MRSC Insight Blog

Posts for Jill Dvorkin

Got Clean Energy Projects? Free Program Helps Local Agencies Recoup Some Program Costs

March 2, 2026 by Jill Dvorkin , Leah LaCivita
Category: Climate and Sustainability , Environmental Laws and Regulations

Supported with funding from the state Climate Commitment Act, the Washington CETCAP program has helped more than 200 organizations, including King County and the Snohomish PUD install clean energy projects, unlocking hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal incentives.

A Gift? For Me? The Basics of Gifts for Municipal Officers and Employees

November 3, 2025 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Ethics and Conflicts of Interest

May a local government officer or employee accept gifts related to their position? What might be the repercussions? What if the gift is under a certain dollar level? In addition to raising concerns about propriety, acceptance of gifts may violate state law or local agency policy.

2025 Personnel Legislation Round-Up

September 8, 2025 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Civil Service , Leave Policies , Personnel Policies , Recruitment and Hiring , New Legislation and Regulations , Special Districts

The 2025 legislative session resulted in a number of bills that impact hiring/personnel issues, including amendments to the state's Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, the Fair Chance Act, and expanded protections for pregnant and post-partum women.

2025 Legislation Addressing Residential Unit Lot Subdivisions and Lot Splitting

June 16, 2025 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Housing , Subdivisions and Planned Developments , New Legislation and Regulations

Two recent bills impact the local residential land division process—one provides additional guidance regarding local unit lot subdivision regulation and the other will allow administrative residential lot splitting under certain circumstances.

Using Unit Lot Subdivisions to Increase the Local Housing Supply

February 24, 2025 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Housing , Subdivisions and Planned Developments

A 2023 state law requires unit lot subdivisions be incorporated into local short plat regulations.Cities and counties can increase the local housing by allowing landowners to divide a single parent parcel into unit lots that then can be sold to individual owners.

A bicyclist rides pass a variety of election related yard signs

Regulating Signs During Election Season

September 9, 2024 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Sign Control , Elections and Voting

MRSC gets many questions regarding the regulation of political signage, before and after an election, but jurisdictions must be careful in drafting and enforcing regulations so as to not improperly infringe on a person’s right to free expression.

A person sitting in front of a computer with a bag over their head decorated with a picture of a troll

Not What You Were Expecting To Hear: More Strategies for Handling Hate Speech During Public Comment

June 25, 2024 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Inclusive Communities , Legislative Body , Public Participation

What can an agency do to minimize the harm caused by a speaker whose goal may be to disrupt a public meeting? After some high-profile zoom bombing incidents, local governments are exploring strategies such as public comment rule changes and setting expectations for speakers.

Special Meetings: Answering Some Frequently Asked Questions

April 17, 2024 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Open Public Meetings Act , Legislative Body

What makes a special meeting of a governing body different from a regular meeting? Must public comment be allowed during a special meeting? These are just a few of many questions MRSC receives annually about special meetings.

Pickleball: Made with Love in Washington

March 6, 2024 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Parks and Recreation Administration and Management

Invented on a lark in Washington in 1965, pickleball is now among the most popular national pastimes. With proper planning, local governments can ensure players have access to the game while also managing its impact on residents and other park users.

Hiring Staff: Roles of Mayor/Manager Versus the City/Town Council

January 16, 2024 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , City and Town Officials

When hiring staff in cities or towns, what role does the council play? What role does the mayor (or manager) play? To make the best hiring decisions, the legislative and executive branches should work cooperatively and limit activities to their respective statutory roles.

An architectural model of a dense area of town

2023 Planning Legislation Impacting Local Governments

September 11, 2023 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management , Annexation , Design , Housing , New Legislation and Regulations

Common themes among these six new planning-related bills include streamlining local project review, decreasing the planning burden on smaller communities, incentivizing annexations, and increasing housing supply throughout the state.

A group sitting around a table reviews construction plans

2023 Legislative Updates to Modernize and Streamline Local Project Review

September 5, 2023 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Land Use Administration , New Legislation and Regulations

In 2023, SB 5290 introduced legislative tweaks to local project review to improve process predictability, including the establishment of grant and technical assistance programs to help local governments build the resources needed for timely permit processing.

Stack of wooden blocks with green images of net-zero and other climate actions

Implementation Strategies for Climate Action and Sustainability Plans, Part 1

March 29, 2023 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Climate and Sustainability

Local governments have been using various strategies to help implement their climate action and sustainability plans, including working with community partners, tracking progress on climate-related goals, and engaging residents through educational programs and incentives.

Pop Quiz: Paid Family Medical Leave and the Family Medical Leave Act

February 6, 2023 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Leave Policies

Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) and the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provide extended leave, job protection, and other benefits for qualified employees, but the interplay between the two programs can be confusing. Test your knowledge.

Legal Publication Requirements and the Decline of the Local Newspaper

October 31, 2022 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Legislative Body

Cities, towns, and counties must designate an “official newspaper” to meet certain publication requirements. Other statutes require notice or publication in a “newspaper of general circulation.” What happens when there are fewer qualified newspapers to choose from?

Read the Signs: New Ruling Clarifies On-/Off-Premises Sign Regulation

July 25, 2022 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Sign Control

The 2015 ruling in Reed v. Town of Gilbert made on-/off premise sign regulation more challenging for local governments. A new ruling in City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising clarifies content-based regulations, giving local governments some breathing room.

State and Local Governments Prepare to Celebrate Newest State Holiday: Juneteenth

June 6, 2022 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Leave Policies

Juneteenth became an officially recognized holiday at the state and federal level in 2021, and some local governments are also choosing to make it a paid holiday and/or sponsoring organized celebrations.

MRSC Releases Results of Local Government Climate Response Survey

October 12, 2021 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: MRSC News and Updates , Climate and Sustainability

MRSC's Local Climate Response Project surveyed local government staff about their agency's concerns and actions related to climate change, and the results are available in this blog.