HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/17/2015 04E Association of Washington Cities Membership Costs and BenefitsBUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 4.E.
For Meeting of: February 17, 2015
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ITEM TITLE: Memorandum re: Association of Washington Cities
membership costs and benefits
SUBMITTED BY: Randy Beehler, Communications & Public Affairs Director
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
At its February 3rd business meeting, the City Council asked for a summary to be prepared
regarding the costs and benefits the City receives through its membership in the Association of
Washington Cities ("AWC") and the costs associated with the City's AWC membership. The
attached memorandum provides an overview of how the City utilizes the services the AWC
provides in five core areas: 1) Technical Assistance; 2) Publications and Other Resources; 3)
Educational Training; 4) Member Programs; and, 5) Legislative Advocacy.
Resolution: Ordinance:
Other (Specify):
Contract: Contract Term:
Start Date: End Date:
Item Budgeted: NA Amount:
Funding Source/Fiscal
Impact:
Strategic Priority: Partnership Development
Insurance Required? No
Mail to:
Phone:
APPROVED FOR
SUBMITTAL:
RECOMMENDATION:
City Manager
N/A
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Memorandum - Assocciation of Washington Cities
Membership Costs & Benefits
AWC Strategic Plan 2/11/2015
AWC 2015 Legislative Priorities 2/11/2015
Upload Date
2/11/2015
Type
Cover Memo
Cover Memo
Cover Memo
NE CD
HELM
To: Yakima City Council Members
From: City Manager Tony O'Rourke
Communications & Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler
Subject: Association of Washington Cities Membership Benefits
Date: Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
Council Members,
At its February 3rd business meeting, the City Council asked for a brief summary to be
prepared regarding the benefits the City receives through its membership in the
Association of Washington Cities ("AWC") and the costs associated with the City's AWC
membership.
The AWC provides a wide array of services to its membership, which has consistently
included all cities and towns (currently numbering 281) in Washington State. The AWC
was originally founded during a conference in Yakima in 1933 which was held to develop a
mechanism by which cities would share in revenues generated from state -permitted liquor
sales.
AWC membership fees are determined by a per -capita calculation and vary slightly based
on population categories established by the AWC Board of Directors. The City of Yakima
is in the 20,001 to 100,000 population category and pays an annual membership fee
determined by a .6865 per -capita calculation. With a population of approximately 93,000,
the City of Yakima's annual membership fee in 2015 is just under $64,000.
The AWC provides services in five core areas: 1) Technical Assistance; 2) Publications and
Other Resources; 3) Educational Training; 4) Member Programs; and, 5) Legislative
Advocacy.
The City of Yakima particularly relies on the technical assistance services provided
by the AWC.
- City staff often rely on the AWC's staff of subject matter experts for advice and
guidance on topics ranging from municipal finance to law and justice,
telecommunications to public records.
- The AWC's Grant Alert provides regular updates on currently available state and
federal funding opportunities the City of Yakima can take advantage of.
- All City of Yakima job openings are posted free of charge on the AWC's JobNet
webpage and are viewed by potential candidates nationwide.
- The City Fiscal Conditions report offers insight into mechanisms and approaches
being utilized by local government to address financial challenges.
- The State of the Cities ongoing research project explores the financial health of
cities and towns statewide. Comprehensive State of the Cities reports are compiled
by the AWC every four years and updates are published annually.
- The AWC developed the City Trends Report, which identifies key issues local
government must consider in the rapidly -evolving public sector environment and
formed the basis for the AWC's Strategic Plan (see attached).
The AWC regularly publishes numerous fact sheets, reports, manuals, studies, etc.
that the City of Yakima and other local government entities utilize as resource
materials.
- The AWC's Legislative Bulletin is published weekly during legislative sessions and
monthly during interims and provides City staff and elected officials with timely
information about activities in Olympia and alerts staff and elected officials when
critical input is needed on pending legislation
- The Clerk -Treasurer's Reference Tool, the Tax & User Fee Survey, the Budgeting
for Cities and Towns in Washington State handbook, and the Washington City &
County Salary & Benefit Survey are examples of resource materials created by the
AWC that provide reliable data used by the City to develop well-reasoned and
defensible policies and procedures.
