HomeMy WebLinkAbout010224 City Council Business Meeting Packet- Added After Meeting
2024 Legislative Agenda Proposal
City Council Business Meeting January 2, 2024
Legislative Agenda Recap 2020-2023
Main Three Priorities:
1.Housing
2.Transportation
3.Climate Action
Main Three Changes from Pre-2020 Cycle:
1.Early coordination with staff, partners, and legislators
2.More year-to-year continuity and focus on priorities
3.Deeper rationale and research
2024 Legislative Agenda:
Framing Questions for this and Previous Years
What are we hearing from legislators and other channels to Olympia?
What are we hearing from our community and community leaders?
Should our three priority areas the same and consistent?
(Housing, Transportation, Climate Action)
Are there areas we are missing?
Should we anticipate a different funding environment than previous 2 years?
Are there any policy or other barriers we need to address?
How can/should we coordinate with other agencies and partners like ICG,
AWC, NOLA?
2024 Legislative Agenda: Proposal
1.Housing
Top Request:
Promptly streamline Urban Growth Area swap legislation under ESSB 5593 to
allow swaps to occur outside of periodic review updates to harness capital
investment for sewer to serve manufacturing and housing while preserving
prime agricultural land support pre-filed Senate Bill 5834
Additional Requests:
Expand definition of affordable housing to allow public subsidy to support middle-income
housing. For instance, increase Area Median Income (AMI) threshold to 150% (or beyond
80% for rural communities) or replace AMI with an affordability index that affects a variety
of subsidies like MFTE, tax increment financing, fee waivers/deferrals/exemptions, and
affordable housing sales tax funding eligibility
Allow local governments to assess affordable housing impact fees as part of the GMA
2023 Legislative Agenda: Proposal
2. Transportation
Top Request:
Regional SR19/20 Mill Road Roundabout and Jacob Miller Safety and Economic
Development Project - $15m request
Additional Request:
Protect and enhance the Port Townsend-Coupeville and Edmonds-Kingston Ferry Service as
an important segment of the maritime highway and a critical economic connector to and
from Port Townsend and the Olympic Peninsula
2023 Legislative Agenda: Proposal
3. Climate Action
Top Request:
Incentivize urban density to decrease vehicle miles traveled by building on 2023
middle housing legislation in areas traditionally dedicated to single-family
detached housing
Additional Requests:
Provide more electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure incentives and grant opportunities,
including for municipal fleet conversion
Develop and prioritize capital funding for climate resilient infrastructure design and
construction
Supporting Agency Partners
The City of Port Townsend actively supports the legislative agendas of our key partners,
including Jefferson County, the Port of Port Townsend, Jefferson County Public Utility District
#1, the North Olympic Legislative Alliance (NOLA), the Fort Worden Public Development
Authority, the Association of Washington Cities (AWC), and Peninsula Regional
Transportation Planning Organization (PRTPO)
Supporting Agency Partners
Supporting Agency Partners
Port of Port Townsend Legislative Priorities
Supporting Agency Partners
North Olympic Legislative Alliance (NOLA) Legislative Priorities