PUGET SOUND SECTION APA 2008 ELECTION CANDIDATE STATEMENTS

Members of the Puget Sound Section, the time has come to cast your vote for new officers of the Board of the Puget Sound Section of the American Planning Association. The following positions are open:
President-Elect, Secretary, King County Representative, and Pierce County Representatives.

The President-Elect will hold that position for one year, then hold the position of President for one year, and then be on the Board as Past-President for one year. The Secretary, King County Representative, and Pierce County Representatives are all elected to two-year terms.

The candidates' statements are included below. Ballots will be sent to members of the Puget Sound Section by mail.

PRESIDENT-ELECT CANDIDATES

Jeffrey Thomas, AICP

Inspiring great communities comes from the collaboration of diverse groups of people. Fostering positive relationships among these folks is the key to success.

Planning is truly all encompassing, involving planning professionals in government, non-profits, and private companies; and yes, involving professionals from other fields like insurance, banking, construction, law, architecture, real estate, and so on. Involvement doesn't stop with professionals, but extends to citizens who serve as our region's engine - creating momentum for community vision, setting policy goals, and affecting the "tone" of the relationships among these diverse groups. Citizens range from folks commenting at meetings, to people serving as planning commissioners, council members, and mayors. And yet, we must remember that they include new businesses and citizens, who live and work in great communities. Planning is collaboration that succeeds best with active, positive relationships among these diverse groups.

The APA's Puget Sound Section is set to respond with events that foster collaboration. Our Section provides informal opportunities to share experiences and improve relationships across our trades. We do this by organizing events like the Planning Law Conference and less formal social activities, like an annual party and after-hours events. These events reduce the harsh wall of formality and misunderstanding that separates us at work. Our venues become a time to share, a time to learn.
My understanding is tempered with public and private experience, including service as a County and City planner, consultant, and development project manager. My experience extends to service as a planning commissioner, HOA President, and City Councilmember. With all this said, my desire to serve the Section is: to realize a vision where walls become more transparent and collaboration abounds. Whatever your vote, don't lose sight of the value of our relationships; through them, we, as a society, make great communities happen.

Julia Park

I am running for the office of President-elect. You have given me an opportunity to serve the APA members in the Puget Sound area by electing me twice to the Puget Sound Section Board as the Pierce County Representative. In the past four years on the Board, I helped organize two bi-annual Planning Law Conferences and contributed to a variety of events and programs the Board offers to the APA members. Working together with colleagues on the Board, I have come to truly appreciate the dedication, energy and brainpower contributed by the PSS Board members to provide high-quality events and programs for mutual support, professional development, and continuing education. The high quality of these offerings would not have been possible without a dedicated cadre of elected volunteers believing in the mission and shared values of the profession.

After earning a master's degree in urban planning from the University of Washington, I have been working in the planning field for the last two decades. My planning work has been mostly in the public sector, including GMA-mandated comprehensive plans, community plans, historic preservation, open space/natural resource conservation, capital facilities plan, and implementing regulations. Currently, I am Senior Planner and Historic Preservation Officer in the Pierce County Planning and Land Services Department. In the evenings, I volunteer my time for community organizations such as the public library, neighborhood council, and cultural organizations, in order to walk the talk of citizen participation to help sustain the high quality of life we all enjoy in the beautiful Puget Sound region. If you vote for me, I will continue the leadership legacy of the APA PSS Board by putting forth my best efforts to work cooperatively with my colleagues on the Board to promote, support, and advocate for the important role the Planning professionals play in advancing sustainability of our Puget Sound communities.

KING COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATES

Salina Lyons, AICP

I'm Salina Lyons and I am running for the Puget Sound APA Board position of King County Representative. I have been working in the planning profession for over five years and I am currently the Senior Planner for the City of Covington. I hold a degree in Environmental Policy and Planning from Western Washington University. I enjoy developing policies and legislation that shape our environment and communities and appreciate the fact that my job is constantly evolving. Although the profession can be challenging and chaotic at times, I am committed to doing my best, and doing so in the interest of the community I am serving.

In addition to my experience in land use planning, I have participated in developing neighborhood outreach programs. I strongly believe that opening up communication between citizens and those in government help our communities succeed. The experience I have in bringing communities together will further enhance my ability to fulfill this board position. Other than my daily profession, I am involved in First Hill community activities and hold a volunteer position on the Swedish Medical Design Review Board Committee.

As your King County Representative, I pledge to build off of the dedication and hard work of our previous representative by continuing coordination with the University of Washington planning program. Specifically, I would like to enhance communication and interface between the working professional planner and aspiring planning students through such programs as orientation programs, student night out, and scholarships for students to attend the State Planning Conference and the PSS Planning Law Conference.

