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Council signals federal priority: public-safety radios over Hope Village funding
Summary
City staff sought council direction on two federal funding priorities—replacement police radios and operating support for Hope Village—and council signaled that radios should be the top federal ask while maintaining Hope Village as a secondary request to state and federal partners.
City staff asked Longview City Council for direction on the city’s federal legislative agenda at the Jan. 23 meeting, seeking a priority between two requests: replacement police/public-safety radios and additional operational funding for Hope Village.
Staff recommended prioritizing replacement radios that would allow Longview public-safety personnel to communicate with both analog and digital systems used by regional partners; council members signaled that public-safety radios should be the city’s top federal funding priority. Council asked that Hope Village funding remain on the list as a secondary ask, and they also noted state-level efforts to secure operating dollars.
Assistant City Manager Chris Collins explained that the radio request is time-sensitive and complements state-level outreach, and Chief representatives described interoperability limitations when Longview units operate on analog channels while some regional agencies use digital systems. Collins said the city’s state lobbyist and federal lobbyist had received the proposed asks and that council wanted confirmation that the council’s priority list be communicated to both state and federal advocates.
Council members requested that future federal lobbying materials and priorities be discussed at a council retreat or workshop so elected members can provide direct input and to ensure coordination among city staff, the state lobbyist and the federal lobbyist. Several council members expressed concern that, while Hope Village remains a priority, the city should emphasize the immediate public-safety hardware need to maximize prospects for federal appropriations.
