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2019 adopted state legislative agenday adopted 11-13-2018 CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY 2019 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA Approved by Council November 13,2018 Transportation Funding Request: Bridging the Valley The City continues to make headway on the multi-phase Bridging the Valley project to replace three at- grade crossings that bisect north/south commerce in the City. With the State's assistance on the Phase 1 Barker Road Grade Separation Project in the 2017-2019 budget,the City is making significant progress to improve the safety and economic competitiveness of our community. The City successfully secured the only 2017 federal TIGER grant in the State, and those grant funds were applied to the Barker Road Grade Separation Project.Engineering design is underway and construction is programmed for 2020. Phase 2: Pines Road/BNSF Grade Separation Project The City respectfully requests that the State match its 2017-2019 investment in the Bridging the Valley project by allocating an additional $2.9 million to the Pines Road/BNSF Grade Separation project. Pines Road is one of the region's key transportation corridors, carrying both private and commercial/industrial traffic from Trent Avenue (SR 290)across the Spokane River to I-90 and commercial areas south of the I- 90 freeway.In 2018,the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board(FMSIB)rated this at-grade crossing as the highest ranked unfunded Tier 1 rail crossing in the State out of 4,171 at-grade crossings based upon freight mobility and safety. On average, 58 BNSF freight trains and two AMTRAK passenger trains travel through the Pines/BNSF crossing each day,blocking traffic movements for nearly 3.5 hours. Vehicle delay is expected to increase with the addition of a second mainline BNSF track at Pines Road in 2019. In addition,about 34,000 vehicles pass through the adjacent Pines/Trent intersection,including freight from Canada and northern Idaho. The average daily traffic volume on Pines Road is more than double the vehicles of the funded Barker Road project. Pines Road is also the primary access to almost 230 acres of undeveloped mixed-use, commercial and industrial land. Total project cost is estimated at$29 million,and the City has secured$3.2 million in local funds.The City currently has four pending grant requests including federal applications for BUILD and both rounds of CRISI,as well as a grant request from the Spokane Regional Transportation Council(SRTC). State funding in the amount of$2.9 million will demonstrate the State's continued partnership and enhance the likelihood of the City being awarded its federal funding requests. Browns Park Capital Bud&et Request The City respectfully requests that the Legislature allocate $520,000 from the Capital Budget to match the City's 2019 investment of $1.16 million. Browns Park is being converted from an under-utilized neighborhood park to a multipurpose park venue that meets the contemporary needs of our residents, including a 16 court sand volleyball facility capable of hosting large regional events. The City constructed eight volleyball courts,a splash pad and a basketball court between 2014 and 2016, at a cost of$447,500, and constructed eight additional volleyball courts in 2018 at a cost of$176,000. The requested allocation would help pay for the installation of a new playground,a new restroom and a neighborhood picnic shelter. Defend Local Control The City of Spokane Valley incorporated in 2003 as a direct result of the desire of our citizens to have substantial local control of decision-making. A foundational belief for the Council and the citizens they represent is that the most effective level of government is the one closest to the people, which is the city form of government. As such,the Council urges the Legislature to respect local decision-making wherever appropriate,and not infringe into those areas that have traditionally been regulated by elected City officials. Protect the Local State-Shared Revenues The City requests that the Legislature preserve and restore local state-shared revenues.These funds include the Liquor Excise Tax Account($458,560 in 2017), Liquor Board Profits ($794,980 in 2017), Municipal Criminal Justice Assistance Account($481,758 in 2017), City-County Assistance Account and Marijuana Revenues ($75,312 in 2017). Specifically, the City supports legislation that removes the 2011 cap on Page 1 of 2 Liquor Profit revenues to restore the historical 50/50 revenue sharing relationship between the State and local governments. The City is home to many warehouses and manufacturing facilities.As a result,the City has received over $500,000 each year in streamlined sales tax mitigation payments to compensate the City for financial losses when the State switched to a destination-based sales tax system. With the U.S. Supreme Court's Wayfair decision,and State passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act,the Legislature will suspend streamlined sales tax mitigation payments in the 2019-21 biennium.Further,the Department of Revenue will be reporting to the Legislature on expected revenue gains from implementation of the Marketplace Fairness Act and whether they are equal to or in excess of revenue losses to cities.The City requests that cities receiving SST mitigation are made whole through this transition. Protect Businesses by Reforming State Regulatory Burden The City strongly supports businesses small and large,in our City and across the state,because they are the lifeblood of our economy. Unfortunately, these businesses are forced to compete in a state regulatory environment that is increasingly burdensome,making it difficult to compete with businesses in neighboring states. Of most urgent concern is the regressive state business& occupation tax,with the current Labor& Industries program close behind.The City supports rebalancing the state-wide regulatory framework to encourage and support business development and retention. Support Prohibition of Recreational Marijuana Home Growing and Retention of Local Authority The City supports the continued prohibition on home growing of recreational marijuana. Allowing home growing of recreational marijuana will unnecessarily increase youth access,illegal diversion, and criminal activity related to marijuana. Neither the State nor local cities have sufficient resources to adequately enforce home growing. Allowing home growing will place an additional and unnecessary cost burden on local cities that primarily have to deal with the impacts from legalized marijuana. The City supports retention of local land use,building, fire, and other public health and safety regulatory authority,up to and including local authority to enact marijuana growing prohibitions. Condominium Liability Reform The City supports legislation that incentivizes the construction of condominiums by reducing the liability developers incur for construction defects, while continuing to balance consumer protection provisions. Under the current liability laws,developers are incentivized to construct apartments rather than condominiums, resulting in fewer options for home buyers to enter the real estate market. Reducing the liability for developers will increase housing choices in communities throughout the state. Increased funding for the Basic Law Enforcement Academy The City 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,with two training sessions guaranteed to be held in the Spokane Region. At current funding levels, the Criminal Justice Training Commission has a backlog of officers awaiting training. State law requires that officers be trained within six 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 up to six months,but unable to perform police work until their training is complete. Prevailing Wage Calculations The City respectfully requests that Chapter 248, Laws of 2018 relating to application of collective bargaining agreements to calculating prevailing wage by the Department of L & I, be either revised or repealed. The effect of these changes has been to triple the cost of certain workers on public projects. The City applied for and received a number of grants for projects requiring such work, and now will not have sufficient funds to complete these projects.The City will have to either abandon these valuable projects,or attempt to find additional funds from ever-dwindling funds. This new calculation takes into account improper tasks in determining the prevailing wage, driving the prevailing wage far beyond what is appropriate or reasonable for such work. The City supports AWC legislative agenda items that serve the best interests of Spokane Valley. Page 2 of 2