The Washington State Boundary Review Board For King County

REGULAR MEETING

January 14, 2021

Zoom meeting

1. CALL TO ORDER

   Chair Hamlin convened the meeting at 7:15 P.M.

2. ROLL CALL

   The following members were present:

   • Evangeline Anderson
   • Sylvia Bushnell
   • Mary Lynne Evans
   • Chandler Felt
   • Marlin Gabbert
   • Claudia Hirschey
   • Paul MacCready
   • Yorik Stevens-Wajda
   • James Polhamus
   • Stephen Toy
   • Guest: Dayle (Hank) Margeson
3. MINUTES:

   Regular Meeting - December 11, 2020

   Chair Hamlin presented the minutes of the Regular Meeting of December 11, 2020 for review and action by the Board members.

   Action: Jim Polhamus moved and Yorik Stevens-Wajda seconded the motion to adopt the minutes: for the Regular Meeting of December 11, 2020.

   Board members voted nine in favor of approving this record of the Regular Meeting. Mary Lynne Evans abstained as she did not attend the Regular Meeting.

4. APPOINTMENTS

   Chair Hamlin expressed the appreciation of the members for Yorik Stevens-Wajda's participation on and service to our agency. His term of office will expire on January 31, 2021. By way of thanks, the Board is providing an REI Gift Certificate to Mr. Stevens- Wajda.

   ***

   Chair Hamlin introduced Hank Margeson who will begin his term of office on February 1, 2021. Mr. Margeson has been selected by the Cities of King County to serve on the Board. Mr. Margeson stated that he has a background in planning and had served on the Redmond Planning Commission. He has been present at Boundary Review Board public hearings for actions in the City of Redmond. He is looking forward to serving with the Board going forward.

5. ADMINISTRATION:

   1. Chair’s Report

      • General Business: Chair Hamlin and Lenora Blauman reported that the Board staff is currently working on several projects including: (1) coordination with King County Executive/Council Work Program; (2) coordinating activities with the State Association; (3) pre-development review for future Notices of Intention; (4) planning of orientation programs for 2021; (5) completion of administration of the Year 2020 Budget; (6) implementation of the 2021-2022 Budget.

      • Committee Assignments: Chair Hamlin distributed a roster of proposed Committee assignments. He asked that members contact Ms. Blauman to request changes in Committee membership. The Committee roster will be finalized in February.

   2. Committee Reports

      1. Budget Committee

         Lenora Blauman reported that the Board is closing its 2020 Budget. All outstanding revenue and expenditures for the Board will be addressed in January 2021.

         Administration of the allocated 2021-2022 Budget is underway. The County is providing new tools for budget reporting and administration which will be useful to our agency.

      2. Legislative Committee — King County Board

         Mary Lynne Evans, Co-Chair of the King County Board’s Legislative Committee and Co-Chair of the WSABRB Legislative Committee provided a report to the Board. Legislature 2021 began on January 11, 2021.

         Ms. Evans reported that, as the WSABRB Legislative Committee endeavors to develop an agenda and a work program for the WSABRB at Legislature 2021, that directs attention to new and continuing legislation.

         WSABRB will also work with King County to identify and address bills that would affect (promote or remove) the authorities and responsibilities of Boundary Review Boards.

         Our teams will direct particular attention to Joe Tovar’s project: Updating Washington’s Growth Policy Framework. Note is made, however, of the fact that this project has a broad arena of proposed projects -- and there is not uniform support for all facets of the Framework. As such, the Legislature is not likely to bring this matter to hearing.

         The Legislature is unlikely to consider bills immediately relevant to RCW 36.93.

         Ms. Evans reported that the team will be working via the Association’s Legislative Committee to set meetings with State Representatives and Senators during Legislature 2021 – if necessary and appropriate. Such meetings will need to occur electronically owing to the fact that the Legislature will be working remotely in 2021.

         Legislative Committee – American Planning Association – Washington Chapter (APA- WA)

         Yorik Stevens-Wajda reported that with the January 11 opening of Legislature 2021, a limited list of dropped bills has been published and a small number of hearings has been slated to begin immediately upon opening of the Legislature. The WAPA Chapter is meeting regularly with Mike Shaw to address issues of significance to the organization. APA-WA will specifically, monitor, write, testify, and keep in touch with legislators concerning bills of interest to government agencies and organizations. As of January 14, there is no legislation of immediate significance to WSABRB.

         ***

         Mr. Stevens-Wajda reported that a WAPA team is working on a key project relating to Updating Washington’s Growth Policy Framework (under the aegis of Joe Tovar, University of Washington).

         APA-WA’s participation in the Updating the Framework project included a task force of chapter members that followed the project, provided input and comments, and provided periodic status reports back to the chapter board of directors and legislative committee. The team’s reviews were based on members’ participation in APA including education and collaboration with other planners, experience implementing the state’s growth planning framework, the chapter’s most recent Legislative Priorities document, and the APA Policy Guides, specifically Housing, Planning for Equity, Hazard Mitigation, and Climate Change.

