HomeMy WebLinkAbout(0075) RESOLUTION - CFW 2020 Federal Legislative and Administrative ProgramA Resolution
NO.
ADOPTING THE CITY OF FORT WORTH'S
2020 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the I I6th United States Congress will continue in January 2020; and
WHEREAS, during the fall of 2019, the City's Governmental Relations staff, in conjunction
with its federal legislative consultants, solicited input from various members of the Fort Worth City
Council, the City Manager's office, and department directors to identify programmatic and funding
needs that could, potentially, be resolved by Congressional or federal administrative actions; and
WHEREAS, recommendations for a federal legislative and administrative program were
presented to the Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, which made certain revisions
and on December 3, 2019, approved a final version of the proposed federal program for presentation to
and consideration by the full City Council; and
WHEREAS, the proposed program was presented to the City Council and the approval of this
resolution will serve as City Council's adoption of its federal legislative and administrative program.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT WORTH THAT:
1. The 2020 Federal Legislative and Administrative Program outlined in the attached document is
hereby adopted; and
2. The City Manager is hereby authorized and directed to distribute copies of the City's 2020
Federal Legislative and Administrative Program to members of Congress, to other cities, and to other
interested parties; and
3. The appropriate City officials are authorized and directed to send letters of support or to meet
with federal officials to discuss the City's position on the attached initiatives; and
4. The City's Government Relations staff and the City's federal legislative consultants are
authorized and directed to take the appropriate actions to advance the 2020 Federal Legislative and
Administrative Program before Congress, the Administration, and corresponding federal agencies.
Adopted the day of January, 2020.
ATTEST:
By:
Mary J. Kayser, City Secretary
FORT WORTH:.,
FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PRIORITIES FOR 2020
Pursuing Community Development and Renewal
• Long-term Transportation Reauthorization/"Highway Trust Fund"
• Education Opportunity Programs
• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
• Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
• New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC)
• Second Chance Act
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP/WAP)
• HOME Grants
• Low Income Housing Tax Credits
• Section 8 Housing Vouchers: Pursuing an increase in the Section 8 Voucher
federal budget allocation and looking for additional Section 8 Vouchers for the
FW Housing Authority
• Employment Non-discrimination Initiatives
Pursuing Community Development and Renewal Continued
• Healthy Communities Initiative
• HHS and Community Health
• Urban Park and Recreation Recovery (UPARR)
• Land and Water Conservation Fund Reauthorization/Full Funding
• Museum and Library Funding (IMLS Reauthorization)
• Energy/Sustainability Grants
• Flood Insurance Premiums
• Increased Funding Sources for Homeowner Lead Removal
Exploring Economic Development Opportunities
• Mixed Income Community Development Funding
• Municipal Debt Income Tax Exemption
• State and Local Tax Deductibility
• Collection of Remote Sales Taxes
• Internet and Wireless Tax Authority
• Municipal Bond Access and Liquidity (HQLA, Dodd Frank)
• Federal Aviation and Contract Tower Funding Increases
• Clean Energy and Natural Gas Initiatives
• Management and Collection for use on Local Rights of Way
• Wet Weather Facility
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Fighting for Public Safety Funding and Support
• Emergency Responder Funding for Prevention and Care of Dangerous Exposure
Related Illnesses
• Emergency Services Funding and Training for Procedural Justice, Implicit Bias,
Reconciliation, and Community Policing
• Emergency Management Preparedness Grants (EMPG)
• Homeland Security Top 10 Re -Designation for Urban Areas Security Initiative
(UASI) funding
• CASA Funding (innovative weather satellite pilot)
• Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS)
• Broadband Spectrum for First Responders
• Opposition to Federal Collective Bargaining Legislation
FEDERAL CONGRESSIONAL PRIORITIES FOR 2020
Fighting for Mobility Improvements
Summary: Traditional and alternative forms of transit are essential to Fort Worth's
current and planned investments in economic growth and community development. Fort
Worth is completing transformative infrastructure improvements that will increase access
to jobs and encourage new residential and business developments. Support for ongoing
highway improvements, robust passenger rail that spans the city, enhanced public
transportation systems, and alternative transit opportunities, including bike trails, will be
continuing priorities in the 116th Congress.
Support for Educational Development
Summary: Fort Worth's continued growth and economic success depends in large part
on our city's ability to deliver quality educational opportunities for our future workforce.
Families in our community deserve access to programs that provide a diverse continuum
of educational resources with a particular emphasis on workforce development, especially
in STEM. Supporting high school programs that encourage workforce preparedness,
better equipping students for the needs of today's job market, will remain a priority in our
federal engagement in 2020. Additionally, early childhood education programs are critical
to the long-term success of Fort Worth's school aged children. Identifying opportunities
to enhance and create programs that increase access to quality early childhood education
and care through "flexible," locally distributed federal funding dollars will be a key priority
in the 116th Congress.
Supporting "Central City" Flood Control
Summary: Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing large cities in America. The "Central
City" flood control project is a key element in managing and modernizing the "Fort Worth
Federal Floodway" levee system, essential to protecting our rapidly expanding population
and economy. The "Central City" flood control plan will protect people and businesses
north and east of our current downtown while providing much needed economic security
and certainty to these flood prone communities. Continued modernization of the Trinity
River levee system will depend greatly on substantial and sustained federal funding and
administration support for the "Central City" flood control project and is a key priority for
2020.
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Supporting Our Local Defense Economy
Summary: Fort Worth's economic growth and development is inextricably tied to the
health of America's military and defense industries. The Naval Air Station Joint Reserve
Base (NASJRB) and Fort Worth's synergistic relationship with top military contractors in
the United States are models for many cities across our nation. Continuing support for
NASJRB as well as sustaining the growth of our defense contracting industries through
federal budget and appropriations support for programs like Future Long Range Assault
Aircraft (FLRAA) and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) will be a key priority.
Additionally, Fort Worth is home to a large and growing population of active duty and
reservist military personnel as well as veterans of all ages. Supporting those who have
served and continue to serve our country will be an ongoing priority in the 116th Congress.
Calling on Congress to Reform America's Broken Immigration System
Summary: The City of Fort Worth is a large and growing community, deeply rooted in
diverse and multicultural Texas traditions. For more than 140 years, laws governing and
regulating immigration to our country have been the exclusive responsibility of the United
States Congress. As a community that chooses to stand united, the City of Fort Worth
calls on the United States Congress to fulfill its duty to the American public and pass
immigration reforms in 2020 that strengthen our nation's rule of law and sovereignty,
beginning at our national borders, while also treating all people, regardless of their origin,
with the dignity and respect our nation's shared values and principles of democracy
demand.
• Chy Lung v. Freeman, 92 U.S. 275 (1875)
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