Washington State Association of Counties

During the 2024 Membership Meeting of the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC), Lincoln County Commissioner Rob Coffman was sworn in as the new Association President. Commissioner Coffman has been a part of the WSAC Executive Team, serving as both the 2nd and 1st Vice President for the past two years, and has represented counties on a number of statewide boards, including the County Road Administration Board! Read more: https://lnkd.in/g_qFmA9t

Election Day Timber Sales Could Test Incoming WA Lands Commissioner Upthegrove: Last week, the state Board of Natural Resources voted to put about 1,500 acres of older forests up for auction, drawing public criticism. The move also pushed Lands Commissioner-elect Dave Upthegrove further into a growing controversy over the future of some of Washington's older forests. https://lnkd.in/gTYZu7Za

Executive Director Tracy Burrows Sails Off Into a New Adventure: Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) says goodbye to Executive Director Tracy Burrows, who led the organization for more than a decade. WSAC would like to thank Tracy for her years of service to Counties and Cities across Washington State, and wish her the best on her next endeavor!

Throw a ? in the comments if you will be attending the Washington State Association of Counties Conference, next month. Colton Rockwell and I will be there and would love to connect with you. #WSAC #govtech #processinnovation

Managing Unexpected Post-Elections Issues: From ties to contested results, unusual and unexpected situations can arise during the election process. Fortunately, state law offers solutions for such situations. Historically, elections are settled affairs, but sometimes unexpected and unusual situations can arise during the election process. This blog reviews several scenarios that might arise after all the votes have been counted.

Pierce County Rural Areas to See Improved Internet Through $12M Project: Pierce County has announced a public-private partnership that will use more than $7 million in federal funds to boost internet access in the region’s most rural areas. The public-private partnership totals $12.1 million, with Pierce County dedicating $7.15 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to the project. Astound Broadband will spend the remaining $4.95 million as part of the partnership. https://lnkd.in/gU9S8sxH

Commerce Awards $3 Million to Boost Housing Production Pipeline: The Department of Commerce announced $3 million for 16 cities and four counties across Washington to streamline local building permit review processes. The funding will help create digital permitting processes and consolidate permit reviews, reducing the time needed to process and approve residential building permits, moves that strengthens the state’s pipeline of new housing production. https://lnkd.in/gvuz5Upg

Litigation Looms Over Latest Round of Washington State Timber Sales: Conservation advocates are prepared to sue over more than half of the timber sales Washington’s Board of Natural Resources approved on Tuesday, the latest flare-up in the fight over whether older trees on state-owned forestland should be spared from logging. The board approved a package of nine sales that would involve cutting roughly 1,200 acres of trees across western Washington, with minimum revenue expected to be around $13.8 million. Staff at the Department of Natural Resources put together plans for the sales and money generated would go largely to schools, counties, and public universities. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzwNEduq

WSAC is looking to hire a Bookkeeper/Office Coordinator! The Bookkeeper/Office Coordinator is a critical link between financial transactions and ongoing operations and activities within WSAC, including 2 affiliate companies, the Washington State Association of County Engineers (WSACE) and Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials (WSALPHO), and the Washington Counties Building (WCB). This position creates a dynamic connection between finance and policy while providing and assisting with services to our affiliates, policy partners, and members. The Office Coordinator/Bookkeeper will support the financial needs of WSAC and have an additional responsibility for coordinating the needs of the facilities and other administrative activities. If you are or know someone who may be a great fit, please use the link below to apply! https://lnkd.in/gn3YtQuu

Announcing Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC)’s Next Executive Director, Melanie Harding: We are excited to announce the hiring of MRSC’s next executive director, Melanie Harding, who will join us starting October 21. We look forward to introducing you to Melanie as we start this exciting new chapter in MRSC’s history!