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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/04/2019 04Ai Legislative Sessions Review with Luke Esser and Nick Federici $6 ‘QC4i110F.F: ++++,t l�oRpoR.Ev•,$ J BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEMENT Item No.A.i. For Meeting of: June 4, 2019 ITEM TITLE: 2019 Legislative Session Review with Luke Esser and Nick Federici SUBMITTED BY: Cliff Moore, City Manager SUMMARY EXPLANATION: The City of Yakima experienced success during the 2019 session of the Washington State Legislature in achieving positive progress on many of the City's State Legislative Priorities that were adopted by the City Council in fall 2018. Legislation was adopted that addresses multiple City legislative priorities including addressing homelessness and affordable housing, the high rate of domestic violence in Washington State, and gang prevention, intervention, and suppression. Bills were also passed concerning other issues of importance to the City including behavioral health, transportation infrastructure, environmental cleanup, and capital projects. At the Council's June 4th regular meeting, the City's contract lobbyists in Olympia, Luke Esser and Nick Federici, will provide a summary overview of the legislation passed that affect the City as well as give an overview of the most recent session of the state legislature and what the 2020 session may hold. ITEM BUDGETED: STRATEGIC PRIORITY: APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL: City Manager STAFF RECOMMENDATION: BOARD/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: 2 ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date Type ❑ PP 5/23/2019 Corer Memo F da r6ti 1�; .0 1 Yi -� `+ t. . r , ' r lrf. . P .1` 1 1 t _ r M �; ,, , I r-r r pJ4 ' { ^ .a7( NNNIII 1. S. r') _ 1� r ~ � 1 / - i- o N Y 1 W / ce E ilk ,. ,_,,..,....._ .... .. .,_, 44., . ,. r� �, ., . .... ., C _ Cf1 0 x--I rs t r • (�� �1► I ti � � r ilZIP ' �. 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JP h<�RnT\v _ A Focus On �w�N,� _� City of Yakima 2019 Priority Issues State Legislative Priorities Actively Pursue - Increased state funding to support local efforts to provide homeless services and affordable housing, including incentives for private developers to invest in Our efforts were focused on low-to-moderate income housing - Replacing the one percent property tax revenue limit with a limit tied to cost drivers (SB 5772— HB 1764) the City of Yakima's adopted - Legislation designed to address the high rate of domestic violence present in /� © Washington State (SHB 2820) 2019 State Legislative - Equitable distribution of marijuana excise tax revenue to local government (SB 6552 — HB 2124) Priorities and on other priority - Increased state funding to support local gang prevention, intervention, and suppression programs based on data generated from Yakima's pilot program issues that developed during Support the 2019 Legislative Session as - Efforts to reform and enhance the state behavioral health system - Increased state funding to assist cities in meeting indigent defense obligations (HB 2031 — HB 2012) directed by Communications & - Full funding of the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Academy - Legislation allocating one percent (1%) of the airport fuel tax imposed by RCW 82.12.020 to Public Affairs Director Randy the aeronautics account to be used for airport capital projects(HB 2754) - Removing the July 1,,, 2019 sunset language from RCW 43.43.960, which would allow "all risk resources" mobilizations to continue (HB 2508) Beehler and by City Manager Monitor CliffMoore. - Legislation providing greater flexibility in the use of public funds for economic development purposes - Legislation allowing municipal fire departments and fire districts to obtain reimbursement from parties found liable for causing an incident requiring a fire department and/or fire district response (HB 2460) Actively Pursue Issues : Support of local efforts to provide homeless services and affordable housing, including incentives for private developers • 1406 allows local jurisdictions to utilize a portion of existing state sales tax revenues. ➢ City of Yakima could receive between $142,600 and $285,200 per year. • 1923 offers incentives, including up to $100,000 in planning grants, to jurisdictions that adopt specified, voluntary affordable housing and urban density policies. • 5334 enacts condominium liability reform to stimulate private condo construction. • 1219 allows use of 0.25% REET 2 for homelessness & affordable housing, until 2025. • Capital Budget included $175 million for the Housing Trust Fund . • Operating Budget included $ 15 million for permanent supportive housing and youth homelessness, and $14.5 million for the Housing and Essential Needs program. Actively Pursue Issues : Legislation designed to address the high rate of domestic violence present in Washington State • 1041 — "New Hope" program of eased conditions for receiving a certificate of discharge for a felony conviction and vacating convictions. • 1149 — Changes the Sexual Assault Protection Order statute to clarify that petitioners do not need to allege reasonable fear of future dangerous acts. • 1225 — Requires confiscation of all guns and ammunition of alleged abuser when probable cause of crime exists, may not be returned for at least five days. • 1517 — Omnibus DV bill that addresses no-contact orders, risk assessments, sentencing, supervision and treatment, and more. • 1532 — Concerning traumatic brain injuries in DV cases (requires training and data collection by law enforcement, information sharing with victims). • 1533 — Workplace DV resource availability poster. Actively Pursue Issues : Increased state funding to support local gang prevention, intervention, and suppression programs based on data generated frm Yakima 'spilot p program • El Nuevo Camino did not receive a specific appropriation in the 2019-21 Operating Budget (and neither did any other gang prevention program in the state) . • Instead the state provided $1 million for a competitive grant program focused on criminal street gang prevention and intervention . The Department of Children, Youth & Families will administer the grant application process, and it appears that El Nuevo Camino is well-positioned to be a leading grant applicant, based on the priority language contained in the budget proviso: "The department of children, youth, and families shall give priority to applicants who have demonstrated the greatest problems with criminal street gangs. Applicants composed of, at a minimum, one or more local governmental entities and one or more nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that have a documented history of creating and administering