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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.