Req.#7739
RESOLUTION NO. 34604
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4 WHEREAS the City of Tacoma has determined that it is in the City's best
5 interest to have consultants for the purpose of congressional liaison and related
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activities during the 2000 session of the United States Congress, and
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8 WHEREAS Simon and Company possess the necessary expertise to
9 discharge such duties, and
10 WHEREAS the City has previously entered into a contract with Simon and
11 Company in 1994, pursuant to Resolution No. 32332, as amended by Resolution
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No. 32855 for 1995, Resolution No. 33226 for 1996, Resolution No. 33565 for
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1997, and Resolution No. 33898 for 1998, and
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15 WHEREAS it is in the best interest of the City to extend the contract for
16 services with Simon and Company for congressional liaison through
17 December 31, 2000; Now, Therefore,
18 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TACOMA@
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That the proper officers of the City of Tacoma are hereby authorized to
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21 extend the contract with Simon and Company for expert services to adequately
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res7739.doc-S1V/1ad
LEG 004 (11/89)
1 represent the interests of the City before the United States Congress, the
2 administration, and other Federal agencies, with said proposed extension to
3 contract to be substantially on file in the office of the City Clerk.
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5 Adopted DEC 7 1999
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8 Mayor
qi cx@ "'@
9 Attest: City Clerk
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11 Approved as
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13 Ass
@_,'nt City A@@@Y
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res7739 doc-SIV/Iad
LEG 004 (11/89)
CITY CLERK USE
REQUEST FOR O"INANCE Request M Muslim" I&EN01i
OR RESOLUTION Ordinance*
Resolution Ea
1. DATE: November 10, 1999
2. REQUESTING DEPARTMENT/DIVISION/PROGRAM 3. CONTACT PERSON (for questions): PHONE/EXTENSION
City Manager/Government Relations Randy Lewis 5122
4. PREPARATION OF RESOLUTION IS REQUESTED FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY,
December 7,1999.
5. SUMMARY TITLE/REcOMMENDATION: (A concise sentence, as it will appear on the Council Agenda)
Authorizing the extension of a contract with Simon and Company for congressional liaison through
December 31, 2000.
6. BACKGROUND INFORMATION/GENERAL DISCUSSION: (Why is this request necessary? Are there legal
requirements? What are the viable alternatives? Who has been involved in the process?)
It is necessary to contract for expert services to adequately represent the interests of the City before the
U.S. Congress, the administration and other Federal agencies.
7. FINANCIAL IMPACT: (Future impact on the budget.)
This item was budgeted.
8. LIST ALL MATERIAL AVAILABLE AS BACKUP INFORMATION FOR THE REQUEST AND INDICATE WHERE FILED:
Source Documents/Backup Material Location of Document
Contract with Simon & Company City Manager's Office
9. FUNDING SOURCE: (Enter amount of funding from each source)
Fund Number & State $ city $ Other $ Tol 10
Name:
0010 $3
If an expenditure, is it budgeted? X Yes D No Where? Org# 1400 Acct 53120
300
App ofFunds
I 0. D ipartment DirectorXtility Division Approval r Utilities Approval
cry doc.met,@req.-Ifi-olwi- -di-ceWmon2000request.dot Office System*
SIMON AND COMPANY
INCORPORATED
Intergovemmental ReLatiorus and Federal Affairs
1660 L Screct, N.W. * SLli[C 1050 * W@ishingtoti, D.C. 20036
(202) 659-222( * Fax (202) 659-5234
FEDERAL AFFAIRS ASSISTANCE
for
THE CITY OF TACOMA
2000 STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN
Submitted to the
Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
CITY OF TACOMA
November 23, 1999
CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTIONI
WASHINGTON REPRESENTATION FOR CITIES:
Challenges and Opportunities2
PROPOSED STRATEGY3
Economic, Community Development and Ho using3
Environmental Quality 3
Law Enforcement and Crime Prevention4
Other Priority Areas5
ACTION PROGRAM FOR THE CITY OF TACOMA6
Developing a Federal Agenda5
Monitoring Developments in Washington5
Promoting the City's Agenda6
City Officials in Washington6
A Communications System with City Hall 6
PROPOSED BUDGET8
BACKGROUND, RECORD AND APPROACH7
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS7
CONCLUSION8
INTRODUCTION
This Strategy and Action Plan is respectfully submitted to the City of Tacoma and
outlines an approach for continued assistance to the City in its federal affairs
representation during 2000.
