Message from the President

Fall is here! Change is palpable. And at the same time, life continues on. Our Board has changed in a big way with nearly half of our Board Members being new to the role. This comes with a lot of excitement and energy. And who couldn’t use some of that now and again. We have one more Boot Camp this year in November in Mercer Island (see article in this newsletter) so don’t forget to register and tell a planning friend. A Board Retreat in October will complete our formal activities for PAW this year. We are always excited to hear from our base, so please reach out to us and let us know what you’re thinking. Opportunities for additional training, Boot Camps, speaker and conference ideas are all welcome. We are especially keen on additional networking opportunities. Our Board Members cover the entirety of Washington State and we would all enjoy exploring planning topics at informal gatherings (and it’s a great way to see new places too).  You can reach us on our web page, Facebook, Linked In, and Instagram. To encourage some feedback, I will offer something from our swag bag! So, go on, let us know what you’re thinking. Remember, “Good planning doesn’t just happen…” Cheers, Marla S. Powers PAW President, Conference Chair Board Member since 2015

UPCOMING EVENTS

PAW Boot Camp Mercer Island

Friday, November 15th, 2019 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Topics: Hybrid Form-Based Code "Circuit Training"  Bob Bengford, AICP, Partner, MAKERS Architecture and Urban Design Ian Crozier, Planner, MAKERS Architecture and Urban Design Scott Bonjukian, AICP, Planner/Urban Designer, MAKERS Architecture and Urban Design Legal Writing – "Team Practice" Kate Hambley,  Associate Attorney, Ogden Murphy Wallace P.L.L.C.

Audience: PAW Land Use Boot Camp events are skill-based courses for planning, administrative, and legal professionals focusing on timely issues related to land use law and practice updates. Cost: $100 for PAW members $120 for non-members *Lunch and refreshments are included.  6 AICP CM credits are available Interested in renewing or becoming a member for the Planning Association of Washington for 2020? Click here to register

Mercer Island Community and Event Center 8236 SE 24th Street, Mercer Island, WA 98040 Click here for directions, parking available at facility.

WCIA members are eligible for one reimbursed registration per member. WCIA members must register and pay PAW first. Then, after the Boot Camps reimbursement can be requested by going to this link prior to December 13, 2019.  RMSA Scholarship Program : The Risk Management Service Agency (RMSA) provides scholarships to help its members attend pre-approved workshops and trainings. RMSA Scholarships are only available to current members of the RMSA. Members must submit an application, prior to attending an event, for consideration of scholarship approval by RMSA staff. RMSA Scholarships provide reimbursement of registration costs only for trainings intended to improve risk management skills or reduce liability and property risk exposures and are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. To find out if your city or town is eligible, please contact rmsa@awcnet.org , (360) 753-4137. WCRP members: The WCRP will be offering 10 scholarships for the upcoming PAW Land Use Bootcamp. Scholarships will be awarded to WCRP members on a first come first serve basis and will reimburse the cost of registration only. We ask that you contact your county’s designated Risk Manager to request a scholarship.

Thank you to Our Sponsors!

2019 Annual Conference Recap

This year PAW held our annual conference from May 2 nd-4 th with the theme Housing From the Inside Out. It was well attended and there were plenty of session tracks to get everyone up to speed on the latest and greatest for housing issues. We had more than forty speakers from around the state who shared their expertise and experience with the more than 100 attendees.  The mobile workshop: Archaeology Underfoot: An exercise in seeing, understanding, and responding to archaeological resources was completely booked for the second time in a row. Our tour guide Ron Fox, Chelan Wildlife Area Manager coordinated with Greg Griffith, Deputy State Historic preservation Officer were very informative and I’m sure if this mobile workshop is offered again, it would be just as popular. Greg presented Ron with an Historic Preservation Hero Award at the conclusion of the mobile tour. Congratulations Ron!

We heard from Senator Patty Kuderer who spoke as our Keynote Speaker during Thursday’s lunch. With so many housing bills in the making it was good to hear from the source. Senator Kuderer stayed and attended some of the conference session offering and was very impressed with the new information she was learning. We look forward to working with her and other state senators in the future!

Our long time Board Member Pete Dickinson, PAW Secretary conducted a rousing election of Board Members. We were excited to see so much interest in our organization and look forward to the next election. (If you are interested, please reach out to us!).