I am pleased to be nominated and believe I am a strong board candidate. I am energetic and have a commitment to building and maintaining connections within APA, as well as outside of it. Thank you for considering my candidacy.

Brandon Miles

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Puget Sound APA section as the King County Representative. I am currently employed as a Senior Planner with the City of Tukwila. I have worked on a variety of issues and projects both in current planning and long range planning. Tukwila, like many other cities in King County is facing many challenging issues, such as transportation, affordable housing, and maintaining a high quality of life. These issues do not stop at corporate boundaries and cities throughout the Puget Sound are exploring creative ways to deal with these issues. As King County Representative my goal is to foster good communication between planners in other jurisdictions and our colleagues in the private sector to provide a forum to address our issues of mutual concern.

PIERCE COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATE

Emily Terrell

I am a professional planner with AICP certification and 10 years of planning experience. I have a Bachelors (BS) in Environmental Policy and a Masters in City and Regional Planning (MCRP). My masters thesis focused on affordable housing. For the last four years, I have been the Planning and Community Development Director for Milton, a small city straddling the Pierce/King County line.

I started my career as the sole transportation planner for the Anderson Area Transportation Study, a South Carolina Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) of approximately 65,000 people. In that role, I was one of three founders of the Upstate Air Quality Action Team. This team encompassed three MPOs in 5 upstate South Carolina counties. The group eventually listed over 120 active members from industry, transportation and municipal entities. Our collaboration resulted in the Upstate Air Quality Plan - a multi-disciplinary strategy for maintaining ozone and particulate matter conformity under the Clean Air Act. The US EPA recognized our plan as a premier example of proactive collaboration.

I was recruited back to my alma mater in 2001, and served for two years as a lecturer in Clemson University's MCRP program and as the chief researcher for Clemson's Center for Community Growth and Change.

I moved to Puget Sound in 2003 and took a Transportation Planner/Grants Manager position with the City of Auburn. A principle component of my position was to serve as the liaison between the City and local, county, regional and state transportation forums. I also had the opportunity to create several successful grant partnerships with neighboring municipalities, school districts and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.

My career experience has afforded me the opportunity to form partnerships, create consensus on controversial projects with long-term benefits, participate in the creation of long range plans and budgets, build a network of contacts in Puget Sound and help to build vibrant communities for the future. I would like to use this experience to further the goals of APA in Puget Sound.

SECRETARY CANDIDATE

Kent Hale

Thank you for discussing the PSS APA board position openings with me. I am interested in running for the position of Secretary on the PSS Board. Living and working in Seattle over the past ten years has given me the opportunity to work on a variety of planning issues that affect the communities and natural resources of the Puget Sound region. I have worked in both the public and private sectors and have experience in shoreline management, SEPA and NEPA regulatory requirements, land use planning, growth management, and infrastructure and transportation planning.

Since becoming a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2005, I have looked forward to an opportunity to become more involved with APA. The AICP Code of Ethics has valuable commitments, and I believe serving as a PSS board member will allow me to fulfill my obligation and responsibility "to the profession and to colleagues." I am prepared to commit the time, energy, and skills needed to contribute to the Puget Sound Section's activities and service to its members. I believe the position will be a fun way to work with others in our profession and will help me in my continued growth as a professional. I appreciate your consideration.

BROADENING GREEN BUILDING TO COMMUNITY-WIDE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES

By Gabe Snedeker, AICP, AHBL, Inc. (gsnedeker@ahbl.com)

With climate change a reality, City Councils around the region are asking how they can mitigate climate change at the local level and make their communities more sustainable. A number of jurisdictions in Washington State including Shoreline, Kirkland, Mountlake Terrace, Spokane, and Pierce County have broadened their perspective from green building and individual initiatives into community-wide sustainable strategies. Communities are establishing their own focus in these efforts based upon distinct values and opportunities.

Strategy or Plan?

Sustainability is a complex and multi-faceted issue that addresses the full range of local government activities, from operations and education to capital projects and development regulation. While many of the individual aspects of sustainability can and should be addressed in adopted Comprehensive and Functional Plans, no one plan can adequately address sustainability because it impacts the entire range of City functions. Instead, a strategic plan can be used to identify a broader, more inclusive set of principles and priorities set forth as policy and implemented primarily through municipal budgeting and finance. Such strategic plans can yield significant results in the near term, and encompass a broader reach of municipal government functions than a traditional comprehensive plan.

