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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4673 Resolution - 2026 Legislative PrioritiesResolution - 2026 Legislative Priorities - 1 RESOLUTION NO. 4673 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF PASCO, WASHINGTON, DECLARING THE CITY OF PASCO 2026 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES WHEREAS, the 2026 Legislative Session of the Washington State Legislature commences on January 12, 2026; and WHEREAS, the City of Pasco, as a municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Washington can be substantially affected by the actions of the Washington Legislature; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to identify the legislative priorities of the City for the 2026 Legislative Session so they can be provided to State Legislators prior to the commencement of the next legislative session. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASCO, WASHINGTON: That the City of Pasco hereby adopts the 2026 Legislative Agenda, attached as Exhibit A, and Be It Further Resolved, that this resolution shall take effect immediately. PASSED by the City Council of the City of Pasco, Washington, on this 3rd day of November, 2025. _____________________________ David Milne Mayor ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: _____________________________ ___________________________ Debra Barham, MMC Kerr Ferguson Law, PLLC City Clerk City Attorneys City of Pasco 2026 State Funding Requests REGIONAL POLICE TRAINING ACADEMY: Pasco requests $972,000 in state funding to upgrade the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) Pasco Campus to meet growing regional training needs and modern policing standards. The proposed improvements include security fencing, restroom renovations, and a new portable classroom to expand capacity and enhance the quality of instruction. These upgrades will allow the campus to host additional CJTC classes, support mandated training programs, and provide a safer, more professional learning environment for recruits and lateral officers. This investment will strengthen public safety across the region by ensuring officers are well-prepared to serve and protect our communities. ROAD 76 OVERPASS: Pasco requests state funding to advance the Road 76 Overpass Project to create a multimodal connection across I-182, which currently divides neighborhoods from commercial areas, complicating local travel patterns. The overpass project will reduce travel distances and decrease daily vehicle miles by 6,300 by 2045. The City has received a Federal Surface Transportation Block Grant at $3.79 million to be matched with $1 million of City funds for design and right-of-way acquisition. The City requests $30 million for construction and can be ready to utilize construction funds as early as 2028. This project is ranked as one of the region’s top transportation projects by the Benton Franklin Council of Governments (BFCOG). US 12/A STREET TRAFFIC STUDY: Pasco requests state funding to perform a comprehensive analysis of State Route 12 from the intersections of A Street to Tank Farm/Sacajawea Park Road to develop practical solutions that will improve safety and economic vitality for the region. Given the recent increase in crashes and the expected rise in traffic volumes, including significant freight traffic, the analysis will aim to identify safety concerns, develop alternatives, perform stakeholder engagement, and develop conceptual design and planning estimates. The City requests $3 million to complete the analysis. This project is identified in the region’s Transportation Priorities adopted by Benton Franklin Council of Governments (BFCOG). BUTTERFIELD WATER TREATMENT PLANT IMPROVEMENTS: Pasco’s Butterfield Water Treatment Plant was originally built in 1946, with updates made between 1958 and 1999. While it has served our community for decades, the facility is now outdated and facing serious challenges. It can no longer meet future demand or efficiently treat certain harmful substances like cyanotoxins, which are becoming more common in our water sources. To protect public health and ensure a safe, reliable water supply for our growing community, the City must upgrade the plant. These improvements will modernize the treatment process, increase capacity, and add advanced treatment methods like pre-ozonation to better remove contaminants. However, without outside funding, the cost of this project will fall entirely on our residents through utility rate increases. Current projections show that water rates will nearly double in the next four years to cover the cost. Total cost is $220- 260 million; City is requesting $80 million in low interest loans, grants, and other sources to start the design and construction of this critical infrastructure while reducing significant impact to vulnerable ratepayers. RESTORE WATER BANKING GRANTS: Department of Ecology’s Water Banking Grant provides funding for cities and other local agencies to purchase water rights and establish a municipal water bank. This is essential for securing a reliable water supply to support the city’s rapid growth, prevent future shortages, and protect local water resources. The grant also ensures a portion of water is dedicated to environmental benefits, helping maintain healthy river ecosystems. City was in contention to receive up to $4 million. However, funding for the grant program was reduced during the 2025 session. The City asks that funding to the program be restored. Exhibit A HOUSING AFFORDABILITY Local Community Decision-Making Pasco opposes any proposals that restrict, mandate, or otherwise interfere with the city’s ability to make local decisions that are informed by public processes and community engagement. Housing Affordability Pasco supports efforts to bring more affordable housing to the Pasco community including reduced barriers to constructing housing and grant funding through programs like the Housing Trust Fund. Homelessness Pasco supports additional tools to assist cities and nonprofits in addressing homelessness, including resources for the city’s resource navigator program. Additionally, the City asks that the Legislature continue to empower cities to address homeless encampments and vehicles residences in a compassionate but effective manner and opposes any limiting state definitions, regulations, or mandates. COMMUNITY SAFETY Crime Reduction and Prevention Pasco supports policies to reduce and prevent crime in the community, including efforts to reduce and prevent gang violence. Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Pasco supports increased funding for public safety efforts, including funding and policies to recruit, hire, train, and retain law enforcement officers, including but not limited to ongoing support for regional training academies. Juvenile Interrogations Pasco supports legislation clarifying that officers can interrogate juveniles. Traffic Safety Pasco supports legislation and grant funding to improve traffic safety through the implementation of traffic calming measures. Fentanyl & Opioid Epidemic Pasco supports prioritizing solutions to the fentanyl and opioid epidemic, including funding to first responders for Narcan. Behavioral Health (Mental Health & Substance Use) Pasco supports investments in the state’s behavioral health system, including crisis response, detox facilities, outpatient case management services, and more. Public Defense Pasco is responsible for providing public defense services to indigent defendants of misdemeanor charges. The City supports state policies to assist in recruiting public defenders and allocating the necessary funding needed to meet public defense caseload standards recently adopted by the Washington State Supreme Court. Automated License Plate Readers Pasco supports a balanced legislative approach to Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology that addresses community privacy concerns while preserving the system's utility for public safety, including mitigating public records issue and liability exposure for data not accessed. FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Grant Proposals Pasco opposes defunding grant programs that benefit city projects, including but not limited to the Public Works Assistance Account, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, Water Banking, Complete Streets, Safe Routes to Schools, and more. State-Shared Revenues Pasco supports preserving and enhancing state-shared revenue streams. Unfunded Mandates Pasco opposes any unfunded mandates that increase costs to cities without additional state funding provided. Public Records Act Pasco supports any proposals that reduce the impact of abusive public records requests and litigation. Election of Judges Pasco opposes legislation mandating that part-time municipal court judges be elected rather than appointed. Insurance Costs Recent legislation and subsequent court decisions have increased the legal liability of public entities, resulting in higher rates for liability coverage. The The City of Pasco Policy Issues City’s liability rates increased by 27% from 2022 to 2023 and by another 17% from 2023 to 2024. The City supports efforts to protect against liability expansion and opposes new policies that would drive additional claims and increase litigation costs. COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION NETWORK Tri-Cities Mobility Pasco supports efforts to explore a third crossing over the Columbia River to improve regional mobility throughout the Tri-Cities. Foster Wells Interchange Pasco supports Franklin County’s request for the Foster Wells Interchange project, which aims to improve traffic flow and access to the growing area around the Foster Wells Road corridor. ECONOMIC VITALITY Water Rights Pasco is a growing community with a finite water supply. The City supports legislative efforts to allow the city to increase water rights to meet the needs of the growing community. Additionally, Pasco recognizes that water conservation must be part of the solution in making the most with available water rights. Economic Development Tools Pasco supports economic development tools to spur development downtown and in key commercial corridors, including funding for an industrial symbiosis project at the Port of Pasco and retaining and enhancing tax increment financing. DNR Property within the UGA Pasco is opposed to DNR buying land within the City’s UGA and asks that DNR divest itself of the undeveloped agricultural land it currently owns within the UGA and keep the associated water rights with said land, not moving them outside city limits. Annexation Pasco supports incentives that encourage annexation, including utilizing utility extensions, and mechanisms that facilitate the annexation of unincorporated islands. Growth Management Pasco opposes any proposals that create new planning obligations within the Growth Management Act that are not coupled with adequate funding. Shrub Steppe/Critical Areas Pasco supports revisions to SEPA and critical areas within city limits to reduce regulations related to shrub steppe to support infill development. Environmental Justice Integration Pasco is opposed to including environmental justice as an element of the environment and develop mitigation guidance for addressing potential adverse impacts under SEPA. The City supports AWC legislative agenda items that serve the best interests of Pasco.