We also engaged in some networking opportunities. After the Short Course on Affordable Housing, the audience was invited by the Mayor of Chelan to join him at his bar for some after hours drinks and dialogue. Thursday afternoon found the PAW crew at another social function.

All in all, the conference provided exceptional education, training, and networking opportunities. We look forward to seeing everyone next year! As an organization responsive to its member needs, please reach out to us to share topics, session ideas, or networking opportunities that you would like to see during the year or at the conference.  Written by Conference Chair, Marla Powers

Annual Planning Awards Program

PAW and APA-WA coordinated again this year, continuing the more-than-30-year tradition of together celebrating the best planning work in the state with the annual 2019 Planning Awards Program. Outstanding examples of the excellence and diversity of Washington’s planning programs, from large cities and small towns, from both sides of the state’s Cascade Crest, were submitted for the competition. Winners will be announced at the Awards Program luncheon, in Tacoma on Thursday October 17, during this year’s APA-WA Planning Conference. It’s not too late to sign up for this year’s conference if you haven’t already!    We will also be announcing winners of this year’s Great Places in Washington program at the Awards Luncheon. This program is modeled on the APA National Great Places program, and 2019 is our third year for the award, also jointly sponsored by PAW and APA-WA. We’ll be announcing winners for Great Streets in Washington this year.  Save the date for the 2020 Planning Awards Program: the Awards Ceremony alternates year’s between the PAW and APA-WA conferences, so in 2020 the ceremony will be held at the PAW annual conference, next May in Chelan. Come up to Chelan for our always highly-rated conference, and if you’re involved in a project that’s a potential award-winner, be sure to keep your eyes out for the application announcement. It should be coming early in 2020! Article written by Lloyd Skinner, PAW Treasurer and Chair of the Awards Committee

June Ellensburg Boot Camp a Success

A Boot Camp spotlighting Historic Preservation was held at the Hal Holmes Center in downtown Ellensburg on Friday, June 14, 2019. Twenty-two people attended, including six speakers. Moderator Jonathan Kesler, Senior Planner – Historic Preservation for the City of Ellensburg at the time, conceived and organized the all-day event with the assistance of Fawn Wilson and PAW staff. The Boot Camp was tailored to land-use planners. Speakers included Mr. Kesler, who discussed the local Preservation Ordinance, Greg Griffith, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer who discussed the State Historic Preservation Plan Update and Kim Gant, Certified Local Government Coordinator & Survey Program Manager with Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) who presented on Certified Local Governments (CLGs) and local historic preservation planning. The training was opened by Sadie Thayer, Director of the Kittitas County Historical Museum. She discussed recently approved historic plaques that will be installed in local historic districts in Ellensburg. Code language regulating signage in residential and commercial districts, as well as in historic districts, was touched upon as well. An informative Case Law Review on the most recent land-use decisions statewide was presented by Phil Olbrechts, Attorney at Law, Olbrechts & Associates. Participants had the opportunity to lunch at establishments in the Downtown Ellensburg Historic District. Thanks again to everyone who helped make this Boot Camp a success! Article Written by Jonathan Kesler, PAW Board Member

How to be a Rock Star Planning Commissioner (with a little help from Staff)

Planning involves a range of participants including Elected Officials, Planning Commissioners, Municipal Staff and Hearing Examiners, other appointed bodies, the general public, developers, and other agencies, tribes, utilities, courts, districts (transit, school, water, sewer, fire, etc.), and even the media. The ideas and perspectives of all these groups are important to developing a vision, policies, and implementation strategies that represent the broad public interest.  Rock star Planning Commissioners know their role in the planning process and appreciate the contributions of the rest of the band!