- CityVoice, the AWC's weekly e-Newsletter, is used by City staff to stay informed
about the evolving public sector landscape.
- Cityvision is the AWC's bi-monthly magazine and features relevant articles and
information on emerging issues affecting cities and towns.
- The Mayor & Council Handbook, 53 Suggestions for Successful Public Service, So
You Want to Be an Elected Official, and Forming Successful Partnerships are a few
examples of AWC publications designed to provide elected officials with valuable
information about governing.
The AWC provides comprehensive training and educational opportunities to its
members covering a variety of topics ranging from the highly technical (public
sector resource management, quasi-judicial land use decision making,
comprehensive loss control, etc.) to basic governance principles (effective local
leadership, parliamentary procedure, roles and responsibilities of elected officials,
etc.).
- Each year the AWC conducts its Labor Relations Institute in Yakima, which City
staff consistently attends, provides guidance regarding the many unique aspects
and evolving nature of public sector employment law.
- The AWC's Annual Conference, which is regularly attended by City staff and
elected officials, provides the most up-to-date information about topical issues
affecting cities and towns in Washington State and provides meaningful
opportunities to learn from the experience of others.
- Through its Certificate of Municipal Leadership Program, the AWC equips local
elected officials with the skills they need to effectively operate within the law, plan
for the future, secure and manage funds appropriately, and foster positive staff and
community relationships.
Many more training and educational programs, offered both in person and online, are
provided by AWC trainers throughout the year and are regularly attended by City staff.
Through member programs such as its Employee Benefits Trust, Risk Management
Services Agency, Drug and Alcohol Consortium, and Workers' Compensation
Retrospective Ratings Program and others, the AWC augments and enhances
services provided by individual entities.
- The AWC is a founding member of the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing
Alliance ("USCGPA"). As a member of the AWC, the City's purchasing power is
enhanced through its agreement with the USCGPA. As one example, during the
first phase of the Downtown Yakima Futures Initiative the City saved more than
$175,000 on the purchase of vintage-looking light poles.
- City staff regularly attend the AWC's annual Healthy Worksite Summit and
Wellness Networking Forums to formulate strategies to reduce healthcare costs.
- The City of Yakima is a multi-time winner of the AWC's WellCity Award, which
recognizes excellence and best practices by local government in the promotion of
employee health.
- The City has won multiple AWC Municipal Excellence Awards, including in 2008 for
its Downtown Yakima Futures Initiative and in 2013 for opening its miCare in-house
employee healthcare clinic.
The AWC's legislative advocacy efforts primarily focus on the interests of cities and
towns in Washington State as a whole, rather than on positions adopted by
individual entities regarding specific pieces of legislation.
- The City's Olympia lobbyist, Jim Justin (a former AWC Director of State and
Federal Relations), works hand-in-hand with AWC staff to advance the City's
specific legislative agenda and to promote the priorities established by the Yakima
City Council.
- Jim regularly attends meetings convened by the 10 largest cities in the state to
discuss legislative issues of high importance to them and attends weekly meetings
with AWC lobbyists during legislative sessions to coordinate efforts.
- The AWC Legislative Committee, which consists of 40 representatives from the
smallest towns to the largest cities in the state, drafts broad legislative priorities
each year through a multi-month process. Yakima Assistant Mayor Kathy Coffey
currently serves on the AWC Legislative Committee. Ultimately, the AWC Board of
Directors adopts a set of priorities (see attached 2015 priorities).
The City of Yakima's membership in the AWC provides it with ready access to training,
data, analysis, etc. concerning a wide variety of local governance issues crucial to
operating a municipal corporation. The legislative advocacy, educational training,
publications and other resources, technical assistance, and member programs provided
by the AWC combine to give the City of Yakima and the 280 other cities and towns in
Washington State tools, information, and knowledge necessary to deliver services to
citizens as efficiently and effectively as possible.
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Mission
AWC's mission is to serve
our members through
advocacy, education and
services.
Vision
AWC is a highly
respected voice of
cities and towns
before the Legislature,
Congress, government
agencies and others.
