HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/07/2015 04A Washington D.C. Visit Report from City Council DelegationITEM TITLE:
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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 4.A.
For Meeting of: April 7, 2015
Report regarding Washington, D.C. visit from City Council
delegation
Randy Beehler, Communications & Public Affairs Director
Resolution: Ordinance:
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Item Budgeted: NA Amount:
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Strategic Priority: Partnership Development
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City Manager
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4/2/2015
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To: City Council Members
From: Communications & Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler
Subject: Yakima Delegation Visit to Washington, D.C.
Date: Thursday, April 2nd, 2015
Council members,
A City Council delegation consisting of Mayor Cawley, Councilmember Ettl, and
Councilmember Dittmar traveled to Washington, D.C. March 29th through April 1St to meet with
key leaders of several federal agencies. Police Chief Dominic Rizzi and Communications &
Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler accompanied the delegation. A specific focus of the
visit was to coordinate with federal agencies that will be participating in the formation of a
local, state, and federal law enforcement agency task force in the Yakima Valley that will
target our area's most serious criminals. The City's Washington, D.C. lobbyist, June DeHart,
coordinated the visit.
Following are summaries of the meetings the delegation attended while in Washington, D.C.:
- Jonas Singer, co-founder of Union Kitchen
Jonas Singer, a co-founder of Union Kitchen, led the Yakima delegation on a tour of the for-
profit food business incubator's 7500 square foot facility. Union Kitchen was founded in 2013
in order to provide start-up food entrepreneurs with commercial kitchen facilities, assistance
in meeting regulatory requirements, marketing advice and services, product distribution
support, etc. The membership -based Union Kitchen has helped multiple food businesses
succeed using innovative and progressive approaches. The delegation toured the facility and
gained insight from Singer as part of the City's ongoing exploration of a potential public
market/food business incubator/commercial kitchen facility in Yakima.
- Jeffrey Felten -Green, State Policy Advisor — James Chavis, Bureau of Justice
Assistance — Dennis Mondoro, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The Yakima delegation met with officials of the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ"), Bureau
of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs to review the City's anti -gang efforts, which
include partnering with state and federal law enforcement agencies. Potential funding
opportunities were discussed and the delegation was made aware of a grant announcement
notification system that it will now take advantage of. A grant application submitted by
Yakima last year was in the "second tier" of those considered, but was not selected for
funding. The delegation was encouraged by the DOJ officials to continue to apply for funding
opportunities.
- Sandra Webb, Deputy Director for Operations — Danielle Quellette, Program Specialist
— U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
("COPS")
Chief Rizzi emphasized to the COPS officials that the crime rate in Yakima has dropped
significantly in recent years and pointed out that such success only highlights the importance
of maintaining enhanced enforcement efforts in order to continue to realize progress. Webb
encouraged the City to emphasize its community policing efforts when applying for COPS
funding. Quellette offered to be a resource to City staff and provide advice on future grant
application submittals. The delegation was made aware of the COPS "micro -grant" program,
which is geared toward innovative enforcement initiatives, and encouraged to become an
applicant.
- Brooke Chapman, Associate Director — U.S. Department of Transportation, Small
Community Air Service Development Program ("SCASDP"), Office of Aviation Analysis
Cawley, Dittmar and Beehler offered thanks to Chapman on behalf of the City regarding its
recently successful application for SCASDP funding to enhance marketing efforts related to
the Yakima Airport. An application for SCASDP funding submitted by the City in 2013 was
unsuccessful. Based on advice provided by Chapman during a visit from Yakima officials last
spring, the City again applied and was awarded a $290,000 grant. The City will match that
funding level and launch a more aggressive "FLYYKM" marketing campaign later this year.
- John T. Kennedy, Senior Program Analyst — U.S. Department of Transportation, Office
of the Secretary
Ettl, Rizzi and DeHart learned from Kennedy some of the reasons why a recent City
application for a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery ("TIGER") grant
was unsuccessful. The City has applied for TIGER funds to assist with the North 1St Street
Revitalization Project. Kennedy noted that the City's application could have scored higher
were it to have contained more specific job creation, economic enhancement, etc. data. The
information and guidance provided by Kennedy will be incorporated into future City TIGER
funds applications.
