Between the State of the City address and the Legislative Session, there’s a lot to report. Here we go:
Seattle
The Mayor gave his State of the City address. He announced plans to update the City’s Climate Action Plan. He pledged to expedite the West Seattle/Ballard link lines by as much as one year by creating a city office of Waterfront, Civic Projects & Sound Transit, to “orchestrate up to 50 staff in supporting project design and engineering, station area planning, and more”. He cited the recent terror attacks on crowds by people in cars and said that we need to move to make Pike Place Market a pedestrian area with facilities for deliveries and drop-offs for disabled people. The City will streamline the building permit process, speeding it by 50% to make it easier and cheaper to build new housing. And the Mayor will send the Fort Lawton affordable housing project to Council for approval.
State
The Legislative Session just passed its first major cutoff date, after which bills that were not passed by their policy committee in their chamber of origin may no longer proceed. Many bills have been passed, and now advance to their fiscal committee. Passing fiscal committee, always a difficult barrier, is expected to be more difficult this year because of the budget shortfall. Here’s how things stand now, with some of the climate and environmental bills:
These bills have been passed by their Chamber of Origin:
- Reforming Parking Minimums (SB 5184). Caps the minimum parking requirements that cities and counties can require for developers. Parking mandates for construction require large chunks of land to be covered in asphalt instead of being used for more housing and more green space/trees. This bill sets limits to how much can be required, thus reducing the cost of building new housing. This bill had the support of both parties, and passed the Senate 40-8. Washington State Senate Approves Sweeping Parking Reform Bill (The Urbanist).
These bills have been approved by their committees and have been scheduled for a floor vote in their chamber of origin:
- Digital Right to Repair (HB 1483). Requires manufacturers of digital electronic products to make repair information, parts and tools available so small businesses can repair these items. Extending the life of computers, tablets and cellphones, and appliances reduces the burden on manufacturing new products – therefore also decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and mining.
- Including Riders on Transit Boards (HB 1418). Most transit systems in the state are overseen by a board made up of elected leaders from the cities and counties covered by a Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA). This bill would encourage those boards to include two members who are regular users of the transit system, one of whom is a representative of a community based organization. The bill would also require meetings to be held at times and places reasonably accessible by public transit, allowing both the transit riding board members and transit riding public to attend and participate.
These bills have been approved by their committees and are waiting to be scheduled for a floor vote in their chamber of origin:
- Home Energy Score (HB 1015). This bill establishes a method for making energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions labeling of existing residential buildings available to homebuyers.
- GMA Compliance (HB 1015). Over the past four years, the Growth Management Act has added new requirements for housing affordability and climate change in local comprehensive plans. This bill would close a loophole that allows cities and counties to avoid compliance with these provisions.
- Sewage Containing Spills (HB 1670).
These bills are unlikely to make it through this session.
- Encouraging the deployment of low carbon thermal energy networks (HB 1514). Thermal energy networks (TENs) are heating services provided by shared geothermal heat pumps, and they are a possible pathway for transitioning buildings off fossil gas while also transitioning the gas companies themselves. The UTC may allow electric companies to offer discounts to a TENs company if they offer a TEN service that is more efficient than electrical service. The UTC may also require gas companies to plan for TENs on an annual basis, and electrical companies must now plan for TENs as part of their regular planning process. And the UTC must report to the Legislature by 2027 as to whether there are interoperability standards that are ready to be adopted. The Dept. of Commerce will offer grants to local jurisdictions for TENs planning and TENs mapping. TENs companies will be regulated by the UTC, as gas and electric companies are now.
- Cumulative Risk Burden (CURB) Act (HB 1303). Addresses the disproportionate impact of new and existing pollution on overburdened communities.
- Establishing Priorities for Intercity Passenger Rail (HB 1837).
- Road Usage Charge (HB 1921/SB 5726). Gradually phase in a flat per-mile road usage fee in place of the current gas tax. This would apply to EVs and plug-in hybrids first as a voluntary program in place of the current flat EV car tab fee, and then become mandatory. ICE vehicles would be phased in over time, starting with higher efficiency vehicles. This may be NTIB in which case it could survive beyond the cutoff.
- Improving Shortline Freight Rail (SB 5063).
- GMA Housing Element (HB 5148). Strengthens the affordable housing provisions of the Growth Management Act.
- Safe Streets for Active Transportation (SB 5581). Strengthens requirements for complete streets and shared use paths.
These bills have a public hearing scheduled in their fiscal committee:
- Transit-Oriented Development (HB 1491). Requires local zoning standards to allow greater density near transit across the state with some of it required to be affordable. There are different standards depending on distance from transit and type of transit. Near train stations the minimum zoning is higher and covers a greater area, but near bus rapid transit stations the minimum is lower and covers a smaller area.
- Monitoring PFAS in Biosolids (SB 5033). Calls for the state to measure the forever chemicals in wastewater treatment facilities that generate biosolids.
These bills need to be scheduled for a public hearing in their fiscal committees in order to progress. Given the remaining time, these are likely to not progress:
- Anesthetics/greenhouse gases (HB 5236).
- Washington Coal Act (HB 5236). Calls for the State to divest from coal in its pension funds.
Now we get the Roll of the Fallen. These bills failed to pass their policy committees before the cutoff, and are dead unless they get declared as NTIB (necessary to implement the budget):
- Community Solar (HB 5515)
- Reducing Pollution via Cleaner Ship Fuel (HB 1652)
- Allow Direct Sales of EVs (HB 1721). Allows direct sales of EVs without going through a dealer. Currently there is an exception for Tesla, but other car companies may only sell through a dealer.
- Endorsing a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (HB 4003). A Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is a proposed international mechanism grounded in three pillars: no new fossil fuel expansion, an equitable phase out of coal, oil, and gas to limit warming as much as possible, and a global just transition to renewable energy for all.
If you would like to receive regular updates via email, please send email to seattle-climate-news+subscribe@googlegroups.com, or, if you have a Google account, click here.