With an $8 billion tax increase proposal by Gov. Jay Inslee, Federal Way city officials understand the 2017 legislative session is “complicated,” to say the least.

Throw in a Republican-controlled Senate and a nearly-split House, and Senior Adviser to the Mayor Steve McNey recognizes the city should be realistic about the funds they ask for.

Federal Way is a growing city, however.

“We’re 95,000 residents now,” McNey said. “By the completion of the next Census, we’ll be well over 100,000.”

To accommodate that growth and plan for the city’s long-term future, McNey and the Federal Way City Council worked to develop state funding requests and identify legislation the city will get behind starting Monday.

Safe City cameras — $250,000

McNey said the city needs a quarter of a million dollars to replace old Safe City cameras and add more near South 288th Street and the northern part of Federal Way.

“Had we been able to have the Safe City cameras in place, for example the [Dennis] Sloboda homicide, we would have had that person on camera,” McNey said, noting police aren’t able to use traffic cameras to assist in investigations.

As “problem areas” arise, McNey said crime statistics are able to make the argument for cameras at specific locations so that the city can “be very responsive to the needs of the community.”

Some of the city’s cameras are between eight and 10 years old — a significant amount of time for technology that advances as quick as it does. Because cameras cost between $2,500-$3,000 and require Comcast fiber to get the cameras connected — another cost, McNey estimates the city could add or replace at least 10-12 cameras if they get the money.

Homeless services — undetermined

After launching the Homeless Encampment Services Initiative this year, city staff and Federal Way police identified encampments, determined if they were on public or private land and then took measures to clean up the camps while giving those living in them alternative resources to get out of homelessness. But this ongoing effort wasn’t pretty or inexpensive.

McNey said it costs about $30,000 to clean up a homeless encampment. Some have been in place for years.

These “biohazards” often have human fecal matter, used prophylactics, needles, drugs, propane tanks and spoiled food and garbage strewn about, and can be “very, very dangerous,” McNey said.

“We’re trying to get people out of this absolutely dire circumstance and funnel them into the day center and then get them services from there,” he said. “There’s a nationwide housing crisis.”

Although the city has taken some community backlash on their initiative, McNey said many who are homeless don’t know what options are available to them or are living in a cycle of depression with no hope.

“Imagine not knowing where your next meal is going to come from,” he said. “Imagine not knowing where you’re going to sleep at night. Imagine being addicted to drugs and not knowing how to get out of that addiction and not thinking there’s help — not thinking there’s a way forward. We want to get them out of that.”

At the same time, the city will also seek capital funds for a youth homeless facility similar to Auburn Youth Resources, an overnight center with mental health and substance abuse counseling services for homeless youth.

Because middle school and high school-aged children are at a higher risk for kidnapping and human trafficking once on the streets, a drop-in overnight facility with services for homeless youth is especially critical, McNey said.

This “open-ended” ask doesn’t have a price tag; McNey said the city would be happy to get “some kind” of funding for this concept, however.

Freeway access study — $1 million

With a $1.5 million budget, the city will ask the Washington State Legislature for $1 million for a city center access project. The project will add an on/off ramp to Interstate 5 at South 324th Street, as well as a freeway overpass. Before it can be built, however, an environmental impact study and Interchange Justification Report need to be completed. If the city is able to secure the funds, the report will be finished in 2018 with right-of-way acquisition beginning in 2019.

McNey said the Performing Arts and Event Center, Town Center 3 and the park are all catalysts to encourage development downtown, but the city is thinking about where that development will occur over time, 20 to 40 years from now.

“Will it develop south? Where are the potential areas for development?” McNey asked. “If you went back to Bellevue 30 years ago, you wouldn’t recognize it at all. So this is about planning for the future and making sure, as we develop as a city, that we have the types of entry and exit points that we need because 320th really is a log jam.”

Performing Arts and Event Center — $1 million

To fund the Performing Arts and Event Center’s kitchen upgrade, the city will request $1 million.

According to city documents, the upgrade will be utilized by the Native American Culinary Institute in partnership with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.

McNey said the $1 million price tag is already included in the performing arts center’s total $33 million budget, but city officials want to specifically dedicate those funds toward the kitchen.

In addition to asking for about $2 million from the Legislature, McNey said council members will testify on behalf of key issues affecting Federal Way as the session unfolds.

Some of these include seeking support for bringing a University of Washington-Tacoma branch campus at the Town Center 3 site, lifting a property tax cap on all cities, supporting a public records act reform, maintaining funding for the Municipal Research and Services Center, investing in public health services and fully funding basic education.

“I like the council getting more engaged,” McNey said. “It’s my general philosophy that if a council member goes down to Olympia and testifies on behalf of a bill, that’s a good thing for Federal Way. We want to increase the city’s profile.”

For more information on the next legislative session, visit leg.wa.gov.