Lloyd Halverson would serve as the legislative lobbyist for Camas

Retired Camas City Administrator Lloyd Halverson could soon be returning to work for his former employer.

During tonight’s City Council meeting, a contract with Halverson is on the agenda for approval. The agreement would have him performing governmental affairs consultation work, including developing lobbying strategies for the Washington State Legislature and U.S. Congress, lobbying the state legislature in support of the city’s annual legislative goals, and lobbying Congress for federal funding for infrastructure projects.

As part of his duties, Halverson would be required to provide the city with written and oral reports.

The proposed rate for his services is $105 per hour, not to exceed a total of $7,000. Other expenses including the cost of the Association of Washington Cities Conference, and mileage, meals and lodging expenses would also be covered by the city.

The 2014 regular state legislative session began Jan. 13 and is expected to run through March 13.

After serving as city administrator for 23 years, Halverson retired from full-time work in January 2013. He continued to work for the city on a part-time basis as a special projects coordinator, a position that included legislative advocacy, until April 2013.

Mayor Scott Higgins said Halverson’s contacts, experience and passion for Camas will be invaluable.

“What we had with Lloyd all of these years is the benefit of someone who knows the bureaucracy and the system enough where he could sniff out where money might be and make a run at it,” Higgins said. “We especially now don’t want to miss any opportunities during this transition.”

Current City Administrator Pete Capell just started working for Camas on Jan. 6. Higgins said he expects Capell could eventually fill this legislative lobbying role.

“He clearly wants to do it, so that’s another great sign,” Higgins said. “So at some point, we may be able to do it internally. Right now though, there is too much opportunity and too much at stake to drop the ball and not take this opportunity [with Halverson].”

The City Council recently approved its 2014 legislative short list. Highlighted items include deferring or reforming unfunded state mandates such as storm water regulations, Growth Management Act updates and shoreline updates; supporting financing for infrastructure investments including restoring and extending revenue streams for the Public Works Trust Fund and Transportation Improvement Board; focusing on state shared or authorized local revenues including restoring liquor excise tax revenues and providing revenue for marijuana taxation to local jurisdictions; supporting AWC in its efforts to strengthen public records access by curbing abusive requests; and supporting the Washington Tech Cities’ Coalition’s focus on kindergarten through 12th grade and higher education and transportation infrastructure and competitiveness.

“There is just a small window left for Lloyd’s influence on the state as he goes into retirement and isn’t in the day-to-day operations of the city,” Higgins said. “It would shame to not capitalize on those relationships.”

In other City Council news:

Also on tonight’s City Council agenda are union contract agreements with the Washington State Council of County and City Employees, Local 307CC (public works crews), and Camas Public Employees’ Association (clerical, technical and professional employees).

Both proposed agreements extend from Jan. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2016. As part of the new agreement members of each union would receive a half-percent wage increase that is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2013. In addition, this year, they will receive a 3 percent increase, followed by bumps of 2.5 percent each year in 2015 and 2016.

In December, the City Council approved an agreement with the Office and Professional Employees International Union, Local 11, which includes Camas Public Library employees. The contract extends from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2016.

Library employees will receive a series of wage increases in the coming years including 3 percent this year, and an amount between 2 and 3 percent in 2015 and 2016. The exact amount in the final two years of the contract will be equivalent to what is received by the Portland/Salem CPI-U.