Issues In Action archives

January 13, 2025

 New Issues Alert!

Legislative Session Begins Today! – The 2025 Legislative Session begins today with opening ceremonies in both houses at noon. You can find all the action live on TVW at https://tvw.org/schedule/. BIAW has put out the first round of requests in a call to action on the following bills (click on bill number for bill analysis/full text):

HB 1217 – Rent Stabilization: This bill places specific limits on annual rent increases and provides for various tenant protections intended to preserve the ability of tenants to maintain adequate housing/shelter.
Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Housing at 1:30 PM, January 13, 2025.

Recommended sign in con.

HB 1184 – Overtime Exemptions: Provides for exemptions for certain non-profits and small businesses from the minimum salary rule for salaried employees. Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 8:00 AM, January 15, 2025.

Recommended Sign In Pro.

HB 1160 – Design Review: Minimizes the impact and amount of required design review meetings. Ensures expedited approval of plans and eliminates “bring another rock” process. Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Housing at 8:00 AM in anticipation of other legislative action, January 16, 2025.

 Recommended Sign In Pro.

SB 5088 – Public Utility Tax: Authorizes counties to impose an excise tax on public utilities (PUD, etc.) not to exceed 3% in increases. The tax can be proposed on the first business day of any given quarter. The bill does authorize the utility to include said tax in their rates. Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Local Government at 1:30 PM, January 16, 2025.

Recommended Sign In Con.

HB 1015 – Energy Labeling/Residential: Cities and counties may require that the owner of a single2 family residence obtain and make available a home energy performance 3 report before the residence may be publicly advertised for sale. Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Local Government at 10:30 AM, January 17, 2025.

Recommended Sign In Con.

SB 5175 – Photovoltaic Modules: Concerning disposal of PV (solar) panels. Each manufacturer must prepare and submit a PV module stewardship plan to Ecology by January 31, 2028, or within 30 days of its first sale of a PV module in or into the state, whichever is later. Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 8:00 AM, January 15, 2025.

Recommended Sign In Con.

Quarterly Building Officials Meeting – Scheduled for January 23rd, at noon. We at OMB urge you not to miss this upcoming meeting. Local Building Officials will be present and host a roundtable discussion with participating members. Thurston County representatives will discuss the changes and process improvements they have made, and other jurisdictions will provide input on the building climate in their area as well. We will be hosting this meeting at the OMB office at 1211 State Ave NE. We hope you will bring your lunch and join the conversation.

Industry Advocacy Special Presentation – City of Olympia will provide OMB members with a special [presentation on the ins and outs of the newly required climate chapter of their comprehensive plan. They will be seeking feedback and ideas from members, and you are highly encouraged to participate. This meeting is scheduled for 4pm on January 23rd. OMB will host the meeting at 1211 State Ave NE.

Housing Instability Forum – The League of Women Voters will be hosting a Housing Instability Forum on January 15, 2025. The Forum is set to begin at 6:30 pm and will likely run until 8pm. OMB Government Affairs Director will be participating as a panelist along with Senator Jessica Bateman, Craig Chance of the Housing Authority of Thurston County, and Dave Toler from Olympia for All. The discussion will be centered around what is causing housing instability and what are some suggested solutions. The forum will be hosted at the Capitol Event Center at 6005 Tyee Dr, SW, Tumwater, WA.

Ongoing Topics:

The Switch Is On – (Heat Pump Rebates!) The City of Olympia, and several others, are joining “The Switch Is On” campaign. This means savings through incentives and rebates on heat pumps for homeowners and contractors. For example, jurisdictions may offer rebates on heat pump technology for our home appliances including HVAC systems and dryers. The City of Olympia is asking for help from our members by signing up for this program and connecting clients with these incentives and rebates.

To sign up/explore options you may be able to provide go to https://www.switchison.org/wa

Comprehensive Plans – In case you haven’t heard it enough already, please be sure to provide input on comprehensive plans throughout the jurisdictions you conduct business or live in. It cannot be stressed enough that this is your opportunity to tell the cities and counties across the South Sound that redundant and unnecessary regulations and restrictions are driving up the cost of housing. You do business in this industry. You are the expert. You know what is helping/hurting your ability to do business in your community. Now is the time for you to provide input and direction for the local housing economy.

WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU – Comprehensive Planning at jurisdictions will impact your ability to do business and build housing for the next 20 years. They include policy around economy, land use, zoning, housing and more. The overarching goal of the comprehensive plan is to place local control over local priorities. Make time to be part of the “locals” that are giving input! These plans are only available to update and edit every 10 years, and now is your time to determine what you want your community to look like shifting toward 2045, and to ensure that affordable housing for all economic segments of society is a priority! 

You can search your local jurisdiction online, but we’ve also provided some of the major ones below:

Industry Advocacy Report – December 17, 2024
Energize Thurston Request For Proposals (RFP) – Thurston County is seeking qualified HVAC and plumbing contractors for the 2025 Energize Thurston heat pump group purchase campaign in collaboration with South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity and the cities of Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and Tenino. Energize Thurston builds on the successful Energize Olympia program, expanding its benefits to provide installations of heat pump space conditioning and heat pump water heaters (HPWH) for residents throughout the County.
Our goals for the program are to educate at least 600 residents on the benefits of heat pumps via our community workshop series, and complete at least 170 heat pump installations and at least 120 HPWH installations. These totals will be divided between subsidized installations for low- to moderate-income households (administered by Habitat for Humanity) and self-funded installations available to any household.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) can be downloaded at the link below under “RFP_Energize Thurston 2025 Heat Pump and HPWH Installation Services”:
Proposals shall be submitted to Rebecca Harvey, RFP Coordinator, at rebecca.harvey@co.thurston.wa.us. Only emailed submissions will be accepted. The deadline for submission of proposals is January 10, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PDT).
All pre-proposal inquiries (PPIs) regarding this RFP shall be directed to the RFP Coordinator via e-mail at rebecca.harvey@co.thurston.wa.us. All PPIs must clearly identify the name of the inquiring company or person and the RFP number, title, and section/page number. Questions via telephone will not be accepted. All questions to this proposal must be sent to the RFP Coordinator via email by December 18, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. PDT. Questions received after this date may not be answered. All questions will be answered via an addendum posted on the Thurston County website.
I – 2066 Enforcement Update – Jurisdictions around the state are adapting to the new legal changes implemented by I-2066 officially becoming state law on December 5, 2024. Several jurisdictions, including Clark County, have decided to utilize local discretion when applying Energy Equalization Credits under the 2021 Energy Code. They’ve decided to weigh gas the same as other energy sources as to not unfairly disincentivize or unintentionally eliminate it as a choice in building. This is a preliminary measure to provide some relief until further directed by rulemaking from the State Building Codes Council. This step is one option and may not apply to all local jurisdictions. OMB and BIAW invite feedback from members, as they turn in projects across multiple jurisdictions, around what their own experience has been.
 
Lewis County Fee Increases – FYI, we were informed at the Lewis County meeting earlier this year that the county was in dire need of revenue and could possibly double their fees. This is coming to fruition on January 1. Your GA director submitted a letter to the county laying out the potential negative impacts on the housing markets. Our members suggested, at the time, that they understood the need to raise some fees and that the county did not raise fees since 2017. So, relatively, Lewis County is in line with much of the state. In fact, they remain a lower cost place to build than Thurston. Your GA Director is working with the county on efficiency processes that may help mitigate these costs.
 
Tumwater Committees Recommend to Council Permitting Efficiency Measures – Tumwater’s General Government Committee met on Wednesday, November 13th, and discussed amendments to Title 14 of the Tumwater Municipal Code. Title 14 contains the rules, codes, and policies in the Tumwater Development Code. Development staff spoke about the need to create efficiencies around recommendations from the industry (OMB) and due to SB 5290. Some of the changes discussed would be to the timelines for permitting, and some expansion of the Multi-Family Tax Exemption. On permitting timelines, the committee recommends being more explicit in the city code and ensuring that developers/builders understand the characterization “procedurally complete.” On the MFTE, the committee recommended administrative approval by the development manager themselves as a common practice going forward (OMB supported this measure, but council has pushed back). Finally, the GGC also recommended more flexibility for staff to interpret the land use code and find better ways to get to yes.
City of Olympia Climate Chapter Project – Talks are beginning around Olympia’s climate chapter of their comp plan. Your GA Director is a stakeholder and having preliminary meetings with staff this week. Look to future reports for further updates.
Ongoing Topics:
The Switch Is On – (Heat Pump Rebates!) The City of Olympia, and several others, are joining “The Switch Is On” campaign. This means savings through incentives and rebates on heat pumps for homeowners and contractors. For example, jurisdictions may offer rebates on heat pump technology for our home appliances including HVAC systems and dryers. The City of Olympia is asking for help from our members by signing up for this program and connecting clients with these incentives and rebates.
To sign up/explore options you may be able to provide go to https://www.switchison.org/wa
 