         APA-WA supports the proposed project/legislation, in part, including an enhanced regional approach to planning, improved Growth Management Act goal language, and attention to climate change. However, the team is also aware that this effort has struggled with limited funding, a reliance on contributions from interest groups, and compressed timelines. The team has provided statements to APA-WA to provide context for the changes proposed to be included in the project bill, identify structural or procedural limitations inherent in the update process, and to guide future actions. In summary, there are some categories of concerns and suggestions, including areas that would benefit from additional research or analytical work, topics that were omitted from the final bill, but the team has recommended as worthy of further consideration, and procedural weaknesses in the update process itself.

         As we note below, one of the principal shortcomings of the roadmap effort was a lack of research or analytical rigor. Some of the problems and issue areas discussed by the stakeholder group were well understood and allowed the stakeholder group to craft straightforward solutions. However, in other cases there wasn’t enough information available to make informed decisions or there wasn’t enough time available to work through complex issues. The APA-WA team strongly believes that a subsequent rule making effort led by the Department of Commerce is necessary to address the more technically complex issue areas. Such an effort could bring together the data, academic research, and interested parties necessary to craft meaningful and effective solutions, including:

         1. Housing affordability

         2. Urban densities and housing types

         3. Tribal planning and coordination

         4. Critical areas and environmental protection

         In addition, the team suggested the following topics for consideration.

         1. Equity and inclusive participation

         2. Regional and statewide coordination

         3. Annexation. Annexation issues must be addressed in a comprehensive fashion. The Growth Management Act (GMA) clearly envisions cities as the vehicle for managing urbanization, yet the state’s existing annexation laws impose significant barriers to annexing land within urban growth areas. At the same time, annexation has provided an opportunity for cities and counties to circumvent GMA planning laws by annexing land immediately after it is added to an urban growth area, but prior to the resolution of appeal periods. There are also significant fiscal and service delivery issues for counties, cities and special districts inherent in annexations that are often not effectively addressed through the annexation processes currently available. Annexation issues should be comprehensively addressed in any major overhaul of the GMA.

         ***

         The proposal would include a request for more time and state funding to continue this review process. Many of these items are also priorities for the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) and/or the Association of Washington Cities (AWC).

         ***

         Mr. Stevens-Wajda reported that, otherwise, it is anticipated that it will be a quiet year at the Legislature. There is only one bill – SB 5042 – that generally addresses vesting of property – that is, closes a loophole and improves processes connecting vesting to annexations.

         He noted that the current general silence on annexation could be changed by interested groups – including the WSABRB.

         Future reports on APA activities will be provided to the Boundary Review Board by Mary Lynne Evans, Legislative Committee Chair and/or Lenora Blauman.

      3. Executive Secretary’s Report

         MEETING SCHEDULE: Ms. Blauman provided a proposed Meeting Schedule for the Board for 2021. The present plan is to continue to meet remotely on the second Thursday of each month at 7:15 p.m. via “zoom.” Adjustments may occur to address special agenda items or holidays.

         ORIENTATION PROGRAMS: Ms. Blauman is continuing planning for a new cycle of orientation programs in 2021. Suggestions include the following topics/agencies:

         • King County Local Services Division

         • Suburban Cities Association

         • Puget Sound Regional Council – Vision 2050

         • Municipal Research Services Center

         • WAPA Legislative Team

      4. General Correspondence: Chair Hamlin reported that no general correspondence was submitted this month.

6. NEW BUSINESS:

   1. New Files:

      The Board has received no complete files for review at this Regular Meeting.

      Ms. Blauman reported that the Board has received an advanced courtesy of a pending Notice of Intention for a proposed Northshore-Woodinville Fire District merger. The Notice reports that the sole modifications planned for the merger at this time are administrative in nature – that is: only administrative facilities will be merged into site in Woodinville District.

      Staff will work with District officials to determine whether longer term plans are envisioned for any other merging activities.

      Staff will provide early copies of the Notice to Board members to ensure adequate time for review of this complex proposal for merger.

   2. Future files

      The Board has also received two preliminary files for informal consideration in advance of the proponents submitting completed Notices of Intention. Complete files are anticipated in the first quarter of 2021.

      The Board has been advised by King County of several potential proposed future Notices of B. Intention:

      • Auburn (2 files)
      • Black Diamond (2 files)
      • Carnation (1 file)
      • Enumclaw (8 files)
      • Issaquah (2 files)
      • Maple Valley (3 files)
      • North Bend (4 files)
      • Renton (5 files)
      • Seattle (4 files)
      • Tukwila (2 files)
      • Water District No. 90 (1 file)
      • Bellevue (4 files)
      • Bothell (1 file)
      • Duvall (5 files)
      • Federal Way (3 files)
      • Kent (5 files)
      • Milton (1 file)
      • Redmond (4 files)
      • Sammamish (2 files)
      • Snoqualmie (4 files)
      • Vashon Sewer District (1 file)

      Note: There are 13 unincorporated urban areas in King County that are not assigned to a Potential Annexation Area.

7. ADJOURNMENT

   Chair Hamlin adjourned the Regular Meeting at 8:27 P.M.