Planners' Update Newsletter The Growth Management Services team is growing. Join us! The Growth Management Services (GMS) Team is growing faster than it has since the Growth Management Act (GMA) was first adopted. The Washington State Department of Commerce has an ambitious agenda from the last legislative session and we are forming new teams to achieve it, including new housing climate and technical assistance teams. GMS will also have 10 other positions available in the near future. We are looking for planners, contracts administrators, a research analyst and a communications and training coordinator. As the jobs come open, you can find them on the Commerce web site, as well as the job boards of our partners at APA and PAW. Working in Growth Management Services is a great place to move into local government, state agencies or into the legislative branch. If you are curious about working with us, some of our alumni shared their perspectives. You can also call your regional representative or anyone else you know at Commerce to talk with them about what it's like to work for at the department and for GMS. "My favorite part of working for Commerce Growth Management Services was helping counties and cities plan for a sustainable future. My time at GMS helped my career because it was essentially my land use planning graduate school. The GMA touches on so many areas of planning that GMS staff are always learning and growing. I am grateful for the experiences I had working with such a talented team helping communities address the timeless challenge of planning for growth and change while preserving our environment and quality of life." ---- Tim Gates, Ecology Shorelands & Environmental Assistance Policy & Operations Manager "Working at Growth Management Services provides a tremendous opportunity to meet planners all over the state. Learning from them and assisting them day-to-day gave me a very broad picture of planning in Washington. As I have continued my career as a local government planner, it's been incredibly helpful to be able to call on the people I met while at GMS to compare notes on key projects. And there's no better place for a planner who is looking for a chance to be a leader in the field. GMS planners are literally thrust into leadership positions constantly, helping shape how our state government, and local governments, approach important issues facing our state." --- Leonard Bauer, FAICP – Community Planning & Development Director, City of Olympia Welcome to Suzanne Austin, our newest team member!  Suzanne Austin joined Growth Management Services on July 1. She will serve in the Spokane office as our unit's subject matter expert on the periodic update process. Suzanne comes to Commerce from Fairchild Air Force Base, where she was the facilities and community planner. Her background also includes land use planning at Douglas and Chelan Counties, community planning for the US Marine Corps in San Diego and various volunteer projects in California and Washington. She holds an Urban Planning and Development certification from UC San Diego and a bachelor's degree in Human and International Geography from Western Washington University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and is a US Navy veteran, having served as a meteorological technician on the USS Eisenhower in Norfolk, VA. Suzanne is a Washington native and is excited to call Spokane home after living in various places around the country. She enjoys kayaking, hiking, traveling, reading and trying to keep up with her kelpie at the local dog parks. | Governor's Smart Communities Award nominations are due July 27!  The 2020-21 Governor's Smart Communities Awards (GSCA) nominations are closing soon! We encourage everyone to review the GSCA webpage for nomination guidelines, category descriptions and nomination forms. Need inspiration? We've listed previous winners on our page. Speaking of past winners, since winning the 2019 Smart Partnerships Award, the City of Tukwila and Partners were recognized by the National American Planning Association for their incubator commercial kitchen within the Tukwila Village (video) and pictured here. We love to see successful past GSCA winners continue demonstrating tangible benefits to their communities from smart growth and development planning. | HB 1220 may require zoning code changes to accommodate homeless housing and shelters  HB 1220, which was recently signed into law, not only expands requirements for housing elements, it also encourages cities to take active steps to accommodate transitional housing, emergency shelters and similar homelessness-related facilities through local planning and changes to local development regulations. The Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) recently published an article explaining the statute's new requirements, some of which have very tight deadlines if local zoning revisions are needed (July and September 2021). We encourage you to review HB 1220 (specifically sections 3 and 4) and MRSC's article for general guidance and some options to consider. | Growth Management Act WAC update Draft scope available for public comment Commerce initiated a comprehensive review of our Growth Management Act (GMA) administrative rules to reflect recent legislative changes, case law and recommendations from state agency subject matter experts. We collaborated with a number of state agencies over the past few months to develop a draft scope of potential changes to the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). We are working with local governments and Tribes over the summer to refine the scope. Comments on the draft scope are welcome, and all feedback will be considered as we finalize it. View the draft scope here. Public comments will be accepted through Aug. 13, 2021. Submit comments to: gmarulemaking@commerce.wa.gov. Later this year, Commerce will release the draft changes to specific sections of each chapter in underline strikethrough format for final public comment. Commerce to host Tribal listening sessions on the WAC update Later this month, Commerce will host Tribal listening sessions on the WAC update and draft scope of changes. Tribal planners interested in implementation of the Growth Management Act are invited to attend. To participate, please contact Ernie Rasmussen, at ernie.rasumussen@commerce.wa.gov. The Tribal listening sessions are scheduled for: - Monday, July 26, 10 a.m. to 12 noon
- Wednesday, July 28, 1 to 3 p.m.