We are the leader
in providing valuable
services and continuing
education for our
membership. We are the
catalyst for promoting
communication between
cities and towns and for
developing a broad public
understanding of the
important roles of cities and
towns across the state.
ntroduction
In 2009, the Board of Directors of the Association of Washington Cities unveiled
a historic strategic plan. The framework for the 2009 plan was based upon a
traditional Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis that lead to
the creation of the AWC Mission, Vision and Strategic Goals.
After three years of working to accomplish nearly all of the goals and strategies
of the 2009 Strategic Plan, AWC embarked upon a new approach to developing
the next generation strategic plan. With a solid foundation built since 2009, this
new approach used as its foundation the 2012 City Trends Report. The Trends
Report, which was developed through the use of member surveys, focus groups,
existing publications, and AWC staff input, identified the most pressing issues
for Washington's cities now and well into the future.
In August 2012, the AWC
Board came together to consider new directions
and possibilities for AWC by seeking to answer the following questions:
• What is the role of city government in a quickly -evolving, dynamic, global
economy? And,
• How can AWC remain relevant to our members and help cities respond
to emerging trends?
• What opportunities do the trends suggest that will enable AWC to
provide outstanding services to its members?
The process was both deliberative and, certainly deliberate. The updated
strategic plan sums up the conclusions of that process and provides a road
map for the future of this great association of cities committed to being
continually relevant and of value to its members.
By way of introduction to the updated strategic plan, several important
points should be noted. The first is that the AWC Mission remains the
same. Advocacy, Education and Services is still the right one for AWC.
Likewise, the Vision of being the highly respected voice of cities,
a leader in providing valuable services and continuing education,
for promoting communications between cities and towns and for
developing a broad public understanding of the important roles
of cities and towns remains firmly in our mind's eye. Finally and
importantly our Core Beliefs of Leadership, Excellence, Advocacy,
Diversity, Education, Responsiveness, and Service provide the
foundation upon which the organization is built.
What follows are the strategic goals and components of the plan.
The tasks necessary to achieve these goals will be incorporated into
the AWC annual budgets and work plans over the next several years.
Strategic Goals
A. Reform, reset, and educate
for long-term municipal fiscal
sustainability. Every city and
town should be assured of
sufficient fiscal capacity to
provide for the delivery of basic
services to its citizens.
AWC is passionate about and will
accomplish this goal by:
• Advocating far local control of
revenue options, fiscal flexibility
and viability
• Seeking to eliminate unfunded
and underfunded mandates that
reduce cities' ability to provide
needed services
B. Promote economic
development and community
revitalization to maintain and
enhance vibrant communities
and "main streets". Cities
need economic development
and planning took that assist
in maintaining, expanding, and
diversifying local economies.
AWC is passionate about and will
accomplish this goal by:
• Advocating for economic
development toots that include
appropriate state infrastructure
programs and flexible local
funding options for all cities and
towns
• Communicating and educating on
the best practices that make a
city a great place to live/work,
conduct business and create jobs
• Providing opportunities for city
leaders to share and Learn about
new fiscal models and strategies
• Helping cities learn about and
adapt to new management styles
necessary for long-term fiscal
sustainability
Strategic components include:
• Continuous efforts in working
with and through the Legislative
Priorities Committee, other
committees, and the AWC
Board of Directors to adopt
and pursue legislative priorities
that ensure fiscal sustainability
and flexibility: work to restore
diverted liquor revenue; retain
existing state -shared city
revenues; and preserve current
local revenue authorities.
Educating cities on how to
foster diverse economies
by encouraging workforce
development, technology and
partnerships that help to retain
and build businesses in aur
communities
Research, communicate
and educate on strategies
that enhance technological
infrastructure systems that
reflect changing workplace and
business environments
Strategic components include:
■ Pursuing authorization of tax
increment financing and other
toots that help foster job
retention and creation
• Pursue funding for critical
mandates like municipal
stormwater as weft as seek
to ensure legislative and
administrative restraint in adding
new unfunded or underfunded
mandates
• Continue to advocate for greater
flexibility to respond to fiscal
challenges, such as managing
personnel costs through
partnerships and collaborative
efforts
• Conduct research on new
opportunities and best practices
for fiscal sustainability
• Communicate research results
and best practices
• Educate members an the best
practices, new models and
strategies for tong term fiscal
sustainability.
