WSR 14-17-005

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Filed August 7, 2014, 2:02 p.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 365-196 WAC, eligibility and procedural criteria for a slow growing rural county and cities within to revert to partially planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA) (chapter 36.70A RCW) instead of fully planning under the GMA.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 36.70A.040, 36.70A.060, and 36.70A.280.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: To provide new procedural guidelines to reflect statutory changes adopted in 2014 that would allow eligible counties and cities within, to revert to partially planning obligations under the GMA, rather than fully planning requirements of the GMA.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Department of commerce (commerce) will use a stakeholder work group to provide input on rule making. Commerce may utilize the inter-agency work group (IAWG) on growth management for ongoing coordination with agencies that work with local governments on GMA issues. The IAWG is a group of state agency representatives that meet regularly to coordinate state agency participation in local government GMA planning. It includes representatives from the departments of ecology; transportation; fish and wildlife; health; natural resources; agriculture; social and health services; and other state agency representatives as needed.

Process for Developing New Rule: Stakeholder group and the public are encouraged to provide comments and recommendations on draft rules to be posted on the commerce growth management services web site at www.commerce.wa.gov/Services/localgovernment/GrowthManagement/Pages/default.aspx and distributed to a listserv mailing list. Commerce will coordinate with local government agencies at quarterly planner forums and other venues at local request. After new rules are proposed, the public may also participate by providing written comments and/or testimony.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication. For information contact Bruce Hunt, Growth Management Services Unit, (509) 280-3602 or bruce.hunt@commerce.wa.gov. The public can participate by submitting written comments by e-mail to WACupdate@commerce.wa.gov, or standard mail to WAC Update, Growth Management Services, Washington Department of Commerce, 10 North Post, Suite 450, Spokane, WA 99201. The project web page is www.commerce.wa.gov/Services/localgovernment/GrowthManagement/Pages/default.aspx, commerce maintains a listserv e-mail distribution list for those interested in receiving ongoing information about this process. Instructions to register for the listserv are available on the project web page.

August 7, 2014

Nick Demerice

Assistant Director

External Relations