AWC Legislative Bulletin - Volume 33, No. 3
January 22, 2010
(Plain Text Version)
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In this issue:
Flexibility - Spotlight turns to extending GMA timelines
What you can do now
Energy & telecommunications
Environment & water
General local government
Infrastructure, transporation & economic development
Land use & housing
Law & justice
Municipal finance
Personnel & labor relations
Flexibility - Spotlight turns to extending GMA timelines
This week the House Finance Committee held a hearing on three bills providing fiscal flexibility to cities – see Fiscal Flex below.
Next week the Legislature shifts their attention to GMA timelines when the House Local Government Committee will hear HB 2916 and HB 2992. Both bills are AWC priority bills providing cities an extra three years to meet state mandated planning requirements. HB 2916 also changes the frequency of mandatory updates from every seven to every ten years.
The Growth Management Act (GMA) requires all cities to identify and protect environmentally sensitive areas. In the vast majority of cities, they must also adopt and periodically review and update comprehensive land use plans and regulations. Over 100 cities along the I-5 corridor in Western Washington are due to complete such updates by the end of 2011, with all other cities to follow in a staggered schedule through 2014. Once completed, the update process restarts every seven years.
Ever since the GMA was passed with AWC's support 20 years ago, state funds have been available to help local governments conduct mandated updates. Funds were again appropriated for this purpose during the 2009 legislative session, but because of the state's current fiscal condition the Governor put a "hold" on them through the end of the biennium. No additional funds are expected before the state's financial situation improves.
Recognizing that GMA-planning cities also face fiscal constraints, the Governor initiated introduction of HB 2992 and SB 6611 (to be heard in the Senate on February 1). She did so in recognition that local governments were being mandated to conduct reviews and updates with no state resources and tight local budgets.
Cities do not object to maintaining good local land use plans. Our citizens expect that, but they also understand resources are tight. These bills provide us some limited relief and we appreciate their introduction and scheduled hearings.
Fiscal flex
Fiscal flexibility bills were heard this week by the House Finance Committee. A huge thank you to Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke, Sammamish Mayor Don Gerend, Tacoma Councilmember Jake Fey, and Seattle Councilmember Sally Bagshaw for representing cities before the committee and outlining the need for local officials to be given greater latitude with local revenues. HB 2650, HB 2749, and HB 2773 all provide cities additional flexibility (see the Finance section of this Bulletin for details). The four city officials joined by County Executives from King and Pierce Counties along with the Skamania County Sheriff clearly built momentum for the Legislature to address this AWC priority.
Not every piece of these bills will survive the legislative process but with your help we are hopeful we can provide you some additional flexibility this year. As these bills and this issue are refined we will keep you posted.
Please continue the calls and emails from home!!
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