• Collaborating with the state
and other partners in an
effort to increase multi -modal
transportation funding and
expand sustainable revenue
options for infrastructure
• Maintaining aggressive efforts
to preserve funding for critical
infrastructure programs like the
Public Works Trust Fund, and
to avoid diversion of capital
investment dollars to the state
general fund
• Conducting research and
developing reports, tools, and
educational programs regarding
best practices, economic and
workforce development and
effective use of technology
C. Facilitate civic engagement,
youth outreach, leadership
development and volunteerism.
In order to fully understand
the value of cities and towns.
citizens need opportunities to
become educated, empowered
and inspired through positive
interactions with their local
governments.
AWC is passionate about and will
accomplish this goat by:
• Continuing to establish the
Center for Quality Communities
in order to advance the AWC
vision of developing a broad
public understanding of the
important roles of cities and
towns
D. Develop strategies for effective
use of technology. Cities
need innovative solutions to
respond to the challenges and
opportunities presented by
rapidly advancing technology
to operate more efficiently,
foster greater transparency and
enhance accountability.
E. Establish and encourage
efficiencies, partnerships
and collaboration efforts.
Faced with less revenue and
staff, cities are re-examining
priorities and evaluating services
provided. As a result they must
identify internal efficiencies, and
develop new partnerships.
AWC is passionate about and will
accomplish this goat by:
• Advocating the importance of
cities to the state's economic
health and the benefits of the
state/city partnership
• Encouraging policies that
ensure the authority of cities to
contract or partner with public
and private entities to provide
needed services and programs
• Researching effective
partnership models and share
opportunities for cities and
• Creating educational
opportunities and tools
for fostering community
conversations about cities, the
services provided and holy they
are financed
• Developing strategies and
methods for reaching and
engaging younger audiences
• Developing programs and tools to
support cities in recruiting and
managing community volunteers
• Developing strategies that
encourage the development of
future civic leaders, including
minority populations
AWC is passionate about and will
accomplish this goal by:
• Improving services to AWC
members through enhanced
technology, communication and
member engagement tools
• Helping cities embrace
21st Century technology by
discovering and building new
ways to interact with and involve
citizens
• Providing opportunities for city
leaders to effectively navigate
in a highly -technological
environment
• Sharing communication
towns to partner with each other
and with other organizations
in order to promote increased
efficiencies and effectiveness of
municipal services
• Building upon relationships with
other associations and local
organizations to address local
government challenges and
facilitate strong relationships
at the state, regional, and
community level
• Recognizing the changing
workforce and research
and provide information to
assist members to manage
demographic shifts and the
evolving workforce
Strategic components include:
• Completing the business plan
and other foundational work
needed to position the Center
for Quality Communities for
growth and success
• Develop a local government
civics course for use by cities
• Develop communications tools to
help cities tell their stones more
effectively
• Collaborate with existing youth
organizations to form a cohesive
network linking youth to civics
education and government
service
strategies to reach diverse
communities
• Helping cities become more
effective leaders in virtual
citizen participation
Strategic Components include:
• Upgrade AWC's outdated
technology platform in order to
position AWC to more effectively
serve its members
• Provide teaming opportunities
for city staff and elected
officials in the use of
modern technological and
communications resources
• Conduct significant research,
develop reports, tools and
educational opportunities on
what cities need to be more
effective community leaders in a
highly technological environment
Strategic components include:
• Research and publish information
on effective partnership models
• Develop educational
opportunities for elected officials
to learn more about succession
planning, charactenstics of
generational differences, and
leadership
• Continue to evaluate current
and future partnerships, and
avoid duplication of efforts and
services
City LegisPative Priorities
Washington's 281 cities and towns are where most residents live, work, learn, and play. Cities recognize the
serious funding challenges facing the state involving the need to adequately fund quality schools and maintain
economically viable communities. Cities face many of these same challenges and pledge to partner with the
Legislature and Governor to find ways to adequately fund both state and local priorities.
