HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommittee of the Whole - 25 Nov 2024 - Agenda - Pdf
CITY OF RENTON
AGENDA - Committee of the Whole Meeting
6:00 PM - Monday, November 25, 2024
7th Floor Conferencing Center
1. 2025 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
i. Renton 2025 Legislative Agenda
ii. State Legislative Agenda Presentation
CITY OF RENTON // KEY PRIORITIES
2025 Legislative Agenda
Behavioral Health
Renton supports expanded funding for grants to
establish and support ongoing funding for local
behavioral health co-responder programs, including
FD Cares and Project Be Free, in addition to expanding
training opportunities and resources for co-responders.
Renton appreciates the investments the legislature
has made into human services in the 2023-25 bian-
nual budget, but additional resources are needed to
meet the growing needs of our communities. The city
supports budgetary initiatives that increase available
funding opportunities for these crucial programs,
ensuring greater access to alternative response
programs for individuals in crisis.
Human Services
The city supports increased funding of $61.5 million
for the Washington State Office of Refugee and
Immigrant Assistance (ORIA) to ensure it can effec-
tively coordinate statewide efforts to support the
economic and social integration and basic needs
of refugees and asylees arriving and resettling in
Washington. While Renton is appreciative of the legis-
lature’s investments into providing services and care
for the state’s refugee and asylee population, the city
supports additional budgetary and legislative initia-
tives that optimize ORIA’s abilities to implement a “hub
and spoke” model for refugee and asylee assistance,
ensuring statewide coordination of resources and
programming with Washington’s local governments to
provide long-term supports most effectively to these
vulnerable populations.
Transportation and
Regional Connectivity
Renton requests that funding already committed by
the Legislature to WSDOT projects benefiting the
Renton community are not further delayed due to
funding shortfalls on other I-405 related projects.
While Renton greatly appreciates the investments made
through the last Move Ahead Washington package, the
cost of construction has increased substantially in the
last few years in addition to the other financial impacts
affecting projects across the state. In order to maintain
momentum on these crucial projects, the city supports
the timely advancement of the Renton to Bellevue
Phase 3 projects approved in 2022 by exploring funding
options and conducting a collaborative Practical
Solutions process with city involvement.
Public Safety
The city supports comprehensive resources and
responses to address public safety and increasing
juvenile crime with a prioritization of prevention,
accountability, and rehabilitation. Renton strongly
supports initiatives aimed at addressing this critical
issue through upstream investments, early intervention,
and community-based programs, alongside other legis-
lative efforts to positively impact accountability and
outcomes within the juvenile justice system, including
for juvenile victims of crime.
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AGENDA ITEM #1. i.