Special Election Recap: Regional Fire Agencies, Marijuana, TBDs, and More

April 28, 2016 by Steve Hawley
Category: Elections

A recap of important and noteworthy local ballot measure results from the April 2016 special election.

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New PRA Exemption for Body Camera Recordings

April 27, 2016 by Flannary Collins
Category: Law Enforcement Records Disclosure

​Thanks to EHB 2362, there’s a new Public Records Act (PRA) exemption for body camera recordings. However, the new exemption only applies to agencies with body camera programs in effect as of June 9, 2016, so act soon if your agency wants to take advantage of it.

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Looking at Sustainability in Snoqualmie

April 26, 2016 by Jill Sterrett
Category: Climate Change

A history of sustainability in the city of Snoqualmie.

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Sept. 1 Deadline Looming for Adoption of Your Impact Fee Deferral System

April 21, 2016 by Steve Butler
Category: Impact Fees

During the 2015 legislative session, the Washington State Legislature enacted a new law (ESB 5923) that requires counties, cities, and towns collecting impact fees to adopt a deferral system for new single-family detached and attached residential construction. This law gave local governments until September 1, 2016 to develop a deferral system that best meets statutory requirements and local objectives.

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New Law Regulates E-Cigarettes and Vapor Products

April 20, 2016 by Paul Sullivan
Category: Licensing and Regulation

The Legislature adopted new legislation (ESSB 6328) this session to regulate the e-cigarette and vapor product industry in Washington. Here is a summary of some of the key provisions of the new law.

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Does Your City have Too Many Funds?

April 14, 2016 by Randy Hinchliffe
Category: Budgets and Budgeting , Finance Advisor , Financial Management , Fund Balance and Reserves

Not too long ago, I read a short tidbit in one of the local newspapers about the adoption of a nearby city’s budget. I was struck by the fact that the city had 28 different funds in its budget. With so many funds to account for, it got me thinking about the criteria for establishing funds and when a city might have too many funds.

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Multimodal Transportation Funds Released To Cities and Counties on April 15

April 14, 2016 by Toni Nelson
Category: Revenues

The initial distribution of this new fund should include the first two quarters of the state biennium that were missed (September 2015 and December 2015) along with the March 2016 distribution.

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Top Picks: Making Density Work, Using Tech to Engage with Citizens, Obliterating Worst Practices

April 13, 2016 by Byron Katsuyama
Category: Public Participation , Management , Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management

Policy consultant Byron Katsuyama identifies some of the emerging issues and innovations that local government leaders should be aware of.

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2016 Legislature: Recap of Some Public Agency Records and Open Meetings Bills

April 11, 2016 by Nancy Krier
Category: Open Public Meetings Act , Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act

Highlights of some of the open government-related bills that may be of interest to local governments from the 2016 Washington State Legislature.

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Our Deepest Appreciation: MRSC Fully Funded, Thanks to Your Support

April 7, 2016 by Tracy Burrows
Category: MRSC News and Updates

After considering a proposal to zero-out MRSC’s funding, the 2016 state legislature recognized MRSC’s value and enacted a final budget that maintains MRSC’s funding at the same level as it has been in recent years.

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