AWC Legislative Bulletin - Volume 30, No. 6
November 16, 2007  (Plain Text Version)

Return to Graphical Version | Search back issues

In this issue:
From the Director: Initiative 747 Declared Unconstitutional
SAVE THE DATE!
2008 AWC City Legislative Action Conference (CLAC):
January 30-31
Legislative Committee Meetings
Energy & Telecommunications
Environment & Water
General Local Government
Infrastructure, Transportation & Economic Development
Land Use & Housing
Law & Justice
Municipal Finance
Personnel & Labor Relations

Infrastructure, Transportation & Economic Development

Study Committee on Public Infrastructure Programs and Funding Structures

The Study Committee on Public Infrastructure Programs and Funding Structures has been actively engaged during the past four weeks. AWC would like to thank Burien, Renton, and Yakima for participating in a panel discussion on October 26. The full committee broke into three subcommittees for a series of all day meetings during the week of November 5, 2007. Highlights of the meetings include the following:

  • Basic Infrastructure Disappearing Task Force Meeting, November 5
    • General consensus that basic infrastructure is critical to the health, safety, and welfare of local communities and citizens of the state.
    • Adequate infrastructure is required to be in place to meet Growth Management Act requirements, other state requirements, and state administered federal requirements.
    • Current state programs receive significantly more requests than available funding.
  • Community Development Disappearing Task Force Meeting, November 6
    • Most of the discussion focused on the creation of a community development fund to encourage small business start-ups and sustainability, expand employment opportunities for community residents, or increase employability of community residents. This was based on SHB 2325 that was introduced in the 2007 legislative session but did not pass.
  • Economic Development Disappearing Task Force Meeting, November 7
    • General consensus to permanently fund economic development programs with a focus on the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB). The discussion on CERB included folding in the objectives of the Job Development Fund and revisiting its current urban/rural funding restrictions.
    • A second point of discussion was extending the sales tax credit to urban counties and cities.
    • Finally, there was consensus to revisit the Local Infrastructure Financing Tool restrictions in the 2009 legislative session.

The most important part of the discussion, the need for additional funding, occurred on a very limited basis. The apparent passage of Initiative 960 has provided an additional chilling effect on the discussion.

The full committee was scheduled to meet on November 19 at which time the subcommittees were scheduled to report on their findings. However, the meeting was recently canceled with no future date indicated. For additional information, please contact Ashley Probart at ashleyp@awcnet.org or 1-800-562-8981.

Roads and Transit Package Fails

The failure of the Roads and Transit package is clearly a setback and will delay or eliminate major projects and planned transit investments in the region. Although most of the projects are regional in nature, the Governor and state legislators have identified SR 520 as one project that must proceed, regardless of November’s vote.

What options are left in the region? The three county region has the following options (not in order of priority):

  • No action;
  • Sound Transit can act independently and propose its own package as a ballot measure;
  • Each county could propose an independent regional transportation improvement district; or
  • Each county (with city agreement) could propose a transportation benefit district for regional and local needs.

Freight Investment Study Stakeholders Group

The Joint Transportation Committee conducted its third Freight Investment Stakeholders Group meeting on October 25. This legislatively created group is tasked with the following:

  • The study of alternatives for financing freight improvements;
  • The involvement of stakeholders; and
  • An evaluation of the structure and responsibility for a future project recommendation body.

The meetings continue to be a mix of educational material and the introduction of methods to identify the economic benefits of freight. The Stakeholders group reached consensus to delay the results of this effort until 2008. The next meeting is scheduled in December. For more information or questions, please contact Ashley Probart at ashleyp@awcnet.org or 1-800-562-8981.

Transportation Budget’s Access Management Proviso (City Requirement)

Over the past two years, the Legislature has conducted studies on transportation concurrency. One outcome is the following transportation budget (ESHB 1094) proviso on access management:

"By December 1, 2008, the department shall require confirmation from jurisdictions that plan under the growth management act, chapter 36.70A RCW, and that receive state transportation funding under this act, that the jurisdictions have adopted standards for access permitting on state highways that meet or exceed department standards in accordance with RCW 47.50.030."

"The objective of this subsection is to encourage local governments, through the receipt of state transportation funding, to adhere to best practices in access control applicable to development activity significantly impacting state transportation facilities."

"By January 1, 2009, the department shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature detailing the progress of the local jurisdictions in adopting the highway access permitting standards."

In an effort to provide information to the Legislature that was required by this budget proviso, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and AWC sent out a joint letter on October 4, 2007 to cities that contain state managed access highways. The letter requests information about how they have implemented their statutory role in access permitting on state managed access highways. This information is due to WSDOT on November 30. If you have any questions about this request, please contact WSDOT staff, Karena Houser, at (360) 705-7876 or HouserK@wsdot.wa.gov.

Regional Economic Development Offices

Seven regional CTED offices have opened across Washington to provide greater access to state resources for economic development organizations, communities and industries. The offices are a component of the Governor Gregoire’s Next Washington business strategy.

Regional team members will work with local economic development organizations, workforce councils, ports, cities, industry and communities to build partnerships and coordinate economic development activities. Activities will include providing services, tools, and resources to retain and attract businesses, economic development training and coordination for other CTED agency services. More information can be found on the Governor’s website.

Higher Education Coordinator Board seeks Applications for Health Sciences and Services Authorities

The Washington State Higher Education Coordinator Board (HECB) seeks applicants from cities, towns and counties wanting to form Health Sciences and Services Authorities (HSSAs). A law passed by the 2007 State Legislature offers local jurisdictions in Washington counties with less than one million people the opportunity to work with HECB to form HSSAs.

These authorities will promote bioscience-based economic development and advance new therapies and procedures to combat disease and promote public health. One HSSA has been authorized for designation in 2008.

The HECB will conduct a competitive process to determine the new HSSA. Local jurisdictions wishing to apply must submit an application by December 31, 2007. Applications are available on the HECB website www.hecb.wa.gov.