") program that has served more than 750,000 young immigrants so well since it was established in 2012. We, the City Council of the City of Yakima, Washington, wholeheartedly join with Attorney General Ferguson and his fellow attorneys general who added their signatures to the July 21s1 letter in strongly advocating for your support of DACA. The fertile Yakima Valley has long been recognized as a leading agricultural region not only in the U.S., but around the world. Our valley produces more apples, hops, and mint than anywhere else in the country. Other tree fruits like cherries, pears, and peaches, as well as wine grapes, a wide variety of vegetables, and multiple other crops thrive here because of the Yakima Valley's unique soil conditions and climate, sophisticated irrigation networks, leadership in technological advances in agriculture, and unwavering commitment of generations of farming families. The Yakima Valley's agriculture -centric economy, though, would not and could not be as successful as it has been were it not for the qualified and skilled labor force — a labor force largely consisting of immigrants - that harvests, packs, and ships the multitude of crops grown here to markets around the globe. Quite literally, the backbone of our region's internationally -renowned agricultural economy is that immigrant -based labor force. For many of the children of our area's immigrant agricultural workers, the Yakima Valley is the only home they have ever known. This is where they grew up. This is where their families, friends, jobs and lives are. This is their community. DACA offers those daughters and sons of Yakima Valley immigrants a tangible and realistic opportunity to live out the American dream. DACA provides the descendants of the very people who have contributed so enormously to establishing the Yakima Valley as a global agricultural force a legitimate and genuine chance to continue their education, to continue to work and to contribute to our economy, and to continue to realize their American dreams. 4 Supporting comprehensive immigration reform is among the Yakima City Council's highest federal legislative priorities. As the elected policy-making body for the largest city in the Central Washington region and the county -seat of Yakima County, we fundamentally recognize the invaluable impact immigrants have had and will continue to have on our community. Immigrants and their children are intricately woven into the fabric of the Yakima Valley and its economy. Immigrants and their children are inexorably ingrained in our region's past, present, and future. As was noted in the July 21s1 letter to you from Attorney General Ferguson and 19 of his colleagues, you have repeatedly expressed your support of Dreamers. Those "incredible kids", as you have described them, are relying on the promise you made to handle this issue "with heart." The nearly 800,000 Dreamers who were brought to this country by their parents and have since been granted DACA after completing applications, submitting to and passing background checks, and applying for a work permit believed you when you said they should "rest easy." It is on their behalf, and that of the entire Yakima community, that we, the Yakima City Council, implore you to keep their dreams alive by rejecting any attempt to rescind or weaken DACA and, instead, staunchly and adamantly champion its continuation now and for many years to come. Sincerely, Mayor Kathy Coffey Assistant Mayor Carmen Mendez Councilmember Dulce Gutierrez Councilmember Avina Gutierrez Councilmember Bill Lover Councilmember Maureen Adkison Councilmember Holly Cousens 5 August , 2017 The Honorable Suzan DelBene 2442 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Jaime Herrera Beutler 1107 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Cathy McMorris Rodgers 1314 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Pramila Jayapal 319 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Adam Smith 2264 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Ladies and Gentlemen, The Honorable Rick Larsen 2113 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Dan Newhouse 1318 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Derek Kilmer 1520 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Dave Reichert 1127 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Denny Heck 425 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 As members of Washington's congressional delegation, we strongly urge you to oppose the 21st Century Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2997; the "21st Century AIRR Act"). The privatization of our nation's air traffic control ("ATC") system that this legislation contemplates would have severe consequences for the Yakima region and other communities across our state. We are deeply concerned that the 21' Century AIRR Act's proposed transfer of ATC functions to an independent, not-for-profit entity would unduly limit congressional oversight of our nation's aviation system. In our own region, congressional action has helped to preserve essential aviation functions such as the Yakima Air Terminal -McAllister Field's contract tower and contract weather observers. More broadly, congressional oversight is vital to ensure that the public interest is protected, including through the preservation of access to air service for communities large and small throughout the country. In this regard, we believe there is a significant risk that an independent ATC entity substantially controlled by the major airlines would act to benefit those very airlines by prioritizing operations and investment at their large hub airports. This shift in emphasis would be to the detriment of air service access at hundreds of other commercial service and general aviation airports in this country, including Yakima Air Terminal -McAllister Field and other regional airports in Washington. 