Title
Approval of a Resolution Accepting the Draft Public Participation And Partners Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a City Council committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve a Resolution accepting the updated Public Participation and Partners Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve a Resolution accepting the updated Public Participation and Partners Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
Staff Contact:
Susan McLaughlin, Director, Community Planning & Economic Development, 360.753.8206
Tim Smith, Deputy Director, Community Planning & Economic Development, 360.570.3915
Joyce Phillips, Planning Manager, Community Planning & Economic Development, 360.570.3722
David Ginther, Senior Planner, Community Planning & Economic Development
360.753.8335
Presenter(s):
David Ginther, Senior Planner
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 will look 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 several of the chapters as a result of the proposed Climate Action and Resilience chapter, which has not yet been reviewed by 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.
Summary of Changes to Chapter
Equity and inclusion were added to the chapter regarding how the City of Olympia conducts community outreach and the kinds of participation opportunities that are provided. The amendments specifically mention that the City of Olympia should work to reach out to members of the community most impacted and least able to participate, including vulnerable and overburdened populations and communities on the frontline. The chapter also provides additional guidance on working with Recognized Neighborhood Associations and sub-area representatives.
The pictures in the chapter were updated to reflect more diversity in the community and a new section was added describing the partnership between the City of Olympia and the Squaxin Island Tribe.
The sections of the chapter that dealt with annexations, moratoriums, the Transfer of Development Rights program, and housing densities were removed and integrated into other more appropriate chapters such as the Land Use and Urban Design Chapter and the Housing Chapter.
Summary of Public Process
In July 2023, a public survey for the chapter was made available to the community and 95 people participated. The results of the survey were published on the chapter webpage. The results and the comments received as part of the survey provided guidance on amendments to the chapter.
On July 31, 2024, an open house was held in Council Chambers at City Hall. City of Olympia staff working on each chapter attended and were able to receive comments and answer questions.
The Planning Commission was provided a briefing on the chapter in June 2023 and again in August 2024. A public hearing was held on October 21, 2024.
Social Justice and Equity Commission
The Social Justice & Equity Commission reviewed the draft chapter on September 23, 2024. The Commission was pleased to see changes to the chapter that included outreach to young people, such as high school students. They felt it was important that outreach methods be tailored to reach specific groups of community members. For example, to contact aging and elderly community members, methods that they may be more accustomed to such as paper mailings in addition to other digital methods should be used. They also recommended greater community representation in the chapter photos because it is important to the overall message of the chapter. The chapter was amended based on the comments received.
Youth Council
The Youth Council commented that outreach to young people is important to provide opportunities to be involved and be informed. They also wanted to see greater representation of youth in the chapter text and/or photos. The chapter was amended based on the comments received.
Planning Commission Recommendation
The Planning Commission recommended approval of the chapter without any specific changes. They did recommend that implementation and outreach continue to have, and enhance, a strong commitment to equity and hearing from all community members, especially those who may be marginalized or have less opportunity to participate.
Council Study Session Summary
The City Council reviewed the chapter in April 2025 and provided guidance on a number of changes which have been integrated into the chapter. A new policy was added about striving to hear from all demographics of the community in an equitable manner (PP3.9). Several photos were updated to show more diversity, including youth participating in public meetings. Additions to the narrative were made acknowledging that community members may not always agree and recognizing that a busy daily life can sometimes act as a barrier to participation. There was also an addition to policy PP4.5 regarding the City of Olympia using emerging and best practices for public participation.
Climate Analysis:
The Public Participation and Partners chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides the background and explains the importance of working with all members of the community including regional and local partners. For example, the city has a representative on the Thurston Regional Planning Council which helps to facilitate creating plans and coordinating with other jurisdictions and agencies, the community, and other interested parties. Through coordination and partnering with other interested parties, several plans related to climate were created and adopted, including the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan. This is an example of how establishing partnerships and providing opportunities for public participation allows the city to facilitate the establishment of community supported goals related to climate. It also provides for the initiation of a process that results in implementation of actions to accomplish those goals.
Equity Analysis:
The Public Participation and Partners chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides a basis for outreach, participation opportunities, and partnerships for the community. It also establishes the importance of working with all members of the community. Updating the chapter allows the city to continue to improve its methods of outreach, expand the variety of public participation opportunities that it utilizes, and provide guidance for establishing new partnerships. It also allows the city to apply an equity lens to the existing methods of outreach and public participation to provide opportunities for engagement, input, and feedback from community members that may not have been included in the past.
Neighborhood/Community Interests:
In July 2023, a survey on the chapter was made available to the community and 95 people participated. Generally, the participants felt that the City of Olympia should do more to inform the community about the implementation actions and programs and highlight the successes. Public comments that were received also mentioned that enhancing communication with the community was important. As a result, several changes to the chapter were made, including changes to policies that focus on reporting back to the community.
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 approve a Resolution accepting the updated Public Participation and Partners Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
2. Move to approve the Resolution accepting the Public Participation and Partners Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan, with specific modifications.
3. Do not accept the Public Participation and Partners Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan and direct staff to make specific changes to it for reconsideration at a future date.
Attachments:
Resolution
Public Participation and Partners Chapter
Planning Commission Recommendation
Social Justice and Equity Commission Letter
Survey Summary
Public Comments
Chapter Webpage