CC Resolution No. 2406RESOLUTION NO. 2406
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN,
TEXAS, ESTABLISHING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN'S LEGISLATIVE
AGENDA FOR THE 114TH CONGRESS; AND PROVIDING FOR THE
EFFECTIVE DATE THEREOF.
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN,
TEXAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, hereby establishes
the City of Baytown's Legislative Agenda for the 114th Congress, which is attached hereto as
Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein for all intents and purposes.
Section 2: This resolution shall take effect immediately from and after its passage by
the City Council of the City of Baytown.
INTRODUCED, READ and PASSED, by the
City of Baytown this the 10th day of March, 2016.
S
A ST:
LETICIA BRYSCH, Ci lerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
NACIO RAMIREZ, SR., Ci tt rney
an ae
R:1KaredTiles'Zity Council, Resolutions\2016\March IO EstablishLegislativeAgendaforl 14thCongress.doc
of the City Council of the
CARLOS,
Exhibit "A"
BAYTOWN LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
BAYS 114TH UNITED STATES CONGRESS I SECOND SESSION
EmuR NIMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Support full remediation of the San Jacinto Waste Pits Super Fund site to ensure area
residents have safe water conditions for fishing and other recreational purposes.
✓ Oppose efforts by the EPA to implement new ozone standards before allowing the 2008 ozone
standards to fully take effect, balancing economic growth and environmental protection.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
✓ Support workforce resources and programs that allow state and local levels of government to
create programs that work for their state or locality, not one - size - fits -all national programs.
✓ Support the continuation of funding for the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American
Community Survey, along with efforts to broaden and deepen workforce and labor data at the
zip code level.
PUBLIC SAFETY
✓ Maintain or expand federal resources for public safety grant programs that provide core
services provided by the City of Baytown:
■ Federal Homeland Security Grant Programs (Urban Areas Security Initiative, Port
Security, Buffer Zone Protection, and State Homeland Security);
■ Police Grant Programs (COPS and Byrne /Justice Assistance); and
Fire Grant Programs (Assistance to Firefighters, Staffing for Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response, and Fire Prevention and Safety).
PUBLIC WORKS
✓ Support implementation of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority (WIFIA)
as authorized with the enactment of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act
(WRRDA) to assist localities in need of resources for flood control, water supply, and
wastewater infrastructure.
✓ Support the continued exemption of Public Water Systems and Water Treatment Facilities
from the Department of Homeland Security CFATS regulation.
✓ Provide funding for hardening of existing infrastructure to mitigate natural and man -made
disasters.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
✓ Oppose additional funding reductions to the Community Development Block Grant Program
(CDBG) and legislation that lowers the CDBG administrative cap below 20 %.
✓ Support full funding for the T -HUD bill, which supports many important community
development efforts in Baytown.
FLEXIBILITY TO ALLOCATE PEG FEES
✓ Support legislation (similar to the Community Access Preservation, or CAP Act of 2013, 5.1789)
that would eliminate the distinction between "capital" and "operating" with regard to how
public, educational, or governmental (PEG) channels /studios utilize their support fees.
BAYTOWN LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
BB I 114TH UNITED STATES CONGRESS I SECOND SESSION
PESTICIDES
Support a legislative amendment to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
( FIFRA) to clarify that pesticides or any biological control organism permitted under FIFRA will
not be considered a pollutant and therefore avoid facing unnecessary restrictions by the EPA
through the Clean Water Act.
MARKETPLACE FAIRNESS ACT
✓ Support legislation to address a loophole in the tax code and allow states and local
governments the ability to require out -of -state (online) merchants to collect and remit sales
tax at the time of purchase.
FRANCHISE FEES
✓ Oppose legislation that would reduce or eliminate a municipality's ability to collect franchise
fees for use of rights -of -way.
PUBLIC FINANCE
✓ Oppose efforts to limit or remove the exemption on the taxing of municipal bond interest.
Oppose legislation that would prohibit any special district of the city from being able to sell
tax - exempt bonds.
UNFUNDED MANDATES
V Oppose legislation that would require municipalities to fund former State and Federal
programs without providing the associated resources.
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) REGULATIONS
J Support efforts to streamline and reform duplicative and burdensome requirements currently
mandated by NEPA.
ARTS AND-CULTURE
r'' Support continued funding for NEA and EDA grant programs to improve arts and cultural
opportunities in our community and to restore historic areas of our city.
LOCAL AUTHORITY
+/ Oppose any legislation that would require local governments to adopt federal collective
bargaining standards.
Oppose any federal preemption of state defined - benefit plans, such as the Texas Municipal
Retirement System.
PRIORITY TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES
Support the 1 -10 and John Martin /Garth Road On and Off Ramp Re- Configuration Project,
focused on spurring economic opportunity in the area.
✓ Support measures that allow for local control of transportation resources, eliminating
unnecessary State and Federal administrative costs and creating efficiencies.
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