Shoreline Sustainability Strategy

The City of Shoreline provides an example of one community's efforts to address sustainability. The City of Shoreline is taking significant steps towards sustainability in its internal and external operations, urban form and development, and the change it is supporting in the larger community. The direction for the development of a sustainability strategy comes from a City Council Work Plan goal:

City Council 2007-2008 Work Plan, Goal #6: Provide management and stewardship of natural resources and environmental assets such that their value is preserved, restored, and enhanced for future generations; and such actions complement community efforts to foster economic and social health. Components include implementing "Green" practices at all City-owned or operated facilities, requiring new development or redevelopment to achieve high standards for stormwater management, energy efficiency, and reduction of solid waste, and maximizing recycling and reuse of resources.

The Environmental Sustainability Strategy will lend cohesiveness and measurability to existing efforts and identify new initiatives that are aligned with specific objectives. This strategic plan signals a bold direction for the City and will establish it as a pioneering community for sustainable practices and programs. The Strategy focuses and leverages the efforts of various partners in the community - governments, businesses, non-profits and citizens.

AHBL created this map for City of Shoreline identifying green infrastructure opportunities.

The Shoreline Sustainability Strategy was developed with the assistance of AHBL, Inc. and O'Brien and Company. Early steps included a detailed assessment of other governmental sustainability efforts and the lessons learned. Guiding Principles and Specific Objectives were developed to serve as a two-tiered framework for the strategy.

Shoreline's 10 Guiding Principles Sustainability will be a Key Factor in Policy Development Lead by Example and Learn from Others Environmental Quality, Economic Vitality, Human Health and Social Benefit are Interrelated Community Education, Participation and Responsibility are Key Elements Commitment to Continuous Improvement Manage Expected Growth in a Sustainable Way Address Impacts of Past Practices Proactively Manage and Protect Ecosystems Improve and expand waste reduction and conservation programs Energy Solutions are Key to Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

An inventory was taken of the City's policies, codes, programs and operations. These were assessed to determine how well they align with the Guiding Principles and specific objectives. Interviews with key staff were also used to assess what is working and identify opportunities. Two "community conversations" were held to get public input using interactive techniques.

Focus Areas were developed based on the policy guidance of the Guiding Principals to provide a concise analytical and organizational framework for the Strategy:

• City Operations and Outreach;
• Energy and Carbon;
• Sustainable Development and Green Infrastructure;
• Waste Reduction and Resource Conservation; and
• Ecosystem Conservation and Management.

• Impact - Where does the City have the greatest opportunity to benefit the economy, the environment and the community?
• Influence - The greatest opportunity to make a difference may be in those areas where the City can influence or support others in the community.
• Investment - The sustainability program should, above all, be sustainable - projects should be selected that contribute to other important City efforts and functions.

• Policy and organizational frameworks that provide structure are needed;
• Start with a measurable rallying point;
• Make sustainability the overarching policy framework;
• Focus on identifying gaps and setting priorities;
• Don't be held hostage by what you don't know;
• Use available data and establish a plan to collect key missing information;
• Engage the community and build capacity for citizen involvement;
• Identify a champion to be a steward and public face of the program;
• Give the plan statutory authority;
• Create a credible baseline; and
• Keep indicators (which progress measures) static - adjust targets.

PLANNERS' ACTIONS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

By Jill Sterrett FAICP of the UW Urban Design and Planning School

Mid-year 2007 marked a significant tipping point in the scientific study of climate change issues. With the 2007 reports of the United Nations' IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), leading scientists agreed that climate change is occurring and human-made factors are significant causes. By the end of the year, the IPCC and Al Gore were awarded the Nobel Prize for this work and their efforts to increase public awareness of these issues. Now - more than ever before - it is clear and it is urgent that government, business, academia, and citizens mobilize to take action addressing the problem.

Climate change issues are so vast and inter-related that they call for a higher level of response -both innovative and inter-disciplinary - to create the kinds of solutions that will make a difference. Planners are ideally suited to provide leadership and vision in creating solutions to climate change for the built environment - climate resilient communities.¹

Although our national leaders have been slow to respond to climate change, we live in a region of the country that has fostered political leadership in this issue. Greg Nickels has led the successful effort across the United States to get mayors to commit to the Kyoto Agreement, limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Ron Sims has set the stage for King County to be a model of sustainability² in both government operations and land use planning.

As an adjunct instructor at the University of Washington, I have had the amazing opportunity to spend much of the last two years interacting with students and faculty, directing student intern projects, and assisting with graduate and undergraduate classes. As part of this process, I started reading books and articles defining climate change issues. The more I have read, the more I became convinced that climate change is an issue where planners really can plan a central role.

