Title
Acceptance of the Utilities Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve a Resolution accepting the Utilities Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve a Resolution accepting the Utilities Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
Staff Contact:
Susan Clark, Engineering and Planning Manager, Public Works Water Resources, 360.753.8321
Ron Jones, Program and Planning Supervisor, Public Works Waste ReSources, 360.753.8509
Presenter(s):
Susan Clark, Engineering and Planning Manager
Ron Jones, Program and Planning Supervisor
Background and Analysis:
Every 10 years, the City is required by State law to review and update its Comprehensive Plan and implement development regulations. This update looks out to the year 2045 to show, among other things, how the City will accommodate new population and employment growth. It is also an opportunity to make sure the plan and development regulations meet current state requirements that have changed since the last major update of the plan, and to ensure that the plan reflects our community values.
Each chapter is being updated separately, although staff is working diligently to ensure chapters are supportive of each other and consistent. Because chapters are being reviewed on different timelines, staff is requesting that the City Council “accept” each chapter but to refrain from adopting until all chapters are complete and any final adjustments can be made. For example, there will likely be modifications or additions to some goals and policies in this chapter as a result of the proposed Climate Action and Resilience Chapter, which has not yet gone through the public hearing process or been reviewed by City Council. Staff intends to bring all “accepted” chapters back to City Council in one full document for review and final action. The deadline to complete this periodic update of the Comprehensive Plan is December 31, 2025.
High-level Summary of Changes
• Values/Vision: Updated value to stress community decision making, control and cost-effective and locally provided service, and to include a new vision of City-owned utility assets being maintained or replaced at the ideal time so that future ratepayers inherit reliable water, wastewater, stormwater and garbage services.
• General Goals and Policies: The goals and policies applying to all City-owned utilities were updated to ensure the utilities address City climate and equity priorities, and to direct City-owned utilities to use long-range financial planning, policies and transparent processes to guide decisions.
• Drinking Water Goals and Policies: The Drinking Water focused goals and policies were updated to ensure that the Drinking Water Utility addresses City climate and equity priorities and to allow telecommunication companies to locate on Drinking Water Utility property only when security of the facility can be assured.
• Wastewater Goals and Policies: The Wastewater focused goals and policies were updated to ensure that the Wastewater Utility addresses City climate and equity priorities, to prioritize septic to sewer conversions in support of the Budd Inlet Dissolved Oxygen Water Quality Improvement Report and Implementation Plan, and to limit the use of new individual STEP systems.
• Storm and Surface Water Goals and Policies: The Storm and Surface Water focused goals and policies were updated to ensure that the Storm and Surface Water Utility addresses City climate and equity priorities, to remove references to developing a Sea Level Rise Response Plan, to stress that the Storm and Surface Water Utility is responsible for protecting and enhancing aquatic habitat, providing flood control and improving water quality, to pull in policies from the Natural Environment Chapter where such policies direct the work of the Utility, and to stress that all City Departments are responsible for meeting requirements of the City’s Municipal Stormwater Permit.
• Waste ReSources Goals and Policies: The Waste ReSources focused goals and policies were updated to ensure that the Waste ReSources Utility addresses City climate and equity priorities; to stress providing support for state legislation that is designed to increase recycling, reuse and repair, and reduce household consumption, and to direct that the Waste ReSources Management Plan, Engineering and Design and Development Standards and Olympia Municipal Code be updated to ensure sanitary conditions are realized and collection operations are safe and efficient.
• Private Utilities Goals and Policies: The goals and policies that apply to private utilities operating within the City were updated to further define what constitutes compatible land uses.
Summary of Public Process
A subcommittee of the Utility Advisory Committee (UAC) served as the stakeholder group for the update of the Utilities Chapter. The subcommittee met with Drinking Water, Storm and Surface Water and Wastewater utility staff five times in 2023 to review and provide feedback on staff recommended updates to the Utilities Chapter of the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
The subcommittee’s discussion and recommendations were captured for each meeting and made available on the Comprehensive Plan Update’s “Olympia 2045” website. Standard legal advertisements and E-Newsletters were used to announce the subcommittee and full UAC meetings.
