November 6, 2024

The AWC offices will be closed on Monday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. AWC thanks and honors those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and who continue to serve their communities and help make cities great.

Save the date for City Action Days!
February 19-20, 2025 | Lacey
Held annually during the legislative session, this popular event for city officials includes updates on city legislative priorities, insider panels, and news about the latest legislative hot topics. Attendees can participate in the “hill climb” to meet with your statewide decision-makers about our legislative priorities at the state Capitol in Olympia. Save the date and watch for registration to open next week!

Attend a Q&A session on CQC scholarships
November 20 | 12:15 – 12:45 pm | Online
The AWC Center for Quality Communities scholarship supports high school seniors who are active leaders in their city government, community, or school and plan to pursue post-secondary education. Interested in nominating a student? Attend a Q&A session to hear a little about the scholarship program, get tips from those who have participated in the past, and learn how you can identify talented and engaged students in your community. Register now.

We want to hear from you: Attend your annual AWC Board district meeting
Remaining locations: Bellevue, Maple Valley, Orting, Everett
AWC recently held district meetings in Selah, Walla Walla, Moses Lake, Bellingham, Colville, Westport, and Kalama—thank you to everyone who has joined us! If you’re in one of the remaining districts, or missed out on an earlier opportunity closer to home, it’s not too late. Join AWC and other city leaders to connect over lunch, share your priorities, and hear about AWC’s 2025 legislative agenda. Register today for Bellevue, Maple Valley, or Orting, and watch for details soon on the January meeting in Everett.

AWC listening session: New transportation funding options
December 10 | Online
Join AWC for a listening session to learn about two transportation funding sources under consideration by the Legislature: a retail delivery fee and a road usage charge. Hear insights and information from AWC, researchers for the Joint Transportation Committee, and Washington State Transportation Commission staff. Come ready to learn as well as share your questions and comments during a robust Q&A session. Register now.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
November marks our month-long national celebration of the contributions and histories of Native Americans. Check out these ideas for recognizing Native American Heritage Month and honoring Indigenous cultures and experiences:

• Read the 2024 federal proclamation on Native American Heritage Month.
• Get to know all of the many Tribes in our state—this map denotes the 29 federally recognized Tribes of Washington.
• Discover which Indigenous lands you’re living on with this interactive map.
• Learn about honoring Indigenous Peoples with land acknowledgements at public meetings and events.
• Visit the National Archives to browse records of important moments in Native American history.
• Explore how to interact effectively with Tribes and Tribal members as a city elected official with this on-demand eLearning on Tribal government relations from AWC’s Elected Officials Essentials series.

Other news & resources

Get involved! Apply by November 20 to serve on an AWC committee or state board. More

Read MRSC’s advice on managing unexpected post-election issues. More

MRSC says goodbye to Executive Director Tracy Burrows, who led the organization for more than a decade. More

ESD announces that Paid Family & Medical Leave rates are set to increase to 0.92% in 2025. More

What value does the National League of Cities offer local leaders? Listen to the latest episode of NLC’s CitiesSpeak podcast to find out. More

Commerce launches three free resources to access federal clean energy and climate funding. More

Local elected officials are invited to sign on to NLC letter advocating for federal natural disaster emergency funding. Deadline is November 13. More

Reminder: Deadline for EPA's Sustainable Communities Accelerator Network is coming up November 13. More

The first major deadline for ARPA is December 31, 2024—cities must have all their ARPA-SLFRF funds properly obligated by that date or risk returning this critical federal funding. More

Apply by January 31 for AWC’s new grant for energy audits of city-owned buildings. More

Apply now for additional grant funding through the Office of Public Defense SPAR Program to address impacts of new Blake drug possession caseload through June 30, 2025. More

Is your 2025 budget process on track?
Budget season is well underway! If you have any questions about procedural requirements or deadlines, be sure to check out these resources from MRSC:

• City and town budget procedures: A step-by-step overview of the required budget procedures for cities and towns in Washington state, along with tips and recommendations for an effective process.
• City and town budget calendars: Outlines the statutory deadlines for cities and towns in Washington state to prepare a budget for the coming year, along with examples of planning calendars adopted by cities and towns that go beyond the minimum statutory requirements.

AWC trainings & events

AWC: AWC Board district meetings | Multiple dates | Multiple locations

CQC: Q&A session—AWC Center for Quality Communities scholarships | November 20 | Online

AWC: 2025 legislative session preview | December 5 | Online

AWC: Listening session—New transportation funding options | December 10 | Online

AWC: EOE webinar series: Promoting a positive workplace | December 18 | Online

AWC: Save the date! 2025 City Action Days | February 19-20 | Lacey

Other trainings & events

MRSC: Lessons learned from GMA housing element updates | November 14 | Online

MRSC: Digging into public works fundamentals | November 14 | Bellingham

MRSC: Land use case law update—Winter 2024 | December 12 | Online

State Archives: Records management workshops | Multiple dates | Online

NLC: Webinars and events | Multiple dates | Online

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