HomeMy WebLinkAbout3861 Resolution RESOLUTION NO. 8e(0/
A RESOLUTION declaring the City's legislative priorities for the 2019
session of the Washington State Legislature.
WHEREAS,the 2019 session of the Washington State Legislature commences on January 14;and
WHEREAS, the City of Pasco, as a municipal corporation and subdivision of the state, can be
substantially affected by the actions of the legislature; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has evaluated conditions impacting the City and opportunities to
improve the services the City provides to its citizenry; and
WHERAS, the City Council desires to identify its legislative priorities for the 2019 legislative
session so they can be provided to state legislators prior to commencement of the next legislative
session; NOW,THEREFORE,
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASCO, WASHINGTON, DO RESOLVE AS
FOLLOWS:
Section 1. That the legislative objectives stated herein below constitute the priorities of the City
of Pasco for the 2019 legislative session.
• PEANUTS COMMUNITY PLAZA and FARMERS MARKET: At the epicenter of
downtown Pasco is Peanuts Park,the primary and historic gathering place for the community.
The park is the heart of a culturally diverse downtown core. The City is leveraging this project, as
part of a bundle of projects to revitalize the downtown core, enhance economic opportunities for
the agricultural community and provide the public greater access to locally grown produce.
Design for these improvements is expected to be complete in the spring of 2019 with
construction to commence shortly thereafter. Considerable public outreach was part of the master
planning process and as a result the project enjoys significant public support. The City requests
$3 million in funding for Phase 1 of this project to revitalize the downtown plaza and farmers
market structures,upgrading this important community gathering place in a way that will spur
economic development.
• PROCESS WATER REUSE FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS PHASE I: The City requests $3
million for improvements to the City's industrial wastewater treatment facility which supports a very
successful food processing cluster and farmers within the region. These proposed conveyance,
rehabilitation and treatment improvements will improve the reliability of the facility and allow for
the needed and planned expansion in productivity of current food processors utilizing the facility and
create capacity for additional processors. This project is necessary to support the current processors
and farmers benefitting from the plant and allow for growth of the Pasco Ag Processing Cluster.
• ALLOW CITY PUBLIC FACILITY DISTRICT TO FUND AQUATIC CENTER: The
Pasco Public Facility District(PFD)would like to fund and construct an aquatic center. Regional
and county PFDs are authorized to construct"recreational facilities"; however,city PFDs are not.
The City requests legislation or a local tool to bring this project to fruition.
• INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING(TIB &PWAA): The City of Pasco has several significant
infrastructure projects that are too expensive to fund solely with local funding, including; Lewis
Street Overpass project replaces a deteriorating and functionally obsolete 1937 underpass on a
former state highway; Argent Road, widening and improving safety,capacity and multi-modal
opportunities in the immediate vicinity of the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco, Columbia Basin
College and nearby commercially zoned properties. The City requests that the Legislature fund
key infrastructure funding programs, including the Transportation Improvement Board(TIB) and
the Public Works Assistance Account(PWAA)to provide adequate funding sources to complete
these projects. Specifically,the City requests that the legislature return funding streams, such as
the utility tax and real estate excise tax revenues,to the PWAA.
• BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADAMY(BLEA)FUNDING: The City of Pasco supports
increased funding and other solutions to ensure newly hired officers are able to complete training
through the Basic Law Enforcement Academy(BLEA) at the Criminal Justice Training Commission
in a timely manner. At current funding levels,the Criminal Justice Training Commission has a
backlog of officers awaiting training. State law requires that officers are trained within 6 months of
hire. The current backlog exceeds this statutory timeline. This results in law enforcement agencies
throughout the state hiring new officers, and then keeping them on staff for upwards of 6 months,
unable to perform police work until their training is complete.
• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLS: The City of Pasco joins the Association of
Washington Cities in encouraging the State to reinvigorate economic development programs
currently in statute that now remain unfunded, such as the Local Revitalization Fund(LRF),the
Local Infrastructure Financing Tool(LIFT),the Job Development Fund(JDF), and others.
Additionally,Pasco supports establishing a tax increment financing or value capture financing
program, similar to what is established in other states.
• DEFEND LOCAL CONTROL: The City of Pasco believes the best governmental decisions are
those that are made closest to the people represented. Cities possess strong local authority to
provide for the safety and welfare of their residents, and the Legislature must abstain from
restricting, mandating, or otherwise interfering with local decisions. The City of Pasco will
oppose legislative actions that are inconsistent with this view.
Section 2. The City Manager is hereby directed to inform state legislators and other appropriate
parties of the City's 2019 legislative priorities.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Pasco at its regular meeting this 1st day of October,
2018.
att Watkins, Mayor
7ST: APPR VED AS TO FORM:
Daniela Erickson, City Clerk Leland B. Kerr, City Attorney
2019 Legislative Priorities Resolution
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