First up, Angela San Filippo (she/her) has joined the Climate and Ecosystem Section as the ecosystem services program manager. Angela has a master’s degree in community and regional planning from the University of Oregon. Her previous experience includes leading the comprehensive plan update for the city of Ellensburg and working with cities and counties across central Washington on shoreline master program updates. Most recently, Angela served as the director of a regional coalition of local governments building shared solutions to address the housing crisis in South King County. Angela lives in Ellensburg. In her free time, you will find her enjoying the outdoors on her mountain bike, snowboard, skis, or her own two feet as she explores all that the northwest has to offer.

Please welcome Debra Srebnik (she/her) as a new policy analyst with the Climate and Ecosystem Section’s operations team. Debra has 20 years of experience working in King County and is a current city council member for the City of Kenmore. Debra has degrees from the University of Washington and the University of Vermont including time as a faculty professor at UW. She enjoys anything water-related, including kayaking, rowing and skiing. Debra will be supporting the Climate and Ecosystem Section’s forthcoming rulemaking activities, which will be focused on integrating the new climate legislation into the Growth Management Act administrative codes.

We are pleased to welcome Noelle Madera (she/her) to the Climate and Ecosystem Section as the operations team manager. Noelle comes to us from the Yakima County Planning Division where she worked for 12 years. In her new role, Noelle and her team will manage climate grant contracts, rulemaking, and provide technical guidance to communities on the newly required climate elements of comprehensive plans. Noelle resides in Yakima with her family where she enjoys outdoor activities, spending time with family, and traveling.

The Washington Geological Survey has published seven new tsunami evacuation walk time maps for communities along Washington’s Pacific coast. These maps show the amount of time it would take to evacuate at a slow walking pace from within the modeled inundation zone of a tsunami that originates from a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake. The maps show the tsunami inundation zone and paths of tsunami evacuation routes.

We have also released three new sets of simulation videos for the central Washington coast that show the extent and depth of tsunami inundation (on-land flooding) and maximum current velocities following a modeled magnitude 9.0 Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. The videos also provide an estimate for how much time will transpire between the earthquake and the arrival of tsunami waves on shore.

To read more about the tsunami evacuation walk time maps and the simulation videos, see the Washington State Geology New Tsunami Evacuation Walk Time Maps and Simulation Videos for the Washington Coast.

2025 Workshop Series

Webinar: This workshop in the 2025 Workshop Series will focus on expanded housing checklists, recent code changes for housing, supportive housing, ADU’s, Middle Housing, affordable housing strategies, and local government case studies.

When: Dec. 14, 2023, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Where: Online via Zoom.

Commerce is partnering with the Thurston Regional Planning Council and the Municipal Research and Services Center to bring you workshops on various planning topics to support jurisdictions with updates due in 2025.  You can read more about it with our December Workshop Flyer (PDF).

Each workshop in the series will feature a different periodic update topic. Stay tuned to the periodic update webpage for future workshop information and registration. Questions? Contact Suzanne Austin, Senior Planner, at Suzanne.Austin@commerce.wa.gov.

Fall Planners' Forum schedule coming soon

The Planners’ Forums are quarterly events held regionally across Washington state and in partnership with both the Washington APA and the Planners Association of Washington. Each one features guest speakers discussing planning related topics in association with the guidelines set down by the American Planning Association. While regionally focused, the forums are typically on Zoom and available for statewide attendance. You can learn more on the Planners’ Forums webpage.

• EA Washington Fall Planners’ Forum – Nov. 29, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Register Now.

Remember, folks needing American Planning Association (AICP) credits will receive credits for attending based on topics covered. Learn more about Commerce’s regional forums at the Growth Management Planners' Forum webpage.