New behavioral health model ordinance and communications toolkit now available Commerce, in collaboration with BERK Consulting, developed a behavioral health model ordinance and communications toolkit, both of which are now available on the project webpage. The behavioral health model ordinance was designed as a resource to provide guidance, definitions and code language to facilitate siting community-based behavioral health facilities in jurisdictions where it may be difficult to do so using existing processes and/or code language. Adoption of the model is voluntary, but local governments are encouraged to use relevant components and explore other paths to siting behavioral health facilities, such as the Essential Public Facilities process. The communications toolkit is designed for both local governments and behavioral health service organizations. Its purpose is to provide strategies for communicating with the public about the effectiveness of these residential treatment facilities. Statewide effort to provide more community-based treatment options Washington state is transforming its behavioral healthcare system, moving away from larger institutional settings, such as Western State and Eastern State hospitals, to more community-based treatment options. Commerce's Behavioral Health Facilities program has received funding for development of new and expanded facilities to serve more individuals in their communities, closer to familiar ties and support systems. The model ordinance and communications toolkit were designed to help newly-awarded projects get sited and begin construction to expand these much- needed community-based treatment options. New GMS grant opportunities for housing, transit-oriented development and utility connection charges The Washington State Legislature allocated $7.5 million for housing planning and transit-oriented development grants for this current biennium. More information will be posted to the GMS grants page in late July, and we will begin accepting applications in August with notifications in October 2021. Here is a preview of these grant opportunities: - Urban Residential Capacity: $5 million is available to cities for grants up to $100,000 each as described in RCW 36.70A.600. Due to the timeline in RCW 36.70A.600(6), funding is limited to new housing action plans, further development of housing action plan strategies or implementation activities of already adopted housing action plans.
- Transit-oriented Development: $2.5 million is available to cities for grants up to $250,000 each. Grants may be used for costs associated with preparation of State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) impact statements, planned action ordinances, subarea plans, costs associated with the use of other tools under SEPA and costs of local code adoption and implementation of such efforts. More details on this funding can be found in HB 1080 (Sec. 1090, page 81).
In addition, $42 million is available to local governments and public utility districts for system development charges and utility improvements for new affordable housing projects that serve and benefit low-income households. Where applicable, the project must be consistent with approved comprehensive plans under the GMA and must be within the established boundaries of the urban growth area. These funds are available to eligible entities within jurisdictions that imposed a sales and use tax under RCW 82.14.530(1)(a)(ii), 82.14.530(1)(b)(i)(B), 82.14.540, or 84.52.105. This funding includes state and federal funds, which must be obligated by December of 2024, and expended by December of 2026. More details are found in HB 1080 (Sec. 1074, page 55). A timeline and more information on this funding opportunity will be available on the GMS grants page soon. Call for technical assistance for affordable housing and equitable transit-oriented development in the Puget Sound region  Commerce issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) from nonprofit organizations interested in facilitating partnerships and providing technical assistance to advance equitable transit-oriented development that produces a mix of attainable housing in areas across the Puget Sound Region. This grant will fund the activities of a qualified nonprofit organization to advance affordable housing in areas around transit stations, which can provide significant opportunities for affordable housing sites. The grant recipient must be a nonprofit organization that partners for equitable, transit-oriented development. Commerce intends to award one contract to provide services described in the RFP. Funding is available to support this work until June 30, 2023. Section 129, Subsection 64 (page 46) of SB 5902 – the state operating budget – provides an overview of the funding. Find the full RFP here. Responses are due by 4 p.m., July 23, 2021. Complete Streets Award call for applications Commerce will nominate up to 10 cities or counties for the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) "Complete Streets Award" grants. Available grant awards range from $100,000 up to $1 million. Jurisdictions located in Eastern Washington and those with current populations of 10,000 or less are encouraged to apply. The TIB is expected to make the final grant awards in January 2022. Find the application on our GMS webpage. Submit completed applications for nomination electronically to Commerce by Oct. 1, 2021. Planners' Forums Planners' Forums are free, open to all and are often eligible for Continuing Education (CE) credits. Upcoming Planners' Forums and events include the following: - Southern Planners' Lunch-N-Learn: Thursday, July 22 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Topic: GMA Housing Update. Register here.
