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Home My WebLink About2013 Legislative Agenda WASH I N C T O N, U. S. A. ._..__ _... ..,. . ..... City Cot.ncil CITY of PORT ANGELES / 2013 — LEGI:SLATIVE AGENDA Issue One/January 2013 OUR ENVIRONMENT Harbor Cleanup —The City is identified as a"Potentially Liable Party" for cleanup of the Port Angeles Harbor. Although we believe the City's contribution to harbor contamination is limited, we are committed to taking the most responsible approach to clean up. The City is working directly with the Port of Port Angeles and the Department of Ecology or. a remedial investigation and cleanup feasibility study to ensure a comprehensive approach is taken. We need the continued support of legislators to make sure funding remains available in the Department of Ecology Toxic Clean Up program. Air Quality Monitoring - Due to the interest of local citizens and environmental groups, the City would like to ensure continued support for i ambient air-quality monitoring. The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) has committed to providing support and has installed monitors in both Clallam and Jefferson counties. Continuation of this program enables our citizens to have confidence we collectively are doing the right thing with regard to air quality. Landfill Bluff Stabilization—The closed municipal landfill abutting the Strait of Juan de Fuca is held in place by a thin remnant of bluff. Bluff erosion presents an acute risk of failure and inevitably resulting in solid waste discharging directly into the Strait. The City is working expeditiously towards an engineered solution to prevent bluff failure. (continued) Phone: 360 417-4500/ Fax: 360-417-4509/TTY: 360.-417-4645 Webslte: www.cityofp a.Lj s /Ernall: cr.at,jncilCcx>cityofpa.LIS 321 East Fifth street - P.O. Box 1150/ Port Angeles, WA 98362-0217 CITY OF PORT ANGELES / 2013-LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ISSUE ONE/JANUARY 2013 The projected remedy is currently estimated to cost between $12 million to $20 million. Assuming the $12 million solution, the City has increased the tipping fee at the solid waste transfer station by $20 per ton, with the fee rising in$5 increments over the next four years. Fee increases will need to continue over the next 20 plus years, until bonds and loans are paid off. This results in Clallam County having one of the highest tipping fees in the State of Washington. Because of the unique urgency of this situation, the Department of Ecology has made it a priority to provide "seed"money during the 2013 —2015 biennium. However, funding is still reliant on final State Budget allocations. The landfill is a regional asset; because of this, bluff stabilization project costs will be spread amongst the nearly 40,000 regional residents using the facility. Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) /Public Works Trust Fund Loan - The City is under the Department of Ecology Order 43853 to meet State CSO discharge standards no later than December 31, 2015. The cost is approximately $42 million. City utility customers are paying $20 per month, on average, per connection, which is approximately 30% of their current sewer charges. Public Works Trust Fund (PWTF) loans are key AI, and essential to funding the project. This low- cost loan program is critical to accomplishing the project in a cost-effective and timely manner. The City has requested $13 million for the final phase of design and construction. PWTF staff have informed the City they support the full request, but it appears the Governor's budget has reduced the amount in half to $6.5 million. This funding shortfall would delay the project and increase costs. The PWTF has helped the City renew old and failing infrastructure. Past and current projects include reservoir covers, water main replacement, combined sewer overflow elimination, and street improvements. These and other projects are vital to a healthy and growing community. CROSS-JURISDICTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES NOAA/Feiro Opportunity — We want to ensure all legislators are aware of a game-changing opportunity the City of Port Angeles is pursuing. Port Angeles presently has two facilities dedicated to the 9 long-term viability of our local and national marine environment- the NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and the Feiro Marine Life Center l A:NT CA I' ige 12 CITY OF PORT ANGELES / 2013—LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ISSUE ONE/JANUARY 2013 NOAA and Feiro have outgrown their current locations and have developed detailed studies identifying expansion needs. For the City,the growth of these local employers and the development of a new NOAA/Feiro Campus will have substantial economic development benefits. We ask for assistance in making others aware of this opportunity, as there will be major funding needs associated with this new combined facility. Advanced Composites Center (Port Angeles Composite Campus)—Port Angeles is uniquely positioned in a newly developed composites corridor with large employers directly contributing to innovation in composites. The City of Port Angeles along with the Port of Port Angeles have made significant investments in the form of a local Composite Campus facility. We continue to receive support from the Department of Commerce to aid in the pursuit of economic development opportunities in the composite industry. It is imperative for our State Legislature to recognize how significant this industry's role is in Washington State innovation. OUR SAFE COMMUNITY Felony Dumping—Felony dumping is a practice utilized by counties to shift to cities certain criminal justice costs that, by statute, are the obligation of the county. By statute, counties are responsible for the prosecution and incarceration, for not more than one year, of any felony offense, attempted felony offense, and of any misdemeanor offense initially filed as a felony offense. This obligation applies throughout the county, in both unincorporated and incorporated areas. For providing this function, counties receive some state funding; and all residents of the county, in unincorporated as well as incorporated areas pay taxes to the county at exactly the same rate to support this function. a �� By statute, each city is responsible for the %oa prosecution and incarceration of misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenses committed by adults inside its corporate boundaries. The county is responsible for the prosecution and incarceration of misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenses committed in unincorporated areas. As a means to reduce their criminal justice costs, some counties are not funding their Prosecutors' Office sufficiently to support needed felony prosecution. This, in turn forces County prosecutors to engage in "felony dumping", That is, they decline to file certain cases as felonies, (even though those cases satisfy legal criteria as a felony) and instead, they refer (dump) the case to the City for filing as a misdemeanor. In most instances, the City prosecutor, acting with a sense of civic responsibility, will prosecute the case because the cases that initially go to the County Prosecutor as felonies are serious cases. M=1age 13 CITY OF PORT ANGELES / 2013—LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ISSUE ONE/JANUARY 2013 But when the City does prosecute, all the costs associated with that case—the prosecution costs, court costs, costs of indigent defense, costs of incarceration, etc. —are shifted from the County to the City. The number of cases dumped and associated costs can be a substantial burden on cities. As just one example, in 2012 the City of Port Angeles filed 823 cases, plus an additional 128 cases dumped by the Clallarn County Prosecutor's office. All of the City's prosecution costs are paid entirely from the City's General Fund while Counties receive funds to prosecute felonies, and cities do not. In addition, the County receives revenue, for those same dumped cases, from cities through contracts for court services when the cities file them in District Court as misdemeanors. The County also receives revenue from the cities for increased jail costs for these defendants -- many of whom will serve lengthy jail sentences when their felonious behavior has to be charged as a misdemeanor. OUR FUTURE CERB Revitalization Funding—This is a tremendously productive economic development tool for municipalities. We are extremely grateful for the legislation providing this opportunity. This has enabled the City of Port Angeles to move forward with the first phase of a major revitalization to the City's waterfront. Ginkgo","amwe Wh I Cpl y plas P MW Zf Drift SM We continue to seek multiple state funding opportunities for Waterfront Project and hope State Legislators will continue recognizing the significance and positive impact of this revitalization project on the economy. �Iage 14 CITY OF PORT ANGELES / 2013—LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ISSUE ONE/JANUARY 2013 The City of Port Angeles takes great pride in our commitment to work in partnership with our community. We greatly appreciate your dedication to making this goal a true reality for our citizens. We look forward to continuing this conversation with you on these and other legislative agenda issues. RESPECTFULLY, MAYOR CHERIE KIDD CITY MANAGER DAN McKEEN CITY OF PORT ANGELES PO Box 1150/321 E. Fifth Street Port Angeles, WA 98362 Phone: 360-417-4630 Website: ww Ity9fl! Page 15