March 24 2025 CDS Study Session Final Packet

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Project Opportunities Action -Oriented Comprehensive Plan At the kickoff meeting, the County discussed taking the current goals and policies to a more detailed level that can assist the staff with accomplishing steps over the next ten-year period until the next periodic update. Consistency Across Countywide Plans At the kickoff meeting, the County mentioned that Comprehensive Plan could be better integrated and consistent with the County's other adopted plans. The Consultant will take this into consideration during the policy gap analyses and the plan audit which will be completed during the data collection phase of the project. Explore Opportunities in Land Use and Economic Growth The county would like to use the periodic update as an opportunity to understand how land use can bolster new economic development opportunities for the County. Economic opportunities may be new sales tax or other government funding sources, or new job opportunities to retain Kittitas County residents. A commissioner attending the kickoff meeting mentioned that providing a co -benefit of land use changes with economic development may be a better overall message to present to the Community. One example of aligning land use and economic development that was mentioned was businesses are having a hard time finding the correct zoning outside of the UGAs that would allow for certain small businesses. Early Coordination and Engagement Front load coordination, engagement, and problem solving at the beginning of the project to improve the public hearings process at the end. City Coordination At the kickoff meeting, the County mentioned that this a great time to collaborate with the cities and try to come to collaborative and creative solutions on a regional scale to accommodate growth. The County and cities are on a good working basis and have recently been promoting open communication. Project Risks and Mitigation Implementation of State Law changes/state guidance The goal is to implement state requirements while doing so in a way which aligns with the community vision as Kittitas County plans out to 2046. This requires balance and a strong record. The consultant team will mitigate any risks by consistently reviewing deliverables against state laws and expectations of the state. The consultant works closely with state departments and will continue to consult with them throughout the process to provide a product that will meet state standards. Build a Defensible Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations It is the consultant team's priority that this plan will build a strong record of reasoning for changes to policies based on best available science, accurate analysis, and public participation. The reasoning for comprehensive plan changes will be thoroughly recorded in analyses performed by the consultant team and will be included in the final deliverable and eventually in the public record. Promoting Public Participation Kittitas County 2026 Periodic Update Project Charter Version 3.1(Final) Exported: March 20, 2025 13