Public involvement is an essential foundation of planning. When the public is engaged in the planning process, community decisions better reflect the shared values of the community as a whole. A good process helps contentious issues be understood, discussed, and resolved through the planning process; however, planning processes take time, and all parties are an important part of the process. Fundamental choices are made at the time of planning, not permitting. It’s too late to challenge permitting decisions that comply with adopted regulations. How to be a successful Planning Commission and make decisions / recommendations: Serve as a sounding board for new ideas, promote community interest in planning, and provide leadership in citizen participation programs. Be a voice for a community and help the public to understand the role they play in the planning process. Make an annual work plan. Have good communication with Council. Welcome public involvement and be aware of which groups are not represented. Watch out for stories or anecdotes with limited context, generalizations based on a subset of information or generalizations about a group, and assertions of fact, while being respectful and listening carefully. When making motions to approve or disapprove, the motion should instruct the staff to prepare draft findings and conclusions documenting the reasons with discussion to be presented at the next regular meeting for final approval and passage by the commission. Recommendations must be based on the criteria affecting the decision, and not just on how many people argue for a certain choice. They should reflect community values, consider professional advice, and should be the result of thoughtful deliberation. Elected officials ultimately make the final decision after considering the Planning Commission’s recommendation. A little help from staff: Ensure a quorum will be present at Planning Commission meetings. Make staff reports available to the public well in advance. Have adequate chairs, working PA system, agendas, sign-in sheet, and materials available. Ensure that graphics are visible by all. Provide a procedure handout and/or slide. Staff or consultants manage planning processes. They research and present information in staff reports, consult with jurisdiction’s legal counsel, prepare draft plans, policies, and ordinances, handle the required public notice for meetings, etc. and keep the record of the process, as well as processing administrative permitting applications, and enforcing regulations. How to be a dynamic Planning Commission Chairperson: Make people feel at ease, encourage people to express their concerns and help them through the public process. Become familiar best practices for managing public hearings, explain the process before starting hearings, and enforce the rules of procedure. Treat people fairly and equally, making no exceptions for VIPs or intimidators. Run the meeting efficiently and keep the agenda moving. Determine positions and/or consensus for action. Know the issues involved and make sure all are addressed.

How to be a rock star Planning Commissioner: Attend and participate! Do your homework! Read the meeting packet ahead of time and come to meetings prepared. Familiarity with the subject matter is critical, but avoid jargon. Be efficient with staff resources. Schedule a time to talk with a staff member if clarification is needed. Utilize training opportunities. Listen, be polite, be respectful, and be patient with those uncomfortable with public speaking, patient with those who are angry or perpetually challenging city government, and patient with other committee members who may not agree with you or understand your perspective. Each commissioner should discuss their reasoning for supporting approval or disapproval and base reasons on the decision criteria. Keep long-term goals in mind. Don’t take anything personally, everyone rocks out to their own tune! Article Written By: Amanda Tainio, PAW Board Member and Michelle Griffin both of Synergy Resources Consulting

State Preservation Plan Scores Major Achievements

As Washington’s current State Historic Preservation Plan: Getting the Future Right draws to a close at the end of 2019 the State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) is excited to report major achievements in reaching its goals. Perhaps most significant of these is recent designation by Congress of the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area (MWNHA) along with the Mountains to Sound Greenway as National Heritage Areas. Washington Senators Cantwell and Murray were instrumental in passing the Natural Resources Management Act in February, 2019 that designated the state’s maritime shoreline from the Grays Harbor County line to the Canadian border as a national heritage area. The designation is non-regulatory but rather designed to stimulate economic development through heritage tourism, interpretation, and preservation of cultural and historic properties that represent Washington’s rich maritime heritage. The next step in implementing the designation is drafting of a heritage area management plan by the WA Trust for Historic Preservation, which is the local coordinating agency.     Other achievements in historic preservation planning include DAHP’s recent National Park Service (NPS) award of $250,000 to DAHP to spark rehabilitation of historic buildings in communities of up to 50,000 in population. With this program, DAHP will target grant funds to stimulate commercial and affordable housing development in historic buildings in communities with a Main Street program and/or having a local historic preservation program. Proposed rehabilitation work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. DAHP anticipates making 10 to 12 grant awards to be completed within a 2 year time-frame. A request for proposals (RFP) will be announced and circulated by DAHP later this fall.   Another historic preservation and recreation victory resulting from the 2019 State legislative session is funding to the tune of $5M to rehabilitate the historic Beverly Bridge over the Columbia River near Vantage. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the massive 1909 steel truss structure was built to carry Milwaukee Road railroad trains on its trans-continental route from Chicago to Puget Sound. The State assumed ownership of the bridge after the railroad declared bankruptcy in the 1970s. Since then it sat abandoned and eventually suffered a major fire which destroyed the decking in several spans. The $5M from the Legislature will be used to rehabilitate the bridge to complete a key missing link in the trans-state Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail (formerly named John Wayne Trail). In addition to being a boon to bicyclists and hikers, rehabilitation of the bridge is expected to bring economic benefits to communities along the trail through recreational tourism.   Other good news for historic preservation work from the Legislature’s 2019 Capital Budget includes replenishment of funds to continue DAHP’s Historic County Courthouse, Heritage Barn, and Historic Cemetery grant programs. In addition, 36 historic rehabilitation projects across the state received assistance from the Heritage Capital Projects Fund, administered by the Washington State Historical Society. Projects range from saving the Cheney Depot from demolition to restoration work at Bellingham’s Mt. Baker Theatre.   These preservation achievements go a long way in fulfilling goals and tasks articulated in DAHP’s the current preservation plan. In turn, these successes set a positive trend to follow-up with the state preservation plan for 2020-25: Inhabiting Our History . DAHP is working to circulate a draft of the plan later this fall and final adoption anticipated in spring of 2020. For questions or more information about the state historic preservation plan and/or the other preservation efforts mentioned above, contact DAHP’s Greg Griffith at greg.griffith@dahp.wa.gov or 360-586-3073, or visit the DAHP website at www.dahp.wa.gov .

