HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM IV-C
1 HOMI'SON SMI 1CH ~ co nus~ltin~
VA
WASNINGTON2
ADVOCATES
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Pete Lewis and Carolyn Robertson
I
FROM: Washinton2 Advocates and Thompson Smitch Consulting Group
DATE: December 2, 2010
SUBJECT: 2010 Accomplishments and 2011 Priorities
As 2010 comes to a close, below please find a review of the activities of your federal lobbying
team this year on behalf of the City of Auburn and goals for 2011. The lobbying team
transitioned this year from the Washington2 Advocates (W2A) and McBee Strategic Consulting
partnership in the first half of 2010, to W2A and Thompson, Smitch Consulting Group
partnership in the second half of 2010. Because of that change, we've also included a brief
description of each firm.
Our firms have a longstanding, productive relationship and have successfully worked together on
behalf of several shared clients. Each of our teams brings a unique set of skills, background and
relationships that together help advance the goals of the City of Auburn.
Washington2 Advocates: W2A is a consulting company that builds and draws from experience
to help clients achieve goals in the public realm. The "2" in W2A emphasizes our focus on both
Washington state and Washington, D.C. With long careers in Washington, D.C., and deep roots
in the Pacific Northwest, we are a Washington-2-Washington company. We have offices in
Bellevue, Washington, and on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. We have first-hand experience
working inside the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, the Executive Branch, and in
state and local government. Each member of the W2A team has lived in the Pacific Northwest,
serves on local boards and associations, and has previously worked in government offices. We
have experience working on the key issues relevant to the Pacific Northwest over the last three
decades.
What we do is solve problems by focusing our expertise in four areas - government relations;
strategy and execution; communications; and executive counsel.
Thompson Smitch Consulting Group: Headquartered on Commencement Bay in Tacoma
Washington and with an office in Washington DC, Thompson Smitch Consulting Group is a
boutique style firm with deep roots in Washington State including consultants with long histories
of working for some of our State's most senior elected officials and on our region's most
complex environmental issues. Established in 1990, Thompson Smitch has long been considered
a firm with deep expertise in matters of the environment and more specifically natural resources.
Over the past decade Thompson Smitch has been able to build a resume of success throughout
the region that ranges from small local issues to large federal agreements and funding strategies.
This strategic partnership gives the City of Auburn access to the expertise that both firms bring
to move Auburn's agenda forward.
SUCESSES IN 2010
• This year, we secured $200,000 for the City of Auburn - Valley Cities Public Safety
Wireless Regional Broadband Network in the Fiscal Year 2011, Commerce, Justice,
Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill. Congressman Adam Smith
requested the funding. However the bill has not passed the full Congress yet and the
outcome of the project's funding will likely be decided in an omnibus appropriations bill.
• We helped prepare background memos and white papers for the City's appropriations
projects for the Fiscal Year 2011. Additionally, we worked with city staff to ensure all of
the forms were complete and submitted on time. Projects submitted included the last
phase of funding for M Street and the Valley Broadband project. THUD Appropriations
Bill and the FY 2010 CJS Appropriations Bill.
• We briefed senior congressional staff on the federal appropriations requests for the City
of Auburn.
• We coordinated a visit for Mayor Lewis in late January with Auburn's congressional
delegation to discuss both Auburn appropriations and other issues.
• We provided strategic counsel, analysis and support throughout the year on numerous
projects and grant opportunities as the city worked to leverage federal dollars. Our work
has ranged from researching opportunities, informing City staff of opportunities as they
developed, providing strategic counsel as federal opportunities developed, reaching out to
key contacts both at the state and federal level, to working with key congressional offices
to solicit support. Some of the projects we've assisted the City with include:
o Economic Development Administration Grant ($3 million awarded). Specifically
we worked with members of the delegation to lend their support at key points
throughout the grant approval process.
o Environmental Park - Small Business Incubator: Our team provided counsel and
advice on funding avenues for this developing project.
• Howard Hanson: We engaged and worked with City staff to help monitor, strategize, and
communicate efforts regarding the threat of flooding caused by Howard Hanson Dam.
We also participated in the joint efforts of King County and other Valley Cities lobbying
teams to fund interim repairs to Howard Hanson. This included tracking funds provided
to the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and communicating with elected officials and
their staffs to ensure accurate and timely information regarding Auburn's situation was
shared.
• We monitored H.R. 272, the Freight Rail/Investment bill and provided strategic guidance
and counsel on engaging with the congressional delegation on rail and Amtrak issues.
• We monitored and provided strategic counsel with the City on the Water Resources and
Development Act (WRDA) reauthorization bill in the House of Representatives.
• We monitored action in the House and Senate on SAFETEA-LU, legislation that
authorizes funding for federal transportation projects and briefed senior congressional
staff on the requests for the City of Auburn.
