Federal Way committee forwards 2025 federal-delegation priorities, targets incident command vehicle and day-center relocation for earmark requests

Federal Way committee members voted to forward the cityof Federal Wayproposed 2025 federal-delegation legislative priorities to the City Council for consideration, including two congressionally directed spending (CDS) requests: funding for a mobile incident command vehicle and funding to support relocation of the cityday center.

The recommendation was presented by Tanya Carter, Economic Development Director, who said staff and outside advisers worked to align local funding requests with the citys federal delegationpriorities and the current federal appropriations environment. Carter said the priorities document includes non-CDS items the city plans to highlight to delegation staff as projects that may fit regular grant or formula channels.

The memo and presentation identified two CDS candidates: (1) a mobile incident command/incident response vehicle for public-safety use; and (2) a proposed relocation and conversion of an existing King County-owned pool building into a day center, as one possible site for the day-center relocation request. Van Ness Feldman advisers Rick Agnew and Luke Sullivan joined by video to explain how CDS (often called community project funding or earmarks) and agency-administered grants are being handled in Washington, D.C., and to outline timing and eligibility considerations.

Agnew explained several hurdles any earmark request must clear, including whether Congress opens accounts for earmarks this year, whether a city project fits the program account, and whether members of the delegation will prioritize the project. Sullivan said the citys proposed CDS requests were chosen because they are likely to match delegation interests in public safety and housing and because those topics have been emphasized by members of Congress this cycle.

Members asked about eligibility, ownership and timeline. Agnew said whether a project must be city-owned varies by account and that the exact criteria for this year had not yet been published but were expected soon; he also said earmarks are typically intended as capital/seed contributions rather than ongoing operational support. Staff and advisers cautioned that federal agency release of program portals and account decisions may not be final until mid-February, and that an award (if made) could arrive many months later through the agency grant process.

Motion and council referral: a motion to forward the proposed 2025 federal-delegation legislative priorities to council business for the February 18, 2025 City Council meeting was made, seconded, and approved by the committee.