It has been our pleasure and honor to provide Washington representation to the
City of Tacoma in recent years and to assist in the development and implementation of
the City's federal affairs agenda.
Our experience on behalf of Tacoma has included a track record of measurable
achievements in the areas of grants, appropriations, authorizations and regulatory and
administrative affairs and we hope to be able continue applying these energies on behalf
of the City. In each of these areas we have been part of a team which includes the
Congressional delegation, the City's elected leadership and the City Manager,
government relations officer, department heads and staff.
Following this Introduction, we present a discussion of our view of an effective
way in which to organize Washington representation for city governments, given the
challenges facing city relationships with the federal executive and legislative branches.
This is followed by a brief overview of current and pending federal issues which may
have a bearing on City of Tacoma federal projects and activities. A proposed action
program of activity for Washington representation for the City is next, along with some
information on our company background and accomplishments and a suggested budget
for this effort. In preparation of this document, we have sought to be sensitive to new
needs of the City of Tacoma following the recent passage of 1-695.
Thank you for the opportunity to assist Tacoma to date and for your time and
'deration in reviewing the attached. We look forward to discussing this further with
consi
you in the near future.
WASHINGTON REPRESENTATION FOR CITIES:
Challenges and Opportunities
The Congress adjourned for 1999 last week with some accomplishment, much of an
unfinished agenda and poised to return to legislating in January in a difficult election
year This presents interesting opportunities and challenges for the City of Tacoma.
The budget surplus - despite initial concerns about "budget caps"-ushered in
considerable new spending, including earmarks, in transportation, housing, community
and economic development, and the environment. In addition, the appropriations process
brought about the one-year reauthorization of the COPS program, with over $900 million
in available new resources for cities. Much remains to be done, including a wide array of
environmental reauthorizations but on the whole it was a good year for cities and the
prospects for 2000 are positive.
This record at the end of 1999 and the election year ahead sets up a busy agenda for
2000 and significant opportunities for the City of Tacoma. The federal government still
exerts great influence on the conditions , resources and plans of city governments. This
will no doubt be the case in 2000.
Whether a city seeks to take advantage of federal opportunities or solve problems
created by the federal establishment, Washington representation can help if it is: (1)
targeted; and (2) viewed as a staff extension of City Hall. Washington representation
works well for cities when it is based on a specific and prioritized plan so that time and
energy can be properly channeled to achieve objectives and success can be measured.
But this representation in Washington must function not as a separate and distinct
activity but rather as an integrated staff function in Washington, working in a traditional
staff capacity, with the Congress and federal agencies as its principal assignments and,
effectively, the city's "Washington Office".
These are the approaches we havealways adopted for the City of Tacoma in relation
to our services and believe that if continued it can make a solid contribution to Tacoma's
success in the challenging period ahead.
In the sections which follow, we examine more closely some of the individual policy
and program areas to underscore the scope of issues pending in Washington which
impact Tacoma, describe some of the activities we have pursued on the City's behalf and
chart the directions where some of these may go in the period ahead.
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PROPOSEDSTRATEGY
Economic Development, Community Development and Hous@yg
For several years the practice of seeking HUD Economic Development Initiative
Grants in the annual HUD appropriation bill has been a successful strategy for achieving
ftinding for key aspects of Tacoma redevelopment strategy, including Hilltop, east side
housing and implementation in Tacoma of the R/UDAT study. In the most recently
passed HUD budget, $100,000 was included for federal capitalization of the Tacoma
Housing Trust Fund. We suggest that we work to develop a new eligible project for 2000.
