Woodinville reports legislative wins: trestle funding advanced, federal earmark and county grant submissions made

City staff updated the council on the 2025 legislative session and several funding developments for local projects.

Jared Hill told the council that Woodinvilles top priority, Move Ahead Washington funds for the trestle project, was moved into the 2025-27 biennium on the senate transportation budget and staff expected a House technical amendment. Hill said having the project in both chambers budgets greatly increases the likelihood of final inclusion and would support an accelerated delivery schedule; staff said this could enable going out to bid by the end of the year.

Hill also reported that the city submitted a $3,500,000 federal earmark (CPF) request for the NPRSA Community and Aquatic Center and a $5,000,000 King County Parks Levy grant application to support property acquisition for the same facility. He asked the council for consensus to sign on to a letter of support for Cascadia College's CC5 Gateway Building, which staff said is seeking $27,500,000 in state support; councilmembers voiced general support for a regional letter.

Hill closed with bill-tracking notes: HB 1217 (tenant protections/rent stabilization) remained active and was scheduled for a Senate Ways & Means hearing; two condo-liability bills (HB 1403 and HB 1516) were progressing through committees; and HB 1183 (building codes and retrofit standards) had provisions staff were monitoring for local impact on parking requirements for conversions.

The council expressed appreciation for the staffs work and for regional lobbying that staff said helped keep key projects and grants in contention.