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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/05/2016 13A Memorandum from June De Hart, Washington D.C. Lobbyist xs .1 � ,may s. n. BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDASTATEMENT Item No. 13.A. For Meeting of: April 5, 2016 ITEM TITLE: Memorandum from June DeHart, Washington, D.C. Lobbyist SUBMITTED BY: Randy Beehler, Communications & Public Affairs Director SUMMARY EXPLANATION: Included in the packet for the April 5th Council business meeting under "Council General Information" is a memorandum from June DeHart, the City's contract lobbyist in Washington, D.C. In the memo, June provides information about some of the major issues she has worked on for the City in the past, several issues she is currently championing for the City, some suggestions for greater City involvement in federal issues, and a variety of grants the City may consider applying for in 2016. ITEM BUDGETED: NA STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Partnership Development ore APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL Interim City Manager STAFF RECOMMENDATION: BOARD /COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date Type D Me random re: federal lobbying memorandum 3116/2016 Co r Memo Memorandum from June DeHart, Washington, D.C. 311612016 Omer Memo Lobbyist NE MO AD To: Yakima City Council Members From: Communications & Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler Subject: Memorandum from June DeHart, Washington, D.C. Lobbyist Date: March 16 2016 Council Members, Included in the packet for the April 5 Council business meeting under "Council General Information" is a memorandum from June DeHart, the City's contract lobbyist in Washington, D.C. In the memo, June provides information about some of the major issues she has worked on for the City in the past, several issues she is currently championing for the City, some suggestions for greater City involvement in federal issues, and a variety of grants the City may consider applying for in 2016. June has skillfully represented the City for many years before members of Congress, the White House, and federal agencies. She has played a key role in the City securing funding for major infrastructure projects (underpasses, road improvements, etc.), the FLYYKM marketing campaign, and various other programs and services. June has advocated for the City before elected officials and agency representatives to advance policy objectives important to the City. On Wednesday, April 13 June will be in Yakima and will be available to meet with Council members to discuss the role she plays as the City's contract lobbyist in Washington, D.C. June will discuss the issues she is currently working on for the City and will provide information about how the City can best utilize the services she provides through her firm, Manatt Phelps & Phillips. Please let me know if you have any questions about how June advocates for the City in Washington, D.C. prior to her visit to Yakima in mid - April. Memorandum To: Yakima City Council Members From: June DeHart, Lobbyist, Manatt Phelps & Phillips Subject: Federal Representation for City of Yakima 2016 Date: March 16 2016 Council members, Manatt Phelps & Philips appreciates our longstanding relationship with the City of Yakima representing you before the U.S. Congress, the Administration, and the Federal Agencies here in Washington D.C., and we look forward to working together in the year to come. As you know, we have assisted the City on its transportation and urban development projects, developing Federal funding for the City's major grade separation projects. We have interfaced with the Department of Justice, BATF, and other law enforcement agencies on gang and drug related initiatives. We have worked with the Department of Transportation to assist funding from the Small Community Air Service Development Program and to provide Congressional and other support for TIGER applications. We have organized annual Congressional delegation visits to brief and update Members on projects, issues and to seek support for City initiatives, as well as organize assorted meetings around Washington such as our Union Kitchen visit. We anticipate that we will continue to tackle and provide targeted services and trouble- shooting as needed by the City. On our current list of issues for Yakima include supporting funding for the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan, monitoring the GSA process for the Marine Corps Reserve Center, monitoring internet sales taxes, and interfacing with IACP and the Congressional delegation on Equitable Sharing Fund issues that impact Police services and the Gang Crimes Task Force. At such time as the City deems appropriate, we will also organize a visit to Washington with Congressional representatives and other interests to confer on the City's legislative and regulatory agenda. We look forward to discussing these and other priorities during the April visit to Yakima. As we go forward, it seems a good time also to consider other avenues for involvement in the national policy arena for the Mayor and City Council and to identify other potential funding opportunities that may help to meet some of the needs of the City. Two national organizations that the City may want to enhance its involvement are the premier municipal associations that broadly represent cities on national issues - the U.S. Mayors Conference (USMC) and the National League of Cities (NLC). Both offer annual and issue - oriented conferences and task forces to advance national priorities, share best practices and innovative approaches to local problems and educate members on the impact of federal policy and legislation. Annual dues for these organizations are calculated by population. Estimated dues for the a city the size of Yakima is approximately $5,269.00 for USMC