With 2014 already starting to slip into the rearview mirror, the focus is beginning to move to 2015 and before finishing for the year, the City Council adopted its priorities for the state legislature’s next session.

Included on the city’s list this year is not only the legislative changes and funding they’d like to see but also a request for $3.6 million for the construction of the Sunset Neighborhood Park.

Transportation issues once again lead the way for Renton, particularly the state Route 167/Interstate 405 interchange, which Communications Director Preeti Shridhar called “very  very critical, very important.”

“We really really need the legislature to enact and update and adopt a comprehensive transportation package,” she said, reiterating that the interchange is considered the worst in the state for traffic. “We do need to have the worst fixed first.”

The city is also once again asking the legislature to provide direct distribution of gas tax and other local transportation funding revenue to the cities, which would allow them larger local control and more options.

That coincides nicely with the city’s second priority as well: fiscal stability.

The city, through its lobbyists, is urging the legislature to protect “state-shared” revenues and to avoid funding cuts for things like transportation and public safety. In particular, the city would like to see full restoration of liquor tax excise distributions and a percentage growth in liquor profits as a way to help the cities deal with the increased law enforcement and other issues that have come with privatization.

“We need to protect … our share of the revenue,” Shridhar said. “The impact is direct on public safety.”

The city would also like the legislature to address what it calls “sustainable revenue options” by “encouraging a fix” to the law, approved by voters through a 2002 initiative, that limits annual property tax growth to 1 percent despite a similar artificial control on costs.

“We’ve seen year after year our costs increase at the rate of inflation while our revenue sources are curtailed,” Shridhar said.

In the public safety arena, the city’s top priority is the funding of “critical public safety needs” through the sharing of marijuana excise tax revenues. There is also hope that the legislature will finally reconcile the regulations and laws surrounding medical marijuana usage.

They are also urging the legislature to continue providing money for grant programs, such as “Alive and Free,” a gang intervention program through which the city receives some funding.

The biggest ask in the city’s legislative package this year, however, is a $3.6 million capital budget request to construct Phase I of the 3.1-acre Sunset Neighborhood Park.

Shridhar called the project “extremely important to Renton” and said though this is a “strong ask” of the legislature, the money would help meet multiple goals, including safety enhancements for the region and simply improving the quality of life for residents of the area.

“This just ties in the entire investment of the Sunset Area,” she said, adding that state funding would be matched by a city investment of $5.26 million.

In addition, the city would at that time have completed $48 million worth of infrastructure improvements in the area.

Last year, the city received capital projects money to replace the Riverview Park bridge.

The scheduled 105-day session begins Jan. 12, 2015.