We were pleased to work with the City and Housing Authority this year on the
turnaround of the HOPE VI grant. The Housing Authority competed for and won a
HOPE VI grant for tearing down Salishan. After further consideration though, the
Housing Authority chose to save Salishan and we assisted in negotiating with HUD to
save the HOPE VI grant so that it would remain a useful tool for rehabilitation instead of
being torn down. We look forward to ftirther collaboration with the Housing Authority
on its agenda in the year ahead.
We have worked with the City and Port of Tacoma since 1998 to help structure the
approach to development of federal legislation for an International Services Development
Zone (ISDZ). There may be a tax bill in 1999 and the legislation needed to enact an
ISDZ would be located in that vehicle. We will continue to assist the City in this activity.
Environmental Quality
The multi-year stalemate on environmental issues in the Congress continued to
prevail in 1999, but prospects are good for a partial end to the impasse in 1999.
Major actions pending in the Congress include reauthorization of the Clean Water
Act, the Resource Conservation and. Recovery Act, Superfund and the Endangered
Species Act. Considerable progress in the past year has been made on moving towards
consensus on Superfund and it stands the best chance of being enacted in 2000. The
tragic passing of Senator John Chafee of Rhode Island, the Chairman of the Environment
and Public Works Committee and a voice for environmental progress and consensus,
makes these tasks more difficult but by no means impossible. Each has major impacts on
City operations. We will ensure that Tacoma is aware of developments in this area and
help to determine particular legislative or programmatic ob'
Jectives.
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Brownfields will continue to be a growing program in federal agencies. The City was
awarded a Brownfields Pilot Grant to undertake analysis of brownfields solutions at Thea
Foss.and there are regular opportunities for the City to seek new brownfield funding both
from HUD and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Finally, similar to the HUD-EDI process discussed above, there has been a growing
tendency on the part of the congressional appropriations process to specifically eannark
EPA ftinding for city specific projects for water and sewer, groundwater, special clean-up
activities and a wide variety of other uses. We suggest that the City consider proposing
such a project to our congressional delegation for consideration in the EPA budget in
2000.
In summary, there will be ample funding and new opportunities for the City to seek
grants from individual federal agencies in the Brownfields area or through direct federal
appropriations We will work with the City to determine how best to approach this
opportunity with EPA and the congressional delegation.
Law Enforcement and Crime Prevention
The City has derived numerous grants for police officer ftinding and technology from
the 1994 Crime bill, which was scheduled to expire this year. Based on its success in
place 100,000 officers in cities, the Administration has sought a five-year extension and
the appropriations process included sufficient funding for a ftill year of the COPS
program in 2000. The same bill also includes ftinding for continuation of the Local Law
Enforcement Block Grant, which provides annual funding to the City for flexible crime
prevention activities.
The 2000 COPS program will likely include ftinding for additional police hires at the
traditionally authorized level of up to $75,000 on the streets, in schools, housing, and
other areas which fit into an expanded definition of community policing.
Finally, similar to the HUD and EPA experiences discussed above, there has been a
growing tendency on the part of the congressional appropriations process to specifically
earmark Department of Justice crime prevention funding in the ftinding for city specific
projects including technology, domestic violence, drugs, juvenile justice, schools, and
juvenile Justice. We suggest that the City consider proposing such a project to our
congressional delegation for consideration in the EPA budget in 2000
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OTHER PRIORITYAREAS
The areas outlined above -- law enforcement and crime prevention, environmental
quality-up and community and economic development and housing are the major areas
we propose to focus on in 2000.Others -- transportation, telecommunications, the
initiative to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Urban Parks and
Recreation Recovery Program, to name a few-- are very important and we look forward
to continuing to work with the City towards achieving accomplishments in these areas.
ACTION PROGRAM FOR THE CITY OF TACOMA
As noted previously, Washington representation for cities works best when it is
sharply defined to prioritize objectives and achieve specific results. Our style has been
to work closely with senior city officials to develop an action program that forms the
basis of our activity. This is simply an expression of the specific needs and aims where
the City wishes to achieve success in the year ahead.
