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Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District

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Inslee Secures Local Projects in Spending Bill

20 November, 2004

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (WA-01) secured several local projects in the Omnibus Appropriations legislation that Congress passed today. This Saturday vote represents a brokering of the differences between the House of Representatives’ Omnibus bill and the Senate Omnibus bill, and will head next to the President’s desk for his signature. The Omnibus bill encompasses nine appropriations bills: Foreign Operations, Veterans Affairs- Housing and Urban Development (VA-HUD), Labor-Health & Human Services-Education, Commerce-Justice-State, Transportation-Treasury, Legislative Branch, Interior, Energy-Water and Agriculture.

The following local projects made the final cut and are included in the bill:

  1. UW Bothell – Cascadia Community College South Access Description:

    2. $1,000,000 for the new South Access at the juncture of I-405 and SR-522 from Federal Highway Administration. The new University of Washington-Bothell campus and the Cascadia Community College are co-located at the junction of Highway I-405 and State Route (SR) 522. Construction on the campus began in 1998, it opened for students in September 2000, and enrollment and interest have quickly exceeded expectations. Completion of the new south access will improve the link between I-405, SR-522 and the campus, alleviate congestion at the north campus access on Beardslee Blvd and allow campus enrollment to increase, which is currently statutorily prohibited from increasing without this project being finished.

  2. Shoreline Interurban Trail Description:

    3. $500,000 for the City of Shoreline Interurban Trail from the Transportation and Community and System Account. This project is necessary to link the communities between Seattle and Everett with a continuous trail. The Shoreline Interurban Trail is the redevelopment of the former Interurban Rail Line into a 10-foot wide path to accommodate pedestrian, bicycle, and other non-motorized traffic from North 145th Street to North 205th Street.

  3. Edmonds Center for the Arts Description:

    4. $300,000 for the Edmonds Arts Center. This request was also made by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. The Edmonds Public Facilities District is working to create the Edmonds Performing Arts Center for meetings, conferences, community events, sporting events, trade shows and artistic, musical, theatrical and other cultural exhibitions, presentations, and performances. The Edmonds Arts Center will provide a state-of-the-art home for established local arts organizations, like the forty year old Cascade Symphony. Schools and colleges will realize an eight hundred seat auditorium since the site plays a significant role in regional arts education. Plus, an historic structure will be preserved as the landmark building representing one of the finest examples of the Arte Moderne School of design in Washington State. Additionally, the Edmonds Center for the Arts will play a pivotal roll in stimulating the economy, attract over 45,000 patrons annually, provide and link educational opportunities, increase retail sales, and be one of the leading mid-size, mixed discipline, cultural center in Snohomish County.

  4. Snohomish County Sheriff-COPS Tech Program Description:

    5. $500,000 for the Snohomish County Sheriff-COPS Tech Program. This funding was also requested by U.S. Senator Patty Murray. This funding will help the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office to implement a Palm Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) system. The Palm AFIS system will allow the Snohomish County Sheriff to compare palm prints found at crime scenes to palm databases. Law enforcement agencies in other parts of the country are experiencing a 30 percent match rate when comparing palm prints left at crime scenes to the palm data base. Similar results would help the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office solve more cases. Currently, no other Washington State law enforcement agency has a Palm AFIS system. The Snohomish County Sheriff’s office will be the first such agency, and will serve as an excellent pilot for other law enforcement agencies around Washington state. This funding will help purchase five to seven scanning devices, an archive database, and the actual AFIS system.

  5. Kitsap County Sheriff-COPS Integrated Biometric Identity System Equipment Description:

    6. $500,000 for the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments to procure Integrated Biometric Identification System (IBIS) equipment. This funding was also requested by Senator Patty Murray. The IBIS system will bring together local, state, federal, and the Navy to share information and support the Homeland Security initiative using positive biometric identification. The IBIS project will enable integration of national identification databases, including that of terrorists, expand these databases and expand sources of identifying information. This project will expand the application of biometrics to over three hundred twenty five locations throughout Kitsap County. Specifically, the funds will be used to purchase hand-held fingerprint and photo devices, associated communication systems, and data storage devices.

  6. Lake Washington Technical College Description:

    7. $100,000 for Lake Washington Technical College to assist in funding a Mobile Computer Forensics Training lab to teach law enforcement employees how identify and combat cybercrime. This funding was also requested by Senator Maria Cantwell. Breaches in computer security involving theft of proprietary information, sabotage of data, or financial fraud are reported to have been experienced by ninety percent of large corporations and government agencies. Combating these and other computer-related crimes, such as Internet-enabled child abductions, child pornography, white collar crime, identity theft, and terrorist communications require technologically educated law enforcement personnel. High-tech training is costly and prohibitive for local law enforcement training budgets. The Lake Washington Technical College seeks to provide mobile, high-tech training for Washington state law enforcement employees so that they may better recognize cybercrime and pursue it more effectively.

  7. Puget Sound and Tributary Waters Operation and Maintenance Description:

    8. $1 million for the Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters Restoration Initiative. Last year’s appropriations bill funded the Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters Restoration Initiative (PSAW). Representatives from counties and cities throughout Puget Sound have requested funding these programs and the non-federal cost-share is in place to meet the required commitment of federal dollars. The PSAWI will allow the Corps to begin a habitat restoration program throughout the Puget Sound basin.

  8. Puget Sound Nearshore Marine Habitat Restoration Study Description:

    9. $525,000 for the Puget Sound Nearshore Marine Habitat Restoration Study. Inslee wrote legislation authorizing this study in 1999. This funding was also requested by other members of the Washington delegation. This study will identify the most cost-effective habitat restoration projects in the nearshore, estuary and marine areas of Puget Sound, a vital element of salmon recovery in the basin. Recently re-scoped to encompass the entire Puget Sound basin, the study has more than 15 state and local sponsors.

  9. Shoreline Community College Description:

    10. $700,000 for the Shoreline Community College. This funding was also requested by Senator Patty Murray. Shoreline Community College has recently been funded to develop a modularized, learner-centered manufacturing technology curriculum system that can serve the skill needs of emerging industries and articulates between high school, two-year and four-year colleges and universities.Shoreline is also developing a common core skills curriculum in collaboration with the Manufacturing Technology Advisory Group (MTAG), and a related assessment and certification system for documenting core skills attainment.Inslee requested $675,000 in funding to provide the professional development needed to ensure that local high school teachers and college faculty are trained and able to use these new resources and integrate their programs into the system; materials and equipment needed to transform the SCC metal trades laboratory into a self-directed Manufacturing Learning Resource Center; activities focused on engaging underrepresented groups (including female students and students of color) in manufacturing technology education; technical assistance for partner colleges (Renton Tech, Lake Washington Tech, Columbia Basin, Lower Columbia, Central Washington University, Western Washington University) seeking to align their manufacturing programs with the future-focused manufacturing technology curriculum system; and a working group focused on improving articulation between high school, 2-year, and 4-year post-secondary institutions.

  10. Naval Undersea Museum Science Education Alliance Description:

    11. $240,000 for the Naval Undersea Museum Science Education Alliance. The future of our nation’s international competitiveness depends in so many ways on our ability to creatively use scientific knowledge and technological developments. Inslee urged the Committee to favorably consider the Education Alliance Partner Program at the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, WA. The appropriation will allow the program to continue its successful Science Education Alliance program, which not only provides excellent instruction in science for students, but also educates teachers to improve their science instruction. The systematic improvement to the quality of science education in the Northwest is helping to provide the knowledge and interest that will drive the area’s economic engines in the 21st Century.