Here is the actual resolution before the Pierce County Council – committee hearing on June 20, 2016 and final Council hearing on June 21, 2016. There is a list at the end which tells what the county has in mind and who the involved participants are. Pierce County is currently out of compliance with the Washington State Growth Management Act by having too much urban development outside real cities. This resolution will help them deal with this, but it will certainly mean you may soon live inside a city. The question will be, which one?

Resolution No. R2016-79
Pierce County Council
930 Tacoma Ave S, Rm 1046
Tacoma, WA 98402

Sponsored by: 1 Councilmember Derek Young
Requested by: County Council

 

 

 

RESOLUTION NO. R2016-79

 

A Resolution of the Pierce County Council Related to Comprehensive Plan
Certification by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC);
Expressing County Intent and Deadlines Regarding Efforts to
Encourage Annexation and Incorporation of Unincorporated
Urban Areas; and Finding Pierce County has Satisfied a
Condition of PSRC Certification.

 

Whereas, Pierce County’s 2015 Comprehensive Plan Update received conditional certification from the PSRC on April 28, 2016; and

 

Whereas, as part of the certification review, Pierce County provided information o the PSRC regarding Pierce County’s efforts to: (1) encourage the affiliation of urban unincorporated lands with adjacent cities and eventual annexation of these affiliated areas by the cities, and (2) to identify unaffiliated urban unincorporated lands which are expected to incorporate in the future; and

Whereas, the information was summarized in Pierce County Resolution No. R2016-31; and

Whereas, the third condition of PSRC’s conditional certification requires that “[t]he Pierce County Council will, no later than June 2016, pass a resolution stating their intent and deadlines to work with surrounding cities regarding annexation and incorporation;” Now Therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of Pierce County:

Section 1. The Pierce County Council hereby states that it is Pierce County’s intent to encourage affiliation of unincorporated urban areas to existing cities where appropriate and consistent with the Pierce County Countywide Planning Policies and the policies of the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan, to support annexation of said lands when consistent with the Pierce County Countywide Planning Policies and the policies of the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan, and to support the incorporation of unaffiliated unincorporated urban areas where consistent with the Pierce County Countywide Planning Policies and the policies of the Pierce County Comprehensive Resolution No. R2016-79 Plan. In furtherance of this stated intent, the Council 1 hereby adopts a work program identifying actions to be taken and a schedule for said actions. This work program and schedule is set forth in Exhibit A, which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

Section 2. The Pierce County Council hereby finds that the statement of intent set forth in above Section 1. and the work program and schedule set forth in Exhibit A satisfy the third condition set forth in the PSRC Condition Certification dated April 28, 2016.

 

ADOPTED this  ___ day of ____, 2016.

 

ATTEST:                                 PIERCE COUNTY COUNCIL
Pierce County, Washington
______________             _________________
Denise D. Johnson             Douglas G. Richardson
Clerk of the Council             Council Chair

 

Exhibit A to Resolution No. R2016-79

Pierce County Work Program and Schedule – Affiliation, Annexation, and Incorporation

 

Pierce County is actively working to encourage the affiliation, annexation, and

incorporation of unincorporated urban areas consistent with Vision 2040, Pierce County

Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs) and policies contained in the Pierce County

Comprehensive Plan. In furtherance of this work, Pierce County has established the

following work program and schedule:

 

Task – Description – Participants  – Est. Completion Date

 

Inventory and Characterize Potential Annexation Areas

Prepare an inventory of all potential annexation areas and a profile for each.

Profile will include basic information including boundary, land area, parcel count, land use characteristics, population estimates, utility/service providers, assessed valuation, and likely annexation city.

Participants: Pierce County

Estimated Completion date: December 1, 2016

 

Affiliation/Annexation Conversations and Joint Planning Agreement Exploration

Initiate conversations with cities and towns regarding affiliation/annexation of unincorporated urban areas, pursue the development of JPAs where feasible, and formally affiliate areas through the process set forth in the CPPs. Technical support from PSRC will be sought as needed.

Participants: As of June 1, 2016, initial contacts have been made with the following cities:

Tacoma, Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Gig Harbor, and Fircrest. This participant list will be expanded in the future based upon city interest and staff and funding availability.

Estimated completion date: Will vary by city and is dependent upon city participation. Initial conversations with select cities and towns have begun. County goal is to complete these initial conversations no later than July 1, 2017.

 

Annexation Support – Sales and Use Tax Tool

Request the Washington State Legislature to modify provisions contained within RCW 82.14 to make the sales and use tax tool more viable for cities in Pierce County.

Participants: Pierce County, Pierce County Regional Council, Puget Sound Regional Council, State Legislature

Estimated Completion date: Pierce County has initiated conversations on this topic with select legislative offices and has begun briefing legislative staff. The County will bring a proposal to the PCRC and PSRC for briefing and discussion by October 1, 2016. State legislative action desired in 2017.

 

Annexation Reform – Island Annexation

Request the Washington State Legislature to modify provisions contained within RCW 35.13 to promote timely and certain annexation of unincorporated urban islands surrounded by cities.

Participants: Pierce County, Pierce County Regional Council, Puget Sound Regional Council, State Legislature

Estimated Completion date: Pierce County has iinitiated conversations on this topic with select legislative offices and has begun  briefing legislative staff. The County will bring a proposal to the PCRC and PSRC for briefing and discussion by October 1, 2016. State legislative action desired in 2017.

 

Urban Subarea Plan Updates

Update of Pierce County’s core urban subarea plans (Parkland, Spanaway, Midland, South Hill, and Frederickson). Update process will include discussions with citizens regarding future annexation or incorporation of urban areas.

Participants: Pierce County, unincorporated residents

Estimated Completion date: Urban subarea update process has begun and is on-going. Update process is anticipated to be complete by December 1, 2017.

 

Request City Annexation of Unincorporated Islands

Pierce County will take formal legislative action to request that select cities annex certain unincorporated urban islands following the procedures set forth in RCW 35.13.470 and .480.

Participants: Pierce County and select cities and towns

Estimated Completion date: Pierce County will adopt first legislation no later than July 1, 2017. Annexation itself dependent upon action by city.

 

Review Future Incorporation Areas

Review future incorporation areas in preparation for designating and mapping these areas during the 2018 Pierce County Comprehensive Plan Update.

Participants: Pierce County

Estimated Completion date: Preliminary review of incorporation areas will occur through the Urban Subarea Plan updates and will be completed by December 1, 2017.

 

Activity Report to PSRC Growth Management Policy Board

Prepare report required by PSRC conditional certification of Pierce County Comprehensive Plan and submit to Growth Management Policy Board.

Participants: Pierce County

Estimated Completion date: December 15, 2017