The Utilities Chapter was reviewed by the Planning Commission on June 17, 2024, August 19, 2024, and October 7, 2024, the Social Justice and Equity Commission (SJEC) on June 24, 2024, and the City Council during a December 3, 2024 briefing.
To review a summary of comments and changes to the draft chapter resulting from those comments provided by the Planning Commission, the SJEC and the City Council, see the following attachments:
• Planning Commission Comments and Utilities’ Responses, August 9, 2024
• December 3, 2024 Council Comments and Utilities’ Responses, June 1, 2025
• Advisory Boards Comments and Utilities’ Responses, June 1, 2025
Climate Analysis:
All four City-owned utilities currently contribute to the City’s overall climate goals through current strategies, actions and programs including, but not limited to: waste prevention messaging; supporting legislative initiatives and improving recycling capture at multi-family and mixed-use buildings; green power purchase; water conservation goals and messaging; inflow and infiltration reduction; and property purchase and habitat preservation programs. The four City-owned utilities will continue to analyze ways to support reducing greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change, guided by the goals and policies contained in the Comprehensive Plan and individual utility management plans.
Equity Analysis:
Goals, policies and the strategic direction established through the Comprehensive Plan for City-owned utilities have the potential to both benefit and burden people who live, work, visit, pay utility bills, develop property in Olympia or become utility customers/rate payers in the future. The mission of all three water-related utilities (Wastewater, Storm and Surface Water and Drinking Water) includes prioritizing public and environmental health on behalf of all customers, regardless of who "pays the bill". Additionally, all three water-related utilities collect and use data on the condition of each utility's infrastructure to make maintenance, renewal and replacement decisions. Condition data helps each utility make equitable decisions, since such data focuses resources on infrastructure most in need of maintenance, renewal or replacement. Further, all four City-owned utilities implement utility bill assistance programs for low-income disabled or low-income over age 62. Finally, all four City-owned utilities are in the business of providing high-quality and cost-effective service to all existing and future customers located within each utility's respective service area consistent with the growth and development objectives of the City's Comprehensive Plan. However, regardless of current practices, all four City-owned utilities would benefit from continuing to use information from the in-house developed equity index tool to focus efforts and resources to ensure infrastructure and program service decisions are made which reduce service disparities and support equitable outcomes consistent with the goals and policies contained in the Comprehensive Plan and individual utility management plans.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
The Utility Advisory Committee served as the key stakeholders in the development of the Utilities Chapter. No formal public comments were received on the Utilities Chapter during the chapter development process.
Financial Impact:
A grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce, in the amount of $175,000 is helping to fund this work. Annual department budgets cover staff time, public outreach and engagement, and the majority of this work.
Options:
1. Move to accept the Utilities Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
2. Accept the Utilities Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan, with specific modifications.
3. Do not accept the Utilities Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan and direct staff to make specific changes to it for reconsideration at a future date.
Attachments:
Resolution
Council Acceptance Draft June 1, 2025 - track changes
Council Acceptance Draft June 1, 2025 - clean
December 3, 2024 Council Comments and Utilities’ Responses, June 1, 2025
Advisory Boards Comments and Utilities’ Responses, June 1, 2025
Planning Commission Letter of Recommendation
Social Justice and Equity Commission Letter of Recommendation
Utility Advisory Committee Letter of Recommendation.
Planning Commission Comments and Utilities’ Responses, August 9, 2024
June 14, 2024 Errata Sheet
Section on Private Utilities - June 14, 2024 Errata Sheet
Puget Sound Energy August 5, 2024 Comments
Puget Sound Energy Comments and Utilities’ Responses, August 9, 2024
Presentation