• We helped on several challenging issue management projects outside our traditional
scope of work, and helped build stronger relationships for the City with organizations that
frequently create challenges and opportunities for Auburn. Those projects involved
outreach to the following groups: Sound Transit board members and senior management,
Port of Seattle commissioners and senior staff, a variety of elected council members and
staff from the King County Council, and senior executives at Puget Sound Energy.
• Thompson Smitch was the lead negotiator on behalf of the City of Auburn during the
regional process to secure long term water supplies from the Cascade Water Alliance.
Thompson Smitch was successful in incorporating the cities of Sumner, Bonney Lake,
and Buckley into the negotiations to ensure that the entire region would have enough
supply well into the future.
• We provided advice and counsel to the Mayor, city staff, and a number of local business
owners on a variety of economic development opportunities and issues.
WORK PLANNED FOR 2011:
In 2011, we plan on working with the City of Auburn on the following projects and issues:
• We will work with the City of Auburn to strategize on the FY 2011 appropriations
process and assist in positioning the City to maximize federal opportunities with its
priorities. The plan for next year will be aggressive and comprehensive.
• We will work with Auburn to promote a joint request by the Valley Cities to fund the
regional trails project.
• We will work with the City of Auburn's existing internal team to support efforts on the
State level to ensure that the City has optimal opportunities nationally but also in
Washington State.
• We will work with the City to develop funding strategies for the development of a new
regional training center/firing range for law enforcement.
• We will continue to work with the City on federal funding opportunities through the
Water Resources Development Act.
• We will work with the City to develop a valley wide federal funding plan for issues
concerning the Green River and Howard Hanson Damn.
• We will work to advance the City's priorities as reauthorization of SAFETEA-LU makes
its way through the legislative process. This legislation has the potential to provide
critical funding for top Auburn transportation projects. Seizing those opportunities will
require a strategic and aggressive lobbying approach that we look forward to helping you
manage and execute.
• We will continue to monitor bills and provide strategic guidance and counsel on engaging
with the congressional delegation on rail and Amtrak issues.
• We will continue to provide counsel, strategic advice, and will work on any projects that
arise in relation to Howard Hanson Dam.
• We will continue to monitor any legislative and regulatory activity related to the Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act.
• We will continue to promote the expansion of key relationships in the region, DC and
local staff of Members of Congress, senior staff and commissioners at the Port of Seattle
and to regional political appointees (FEMA, EPA, NOAA Fisheries and HHS).
• We will continue ongoing strategic discussions with City staff regarding these and other
issues of significance to Auburn.
CONCLUSION
Your federal team very much enjoys the opportunity to work on behalf of Auburn. We have had
great success together, and we are looking forward to a productive 2011. Thank you for your
business and for the time you have invested with us. We look forward to working with you.
throughout the year on these and other key projects for the City.
CITY OF BURZ 011
A~T
WASHINGTON LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
City of Auburn
25 West Main Street Street Maintenance Utility
Auburn, WA 98001
253-931-3000 This voter-approved legislation would create the ability for local governments
www.auburnwa.gov to proportionately charge customers based on the use of the utility. Sustainable
Mayor Peter S. Lewis transportation revenue is a high priority for the city therefore we will be
253-931-3041 supporting this AWC option.
plewis@auburnwa.gov
Auburn City Council Amtrak Stop
Sue Singer, Deputy Mayor
Nancy Backus The City of Auburn would like to have a daily stop of the Cascades line.
Virginia Haugen
Lynn Norman Levee Repairs/Certification
John Partridge
Bill Peloza This City of Auburn along with it's neighboring cities along the Green River
Rich Wagner . have proposed a capitol budget request for $30 million per biennuium for
Government Relations the next ten years to assist with repairing and certifying the levees along the
Manager Green River.
Carolyn Robertson. ,1
Office 2S3-931 3096.
Cell; 253-261-2274. Public Works Trust Fund
. `
crobertson@au% burnwa.gov Auburn is supportive of the great work this board does in assisting local
governments with low-cost loans to build much needed infrastructure in our
communities. The City is currently listed at project number 10 on the 2011
proposed project list to be voted on by the legislature this session.
_ Teen Center/Gymnasium Les Gove Park Campus
The City of Auburn is requesting support for the $316,000 project ranked
Auburn starfon number two on the project list recommened in the Building and Communities
I I ' Fund managed by the Department of Commerce.
4 l THANK YOU MAYOR LEWIS j
ANDTNECITYCOURCILFOR Red Light Photo Enforcement
KEEPING THEATRE ALIVE
IN oowKTOwR AueuRN Accidents are down and no fatalities have occurred in the intersections
enforced by photo enforcement cameras. The City of Auburn supports the
current law and expansion of the law where deemed appropriate to increase
NlstorlcAuburn Avenue Theater
the safety of our community.
Eminent Domain
The rights of property owners are vital to the balance in communities
between government and citizens. The city of Auburn, in partnership with
Attorney General Rob Mckenna, will be supporting a bill that further clarifies a
6neroid Downs RocetracIk municipalities responsibilities and duties in the condemnation process.