The Washington State Boundary Review Board For King County

REGULAR MEETING

September 9, 2021

Zoom Service

1. CALL TO ORDER

   Chair Hamlin convened the meeting at 7:17 P.M.

2. ROLL CALL

   The following members were present:

   • Evangeline Anderson
   • Sylvia Bushnell
   • Mary Lynne Evans
   • Chandler Felt
   • Marlin Gabbert
   • Jay Hamlin
   • Claudia Hirschey
   • Paul MacCready
   • James Polhamus
   • Hank Margeson
   • Stephen Toy

3. MINUTES:

   Regular Meeting - August 2021

   Chair Hamlin presented the minutes of the Regular Meeting of August 2021 for review and action by the Board members.

   Action: Hank Margeson moved and Chandler Felt seconded the motion to adopt the minutes for the Regular Meeting of August 2021.

   Board members voted six in favor of approving this record of the Regular Meeting. Paul MacCready abstained as he did not attend the Regular Meeting.

4. SOUND CITIES ASSOCIATION – SPECIAL PRESENTATION – DEANNA DAWSON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR); BRIAN PARRY(POLICY DIRECTOR)

   Deanna Dawson, Executive Director for Sound Cities Association (SCA) and Brian Parry (Policy Director) reported that SCA is a non-profit association representing the Cities of King County. The SCA Board includes representatives from areas throughout King County.

   SCA provides services to cities with populations under 250,000 to act and partner locally and regionally to create vital, livable communities through advocacy, education, leadership, mutual support, and networking activities.

   SCA appoints members to and provides staffing for numerous regional boards and committees with responsibilities related to:

   • Public Safety and Emergency Management
   • Economic Development
   • Health & Human Services
   • Water Quality and Land Use
   • Transportation

   SCA includes a Public Issues Committee (PIC) that is the agency's formal vehicle for bringing policies to member cities. Similarly, member cities can bring policies to SCA. The Association is responsible for recommending policies to the SCA Board.

   SCA establishes that all member cities – from the smallest to the largest populations – have equal authority in decision-making activities. Consensus is required to define and implement policies. Consensus can be reached for a majority of projects; however, this agreement is sometimes prevented due to local impacts from a project (e.g., transportation) or based upon costs.

   SCA established 2021 Policy Priorities below:

   • Economic Recovery
   • Housing/Homelessness
   • Infrastructure
   • Equity and Inclusion
   • Collaboration; Non partisan cooperation

   Therefrom, the SCA 2021 Legislative Agenda included:

   • Promote Economic Recovery
   • Address the Fiscal Needs of Cities to Provide Local Services
   • Address Housing Instability
   • Clarify the Open Public Meetings Act Regarding Remote Meetings
   • Invest in Transportation Infrastructure and Mobility

   SCA focuses work with the Legislature on legislative principles including, but not limited to:

   • Equity protections
   • Duties and responsibilities of local authorities;
   • Funding opportunities provided by the State to cities

   Ms. Dawson and Mr. Parry also reported more specifically on the SCA role and interests with respect to Notices of Intention to the King County Boundary Review Board. Mr. Parry particularly addressed the following matters:

   • How can the BRB and SCA partner to ensure when an application is received that there’s been significant vetting at the municipal level, political level and with the residents of the communities. The ideal being that any issues are identified early in the process to ensure stakeholders are well informed and given ample opportunity to participate in the process.
   • How can the SCA help member communities set up a robust plan for engagement that can be employed in any community when an application is received — e.g., a best practice that can be shared and used.”
   • The effectiveness of such a process can also enhance the Boundary Review Board’s processes to meet the requirements of RCW 36.93 (Boundary Review Board Enabling Act) and other statutory mandates.

   Mr. Parry reported that SCA wants to support effective processes, including jurisdictional processes and public processes. He expressed appreciation of the SCA – and its members – for King County’s Annexation Handbook. This Handbook provides an excellent base of information and understanding about the elements of land areas – and, thus, matters relating to change of jurisdictions’ boundaries.

   Most commonly, local jurisdictions report challenges relating to significant fiscal concerns; management of land areas of variable sizes; establishment of best management practices – e.g., zoning, essential services, transportation, infrastructure.

   King County is working cooperatively with those jurisdictions to explore tools to enhance the viability of annexations – including such tools as streamlined sales taxes, interlocal agreements, memoranda of understanding – to facilitate transfer of urban lands in Unincorporated King County to local municipalities. SCA is participating with communities and King County in this endeavor.

   Ms. Dawson and Mr. Parry expressed appreciation for the opportunity to present information about SCA to the Board and would look forward to working with the Board in the future.

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) implementation of the 2021 Budget; and (6) planning for the 2022 Biennial Budget.

