Anacortes narrows 2026 legislative priorities: event center, SR‑20 funding and nutrient-permit concerns among top items
Summary
Staff presented draft 2026 legislative priorities and council discussed pursuing capital funds for a joint community event center with the Port, pressing state funding for Commercial Avenue/State Route 20, and seeking affordability and funding for nutrient-general-permit compliance for the wastewater plant; the item was discussion-only and will return to council.
City staff opened a discussion of the draft 2026 legislative priorities on Dec. 8 and sought council feedback before finalizing a list for early-January submission to state legislators.
Miss Hsu (staff) proposed priorities that align with Association of Washington Cities positions in some areas and differ in others. Key topics the council discussed included:
- Community Event Center: Staff proposed pursuing inclusion in the next capital-budget cycle and state grant programs to fund design and construction of a joint City/Port community event center. Councilmembers discussed leveraging LTAC (lodging tax) funds and port property development to increase local tax and bed-night generation.
- State Highway Maintenance / Commercial Avenue (SR-20): Councilmembers urged putting funding for Commercial Avenue (State Route 20 through the city) near the top of the list, arguing the project is locally specific and merits direct funding requests to the legislature.
- Nutrient General Permit for Wastewater: Staff described proposed Department of Ecology rulemaking that could require significant wastewater-treatment-plant upgrades. The item drew unanimous support to keep the priority in draft form and to ask state rulemaking to incorporate local affordability considerations, realistic timelines and cost-benefit analyses; council requested funding support for infrastructure and compliance.
- Behavioral Health and Indigent Defense: The council discussed continued capital and operating investments to increase behavioral-health capacity and reconsidered prior state proposals on indigent-defense cost-sharing.
- Public-notice Modernization and Senior Meals: Staff proposed modernizing public-notice requirements in state law; councilmembers voiced differing views about potential opposition from newspapers and whether to include the item. Council also discussed statewide and local efforts to sustain senior-meal programs.
Council members provided feedback on order and emphasis and asked staff to coordinate language with county and port priorities where appropriate. Miss Hsu said she would refine language and return the priorities for council consideration at the next meeting.