- Michele Marie Leonhart, Administrator — Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S.
Department of Justice
Leonhart, a presidential appointee and the highest ranking official in the DEA, along with
several members of her staff met with the Yakima delegation to discuss the pending creation
of a local, state, and federal task force in the Yakima Valley to target the area's most serious
criminals. Chief Rizzi noted the current outstanding relationship between the DEA and the
Yakima Police Department and expressed his optimism concerning the positive impact the
soon -to -be -created task force will have on crime rates in the Yakima Valley. Leonhart, who is
keenly familiar with the illegal drug issues in Yakima and even participated in an operation in
Yakima several years ago, lauded the City for its efforts to combat illegal drug-related crime
through innovative partnerships.
- David Harlow, Deputy Director — U.S. Marshals Service
The Yakima delegation expressed its thanks to Harlow for the cooperative relationship the
U.S. Marshals Service has had and continues to maintain with the Yakima Police Department
and other local law enforcement agencies in the Yakima Valley. Chief Rizzi explained the
design of the local, state, and federal task force that will be formed in the Yakima Valley soon
in order to more effectively target the area's most serious criminals. Harlow mentioned that
some funding may be available soon to help cover overtime costs incurred by local law
enforcement agencies to pay for their officers to be part of such task forces. Chief Rizzi also
suggested the U.S. Marshals Service consider Yakima as a site for its "Operation Triple
Beam" efforts, which focus additional resources on a specific location on a short-term basis
to target and arrest known fugitives. Harlow was receptive to Chief Rizzi's suggestion and
encouraged further discussions to take place.
Melvin King, Assistant Director of Field Operations — U.S. Department of Justice,
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF")
The Yakima delegation met with King and several other ATF officials to discuss ATF's
participation in a local, state, and federal task force being formed in the Yakima Valley to
target the area's most serious criminals. Specifically, Chief Rizzi talked about the process
necessary to have local police officers "credentialed" by the ATF, which will give them the
necessary authority to act on behalf of the federal agency. King noted that the ATF is hiring
more than 300 additional agents this year and that the agency's "... number one objective..."
is partnering with other agencies in order to enhance law enforcement efforts. A Seattle -
based agent who also attended the meeting made the delegation aware of his office's efforts
to expand use of a firearms shell casings data base and encouraged the Yakima Police
Department's active participation, which Chief Rizzi agreed to explore.
Raymond J. Massey, Chief of Staff, Office of State, Local and Tribal Coordination, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The Yakima delegation met with Massey and multiple other U.S. Department of Homeland
Security officials to discuss the agency's participation in a local, state, and federal task force
being formed in the Yakima Valley to target the area's most serious criminals. One Yakima
Police Department officer is already "credentialed" by the agency, meaning that officer can
act on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and two others are beginning the
credentialing process. Debra Park, the agency's National Gang Unit Chief, asked Chief Rizzi
whether Yakima Police Department officers had gone through the agency's Racketeer
Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO") training, which Chief Rizzi committed to
following up on. David Shaw, the agency's Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Seattle
office, encourage the Yakima Police Department to pursue participation in the agency's
National Criminal Analysis Center efforts, which combine criminal investigations with
immigration investigations. Chief Rizzi committed to exploring the potential of such
participation.
- Kerry Sleeper, Assistant Director, Office of Partnership Engagement, Federal Bureau
of Investigation ("FBI")
Chief Rizzi explained to Sleeper how the idea of a local, state, and federal task force being
formed in the Yakima Valley to target the area's most serious criminals grew out of a meeting
he had last year with the FBI's resident agent in charge of the agency's Tri -Cities office.
Sleeper described the task force, presumably the first of its kind in the country, as a
"...progressive approach..." to addressing not only local, but regional and national crime
issues. Sleeper also suggested that Yakima may be a strong candidate for COPS funding,
which was discussed in several other meetings attended by the Yakima delegation during its
visit to Washington, D.C. Additionally, Sleeper referenced a recent change in the FBI's
focus, which is resulting in a greater emphasis on addressing locally -significant crime issues
rather than crime issues that are regionally significant.
Please let me know if you have questions regarding the delegation's Washington, D.C. visit or
any federal legislative and/or administrative issues.