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Home My WebLink AboutItem 3A: Federal Priorities ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: Adoption of Federal Priority Project Lists Meeting Date: January 13, 2010 Agenda Item Number: A Department: City Manager’s Office Staff Contact: Brenda Wilson www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-8441 ISSUE STATEMENT This is an action item to adopt the Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) Committee’s recommended 2010 Federal Priorities Project List (Fiscal Year 2011 appropriations cycle). These federal priority requests will be sent to our congressional delegation as part of our federal priority process (United Front). The recommended 2010 City of Eugene Federal Priorities Project List includes: Updates and Programmatic Requests: ? Delta Ponds (Current Project) ? Metro Waterways General Investigative Study (Current Project) ? FAA Reauthorization (Current Project) ? Medicare Ambulance Relief (New Project) FY 2011 Appropriations Requests: ? Forest Legacy (Current Project) ? West Eugene Transportation Implementation (Current Project) ? Special Operations Facilities Energy Efficiency and Seismic Upgrades (New Project) ? Fire Hydrant Replacement (New Project) ? MWMC Electrical Generator Upgrade (New Project) Reauthorization Requests: ? Franklin Boulevard -- Multiway Boulevard (Current Project) ? Beltline Road and Corridor Study (Current Project) ? West Bank Path and Pathway Lighting (Current Project) BACKGROUND The United Front (UF) partnership of local governments in the Lane County region develops and maintains a concise and realistic federal agenda. Annual federal priorities are based on local and regional needs. By assessing local federal priorities in conjunction with anticipated legislative funding opportunities, we greatly increase the prospects for success. Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100113\S100113A.doc This approach has proven very helpful for congressional delegations, for several reasons. Foremost, the delegation members do not need to reconcile the different interests of a particular region. A joint local effort relieves them of playing the role of arbitrator or mediator in sometimes difficult matters of local importance. In turn, the congressional delegation can focus on advocating strongly for widely accepted local priorities, which is a role they have repeatedly stated they prefer. Furthermore, the extensive research and development that goes into producing the Federal Agenda eases the burden on congressional staff in terms of preparing project justifications and advocating for funding. The delegation’s staff often comes to depend on the reliability and accessibility of the UF’s Federal Agenda, and the local staff who produce it. Consequently, the process helps build solid, ongoing relationships that extend far beyond the merits of any one set of Federal Agenda projects. The City Council must adopt the Federal Priorities Project List each year. The recommended Federal Priorities Project List begins with a review of opportunities for funding in the next Federal budget and goals that are specific to Eugene or the area. Throughout the year, staff has looked into federal funding opportunities and unmet funding needs to develop a list of potential projects for inclusion on the FY 2011 Federal Priorities Project List. On November 12, 2009, the IGR Committee met with staff and our federal lobby firm Smith, Dawson and Andrews, to discuss and review a list of potential priority projects for inclusion on the 2010 Federal Priorities Project List. From that meeting, a list of possible federal funding opportunities was developed. The proposed 2010 Federal Priority Projects were presented to the IGR Committee on December 16, 2009. The IGR Committee unanimously approved, with one possible addition (see note below), the recommended 2010 Federal Priorities Project List (Attachment A) and directed the list move forward to the full City Council for action. The final list will become part of the UF federal agenda which will be presented to the area’s congressional delegation, executive department staff, and other potential funding sources in Washington, D.C. in March 2010. Note: As part of the 2009 United Front Federal Priorities list, the City of Eugene included a request for an air monitoring station as part of Lane County’s BioEnergy Production Facility request. The original request for the air quality monitoring station was to ensure the efficacy of the facility’s basic requirement to reduce or eliminate the air quality impacts from grass seed burning in the central and southern Willamette Valley. However, in 2009, the Oregon State Legislature passed Senate Bill 528 which ended most field burning in Oregon. Additionally, the Lane Region Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) recently determined it would site an air quality monitoring station in west Eugene and has identified funding to install the station, although it is still trying to identify funding for ongoing operation of the station. Accordingly, because field burning has been eliminated in the southern Willamette Valley and an air monitoring station is being installed in west Eugene by LRAPA, the 2009 request for the air monitoring station is not recommended for inclusion on the 2010 Federal Priorities Project List. RELATED CITY POLICIES Adoption of the federal priority recommendations is the making or affirming of the City of Eugene’s policy with respect to federal legislative issues or such other matters as may come to the council from the IGR committee. Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100113\S100113A.doc COUNCIL OPTIONS The council may: 1.Adopt the 2010 Federal Priority Project List recommendations. 2.Modify the 2010 Federal Priority Project List. CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION The City Manager recommends Council Option 1 - Adopt the 2010 Federal Priority Project List recommendations. SUGGESTED MOTION Move to adopt the 2010 Federal Priority Project List recommendations. ATTACHMENTS A. 2010 Federal Priority Project List FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Brenda Wilson Telephone: 682-8441 Staff E-Mail: brenda.s.wilson@ci.eugene.or.us Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100113\S100113A.doc PROPOSED 2010 FEDERAL PRIORITIES PROJECT LIST Project NameRequestCurrent UF Notes Project? Natural Resources & Water Forest Legacy$1.956 MYESThis request was not funded in FY 09. We have determined that the best course of action is to modify our request for a total programmatic request instead of an individual project request. MWMC Electrical Generator $6 MNOJoint Project with Eugene and Springfield. Would upgrade the generators at UpgradeMWMC to expand capacilty. Public Safety Police Special Operations Facility$1 MNOThis project would renovate our current Special Operations facility. It is in desperate need of energy efficient upgrades and has unusable facilities. It is also not up to seismic standards. Fire Hydrant Replacements$250,000 NOOur current fire hydrant system is antiquated with 31% over 50 years old and another 24% in the 40 to 50 year old range. The useful life of a typical fire hydrant is 50 to 60 years which means that over the next decade, over 50% of the city's fire hydrants will be at or near the end of their useful lives. The current cost to replace a hydrant is $5,000 - $1,500 for the hydrant and $3,500 for installation. Although the estimate to replace these outdated hydrants is about $10 million, EWEB has agreed to partner with us on the installments. Transportation & Community Development West Eugene Transportation Study$5 M YESThis is for environmental analysis and preliminary design. Updates and Programmatic Requests Metro Waterways General $375,000 YESThis has been funded at $134,000 for completion of the feasibility Study related to this project. Delta Ponds$3.8 MYESThis project was funded out of the ARRA funds and contacts were signed last week. FAA funding~YESOngoing reqeust for continued aviation funding at maximum levels. Support for Medicare Ambulance ~NOThere are several bills in Congress at this time. We have already asked our Relief delegation to support some of these bills which would provide reliif to ambulance service providers. Reauthorization Projects Beltline Corridor River Road to $18 MYESNEPA and preliminary design Coburg Road West Bank Path and Pathway $4.05MYESThia is on our current UF list at $1.75 M. We have expanded this project to Lighting Eugene include lightening and other improvements - the cost going up to $4.05 M. Franklin Blvd.- Eugene Segment $22.5 MYESDesign and construction