Last Spring, Marty Curry and I began to develop a course for graduate and undergraduate students on "Planning for Sustainable Communities." We wanted to draw on the rich resources of expertise in this region to create a speaker's series for the course. At the same time, we realized that practicing planners could also benefit from hearing these experts. With the support of Washington Chapter APA and Puget Sound Section APA, we developed an experimental approach to the course that would also allow professionals to hear the speakers. The Speakers' Series, announced in this newsletter is the result of a year-long effort to define a college/graduate level course and a speaker's series that could serve all of these groups - undergraduate and graduate students in urban planning and other disciplines and practicing planners. Through the use of UW technology services, we are also able to webcast the speakers' series for planners who cannot attend in person.

One of the questions asked of me by the newsletter editors, was: how did you decide what to include in the course? This, actually, has been one of the most difficult parts of the process. There is a vast amount of very recent, highly relevant, and good quality information available. We are trying to offer a sufficient overview of climate change, that the students and professionals attending can understand the underlying issues. But our primary focus is on what planners and individuals can do at a local level to take action. Local architects, landscape architects, transportation planners, and urban planners, working in this area, are the "teachers' who can help us all. We will also provide reading lists and an annotated bibliography so planners can further their education beyond the series itself.

Climate scientists, oceanographers, and natural resource scientists have been dealing with climate change for decades. Architects, landscape architects, and other professions have already taken leadership in finding ways to respond within new construction projects. Planners - in their roles in involving the public in visioning, in integrating data across disciplines, and in creating long range community-wide plans - are ideally suited to be central in community response to climate change.

We hope this course can serve as the impetus for many planners across Washington - and across the nation - to take on this leadership role. And we hope to see you at the speakers' series on Planning for Sustainable Communities, starting April 10th.

1 "A climate resilient community is one that takes proactive steps to prepare for (i.e. reduce the vulnerabilities and risks associated with) projected climate change impacts", recently defined by "Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional and State Governments" prepared by King County, the UW Climate Impacts Group and ICLEI (September 2007).

2 The term "sustainability" extends the concept of merely responding to climate change to embrace the concept that we can create economically viable, healthy, and socially vibrant communities that also protect resources for future generations. Defined by the Brundtland Commission in 1987, "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

SPEAKERS' SERIES ON PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

NASA image of Earth, La Nina weather patterns (Source: www.nasa.gov/ vision/earth/lookingatearth/ 20071106.html)

Climate change is such a BIG issue, what can planners really do about it?

In coordination with the University of Washington, the Washington Chapter APA and the Puget Sound Section APA have arranged a speaker' series to support the continuing education of our membership on this significant issue. Speakers from UW and various Northwest cities and counties will describe what you can do to address climate change and sustainability issues for your community.

This series is being offered in conjunction with a course for graduate and undergraduate students and will tap into the resources of faculty and students to enrich the series. Professionals registering for the speaker's series will also be given a reading list to enhance their learning opportunities.

University of Washington campus
Thursday Evenings, April 10 through June 5
5:30 to 7:00 PM
Costs: $10 per session, or $70 for the series of 8

For more information or to register go to: www.washington-apa.org/events/training.shtml

April 10: Understanding the Science of Climate Change & Local Impacts
April 17: How Cities Can Make a Difference
April 24: Land Use and Urban Form as Tools for Sustainable Communities
May 1: Transportation Solutions for Sustainable Communities
May 8: Urban Ecology Solutions for Sustainable Communities
May 15: Green Buildings and Green Communities
May 22: No UW speaker (We suggest you attend the City of Seattle Transformation Series lecture, Bill Browning, Rocky Mountain Institute, Seattle City Hall)
May 29: Local Solutions to Climate Change -- What Acting Locally Really Means
June 5: : Leadership in Planning for Sustainable Communities

We will be applying for Certification Maintenance credits and expect to provide 12 credits for the series or 1.5 credits per session. Also, we are arranging to webcast the speaker's series for those who cannot attend in person. See website for more information.

SPRING '08 BROWN BAG SCHEDULE

APA Brown Bag Winter 2008 Series Schedule

By Stan May

Announcing the Puget Sound Section APA Spring '08 Brown Bag Series of continuing education!

Come to the FREE session you need to do your job better! APA-subsidized lunches, only $3! RSVP to Stan May, stan.may@bhcconsultants.com or (206) 505-3400.