      • Washington State Association of Boundary Review Boards (WSABRB):

        • Annual Conference

          . The WSABRB Conference Committee is completing plans for the Annual Conference as a virtual event hosted by Grays Harbor County October 7-8. The program will include speakers, training sessions, and the required Annual Business Meeting. Key program events will be:

          • Robert Kaufman speaking about basic statutory mandates and contemporary issues occurring for various boundary review boards;
          • A panel of Fire District Commissioners from several counties across the State speaking of matters concerning current organization, future plans for growth and development; occurring issues, and strategies for working successfully with boundary review boards;
          • Legislature 2021 and Legislature 2022: A panel presentation and discussion of past work and planning for a future agenda before the Legislature as conducted/planned by the State Association’s Legislative Committee.
          • Annual Business Meeting to address the following topics:
            • Selection of officers for the 2020- 2021 business year.
            • Establishment of a work plan for the 2020- 2021 business year (e.g., Legislature, Conference).
            • Establishment of a budget for the 2021- 2022 fiscal year — based upon dues assessments and annual conference fees (education/training programs).

        • Funding for the organization

          At present the organization has adequate funding to manage basic activities and events. The Executive Committee is working to determine plans for increasing funding resources/opportunities so that the WSABRB will once again have sufficient funding in the near term and into the future to conduct more professional education/training events.

        • Education and Training for Board members and staff

          A team of WSABRB members is continuing to consider interests by staff and members in obtaining education/training materials during the course of the year. The team conducted a survey of training interests for experienced Board members, new Board members, and staff members. The survey conclusions/recommendations have been provided in a report that is the basis for discussion as to the best tools for providing training sessions for members and staff. Periodic training sessions will be offered on-line. The information will also be the foundation for updating the existing Board Member Information Manual and the Staff Training Manual. The documents will be available on the WSABRB web- site.

        Please immediately register with Angelica Velasquez if you plan to join the Conference.

   2. Committee Reports

      • Budget Committee

        Lenora Blauman reported that the Board is functioning well within the allocated budget for each month. It is anticipated that our agency will remain within the limits of the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget. Note is made, however, of the fact that there may be additional budget requirements in the event that King County establishes additional cost requirements (e.g., office relocation) within this budget year.

      • Legislative Committee: : King County Board/Washington State Association of Boundary Review Boards and Legislative Committee: American Planning Association – Washington Chapter (APA-WA)

        Lenora Blauman reported that the American Planning Association-Washington Chapter (APA-WA) Legislative Team is working to develop a Legislative Priorities Agenda to present to Legislature 2022.

        As a next step in that process, APA-WA has distributed a Survey to its several thousand members. The survey is included in each Board member’s packet.

        Preliminary results indicate that members’ priorities are:

        1. Climate Change
        2. Housing
        3. Homelessness
        4. Equity – Environmental Justice
        5. Tie Vote: Infrastructure; State Funding

        When the survey is completed, the APA-WA Legislative Team will create a specific listing of priorities and suggestions for legislation to implement goals and policies within each overall priority category.

        The Committee is working with the Washington State Association of Counties (Paul Jewel) and the Association of Washington Cities (Carl Schroeder) to explore options for coordination of agenda items among APA-WA and these two agencies.

   3. Executive Secretary’s Report

      • ORIENTATION PROGRAMS:

        Ms. Blauman is continuing planning for a new future cycle of orientation programs in 2021—either on-site or by remote connection.

        Suggestions include the following topics/agencies:

        • King County Local Services Unit

        • Suburban Cities Association

        • Puget Sound Regional Council – Vision 2050

        • Municipal Research Services Center

        • WAPA Legislative Team

   4. Correspondence:

      General Correspondence

      Chair Hamlin reported that there has been no correspondence of general interest referred to the Board for this Regular Meeting.

6. EXECUTIVE SESSION – PERSONNEL EVALUATIONS

   Personnel: Jay Hamlin reported that the Executive Session required for presentation/discussion of Personnel Evaluations has been rescheduled to the Board Meeting of October 14, 2021.

   The Board agreed to the request for postponement of the Executive Session for review of Personnel Evaluations for Lenora Blauman and Angelica Velasquez.

7. NEW BUSINESS:

   1. New Files:

      The Board has no new completed files at this time. There is currently a preliminary file for a Covington Water District Notice of Intention in review.

   2. Future Files

      The Board has been advised of several potential proposed future Notices of Intention. The proposals include: City of Renton; City of Kent; Sumner/Pacific Utilities Extension.

      Sites planned for future annexation include:

      • 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 (7 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.

8. ADJOURNMENT

   Chair Hamlin adjourned the Regular Meeting at 8:18 P.M.