- Northwest Planners' Forum: Thursday, July 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. Topic: Peninsula Round Robin Conversation. Register here.
- Eastern Planners' Forum: Wednesday, July 28. Topic and time to be announced.
- Southern Planners' Forum: Thursday, Aug. 12 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Topic: Planning for Social Justice, Diversity and Inclusion. Register here.
- Northwest Planners' Forum: Tuesday, Aug. 24. Topic: The Future of Transportation. Time to be announced.
Please check the Planners' Forum webpage for registration information, as well as presentations from past Regional Planners' Forums. Register for the Short Course on local planning The popular Short Course on local planning offered by the Department of Commerce will resume in September, with our first course scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 30 from 6 to 9 p.m. Please check our Short Course webpage later in the summer for the full fall schedule and registration information. In the meantime, the Short Course webpage offers recordings of previous sessions and other helpful resources, including the Short Course Resource Guide. Ask about e-visits. Thanks to Zoom, Commerce is also offering e-visits to local planning commissions or other groups. Contact your regional planner to request a presentation on topics such as comprehensive plan basics and roles in the planning process. Funding opportunities - Flood Control Assistance: The 2021 Legislature has restored the local Flood Control Assistance Account Program (FCAAP) grant through the Department of Ecology after a 12-year hiatus. A total of $1.5 million is available to help communities develop comprehensive flood hazard management plans or other eligible projects. The application period for the 2021-23 FCAAP funding cycle opens on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021. The focus will be on encouraging project applications that help under-served communities and economically disadvantaged areas.
An online application workshop is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 2. Please check the FCAAP website for updates or email Scott McKinney with questions at scott.mckinney@ecy.wa.gov. - New Shoreline Master Program (SMP) competitive grant. The Department of Ecology will be piloting a new competitive grant program beginning in September. The SMP competitive grant will support shoreline planning and planning-related efforts that advance climate resilience, enhance the implementation of SMPs and advance local shoreline planning priorities. Watch for more details coming in our August newsletter.
