Primary Contact Email: maamot@co.whatcom.wa.us <mailto:maamot@co.whatcom.wa.us>
TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM:
TITLE
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract amendment between Whatcom County and Community Attributes Inc to provide professional services relating to the Review and Evaluation (Buildable Lands) program requirements of the Growth Management Act in the amount of $135,000
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SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE:
The Washington State Legislature approved a bill (ESSSB 5254) in the 2017 legislative session establishing new Review and Evaluation (Buildable Lands) planning requirements for Whatcom County and the cities. The County and cities will now be required to review past development patterns and compare them to the planned growth envisioned in the Comprehensive Plan. If the actual growth deviates from planned growth, then local jurisdictions may need to take reasonable measures to address the situation. This process will include developing County-wide Planning Policies, data collection, research, and developing methods to conduct the buildable lands evaluation.
The State Legislature allocated funds to Whatcom County for state fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2021) in association with the new requirements. The County and cities have jointly agreed to use $135,00 from the state grant for consultant assistance. This contract amendment between Whatcom County and Community Attributes Inc. is for professional services related to the Review and Evaluation Program in the amount of $135,000.