Comprehensive Plans – In case you haven’t heard it enough already, please be sure to provide input on comprehensive plans throughout the jurisdictions you conduct business or live in. It cannot be stressed enough that this is your opportunity to tell the cities and counties across the South Sound that redundant and unnecessary regulations and restrictions are driving up the cost of housing. You do business in this industry. You are the expert. You know what is helping/hurting your ability to do business in your community. Now is the time for you to provide input and direction for the local housing economy.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU – Comprehensive Planning at jurisdictions will impact your ability to do business and build housing for the next 20 years. They include policy around economy, land use, zoning, housing and more. The overarching goal of the comprehensive plan is to place local control over local priorities. Make time to be part of the “locals” that are giving input! These plans are only available to update and edit every 10 years, and now is your time to determine what you want your community to look like shifting toward 2045, and to ensure that affordable housing for all economic segments of society is a priority!
 
You can search your local jurisdiction online, but we’ve also provided some of the major ones below:
 
Thurston County: Thurston 2045
Lewis County: Lewis County 2045
City of Olympia: Engage Olympia
City of Tumwater: Tumwater Comprehensive Plan
 
Olympia Fee Increases – As the City of Olympia works to balance their 2025-26 biennium budget proposal, our members should be aware that impact fees are on the table. Olympia City officials have proposed increasing utility rates, permit, and impact fees as part of the 2025 budget, aimed at supporting critical infrastructure and other municipal services.  For 2025, the proposed changes include a 4% overall increase in permit fees to account for labor costs. “This 4% increase, we believe, gives a buffer. Not only does it help match the 76% cost recovery, but it also provides a buffer for any changes from the classification and compensation study. So, we believe the 4% increase is a reasonable and appropriate adjustment,” the city’s finance director has stated. OMB staff sent out updates previously on the potential for these increases, and the general feeling was that these were acceptable increases to cover increased costs and potential staffing and operations of the permit center. However, don’t feel the need to agree. We will field and relay all concerns on this that you may have to city staff.
For more information on any of these items, or something else, please reach out.

Jessie W Simmons

Government Affairs Director

Olympia Master Builders

C: (360) 525-4142

O: (360) 754-0912 ext. 102

 

New Mask Guidance for Construction, Office Spaces

May 21, 2021

The Department of Labor and Industries today released updated guidance on masking and social distancing for fully vaccinated employees on construction jobsites and in offices.

Consistent with the new masking guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control last week, employees who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear a mask or physically distance with certain limitations. However, local jurisdictions may adopt guidelines that are more strict. Please be sure to check local guidelines before making any changes.

Before ending their mask and social distancing requirements, employers are required confirm employees are vaccinated either by obtaining a signed attestation or proof of vaccination.

The new guidance requires employers to prove they have verified vaccination status for workers who are not masked or physically distanced by:

  • Creating a log of workers who have verified they’ve been vaccinated and the date of verification;
  • Checking vaccination status each day as workers enter a jobsite; or
  • Marking a worker’s badge or credential to show that they are vaccinated.

All other Construction COVID-19 Job Site Requirements remain in effect until further notice.

Mason County Permit Time Improvement

The current pandemic has brought about a remote work scramble for workplaces everywhere, including government agencies. This has led to many lessons being learned and, in some cases, improvements being made.  The Mason County permit office saw a backlog of permits coming in like a perfect storm. This was due, in part, to the increase in remote working and average citizens having more free time to get a permit in for that deck they always wanted.  

