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La Center adopts 2025 legislative priorities; seeks narrow Growth Management Act exemption for sewer to Cowlitz Tribe
Summary
Council approved a legislative agenda that directs the city’s contract lobbyist to pursue a narrow legislative exemption to allow sewer service to the Cowlitz Tribe and seeks capital and transportation funding, including a $4.5 million downtown plaza request.
La Center council voted to adopt a 2025 legislative agenda that includes a bill to allow the city to provide sewer service to the Cowlitz Tribe, a $4.5 million capital request for a downtown community plaza and a $1 million request for roadway lighting and safety improvements along the La Center Bridal (transportation) corridor.
Hannah Jones, the city’s contract lobbyist with Gordon Thomas Honeywell Government Relations, told the council she will pursue a “very narrow exemption to the Growth Management Act to simply allow for partnership between the city and the Tribe.” Jones said the firm will seek a bill draft from the code reviser and will begin outreach to committee members once bills are filed.
The agenda lists two budget asks: $4.5 million for land acquisition and construction of a downtown plaza, and $1 million for lighting and safety improvements on the Bridal/La Center roadway. Jones also described a long-term priority for a roughly $25 million La Center Road corridor improvement package; that request is not being submitted this session but will remain on the city’s long-term list for potential inclusion in a broader transportation package. Jones said the city’s delegation in the 20th legislative district has been briefed and is supportive.
Jones summarized recent results the firm secured for La Center: $250,000 toward the La Center Community Center and $1 million for the Pacific shared-use path, funds the city will be eligible to receive on Jan. 1, 2025. She described a timeline of committee reorganization and bill prefiling in December and said she expects the local-government policy committees to be the first stop for the sewer exemption bill.
Council moved and seconded adoption of the legislative priorities; the motion passed on the voice vote. The council directed staff and the lobbyist to continue briefings with legislators, prepare required budget request forms, and pursue stakeholder letters of support for the funding requests.
Why it matters: the sewer exemption, if passed, would be a statutory change enabling a specific partnership between the city and the Tribe; the capital and transportation requests seek state funds that would directly support the city’s planned downtown and safety projects.
