HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021/11/09-Attachments-RESOLUTION - Adopt.2022 Federal Legislative and Administrative AgendaA Resolution
NO.
ADOPTING THE CITY OF FORT WORTH'S
2022 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE AGENDA
WHEREAS, the 117th United States Congress convened in January 2021 and will end in
January 2023; and
WHEREAS, during the fall of 2021, 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 agenda were
presented to the full City Council, which approved a final version of the proposed federal program
on October 19, 2020, for consideration by the full City Council for final approval; and
WHEREAS, the proposed program was presented to the City Council on October 19, 2021
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 2022 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 2022
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 2022 Federal Legislative
and Administrative Program before Congress, the Administration, and corresponding federal
agencies.
Adopted the day of November 2021.
ATTEST:
Um
Ronald P. Gonzales, Acting City Secretary
FORT WORTH:.,
FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PRIORITIES FOR 2022
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)
• Expanded LIHEAP Eligibility Documentation Requirements: Voter ID
• HOME Grants
• Low Income Housing Tax Credits
• Housing Choice Vouchers: Budgetary Increases for FWHS
• Support and Expansion of Fair Housing
• Support for Whole Health Community Clinic Expansion
• Healthy Communities Initiative
• Employment Non-discrimination Initiatives
• Energy and Sustainability Grants
• Flood Insurance Premiums
• Ongoing COVID Relief for Strained City Services
• Fund "non-FEMA Food Plane" Flooding Recovery
• Fund Universal Broadband Coverage —Building Access
• Urban Park and Recreation Recovery (UPARR)
• Land and Water Conservation Full Funding for Green Spaces
• Museum and Library Funding (IMLS Reauthorization)
• East Lancaster Multimodal Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor Project
• 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
• Federal Aviation and Contract Tower Funding Increases
• Management and Collection for use on Local Rights of Way
• Wet Weather Facility
• Juvenile Entrepreneurship Funding
• Federal Assistance with Invasive Species (Egret Population)
Fighting for Public Safety Funding and Support
• Emergency Services Funding and Training for Procedural Justice,
Implicit Bias, Reconciliation, and Community Policing
• Emergency Responder Funding for Prevention and Care of Dangerous
Exposure Related Illnesses
• 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
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FEDERAL CONGRESSIONAL PRIORITIES FOR 2022
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 —including money to elevate 1-35 in key
places, if such a plan is part of the Regional Transportation Plan —robust
high-speed passenger rail that spans the city, expansion of TEXRAIL to other
stops in Fort Worth, enhanced public transportation systems, and
alternative transit opportunities, including bike trails, will be continuing
priorities in the 2nd Session of the 117th Congress.
Support for Educational and Career 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
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 2022. 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 continue
to be a key priority in the 117th Congress.
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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 2022.
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
2023 budget and appropriations support for programs like "Future Vertical
Lift," the Bell "360 Invictus Helicopter," and military modernization 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 117th Congress.
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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 2022 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.
1 Chy Lung v. Freeman, 92 U.S. 275 (1875)
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