Bill - HB 1456, Minimum Staffing for Main Street Programs (67th Legislature, 2021)

Summary

House Bill 1456 of the State of Washington, 67th Legislature, 2021 Regular Session, by Representatives Rule, Ramel, Robertson, Lekanoff, Shewmake, and Harris-Talley. It was read first time 02/02/21 and referred to the Committee on Community & Economic Development. The bill concerns minimum staffing levels for Washington main street programs; it amends RCW 43.360.030 and adds new sections to chapter 43.360 RCW. The staffing requirement scales with jurisdiction population, from a part-time, volunteer executive director for 5,000 or fewer to a full-time, paid executive director for 10,000 or greater. The bill also sets up a pilot project grant program, which expires June 30, 2025.

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Full text

     H-0693.1

                                 HOUSE BILL 1456


     State of Washington       67th Legislature          2021 Regular Session

     By Representatives Rule, Ramel, Robertson, Lekanoff, Shewmake, and
     Harris-Talley

     Read first time 02/02/21.     Referred   to   Committee   on   Community   &
     Economic Development.




 1       AN ACT Relating to minimum staffing levels for Washington main
 2   street programs; amending RCW 43.360.030; adding new sections to
 3   chapter 43.360 RCW; and providing an expiration date.


 4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:


 5       Sec. 1. RCW 43.360.030 and 2005 c 514 s 910 are each amended to
 6   read as follows:
 7       (1) The department shall adopt criteria for the designation of
 8   local downtown or neighborhood commercial district revitalization
 9   programs and official local main street programs. In establishing the
10   criteria, the department shall consider:
11       (a) The degree of interest and commitment to comprehensive
12   downtown or neighborhood commercial district revitalization and,
13   where applicable, historic preservation by both the public and
14   private sectors;
15       (b) The evidence of potential private sector investment in the
16   downtown or neighborhood commercial district;
17       (c) Where applicable, a downtown or neighborhood commercial
18   district with sufficient historic fabric to become a foundation for
19   an enhanced community image;
20       (d) The capacity of the organization to undertake a comprehensive
21   program and the financial commitment to implement a long-term
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 1   downtown or neighborhood commercial district revitalization program
 2   that includes a commitment to employ a professional program manager,
 3   maintain a minimum level of staffing according to section 2 of this
 4   act, and maintain a sufficient operating budget;
 5       (e) The department's existing downtown revitalization program's
 6   tier system;
 7       (f) The national main street center's criteria for designating
 8   official main street cities; and
 9       (g) Other factors the department deems necessary for the
10   designation of a local program.
11       (2) The department shall designate local downtown or neighborhood
12   commercial district revitalization programs and official local main
13   street programs. The programs shall be limited to three categories of
14   designation, one of which shall be the main street level.
15       (3) RCW ((82.73.010)) 43.360.020 does not apply to any local
16   downtown or neighborhood commercial district revitalization program
17   unless the boundaries of the program have been identified and
18   approved by the department. The boundaries of a local downtown or
19   neighborhood commercial district revitalization program are typically
20   defined using the pedestrian core of a traditional commercial
21   district.
22       (4) The department may not designate a local downtown or
23   neighborhood commercial district revitalization program or official
24   local main street program if the program is undertaken by a local
25   government with a population of one hundred ninety thousand persons
26   or more.


27       NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.360
28   RCW to read as follows:
29       (1) Each application for designation as an official local main
30   street program must include information demonstrating that the
31   applicant can maintain a minimum level of staffing to achieve the
32   applicant's mission, goals, and annual work plan.
33       (2) The minimum level of staffing required by subsection (1) of
34   this section is determined according to the population of the local
35   jurisdiction as follows:
36       (a) A jurisdiction with a population of 5,000 or fewer must
37   maintain at least a part-time, volunteer executive director;



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 1       (b) A jurisdiction with a population of greater than 5,000 but
 2   fewer than 10,000 must maintain at least a half-time, paid executive
 3   director; and
 4       (c) A jurisdiction with a population of 10,000 or greater must
 5   maintain at least a full-time, paid executive director.
 6       (3) The minimum staffing level requirements in this section apply
 7   only to programs created after the effective date of this section.

 8       NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.360
 9   RCW to read as follows:
10       (1) The department must establish a pilot project grant program
11   to award grants to programs applying for designation as an official
12   local main street program. The purpose of the grant program is to
13   assist with costs related to establishing a minimum level of staffing
14   as required by section 2 of this act.
15       (2) In order to be eligible for a grant under this section, the
16   program applying for designation as an official local main street
17   program must:
18       (a) Be located within a city with a population of fewer than
19   20,000;
20       (b) Establish, to the satisfaction of the department, that
21   financial inability to meet minimum staffing level requirements under
22   section 2 of this act is a significant factor that is preventing the
23   program from qualifying for designation as an official local main
24   street program; and
25       (c) Report to the department on the diversity of the program's
26   overseeing board.
27       (3) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
28   specific purpose, the department must employ additional staff as
29   needed to administer the grant program created in this section.
30       (4) This section expires June 30, 2025.

                                  --- END ---




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