Developing a Federal Agenda
Each year, the action program includes activities such as agency grants, targeted
congressional actions, city-specific consideration in relevant authorization legislation and
administrative or regulatory decisions expedited or problems solved. A program for the
next year could focus on the major items outlined in the previous section. It would be our
intention to work with City officials to formulate such a program for 2000.
Monitoring Developments in Washington
We place a major emphasis in our work on continuous monitoring of developments in
Washington, which could have an impact on the City. In our daily efforts with the federal
agencies and Congress our goal is to seek to have an overview of all significant actions of
the federal establishment which could conceivably make a difference to Tacoma and
quickly communicate this to the City leadership to determine appropriate action. For
example, the issues cited earlier cover wide territory and numerous federal agencies and
congressional committees. Our job is to have points of contact in all of those agencies
and committees and we have been successful in doing so. However, they are not the limit
of our scope of activities. We are always alert to other areas which could potentially have
a beneficial impact on the City or even pose a possible threat. We routinely interact with
most federal departments and with the congressional committees with which they
correspond and would took for-ward to discussions on how their work affects the City.
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Promoting the City's Aaenda
Promoting the City's agenda requires a multi-faceted and continuous approach. Basic
elements include:
(1) Ongoing discussions with City leadership and staff to finalize priority activities;
(2) Continued meetings with the Tacoma Congressional delegation to review priority
project status and assess the potential for their success in the coming months;
(3) Regular liaison through telephone, fax, and memorandum on progress made on the
various project areas including: (a) suggestions of the specific roles to be played by City
officials; and (b) information resources which will need to be developed.
City Officials in Washinklon
Over the years as City officials have traveled to Washington we have worked to
coordinate Washington trips in pursuit of the City's federal affairs agenda. This has
included briefings, meetings with the executive and legislative branch and related
activities. The trip this year by the Tacoma Housing Authority on HOPE VI is a good
example of this process working well.
We believe that city officials can make a dramatic difference to our overall efforts on
their behalf by regular travel to Washington and hope these trips will continue.
The Washington State congressional delegation, headed by its dean, Rep. Norm Dicks,
is an influential one with key members in the House and Senate. We have had good
experiences with them to date and these have also been enhanced by on-site assistance
from City officials during their trips to Washington. This process should continue
A Communications SVslem with City HaU
We function as the "Washington Office" for the City providing a base in the nation's
capital and a wide variety of services. In addition to regular information and updates on a
full range of issues, we also provide the City with four regular publications, Washington
Urban Update , Urban Environmental Report. and TEA-21 and ity Safety. The City
receives faxes or direct mail from us an average of several times a week or more and we
are also in regular telephone contact or E-mail contact.
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PROPOSED 2000 BUDGET
The budget for the work outlined above will be $35,000 for the period of January I
through December 31, 2000. This represents the basic fee for professional services and
will be billed monthly at a rate of $2,708. 1 further propose a total ceiling of $2,500 for
reimbursable, documented expenses, which should be sufficient to cover routine items
such as long-distance telephone, photocopying, intra-city travel, and when necessary,
travel to Tacoma to meet with City officials.
BACKGROUND, RECORD AND APPROACH
Simon and Company, Inc. is a Washington, D.C. based firm specializing in the field of
local government concerns. It provides assistance to its clients in the areas of legislative
affairs, grant and program development and special projects. Its clients include city
governments, municipal authorities, non-profit groups, and national associations. The
company began operations in 1987.
Leonard S. Simon has spent the last twenty-two years directly involved in the federal
affairs concerns of local governments. He joined the staff of the U.S. Conference of
Mayors in March 1977 and became an Assistant Executive Director in October 1978, a
position he held until July 1986. In that role he was responsible for policy development
and legislative affairs in the fields of transportation, environment, infrastructure, natural
resources and telecommunications, and was involved in many other areas on behalf of the
Conference. The firm works very closely with the U.S. Conference of Mayors today.