Subscribe to our Planners' Update newsletter Do you have new staff or know of someone who would like to know about planning news in Washington? If so, please encourage them to sign up for the Commerce Planners' Update newsletter by visiting the main Department of Commerce webpage. Scroll to the bottom of the page to the "subscribe" area, enter your email and click "submit" to choose subscriptions you would like to receive. For this newsletter, under "Public Infrastructure," select "Growth Management." You may unsubscribe from any topic at any time. GMS Alumni Testimonies Continued… "I worked at Growth Management Services in 2002. It was a great launching point for my career that has taken me to a number of different jobs in Olympia. Since leaving GMS, my jobs have included lobbying for the Washington State Association of Counties, legislative policy staff at the House of Representatives and senior policy advisor to Governor Inslee. Although my career path pulled me out of the land use/planning side of the world, I have found that the connections I made at the Department of Commerce have continued throughout my policy work in state government. I reconnected with folks at GMS when I was at the Governor's office working on behavioral health reform as we looked at how to move services and facilities into communities across the state. I never could have imagined all the places GMS would continue to help in my work." ---- Rashi Gupta, Senior Policy Analyst, House of Representatives Democratic Caucus "I got really lucky with my first job after moving to Washington State – I landed a position working for Dave Andersen in Growth Management Services. As a newcomer both to Washington and the planning profession, I learned a lot from the experience. Working at the state level, and closer to the legislature, gave context about what was going on statewide, and the distinctions between towns, cities and regions. I also got a grounding in how planning goals are being met at the rolled up scale of the state. GMS taught me about the tools of influencing the planning process through grants, sharing best practices, and drafting comment letters. The GMS staff, with their expertise in transportation, environment, growth management, historic preservation, housing and more, were great teachers with a spirit of public service that was inspirational. When I left GMS it was reluctantly—I wanted to ground-check my planning theories so I took a job as a current planner in Tacoma. A couple years later I switched to Long Range Planning, and have been doing that work for nearly 15 years now—a happy medium in terms of the vantage point between current and state-level planning. In this position, I've been fortunate to work on many planning topics, always with the sense of being part of statewide planning goals as they play out through local politics and personalities. I regularly reach out to my former colleagues at GMS to get their advice, especially on the big picture." ---- Elliott Barnett, Senior Planner – City of Tacoma Long Range Planning Division "I loved being able to review plans and regulations from communities all across Washington. This experience opened my eyes to the wide variety of ways to approach planning and community development under the GMA. After GMS, I worked for an urban planning consultancy for 15 years developing plans and regulations for communities across Washington state. As a consultant, I relied heavily on my GMS experience. The experience allowed me to bring a community's own story and vision to the GMA versus bringing the GMA to the community, an approach that I now bring to Spokane Valley. Maybe everyone feels this way about their first job, but at GMS is was truly a foundational experience that I have built my career on." ---- Chaz Bates, Senior Planner, City of Spokane Valley "My favorite part of working for Commerce Growth Management Services was helping cities and counties plan for their desired future, as adopted in local Comprehensive Plans. This included reviewing and commenting on drafts, writing guidance documents, presenting information at conferences, coordinating planner forums, participating in the state legislative process, and supporting local government planners. My time at GMS helped my career because it was so dynamic and focused on technical assistance under the state laws and rules. Each local plan is developed using the GMA framework – but there is so much room for local choices and decision making, which made working with each jurisdiction unique and rewarding. I met great people who were also passionate about planning at several local governments across the state, in other state agencies, and throughout the legislative process. The GMS team is a group of planners who really are dedicated to advancing great planning across the state!" ---- Joyce Phillips, AICP, Principal Planner, City of Olympia "I was senior planner with Growth Management Services from 2003-2007. I was hired for my background and expertise in economic development. I was not a trained planner. Everything I learned about the Growth Management Act and long-range planning was on the job. Words like "concurrency," and "compatibility" and "consistency" and phrases like "cumulative effects" took on new meaning. Over my tenure, I found that long-range planning is a place where the nexus between environmental protection and economic development plays out. It played out for me in a couple ways. One way was while reviewing the small area plan for South Lake Union in Seattle envisioned as a mecca for high tech and medical research. Now, that vision is realized with Vulcan, Google and UW Medical facilities dominating what was once a landscape of under-utilized warehouses. Another way it played out was serving as project manager for the Cardinal Glass project in Lewis County, an 18 month process to secure 18 federal, state, and local permits, update comprehensive planning processes and sustain challenges to those updates that created 220 jobs in rural Washington. Very rewarding. When asked to serve as communications manager for Governor Gregoire's "Land Use Agenda," an effort to update six Growth-Management statutes, I jumped at the chance. This forum convened a broad spectrum of stakeholders: tribes, local governments, corporations, environmental groups, business associations, as well as state and federal agencies. Ultimately, four of the six statutes were updated." ---- Karin Berkholtz, Executive Director, Boards Unit, Washington State Department of Commerce | 
No comments:
Post a Comment