Shared Revenue
Maintain the revenue sharing partnership
between the state and cities and restore local
liquor revenue. Sharing of these revenues is the
product of a longstanding partnership, and without
the promise of this revenue, cities would have
sought other local options and authorities.
■
Marijuana
Fund critical criminal justice needs by sharing
a portion of the excise tax on recreational
marijuana. The state and local governments must
partner to respond to the legalization of marijuana,
including support for enforcement, prevention,
and education efforts. We must also appropriately
regulate medical marijuana while maintaining
patient access.
■
Transportation L_
Adopt a multi -modal transportation package that
addresses city needs. Like the state, cities have
insufficient funding to maintain and enhance critical
transportation infrastructure. We urge passage of
a statewide transportation revenue package that
includes direct distribution of gas tax revenues
to cities at a percentage that reflects the actual
amount of travel that occurs on city streets; an
array of local transportation revenue options; and
increased funding for programs that benefit cities,
including the Transportation Improvement Board,
Safe Routes to Schools, Bicycle and Pedestrian
grants, Complete Streets, transit, and freight
mobility.
awcnet. org
Infrastructure
Restore the state's commitment to public
infrastructure investment. To keep Washington
moving forward and to keep up with demand and
regulatory requirements we need on-going and
reliable funding for programs like the Public Works
Assistance Account, the Centennial Clean Water
Fund and the Model Toxics Control Account.
•
Property Tax
Consider replacing the 1% property tax cap with
an annual limit that accounts for inflation and
population growth. A local option would balance
the public's desire for property tax limits with the
reality of keeping pace with funding service needs.
■
AWC is now following how legislators respond to our
2015 priorities and other city issues and sharing this
information with our members.
FHL
ASSOCIATION
OF WASHINGTON
CiTiES
Dave Williams
Director of Government Relations
davew@awcnet.org
360.753.4137 • 1.800.562.0149
3/6/15
City Legislative Priorities
Washington's 281 cities and towns are where most residents live, work, learn, and play. Cities recognize the
serious funding challenges facing the state involving the need to adequately fund quality schools and maintain
economically viable communities. Cities face many of these same challenges and pledge to partner with the
Legislature and Governor to find ways to adequately fund both state and local priorities.
Shared Revenue
Maintain the revenue sharing partnership
between the state and cities and restore local
liquor revenue. Sharing of these revenues is the
product of a longstanding partnership, and without
the promise of this revenue, cities would have
sought other local options and authorities.
■
Marijuana
Fund critical criminal justice needs by sharing
a portion of the excise tax on recreational
marijuana. The state and local governments must
partner to respond to the legalization of marijuana,
including support for enforcement, prevention,
and education efforts. We must also appropriately
regulate medical marijuana while maintaining
patient access.
w
Transportation
Adopt a multi -modal transportation package that
addresses city needs. Like the state, cities have
insufficient funding to maintain and enhance critical
transportation infrastructure. We urge passage of
a statewide transportation revenue package that
includes direct distribution of gas tax revenues
to cities at a percentage that reflects the actual
amount of travel that occurs on city streets; an
array of local transportation revenue options; and
increased funding for programs that benefit cities,
including the Transportation Improvement Board,
Safe Routes to Schools, Bicycle and Pedestrian
grants, Complete Streets, transit, and freight
mobility.
Infrastructure
Restore the state's commitment to public
infrastructure investment. To keep Washington
moving forward and to keep up with demand and
regulatory requirements we need on-going and
reliable funding for programs like the Public Works
Assistance Account, the Centennial Clean Water
Fund and the Model Toxics Control Account.
Property Tax
Consider replacing the 1% property tax cap with
an annual limit that accounts for inflation and
population growth. A local option would balance
the public's desire for property tax limits with the
reality of keeping pace with funding service needs.
AWC is now following how legislators respond to our
2015 priorities and other city issues and sharing this
information with our members.
L
1
L -h
n
J
di` E.
ASSOCIATION
pF WASHINGTON
CiTiES
Dave Williams
Director of Government Relations
davew@awcnet.org
360.753.4137 • 1.800.562.0149
2/6/15
awc net. ori