Also 1n the firm are Heather Barber, who previously has worked in the education field
and the U. S. Conference of Mayors and Alex DeGood, who came to the firm from a
major public policy research company.
The firm is proud of its record in helping cities to take advantage of opportunities and
solve problems within the federal legislative and executive branches. Our experience on
behalf of cities for many years has included a track record of measurable achievements in
the areas of grants, appropriations, authorizations and regulatory affairs. In each of our
successes we have been part of a team which includes the congressional delegation, the
city's elected leadership and key managers, the department heads and staff. This has been
the case to date with Tacoma.
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NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
When properly used, existing national associations and organizations in Washington
can assist in achieving the objectives of a local government's federal affairs agenda. For
many years we have worked closely with all of the key organizations which represent
local government and local service providers. We are in regular contact and work with
the staff of the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, American
Public Transit Association, American Water Works Association, and the Association of
Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies among others. These groups are an excellent outlet for
advancing Tacoma's agenda and a useftil early warning system for a variety, of areas.
Mayor Ebersole serves within the, leadership position of the U.S. Conference of Mayors
and we are pleased to provide assistance to him in that regard. Similarly, council
members participate periodically in the National League of Cities and we work with them
in that venue, as well.
CONCLUSION
It is a great honor to continue our efforts on behalf of Tacoma. I look forward to
working very closely and successftilly with Tacoma's leadership in the very exciting year
ahead to ensure an effective federal relations approach for the City and its citizens.
AMENDIVIENTVI
WHEREAS the CITY OF TACOMA (hereinafter referred to as the "City")
heretofore entered into an Agreement with LEONARD S. SIMON, SIMON AND
COMPANY, INC., hereinafter referred to as the "Contractor", dated the 16 th day
of February 1993, and
WHEREAS the City desires to utilize the services of the Contractor for an
additional period of one year under the same terms and conditions of the original
agreement, and
WHEREAS the Contractor is willing to provide such services on said
terms;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and
covenants herein contained, it is hereby agreed as follows:
(1) That certain agreement between the Contractor and the City,
particularly paragraph (2) thereof, is amended as follows:
I The Contractor shall receive compensation for the furnishing of said services
in a sum not to exceed Thirty Five Thousand ($35,000 for the year 1999 payable at a
rate of $2,708 per month plus a total of $2,500 for reimbursable expenses,
commencing on January 1, 1999 and terminating December 31, 1999.) The
Contractor shall provide a monthly billing specifying the tasks performed, and a
detailed report of the results to the City Manager's Office, on behalf of the City of
Tacoma, will provide the necessary supervision to the Contractor.
(2) Except as hereinabove specifically modified, all terms and
conditions of that certain agreement between the City and the Contractor, dated
the 16 th day of February, 1993, shall remain in full force and effect. Further
details are provided in the attached Exhibit A, Federal Affairs Assistance for The
City of Tacoma, 1999 Strategy and Action Plan.
ORIGINAL
IN WITNESS WHEREOF of the parties hereto have executed this
document on the day of gar,1 t.!,,4
Countersigned: CITY OF TACOMA
Director @f Finaini5e' 'Government Relations Officer
Attest:
City Clerk YI/
Approved as to form: CONTRACTOR
City Attorney eonard S. Simon
Simon and Company, Inc.
OD
I \ I G I N A
34604
Resolution No.
Adopted: - DEC 7 1999
Maker of Motion:
Seconded: VL
Roll Call Vote:
MEMBERS AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
Mr. Baarsma
Mr. Crowley
Mr. De Forrest
Mr. Kirby
Dr. McGavick
Mr. Miller
Mr. Phelps
-Dr. Silas
LMayor Ebersole
-MEMBERS AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
-Mr. Baarsma
Mr. Crowley
-Mr. De Forrest
-Mr. Kirby
-Dr. McGavick
Mr. Miller
-Mr. Phelps
Dr. Silas
r Mayor Eber_s-o1e__F_
g:1cityc1kVbrmsVeso1.doc