January 12, 2018
LEAD: Legislative Education, Advocacy & Direction
2018 Edition 1

Washington Legislature in Session for 2018 

With the beginning of the Legislative Session on January 8, 2018, the Legislative Committee (LC) of the Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association began its annual advocacy work programs. Among the resources the LC will rely upon as guidance when reviewing bills during the 60-day short session is the 2018 Legislative Agenda approved by the Chapter's Board of Directors at its December 8, 2017 meeting. Thank you to those who participated in its development and provided input. 

With the approval of the Chapter Board the LC is moving forward with a bill, based on 2015's HB 1802, that allows local governments to optionally use permit-fee revenue to fund long-range planning work. We are working with Representative Fitzgibbon as the prime sponsor. This short session provides a number of challenges but this is an important conversation and with enough effort and outreach by the Chapter there is a chance of success, which would provide an important new source of revenue for valuable planning work. Please take a look at the bill, HB 2599, and start thinking about talking points that the Chapter and LC could use in letters of support, testimony at a hearing (if the bill gets one), conversations with legislators, and peer organizations. Examples of other states and localities that successfully use permit-fee revenue would be particularly helpful. 

The weekly phone calls of the LC begin today, Friday, January 12, 2018, at 12:00 pm (noon). A weekly notice of meeting times will be sent via the Chapter's LC Project on Basecamp. Chapter members who have not joined the LC and who would like to sign up to participate in reviewing bills and making position recommendations and/or are interested in advocating regarding the permit-fee bill should contact the LC Co-Chairs: Yorik Stevens-Wajda and Esther Larsen.

American Planning Association, Washington Chapter

[email protected] | 206-682-7436 | www.washington-apa.org