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AWC Government Relations Director retiring
In case you missed the news in Monday’s Legislative Bulletin, it is with bittersweet emotions that we will bid a fond farewell to Dave Williams, AWC Government Relations Director. Dave joined AWC in 1986 and has had a significant positive impact on our 281 cities in the years since. We will miss his knowledge of our member cities and history of legislative issues as we bid him happy retirement in July.
The search for Government Relations Director has begun. Know the right candidate? See our open recruitment, conducted by Karras Consulting.
Ruckelshaus workshops beginning soon
The William D. Ruckelshaus Center is hosting a series of invitation-only workshops this month for local elected officials and managers around the state to discuss potential improvements to Washington's framework of planning laws, including but not limited to the Growth Management Act. If invited, we hope you can attend! Find AWC tools you might find useful when discussing growth in your region. More
 Accommodating population growth — the challenge continues
Washington continues to face rapid population growth but the growth is not evenly distributed across all cities. While metro areas are on a population upswing, many small cities and towns are holding steady or even losing population. Keeping pace with a changing population constantly challenges cities. New residents put more pressure on city services and squeeze housing markets. Check out the population growth rates from 2010-2017. More
Applications for tax incentive Opportunity Zones now available
The Washington State Department of Commerce recently unveiled the application process for nominating Opportunity Zones, which are designed to provide investment opportunities in 139 underserved communities. The investment incentives are part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Investors can defer paying taxes on capital gains that are invested in approved communities designated as Opportunity Zones. More
Watch the Sustainable Communities Partnership video
The Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) at Western Washington University (WWU) is accepting applications from potential partners for the academic year beginning September 2018. The selected partner will benefit from thousands of hours of effort by WWU students and faculty working to advance the community's sustainability projects. Application deadline is March 30. More
Get involved in critical areas guidance update
The Department of Commerce is updating its Critical Areas Handbook, a useful how-to for cities revising their critical areas ordinances. Commerce is sending out draft chapters and holding workshops to engage local governments. There are workshops scheduled in March and April to explore Chapter 7, Monitoring and Adaptive Management. Find dates, locations, registration information, and drafts. More
The Governor’s 2018 Smart Communities Awards
Governor Jay Inslee has invited nominations for outstanding work by local governments and their partners on community planning and development. The awards have been an annual event since 2006. Nominations are open through April 24. More
Last chance to submit your project for a planning award
Has your city done some excellent planning? Nominate a project for the State 2018 Planning Awards program, run jointly by the American Planning Association (APA) Washington Chapter and Planning Association of Washington (PAW). Winners will be announced at the PAW annual conference, May 2-4, 2018 at Campbell's Resort in Chelan. Applications due March 16. More
Grant writing training
April 9-10 | Newman Lake
Spokane County Sheriff's Office and Grant Writing USA present this two-day grant writing workshop for grant seekers across all disciplines. Attend this class and you'll learn how to find grants and write winning grant proposals. More |
 Post your recruitments on AWC JobNet!
If you haven’t already done so, check out our new AWC JobNet and post your open recruitments today! All AWC JobNet posts are free until March 23! More
Featured jobs
City of Sunnyside | Fire Chief
City of Oak Harbor | City Administrator
Lewis County | County Manager
 Cities come out strong as 2018 session wraps up
We are pleased that for the first non-overtime session in many years, our goals have generally been achieved. We were able to do this for several reasons. Learn why, find out what's next, and read Dave’s thanks and fond farewell. More
Legislature passes supplemental operating budget
The final version of the adopted budget includes many of the city-preferred approaches to the differences between the Senate and the House, including several new investments in housing, mental health, and opioid treatment and prevention. More
Register for AWC's Elected Officials Essentials webinar series 
March 20 | First of four webinars
This subscription-based package includes quarterly webinars created especially for elected officials. Each webinar meets one of the four core requirements for AWC's Certificate of Municipal Leadership (CML) Program. Elected officials can join the live webinars from home, office, or on the go. Or better yet, cities are encouraged to watch the recorded version together as a council! One registration includes all four webinars. Register now!
IMSIT listening session
April 10 | Moses Lake
The Public Works Board and the Interagency Multijurisdictional System Improvement Team (IMSIT) are holding a listening session to lend your voice and influence on the legislatively-mandated goal to design and improve the delivery of the state’s infrastructure systems. More
CoResolve: Deep democracy for leaders intensive
April 12-13 | Seattle
This training is for leaders, managers, consultants, and facilitators that want to increase their skills at handling interpersonal and team dynamics and running better meetings. More
Congratulations to all the new mayors and councilmembers. Welcome to the city family! Through trainings, resources, and publications, AWC is here to help you develop as a municipal leader. For your first 100 days, we'll highlight some of your AWC Elected Officials Essentials right here in CityVoice.
Short Course on Local Planning
The Short Course is the preeminent training tool on land use for local officials in Washington. This three-hour workshop covers comprehensive planning and plan implementation under the state Growth Management Act (GMA). Content covers land use planning laws, Open Public Meeting Act requirements, and planning best practices. Find out if a Short Course is coming near you, or watch the short course video series. More |
