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Phillips to focus on Economy, Transportation, Environment in 2011
Summary
County Council names Phillips Chair of the Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee
Story
Getting the people and businesses of King County moving will be the primary focus this year for Metropolitan King County Councilmember Larry Phillips, who was selected by his council colleagues to Chair the Council’s Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee as part of the Council’s annual reorganization of standing committees.“I want to bring together people with innovative ideas for recovering King County’s economy and discover what we can do as a region to regain economic growth,” said Phillips, “Avoiding drastic cuts to Metro Transit and promoting clean energy and green jobs will be important components for a robust regional economy.”
Economy
As Chair of the Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee, Phillips’ goal is focusing on how King County can respond to the Great Recession by working with regional partners to stimulate job growth and economic recovery.
King County has historically been the economic engine of Washington State, providing approximately 40 percent of the state’s jobs. Due to the Great Recession, King County lost nearly 165,000 jobs and faces an unemployment rate near 9 percent. King County’s manufacturing jobs declined 11 percent, and construction jobs fell 25 percent in the past two years.
Phillips will ask his committee to take a close look at ways to reverse job loss trends by hosting several economic recovery panels designed to examine what elements make a great local economy, which of those elements King County has and which are missing, how to use King County’s strengths to ignite economic growth, and what role local government can play to facilitate growth.
The panels will include:
• Where the jobs are
o Leading the way to economic prosperity: local employers
o Leading the way to economic prosperity: vibrant communities
o Leading the way to economic prosperity: infrastructure
“Seeking out economic strategies that are working for stand-out businesses and job centers is an opportunity to bring that success home to King County,” said Phillips. “That’s my aim in hosting our economic prosperity panels.”
Transportation
A key priority for Phillips in 2011 is building on the successful work of the Regional Transit Task Force in identifying solutions to preserve transit service in the face of a projected loss of over a billion dollars in revenue by 2015. The loss of up to 600,000 annual service hours—17 percent of Metro’s system—would hurt the regional economy and people’s ability to get to jobs and activities.
“The region needs a robust transit system to continuously get people to and from job centers, ensuring workers are available to support a vibrant, recovering economy,” said Phillips. “I plan to work with my colleagues in 2011 to implement the Regional Transit Task Force recommendations of operating Metro more efficiently, productively, and transparently while pursuing stable funding.”
Phillips prioritized a list of Transportation Top 11 in 2011that he will work on this year on behalf of King County and his district, Council District 4, which includes Downtown Seattle, Belltown, South Lake Union and many other transit-dependent Seattle neighborhoods.
1. Protect Metro Transit service
2. Implement the Regional Transit Task Force recommendations
3. Advance replacement of Metro’s trolley bus system with modern trolley buses
4. Support improvements to bus tracking technology
5. Plan for Ballard/Uptown RapidRide
6. Pursue increased transit service in the Alaskan Way Viaduct corridor, and transit pathways and mitigation in the design of the SR 520 replacement project
7. Support community advocacy efforts and public-private partnerships to increase transit service in the rapidly growing South Lake Union neighborhood
8. Support community-led transit-oriented development planning around the Broadway light rail station
9. Identify funding to purchase the Eastside Rail Corridor and secure the corridor in permanent public ownership
10. Support actions to address the backlogged maintenance of King County roads and bridges
11. Keep Sound Transit system expansion projects on track, including University Link, North Link, East Link, the First Hill Streetcar, and the South and North Corridor high capacity transit projects
Environment
As Chair of the Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee, Phillips will continue to emphasize environmental sustainability as a critical component of economic sustainability.
“Conserving natural resources and energy saves money now through lower utility bills and ensures resources will be available to future generations; developing clean energy provides jobs now and ensures sustainable energy sources in the future,” said Phillips. “How we manage our environment has everything to do with the strength of our economy now and in the future.”
To advance King County’s environmental sustainability efforts, Phillips has developed a list of environmental priorities. Phillips’ Environmental Top 11 in 2011 include:
Energy Efficiency
1. Explore opportunities to help people and businesses fund green retrofits to homes and other privately owned buildings
2. Continue leadership in Climate Communities and the “Energy Works!” campaign to renew Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant funding
3. Join the Seattle 2030 District to promote green buildings
4. Collaborate with the building industry to review King County’s building codes to promote energy efficiency
5. Require disclosure of EPA Energy Star scores for commercial and public buildings to prospective buyers, lessees, and lenders
Clean Water
6. Advocate for the State 2011 Clean Water Jobs Act
7. Explore ways to reduce the use of harmful pesticides on King County property
8. Advocate for statewide ban on lawn fertilizers containing phosphorus
Waste Reduction
9. Explore opportunities to reduce food packaging waste
Land Use
10. Continue support for City of Seattle’s EcoIndustrial District Initiative
11. Create community gardens on unused King County-owned land