||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||
San Juan County Department of Community Development invites qualified consultants to review our Request for Proposal (RFP) to update SJC’s Best Available Science and Critical Areas Ordinance in accordance with the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA). All RFP submittals are due Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, and a finalist will be selected by Dec. 20, 2024.
The full RFP is available for download online. The consultant must be available to begin work immediately and have relevant experience including:
- Experience updating Critical Areas Ordinances in Washington state,
- Familiarity with the requirements for 2025 GMA periodic updates, and
- Have a team with planning and scientific expertise.
The update is required by the GMA and will help ensure that the County’s development regulations adequately protect critical areas and reflect the latest and best science available. Questions about this RFP can be directed to Sophia Cassam, Planner III, at 360-370-7589 or sophiac@sanjuancountywa.gov.
Relevant URLs:
- Critical Areas Ordinance Update Request for Proposals – San Juan County
- Current RFPs – San Juan County
- San Juan County Department of Community Development
Media Contact:
Sophia Cassam, Planner III, sophiac@sanjuancountywa.gov, 360-370-7589
About San Juan County’s Department of Community Development
San Juan County’s Department of Community Development is responsible for building permits and inspections, code enforcement, land use designations, long range planning, and more. The department’s main office is located at 135 Rhone Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Community Development, visit www.sanjuancountywa.gov/1778/
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My primary comment, upon reflection, is that I would like San Juan County keep these funds spent in San Juan County. There are highly qualified experts who already live here who could provide every aspect of the information requested without taking taxpayer funds to pay politically correct consultants in Seattle and Olympia.
This seems like a great opportunity for our local scientists (SeaDoc, UW marine lab, FOSJ and Whale Museum) to make themselves known.. We have plenty of talented writers and retired attorneys who could interpret the regulations, organize the documentation and draft the update.
I think it shows my tenure here when my first reaction to this press release was “Geez, didn”t we just do that? When I researched it, I found that the basic Critical Areas Ordinance dates to 2014. So much has changed in SJC that (hopefully not adverse to actual critical areas) that an update makes sense.
PR tip for San Juan County Communications: A paragraph or two about the history of these complicated regulations would be very helpful in understanding the basis for the press release. As written above, it looks like another government edict without context.
My second comment and question relates to the timing and deadlines of the RFP.
As published above, there are only 3 weeks before proposals are due. Obviously, DCD knew a long time ago when this update was required and waited until the last minute to issue an RFP. The press release also does not disclose the amount of taxpayer funds budgeted for this.
So what if our paperwork is late? Do we just say sorry, we didn’t have our act together because we’re a small county with administrative disfunction? Or will wa.gov not forgive our lateness and do bad things to us?