House Rural Democratic Caucus meets with local rural stakeholders

The House Rural Democratic Caucus met with stakeholders in Port Angeles on May 10 to discuss development and job growth in rural Washington. This is the second of meeting of this type, lawmakers also met with stakeholders in late 2017 in Aberdeen.

Nearly a dozen legislators attended, including House Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle), House Capital Budget Chairman Steve Tharinger (D-Port Townsend), House Local Government Caucus Champion Tana Senn (D-Mercer Island), House Transportation Vice Chairman Jake Fey (D-Tacoma), and House Rural Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Chapman (D-Port Angeles).

The event featured a range of speakers who focused on the economic development successes and struggles that rural Washington faces. These speakers included Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, Port Angeles and Sequim city officials, the Port of Port Angeles, industry representatives, the Clallam County EDC, tribal leadership, and local school board representatives.

While the discussions ranged in topic from speaker to speaker, a number of key themes emerged throughout the day. These included the need for local financing tools, programs, and assistance such as:

• The Public Works Trust Fund (PWTF);
• The Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB);
• The Community Development Block Program (CDBG);
• Transportation support for roads and airports;
• Understanding of the importance of workforce development; and
• Support and assistance to local governments navigating a complex and cumbersome regulatory environment.

In addition to the needs of the communities, there were positive conversations as well. Communities and tribal leaders were proud of the growth the region has experienced over the years from tourism and retirees, and of the innovations taking place. One of these is the exploration of embedded composite I-beams into mass timber. Known as “super wood,” the hope one day is to build large buildings with this product.

As lawmakers look to support rural Washington’s revitalization efforts, AWC is also focused on developing legislative priorities that will help the economies of both rural and urban Washington. As the interim progresses, AWC will continue to meet with lawmakers, city officials, and interested stakeholders to develop a package of economic development priorities for the 2019 legislative session.