2017/12/06 Council Agenda Packet

• 2 Expand Higher Education Access & Degrees Everett strongly supports continued expansion and growth of the Washington State University- Everett (WSU-Everett) campus in the city, which is now anchored by a new WSU building on North Broadway. While Everett recognizes 2018 is a short 60-day Session, the City will nonetheless look for potential opportunities to add funding that would make it easier for WSU to expand its campus footprint. Protect and Restore "State-Shared" Revenues; Provide Local Governments with Options to Better Address Local Resource Needs In 2018, Everett will continue to strongly support a structural modification in property tax statutes to tie annual growth to an inflationary index rather than to a 1 percent limit that prevents cities and counties from keeping up with year-to-year increases in the costs of delivering services. Additionally, the city will work with AWC and others to ensure protection of state-shared revenues and existing distributions that are vital to helping cities meet their obligations. These include liquor, marijuana, municipal criminal justice assistance; and SST Mitigation payments. Strengthen the Public Records Act(PRA) and Make It Easier to Administer Everett greatly appreciates the work of the 2017 Legislature in enacting ESHB 1594 and EHB 1595, bills that will help modernize the PRA and enable local jurisdictions to achieve some cost recovery in responding to the growing number of electronic records requests. In 2018, the City will work with state lawmakers on a technical fix of PRA laws that affect the operations of publicly-run animal shelters, and can act as a disincentive to individuals and rescue agencies that want to provide pets to these Animal Shelters for adoption. The legislative initiative involves a modest amendment to RCW 42.56.240(2) applying to release of the personal information of individuals who provide pets for adoption or are looking to adopt. 45