Over the past year, Olympia Master Builders, along with their Mason County Chapter, has been working with local elected and building officials in order to improve permit times. On April 1st, 2021 the OMB Mason County Chapter, along with Heidi McCutcheon from the Mason County Chamber of Commerce and Kell Rowen, the Mason County Community Development Coordinator, all sat down for a virtual meeting to work out the case of backlogs.  

One of the main issues members have had is with scheduling. Since the meeting, Mason County has adjusted staffing to make scheduling more efficient.  Kell also has the State of Washington’s efficiency improvement team coming in this week to help make adjustments.  She is confident this will help to improve times even more than we have already seen in the past two months. 

Olympia Master Builders will continue to provide a voice on behalf of its members and is thankful to work with such an active Chamber of Commerce that is helping to give a voice to businesses. This is one of the many ongoing issues that OMB is currently working on for its members. We would like to thank Kell and her team at the Mason County Permit office for continuing to work on this process. 

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to the Olympia Master Builders’ Government Affairs Director, Jason Gano, at jason@omb.org 

 

The 2018 energy code will be implemented on February 1st

On January 19th, 2021, Governor Inslee chose to veto the Washington State Building Code Councils (WSBCC) vote to delay the implementation of the Energy code. The council members thought that due to COVID-19, a further extension was needed.  

The WSBCC, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the legislature, believed the extension would have allowed builders the time necessary to adjust business plans, as well as given them the time they needed to better understand the new code so that they could properly abide by the new regulations.

The 2018 energy code will be implemented on February 1st.

If you would like more information on this issue, please contact OMB Government Affairs Director, Jason Gano at (360)754-0912 or jason@omb.org.

Issues In Action Update – July 2019

Olympia’s Missing Middle Update

Last week, the Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) invalidated Olympia’s “Missing Middle” housing ordinance after finding the city violated state law in relation to the environment and growth and that the changes go against policies in Olympia’s comprehensive plan. The Missing Middle, approved last year, allowed for more multifamily housing to be built in low-density neighborhoods, including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, ADUs and courtyard apartments.  READ MORE

Government Affairs – Issues Update: September 2018

*NEW* Condo Liability Reform

  • Description: BIAW has asked local MBAs to partner with their cities to pass resolutions in support of condo liability reform and grow local community support around the issue.
  • Status: OMB has reached out to Lacey and Olympia with draft resolution language. Olympia is vetting the language. Lacey has scheduled the topic for discussion at an Oct 4 council work session.

*NEW* City of Olympia – Heritage Review Commission

  • Description: There were several job-specific issues between builders and the HRC, prompting OMB to meet with city staff to discuss ways to improve the Heritage Review Process. Possible solutions include workshops with the Remodeler’s Council and the HRC, increased training of permit counter staff, handouts detailing preferred practices, clarification of code and appeals processes, and changes to HRC administrative practices.
  • Status: Olympia is in the second stage of interviewing for a permanent Historical Preservation Officer who will begin work on these changes once hired. The Deputy-Director of Community Development is the current point of contact.

*NEW* Thurston/Mason County – WREC Appointments

  • Description: As part of the Hirst Fix, many WRIAs are required to establish Watershed Resource Enhancement Committees under the supervision. WRIA #13 (Deschutes) and WRIA #14 (Kennedy-Goldborough) are in OMB territory and will be establishing their WRECs in October.
  • Status: BIAW and Mason County leadership have nominated OMB to act as the statutorily mandated home building industry representative for both WRIAs.

*NEW* Mason County – Workforce Housing Summit

  • Description: Several community and development stakeholders have begin discussing how to begin a conversation about the shortage of workforce housing in Mason Co.
  • Status: OMB is meeting with primary stakeholder groups to discuss partnership for a housing summit.

*UPDATED* City of Olympia – Missing Middle Housing

  • Description: Olympia Planning Commission is considering changes which would allow for more Missing Middle Housing in Olympia (report at: http://olympiawa.gov/city-government/codes-plans-and-standards/missing-middle.aspx).
  • Status: Most of the Missing Middle recommendations passed. Minor provisions required additional review but are anticipated to pass in early Fall. Once city staff has a chance to review the code changes for practical applications, they will be coordinating briefings for OMB members.