and $7,816.00 for NLC. The USMC has the added benefit of competitive grants available to its members: • City Livability Award • Community WINS Grant Program • Mayor's Climate Protection Awards • Childhood Obesity Prevention Grants • Summer Youth Jobs Challenge • National Education Pathways with a Purpose • Community Gardens and Green Spaces Awards • Leadership in the Arts Awards • Dollarwise Innovation Grants • Dollarwise Summer Youth Campaign Grants Both organizations also provide access to women's leadership task forces, the Women Mayors of America's Cities (USMC) and the Women in Municipal Government which partners with the NLC to foster an additional network of governance to address community solutions. While the USCM met for its Winter Conference in January, and the NCL met in early March for its Congressional City Conference, there are other conferences offered by the associations to consider participation: • Women in Municipal Government Summer Conference May 18 -21, 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee. • NLC University Leadership Summit September 28- October, to be held at the Madison Concourse Hotel, in Madison, Wisconsin. • USCM 84 Annual Conference of Mayors, June 24 -27 to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana. FY 2016 Grants Manatt has also identified a number of grant opportunities funded for FY 2016 that may be valuable to Yakima. If there are grants that Yakima would like monitored in order to pursue application, please advise us. It is worth noting that the Federal government often provides planning grants for the programs that are large interagency grants for long -term planning purposes. Links to these programs are included. Department of Agriculture The bill provides $522 million for water and waste disposal loans and grants. Water and waste grants are intended for the most remote, lowest income rural communities to obtain clean drinking water and sanitary waste disposal. The Strategic Economic and Community Development program funds projects that support the implementation of strategic economic and community development plans across multi jurisdictional areas. The four Rural Development programs included under the program are: Community Facilities, Water and Environmental Programs, Rural Business Development Grants, and Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans. Department of Justice The U.S. Department of Justice programs increased funding for state and local grant programs to $2.5 billion, including $187 million the COPS program; $70 million for programs to improve police- community relations, including $22.5 million for the purchase of body -worn cameras for police; $7 million is provided in FY 2016 to fund anti - heroin task forces within the COPS program. Competitive grants will be awarded for drug enforcement, including investigations and activities related to stopping the distribution of heroin or unlawful diversion and distribution of prescription opioids. The bill also provides funding for Justice Department grant programs available to state and local governments for residential drug treatment ($12 million), prescription drug monitoring ($13 million) and drug courts ($42 million). Additional grants include Smart Policing Initiative, Community -based Violence Prevention Programs, Juvenile Accountability Block Grants, Youth Gang Prevention, Juvenile Mentoring Program, Gang Resistance Education and Training, Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Assistance Program, Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations. Homeland Security: FEMA Firefighter grants for equipment and staffing are funded at $690 million. First responders are critical community defenders. $350 million is designated for the Emergency Management Performance Grants to ensure the retention of critical state and local emergency managers. To better prepare the nation for future disasters, $100 million is designated for the Predisaster Mitigation Program, and $190 million for flood hazard mapping and risk analysis. Environmental Protection Agency Water infrastructure investments: The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is funded at $1.394 billion and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund is funded at $863 million. These projects not only supply Americans with clean drinking water and replace aging sewer systems, but also produce significant construction jobs. Brownfields programs were funded at last year's level — $80 million; and Superfund projects remained funded at $1 billion. Department of Housing and Urban Development The Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) provides $3 billion in FY 2016 and provides grants to states and local governments to support housing and economic development projects in urban and rural communities across the country. It can be used to address a variety of needs from revitalizing distressed areas to supporting small businesses, removing blight, or assisting seniors with home repairs. $40 million are designated in federal resources to address youth homelessness. Of the total amount provided, $33 million is for a pilot to develop and evaluate youth- centered housing and supportive services interventions. Department of Transportation The Bus and Bus Facilities Discretionary Grant Program makes competitive grants to transit agencies and capital costs are funded at $268 million in FY 2016. Of this amount, $55 million is set -aside for low and no emission buses. $500 million will be made available for transportation projects across the country under an eighth round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grant program. Applications are due April 29, 2016 with a portion of the funds set -aside specifically for rural communities. We hope that this information is helpful and provides new ideas to consider. We look forward to speaking further about these and other issues.