Topic	Time	Place	Speakers!
Urban Planning & Land Use Permitting in Bosnia-Herzegovina. How did Seattle's development permit centers become a model for updating Bosnia's land use control system?  Why is zoning, previously unknown in Bosnia, now the method of choice?  This slide presentation features a quick tour of the country's major towns.	Noon to 1:15, Wed Apr 30	Renton City Hall, 1055 S. Grady, 7th floor	Tom Gihring
Interview skills for Planners Hear from the people making the decisions, what are they looking for in an interview? Whether you are looking for work for yourself or trying to land a consulting gig, many of the basic skills are the same.	Noon to 1:15, Wed May 7	Mercer Island City Council Chambers, 611 SE 36th St.	Greg Kipp, The Royer Group Paul Inghram, City of Bellevue
Update of legislative actions that could impact affordable housing efforts Learn about and share experiences with recently passed state legislation that directly impacts local efforts to address housing (e.g. Condominium conversions, property tax exemptions, land use incentives).  Also discussion about legislation being considered for future session.	Noon to 1:15, Wed May 14	Renton City Hall, 1055 S. Grady, 7th floor	Arthur Sullivan, ARCH Maureen Kostyack, Seattle Office of Hosing
TDR – new state emphasis. Regional process that will work in Puget Sound. Hear from CTED about progress on the creation of a regional TDR program in central Puget Sound.  Learn about the successes and challenges of the existing King County program.  Find out what Cascade Land Conservancy is doing around the state to promote TDR programs.	Noon to 1:15, Wed May 21	SeaTac City Hall Council Chambers, 4800 South 188th St	Heather Ballash, CTED; Darrin Greve, King County Jeremy Eckert, Cascade Land Conservancy
Non-conforming uses, also permitted (prescriptive, performance-based, flexible-use) The marketplace is constantly changing. However, city and county regulations dealing with permitted uses tend to be static documents. How can zoning codes be written in a way that is supportive of change in the marketplace and economic development/vitality goals, but still offer protections to nearby residents?	Noon to 1:15, Wed May 28	Renton City Hall, 1055 S. Grady, 7th floor	Todd R. Woosley, Hal Woosley Properties, Inc Steve Cohn, City of Shoreline

UW STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE UPDATE

Answers

By Meghan Pinch, UW Student Representative

In addition to the Sustainable Communities course taught by Jill Sterett (mentioned elsewhere in this issue), UW students are actively involved with sustainability, through studios, research, and internships.

Current and Recent Studio Projects

Last fall, students in Professor Daniel Abrahamson's urban design studio worked with the City of Seattle to apply LEED for Neighborhoods (LEED-ND) to the South Lake Union neighborhood.

During winter quarter, students in the Post-Hurricane Katrina planning studio, led by PhD candidate Eric Noll, traveled to New Orleans and helped write a neighborhood recovery plan for the Old Jefferson area of Jefferson Parish, just west of New Orleans. The plan included detailed plans for a green-collar job training center, new pedestrian and bicycle loop, putting the main road through the area on a "road diet," and recommending the Parish adopt a series of green building/ LEED incentives modeled after programs offered by the City of Seattle.

Last quarter students also participated in the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) sponsored Real Estate Development Challenge, under the instruction of Professor George Rolfe. This contest featured teams from UW, University of British Columbia, Washington State University and Portland State University. All teams created and presented a development proposal for a "real-world" project. The UW won the competition, as well as the people's choice award, for their proposal, which was an office building designed to comply with LEED standards.

This quarter, students in Branden Born's first-year planning studio are working with Kadie Bell of the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (also a UW MUP student) to incorporate sustainability goals and objectives into 38 Neighborhood Plan updates. Issues addressed in these goals relate to food security, social justice, carbon reduction and waste reduction.

Research and Internships

Three MUP students- Matt Peters, Meghan Pinch, and Liz Stenning-have been working as Research Assistants at O'Brien and Company, a sustainability consulting firm. Liz' thesis also focuses on sustainability- she is assessing Seattle's Green Factor regulation, which sets minimum landscape regulations for commercially-zoned parcels.

Katherine Killebrew is working on a study funded by the state legislature at the Evans School about strategies to reduce auto congestion around schools. JD Tovey is examining existing Land Development Regulations for a municipality in Florida and identifying areas that enables or works contrary to the new LEED-ND standards and how to modify the code to encourage those development standards. For her thesis work, Nicole Sanders will be researching climate change indicator use by cities in the US and Europe. Meghan Pinch, Matt Peters, Megan Horst, Katie Sommers and Vivian Chang are all working on theses or professional projects relating to sustainable food systems, and James Rufo-Hill is working on a thesis relating to the impacts of climate change on planning practices.