*UPDATED* General – Incentivized Housing Action Team

  • Description: OMB has been participating in Thurston Thrives’ Incentivized Housing Action Team to create a real-world model of housing incentives that can be used to create mixed income development.
  • Status: Based on OMB’s work with incentivized housing, we have been asked to join the Thurston Thrives Coordinating Council as a representative of the private development community.

*UPDATED* City of Lacey – Annexation Amendments

  • Description: The City approached OMB with draft language for a prosed amendment to annexation procedure. The change would require annexation to occur prior to a property being served by any city-owned utility unless they receive land use approval prior to Sept 01, 2018. Planning Commission recommended adoption of the following language to city council “Owners of properties lying outside of, but contiguous to City boundaries shall be annexed prior to being served by a City-owned utility.  Owners of properties lying outside of but not contiguous to the City must legally commit their property to eventual annexation prior to being served by the City’s utility system.”
  • Status: This amendment to the annexation procedure passed.

Thurston County – Rural County Fire Sprinklers

  • Description: Thurston County is considering the value and executability of requiring fire suppression systems in new construction in the county.
  • Status: OMB provided initial feedback on the water, infrastructure and cost factors involved in requiring sprinkler systems in a non-urban environment.

Thurston County – Habitat Conservation Plan

  • Description: OMB worked closely with the County to develop a new interim inspection process. Private biologists will be allowed for the first time (contact Erin for a list). Two site inspections are still required. The interim inspection process is required until a county-wide HCP is approved.
  • Status: On July 25th the Board of County Commissioners approved a final draft HCP to be sent to USFW for consideration. There is no timeline for USFW response.

Mason County – E-Permitting

  • Description: Mason will be launching a e-permitting system in September
  • Status: OMB had an initial meeting with County staff to consult on issues that typical arise with e-permitting. A 1-month check in is scheduled after the system gets brought online.

Thurston County – E-Inspection

  • Description: The County is exploring the feasibility of electronic inspection of building sites and structures (i.e. barn pole footings). Staff is exploring possible mechanism and medias internally.
  • Status: CPED would like to meet with an OMB focus group in September to review staff generated options and workshop additional structural options, inspection methods and review procedure.

City of Yelm – Permit Improvement Project

  • Description: Yelm will be moving to a new city hall soon and expressed a desire to examine their permitting processes in conjunction with the move.
  • Status: OMB met with the City Manager and discussed how to begin collecting data internally about permitting, ways to audit the efficacy of existing permits and opportunities to create partnerships between OMB and the city.

Thurston / Lewis County – Rural ADU Review

  • Description: Both Thurston and Lewis Counties are reviewing the standards for ADUs in rural areas. Lewis Co is looking specifically at the septic needs/regulations associated with ADUs.
  • Status: Lee Napier presented the new planning standards for septic connections and ADUs at the June Lewis County meeting. Lewis County members found the method of delineation illogical and requested to meet with the county to generate clearer guidelines. Napier is coordinating.

General – Ruckelshaus Center GMA Review

  • Description: The legislature is doing a state-wide review of the GMA and GMA framework (SEPA, SMA, etc). They are hosting workshops in every county. Pacific and Grays Harbor have been completed.
  • Status: Thurston, Mason, Lewis are scheduled for fall. If you have interest in participating, let Erin know. OMB will also be joining BIAW in a one-on-one meeting in the fall to address housing issues specifically.

Thurston County – Comprehensive Plan: Housing Chapter

  • Description: The Housing Chapter is a part of the larger Thurston County Comprehensive Plan. The focus of the update is on ensuring compliance with state law and incorporating new information generated since the last major update in 2005.
  • Status: OMB has reviewed the first draft of the Housing Chapter and provided feedback.

2018 CLOSED ISSUES:

Reroofing Inspection Changes (Olympia), Water Meters for New Construction (Olympia), Charter County Ballot Initiative & Freeholder Elections (Lewis Co.), Building Code Changes (Thurston Co.), Administrative Final Plat Approval (Thurston Co.)