Beverly Bridge over Columbia River btw Grant & Kittitas Counties

Pacific County Courthouse has been restored through the Historic County Courthouse Rehabilitation grant program.

Tacoma’s Foss Waterway Seaport Museum embodies the new WA Maritime National Heritage Area

Article Written By: Greg Griffith, PAW Board Member

The Short Course on Local Planning

The short course on local planning has been providing basic planning information in our state since 1977, and was started by the Planning Association of Washington!  The three hours course includes: An overview of the complex mix of land use planning laws that work together to support land-use decision-making in Washington state; An introduction to comprehensive planning and plan implementation under the Growth Management Act; A review of the roles in planning and best practices for public participation; and Mandatory training on the Open Public Meetings Act for local government officials. We presented more than 20 short courses in 2018, serving more than 500 attendees including two tribal courses and one special short course on affordable housing. For more information, and to access the videos and short course manual, please visit https://www.commerce.wa.gov/serving-communities/growth-management/short-course/ To register for upcoming courses, please send an email with your name, organization, title (if applicable) and the location of the short course you wish to attend to shortcourse@commerce.wa.gov or calling (360) 725-3064. Registration is not required, but will provide an emailed copy of the handouts ahead of the course. All courses are offered at no charge and are open to the public.

A Short Course of Local Planning Hosted by Skamania County Hegewald Center – West Meeting Room 710 SW Rock Creek Drive, Stevenson, WA 98648 Tuesday, October 1, 2019 6:15 – 9:15 p.m. A Special Short Course on Local Transportation Planning Hosted by the City of Tacoma Tacoma Municipal Building 747 Market Street, Room 243 Tacoma, WA 98402 Thursday, October 10, 2019 5:30 – 8:00 p.m A Short Course of Local Planning Hosted by the City of Battle Ground Battle Ground City Council Chambers 109 Southwest First Street Battle Ground, WA 98604 Thursday, November 7, 2019 6:15 – 9:15 p.m.

A Short Course on Local Planning Hosted by the City of Redmond Redmond City Hall 15670 Northeast 85th Street Redmond, WA 98052 Wednesday, October 9, 2019 6:15 – 9:15 p.m. A Short Course on Local Planning At the 2019 IACC Conference Wenatchee Conference Center 121 North Wenatchee Avenue Wenatchee, WA 98801 Tuesday, October 22, 2019 6:15 – 9:15 p.m.

Robert’s Rules of Order Learning Resource

Jurassic Parliament is delighted to announce a new easy way for you to learn and apply Robert's Rules of Order for better meetings. We have prepared a short, snappy email course. When you enroll, you will receive seven interesting emails, one per day, covering the key aspects of Robert's Rules.  The course is entitled "Robert's Rules Revealed in 35 Minutes." Each email takes less than 5 minutes to read, so your total time investment is 35 minutes. In addition, each email has links to more information on our website, so if you want to go deeper, you can easily do so.  The course is offered free. We hope you will enjoy it, and look forward to your feedback! Write to us here. Ann G. Macfarlane Professional Registered Parliamentarian

See curriculum and enroll

Interested in writing an article for the next newsletter? If submitted by December 1, 2019 we will mail you an official PAW T-shirt!

Planning Association of Washington 1-877-460-5880  info@planningpaw.org www.planningpaw.org