Housing
Drawing on his experience in Anacortes and other cities reworking their development codes, Ryan provides an engaging presentation on how local governments can achieve their housing policy goals, and why housing is important to functioning communities.
- Permit streamlining
- Housing affordability incentives
- Fundamentals of GMA
Open Government
Washington State's Open Government Trainings Act requires regular open government trainings for city councils, planning commissions, and other multi-member government boards. Who needs training?
- Open Public Meetings Act
- Public Records Act
- Records Retention
For Planning Commissions and City Councils, Ryan can also integrate a summary of the legal basis for land use planning in Washington State.
Code Writing
Learn the priniciples of plain language legal writing, how to structure code chapters and sections, and write enforceable language.
- Plain language legal writing
- Code organization
- Using Microsoft Word for code autonumbering
When is Open Government Training Required?
The Open Government Trainings Act, RCW 42.56.150, RCW 42.56.152, and RCW 42.30.205, requires:
Open Meetings Training for all members of public agency that is subject to the OPMA. That includes members of:
- city councils
- civil service commissions
- boards of county commissioners
- boards of adjustment
- library boards
- lodging tax advisory committees
- park boards
- planning commissions
- school boards
- fire district boards
—and—
Records Training including the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) and records retention statutes (RCW 40.14), for every every state and local elected official. Electeds must also receive open meetings training if they are part of a multimember board.
Timing. Each applicable member must receive their open government training no later than 90 days after they take their oath of office or assume their duties. They can take the training before they are sworn in or assume their duties of office. They must also receive "refresher" training at intervals of no more than four years, so long as they are a member of a governing body.
Inapplicability. Note that nonprofit boards, homeowners associations, or other private entities that are not a public agency or the functional equivalent of a public agency are not subject to the Open Government Trainings Act.
Selected Presentations & Publications
- Elected Perspective on Capital Facilities Planning
- Department of Commerce Capital Facilities Planning Workshop (November 20, 2024)
- Homelessness after Grants Pass
- Presentation to the APA-WA Northwest Washington Planners’ Forum (November 04, 2024)
- Solid Economic Foundations, Strong Communities
- Washington Economic Development Association Spring Conference, Olympia (March 29, 2023)
- How Anacortes Improved Its Housing Trajectory
- Presentation to the Greater Whatcom County Small Cities Partnership (March 21, 2023)
- The Legal Basis for Planning in Washington State + Intro to the OPMA and Public Records Act
- Short Course on Local Planning presentation hosted by the Washington Department of Commerce (January 25, 2023; June 21, 2023 [at the AWC Annual Conference]; September 21, 2023; January 21, 2025)
- Solutions and Anacortes Success in Addressing Housing Supply and Affordability
- WEDA Workforce & Attainable Housing Working Group (January 11, 2023)
- Getting Housing Done: One City's Experience
- Presentation to the American Planning Association Washington Chapter annual conference, Vancouver (October 13, 2022)
- Anacortes is Getting Housing Done
- Municipal Research Services Center (MRSC) Insight Blog (April 12, 2022)
- Capital Facilities Planning: If there’s no math, you're doing it wrong
- Municipal Research Services Center (MRSC) Insight Blog (February 10, 2022)
- Minimizing the Attack Surface: Lessons from Computer Science in Writing Development Code
- Presentation to the American Planning Association of Washington annual conference. Spokane (October 5, 2018)
- How to do SEPA right: Up-front Environmental Assessment on the New Guemes Electric Ferry
- Presentation to the APA-WA/PWA Northwest Washington Planners’ Forum (April 18, 2018)
- Skagit County’s Approach to Over-the-Counter Building Permits
- Invited presentation at the APA-WA/PWA Northwest Washington Planners’ Forum (July 19, 2017)
- Skagit County's Experience with Pipeline Safety Regulations
- Assessing Pipeline Infrastructure and Safety: A Primer for County Governments, National Association of Counties webinar (2014)
- A View from the Trenches on Critical Areas & Preservation of Agricultural Land
- Invited lecture on balancing GMA goals and the viability of the Skagit County approach to preserving agricultural lands while protecting critical areas, including lessons from other jurisdictions. Law Seminars International, Land Use in Eastern Washington Conference, Walla Walla (July 15, 2008)