effective criminal street gang prevention and intervention programs may apply for funding under this subsection. " Actively Pursue Issues : Replacing the 1% property tax revenue limit with one tied to cost drivers • HB 2145 would have increased the local government property tax revenue limit to the sum of population growth and inflation, up to a maximum of three percent, but it failed to receive a public hearing. Equitable distribution of marijuana excise taxes to local governments • Distributions to local governments in the 2019-21 Operating Budget remained at $30 million, as was the case in 2017-19, instead of the $40 million anticipated when the current distributions were approved in 2015. • HB 1959 would have increased marijuana excise tax distributions to local governments (mostly to counties), but it failed to receive a public hearing. • HB 1008 to study the constitutional and statutory obligations and tax revenue capacity of local governments passed unanimously out of the House Local Government Committee but died in the House Appropriations Committee. Support Issues : Efforts to reform and enhance the behavioral health system • Capital Budget had $ 118 million for Community BH Beds, $47 million competitive pool and $71 million for specific projects, including $4 million for Yakima : ➢ $2.2 million for Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital ➢ $1.0 million for Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic Children's Village ➢ $488,000 for Yakima Neighborhood Health Services ➢ $309,000 for Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic • Operating Budget had $59 million to contract with community providers for beds for individuals coming out of state hospitals and other long-term placements. • 1767 includes $2.4 million to support local government efforts to divert persons with BH needs and disorders from the criminal justice system into treatment. • 5444 codified "Trueblood" settlement for timely competency evaluations and services, included $4 million for local law enforcement MH Field Response Program. • Capital Budget also provided $33.2 million to the UW for the predesign, planning, and design of a new 150-bed BH Teaching Facility in North Seattle. Support Issues : Increased funding to assist cities with indigent defense costs • Legislation to phase in full state funding for local government public defense expenses over ten years ( 1086 & 5098) never advanced . Would have cost the state over $200 million per biennium when fully implemented . Full funding of the Basic Law Enforcement Academy • Full funding was included in the 2019-21 Operating Budget for 19 Basic Law Enforcement Academy ( BLEA) classes per year, as requested by the Criminal Justice Training Commission and local governments. • Bills to Shorten Waiting Period for BLEA Training ( 1253 & 5944) failed to advance. These bills would have reduced the statutory waiting period for an officer to receive BLEA training from six months to two months. Support Issues : Aviation legislation affecting Yakima Air Terminal • $5 million for initial funding of a Community Aviation Revitalization Loan program for public use airports was included in the 2019-21 Capital Budget. Fortunately, YKM meets the 75,000 enplanements/year eligibility threshold . • Legislation allocating 1% of the airport fuel tax to the aeronautics account to be used for airport capital projects ( 1457) did not advance. • 1917 authorizes a new exemption from the general prohibition against body- gripping traps for aviation managers to protect human and aviation security. • CWU received no funding in the Capital Budget for airplanes or hangars for its aviation program as the debate continues on the future location of the program. Support Issues : Removing the July 1st, 2019, sunset language from RCW 43 .43 .960, which would allow "all risk resources" mobilizations to continue • 1770 passed, removing the expiration date of July 1st, 2019, that was created by HB 1389 in 2015 . So "all risk resources" mobilizations will be allowed to continue indefinitely. • All risk resources may not be mobilized to assist law enforcement during the exercise of constitutionally protect First Amendment rights or other protected concerted activity, however fire departments may provide medical care and firefighting when mobilized for any purpose . Monitor Issues : Legislation providing greater flexibility in the use of public funds for economic development purposes • 1746 allows a city outside King County to create local sales tax & property tax incentives to promote the development of commercial office space. • AWC priority bill 5564 failed to advance. • 5511 creates a program of grants and loans to expand broadband access in unserved areas, Capital Budget provided $21.5 million . Legislation allowing fire departments to be reimbursed by parties found liable for causing an incident response • 1169 would have entitled fire departments and fire districts to recover the actual costs of the cleanup of hazardous materials from insurers, but died in the Senate. Additional Priorities : Legislation related to City's Streetlight Replacement Program • 1594 clarifies the exemption for wiring and equipment associated with telecommunications installations. Expected to save the City of Yakima over a million dollars in its streetlight replacement program . Capital Budget : • $40 million for the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan • $1.2 million DOE Remedial Action Grant for the Tiger Oil site on North First • Three Floodplains by Design projects, including: • $8,072,000 Yakima Gap to Gap • $4,275,000 Upper Yakima • $531,000 Cowiche Naches • Many Local & Community Projects also received funding: • $22,700,000 for the Yakima Valley College West Campus expansion • $2,500,000 for Veterans Supportive Housing • $875,000 for the Larson Gallery Renovation • $737,000 for the Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic • $600,000 for the SOZO Indoor Sports Complex • $500,000 for the Innovative Health Care Learning Center Phase 1 • $469,000 for the Yakima County Veterans Dental Facility Transportation Budget : • $1 Million for 72nd & Washington Roundabout. • $650,000 for 48th & Washington Intersection Improvements. • Hazardous Substances Tax Increase Proviso (5993) was attached to both of the above projects, bill was passed to raise Hazardous Substances Tax. • $250,000 for feasibility study of an east-west intercity passenger rail system, including a Stampede Pass corridor alignment that might include City of Yakima. • Terrace Heights Transit Extension received $191,000 in one-time money in House Proposal, but none in final version. Thank You Very Much For This Wonderful Opportunity We look forward to answering your questions .Luke &iwi JV1Ck ectexici