For two days in mid-February, city leaders from Covington and Maple Valley will attend the Association of Washington Cities Legislative Action Days in Olympia.

The Action Days allow the cities the opportunity to share its legislative priorities for the upcoming year.

From Feb. 15 to 16, city leaders will meet with legislators and advocate for their priorities.

Covington

There are four items the city of Covington’s leaders will express during Action Days.

They include the city’s town center, higher education, transportation funding and cost savings.

Town Center

Covington stated in a release that it will request funding to help complete the town center.

Within the center, the city looks to build a new city hall as well as a town square with mixed-use development.

The release stated that in order to see the center come to life, the city would need to partner with the state for $2 million in capital funding.

“In our town center we are investing in our regional community by filling the public space void that exists in our area,” Regan Bolli, city manager for Covington, said in an email.

“These public spaces provide much needed social and cultural areas for communities to interact and help create a better quality of life,” Bolli added.

Higher Education

The release stated that following the completion of the Southeast King County Higher Education Needs Assessment, the city would like to partner with the legislature to bring higher education to the city of Covington.

Bolli said the city is looking to work with the legislature to fund programming costs for Green River College so classes can one day be provided in the city.

Transportation Funding

The city said it will monitor the Connecting Washington package that includes widening state Route 516 between Jenkins Creek and 185th and also the Covington Connector.

The release stated that it will ensure these projects are finished in a timely fashion.

Also, the city wants to work with Maple Valley and Black Diamond to continue lobbying for the widening of SR 516 from 185th to Four Corners.

Cost Savings

Covington would like to work with the Association of Washington Cities to advance legislation that brings cost savings to cities, the release stated.

This would include public records reform, the release added.

Maple Valley

Leaders from the city of Maple Valley will also be in attendance in Olympia mid-February for Action Days.

According to a release from the city, there are two priorities that the City Council identified. Those include transportation and funding for SR 169 improvements and state highway maintenance responsibilities.

The Maple Valley City Council also supports the Association of Washington Cities Legislative and Sound Cities Priorities.

SR 169 improvements

In a brochure on the city’s website, detailing the city’s priorities, the city is looking for funding to help fund improvements to SR 169 within the city limits.

In the city’s six year transportation plan, the brochure stated there are two projects that would help SR 169. There are also areas outside of the city limits that need to be addressed long term when it comes to SR 169.

The two projects in the city limits are widening from 228th Avenue Southeast to Southeast 244th Street and also widening from Witte Road Southeast to Southeast 240th Street.

The city is looking for $6 million in state funding for those two projects.

State Highway Maintenance Responsibilities

In the brochure it states that when a city reaches 25,000 residents, the city is responsible for maintenance and operation of state highways within the city limits.

Maple Valley is looking to ask the state about increasing the threshold to 30,000 or provide funding to help cities maintain state highways.

Legislative Priorities

In the city’s brochure, it stated that Maple Valley encourages the legislature to support initiatives identified by the Association of Washington Cities.

Those include public records, homelessness, housing and human services, local infrastructure, city-state partnership and local authority.

The city also stated it encourages the support of the Sound Cities Association’s priorities that include adjusting the property tax cap, investing in public health services and addressing the housing and homelessness crisis.

In the release, the city encourages residents to voice their opinion regarding these priorities.

You can call city hall at 425-413-8800, attend a council meeting or email the council at council@maplevalleywa.gov.