6 The FAA reauthorization legislation currently pending in the Senate, which does not include the ATC privatization proposal, represents a more reasonable path forward to provide stable and predictable funding for FAA programs. We would greatly appreciate your support in advancing legislation that more closely resembles the Senate bill into law this year, and ensuring that the ATC privatization provisions of the 21st Century AIRR Act do not become law. If the effort to pass comprehensive reauthorization legislation falls short, we ask that you pursue a meaningful extension of current law through September 30, 2018, to allow the FAA to issue all entitlement and discretionary grants for airport improvement projects that will be undertaken in the coming year. We are grateful for your consistent and strong support of the Yakima Air Terminal - McAllister Field and look forward to working with you on this important legislation. Sincerely, Mayor Kathy Coffey YAKIMA HISTORIC PRESERV4TION CMMISSION CITY OF YAKIMA HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION DATE To: Yakima County Commissioners From: City of Yakima Historic Preservation Commission 7 Subject: Request for distribution to promote historical preservation. The City of Yakima is one of. seventy-one Certified Local Government's (CLGs) in the State of Washington. As a CLG participant, the City of Yakima is responsible to maintain a historic preservation commission, survey local historic properties, enforce state or local preservation laws, review National Register Nominations, and provide for public participation in historic preservation activities. The Historic Preservation Commission develops an annual work program of various projects to promote and develop throughout the year. The commission consists of volunteers appointed by the City Council and is assisted by a staff liaison from the planning department. Aside from staff time, the commission has no dedicated budget. In accordance with RCW 36.22.170, a portion (one dollar) of the five dollar surcharge for recorded documents "...shall be used at the discretion of the county commissioners to promote historical preservation or historical programs, which may include preservation of historic documents." It is our understanding that this money has been solely been used for the preservation of historic documents. Our request is that a small amount of the money that can be used at the BOCC's discretion be made available to the City of Yakima's Historic Preservation Commission to supplement the yearly work program. This money would be instrumental in promoting historic preservation efforts in Yakima. Some example of how this money has been used elsewhere can be found here: http://w ww.co.thurston.wa.us/per._ fitting/historic/historic-grants.html Thank you for your consideration. Molly Storrs, Chair Commission Members Molly Storrs • Whitney Stohr • Nancy Kenmotsu • Karl Pasten • Leslie Wahl • Cynthia Hall City of Yakima 2017-2018 Federal Legislative and Administrative Priorities Actively Pursue - Efforts to address homelessness and to reduce barriers to affordable housing and human services programs locally, regionally, and nationally - Comprehensive immigration reform, including passage of the Bar Removal of Individuals Who Dream of Growing Our Economy ("BRIDGE") Act - Increased funding for Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention ("OJJDP") and other federal programs designed to combat gang crime and violence - Efforts by eligible local entities to secure funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's "Choice Neighborhoods" program - Continued funding of the Community Development Block Grant ("CDBG") program at current or increased levels - Funding partners to assist with North 1st Street project costs - Funding from the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act ("TIFIA") program and other available federal sources for critical local transportation projects such as development of streets serving the Mill Site project and the Yakima East-West Corridor project - Support of efforts to secure Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup, and Redevelopment grants Support - Ongoing funding assistance provided to local public safety entities through programs such as Community Oriented Policing Services ("COPS"), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response ("SAFER"), and Local Law Enforcement Block Grants ("LLEBG") - Yakima Basin Integrated Plan funding requests - Development of pilot programs (with accompanying funding) to assist cities in the creation of innovative solutions to combat crime and violence - Development of adequate, predictable, and sustainable funding for airport capital projects and airport economic development projects 8 9 - Efforts to normalize and make consistent regulations and taxing authority applicable to providers of communication services regardless of delivery method (i.e. wireless, satellite, cable, telephony, internet, etc.)