31.02.620 Economic development goals.
(1) Goal 1. Provide for sustainable economic growth, diversity and vitality throughout the County while maintaining a high quality of life and a healthy environment.
(a) Policy 1. Make continuous, concerted efforts to retain industries and to facilitate expansion of our existing industrial and business base.
(b) Policy 2. Pursue strategies to attract businesses and emerging industries paying wages which diversify the economic base, exceed the County average annual wage, provide health care benefits, and offer employees upward career mobility.
(c) Policy 3. Support public-private business partnerships involving the Economic Development Council, cities, Port of Port Angeles, chambers of commerce, tribes, special districts (such as PUD 1) and business interests to provide business assistance, planning, financial management aid, grant assistance, planning, financial management aid, grant assistance and business mentoring.
(d) Policy 4. Continuously develop and maintain updated land use plans and regulations which encourage business location and retention in appropriately designated areas including urban growth areas, rural centers and villages, existing LAMIRDs, rural commercial areas and other planned business and industrial locations.
(e) Policy 5. Encourage home-based businesses in rural areas, provided they are compatible with the character of the surrounding area and do not result in nonresidential clusters or strips.
(f) Policy 6. Establish standards for home-based businesses and farm sales, which address impacts related, but not limited to air and water quality, aesthetics, noise, lighting and traffic, in order to assure compatibility with neighboring properties.
(g) Policy 7. Support bed and breakfast inns associated with a single-family owner-occupied dwelling. Provide design and operational guidelines covering number of rooms, appearance, signage, parking, length of stay, and source of potable water and sewage disposal.
(h) Policy 8. Advocate solutions to local industry issues in order to expand employment opportunities and revenue generation.
(i) Policy 9. Encourage County representation in programs such as Clallam netWorks Education/Training Centers of Excellence and the Job Fair Development Team.
(j) Policy 10. Sector-specific policies and strategies to promote economic vitality and diversity:
(i) Forestry, agriculture and mineral resources:
•Encourage growth of aquaculture and shellfish industries, consistent with regional comprehensive plans, and within the limits of applicable local, state and federal regulations;
•Develop incentives and provide funding options, for the conservation of the County’s forest, agricultural and mineral resource land base;
•Work to promote a strong, economically viable and ecologically responsible agricultural economy;
•Amend zoning standards to allow for small-scale, on-farm enterprises in rural areas, subject to standards addressing public health, safe vehicular access, available parking, rural character, and impacts to properties in the vicinity;
•Support efforts to educate and communicate to the public, the economic value of natural resource-based industries including positive fiscal and social impacts, jobs, health benefits and food security;
•Support and facilitate the expansion of existing wood processing capacity;
•Recognize and endorse the forest resources industry as an economically significant industry in which Clallam County has unique qualities and competitive advantages;
•Ensure that adequate industrially-zoned land exists within the County to support processing and manufacturing of raw materials and food products that are locally grown, harvested, or extracted;
•Identify and protect mineral resource lands in the County, in order to provide a cost-effective supply of materials to local mineral resource-based businesses and to assure adequate reserves for future generations;
•Work with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to increase Forest Board Trust Land payments generated from timber harvest activities.
(ii) Marine services:
•Recognize and endorse marine services as an economically significant industry in which Clallam County has unique qualities and competitive advantages;
•Support the development and maintenance of essential marine infrastructure within the County, including marinas, industry piers, boat ramps and recreational access facilities.
(iii) Construction and building trades:
•Develop and maintain a skilled workforce from the local population by promoting collaboration and shared resources, in order to meet employment demand;
•Encourage representation of construction and building trades in County permitting and land use planning efforts;
•Continue support of Clallam County Permit Advisory Board.
(iv) Tourism and recreation:
•Support development of a comprehensive tourism plan that provides for cooperative planning between industry and government agencies to prioritize, coordinate and develop tourism throughout the County;
•Support the tourism/hospitality cluster team, in order to establish a strategic regional tourism plan;
•Support creation of a joint executive tourism task force with Victoria, BC, industry personnel to establish areas of common interest;
•Encourage the development of a marketing task force, in order to establish area branding and packaging of local products and events;
•Promote the Olympic Peninsula Region as a destination site by comprehensive marketing and utilization of existing media outlets;
•Explore avenues of cooperation with area governments, real estate developers and others to develop tourism retirement and recreational communities;
•Encourage the promotion of tourism and recreational opportunities in Clallam County through advertising, signage, brochures, and other informational materials that could be made available, or referenced at public facilities, rights-of-way and websites;
•Support master planned resorts with primary focus on destination resort facilities consisting of short-term visitor accommodations associated with a range of developed on-site indoor or outdoor recreational facilities;
•Support cultural, heritage and social activities emphasizing natural attractions, places and activities unique to our area;
•Promote the County as an international destination;
•Encourage public access to bodies of water used for recreation by local residents and tourists through signage, maps and public information programs to identify areas and features of interest;
•Encourage development of private and public parks, campgrounds, rest areas, convention facilities, overnight facilities and recreational areas designed to accommodate multi-use activities such as biking, hiking, camping, horseback riding, etc.;
•Encourage tourism boards and Jefferson County to actively promote trail usage such as the Olympic Discovery Trail, events such as the North Olympic Discovery Marathon, commercial bicycle touring to the Olympic Peninsula, and Hurricane Ridge and the coastal camp sites as destinations for distance bicyclists;
•Support efforts to maintain healthy fish stocks, in order to provide stable sport fishing seasons for the tourism industry and economic needs of rural communities such as Clallam Bay and Sekiu;
•Success of tourism and recreation policies and strategies should be evaluated based on tourism tax receipts, number of lodging night stays, attendance at selected events and attractions, or similar indicators.
(v) Other sectors:
•Support Clallam netWorks (EDC) efforts to recruit and promote the organization of additional industry cluster teams not yet identified in this document.
Progress in achieving sustainable economic growth, diversity, and vitality will be measured by increases in overall employment rate, labor force as a percentage of population, average covered wage rates, new business startups, decreases in Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements at Olympic Medical Center, or similar indices reviewed on an annual basis.
(2) Goal 2. Work to provide the infrastructure and funding necessary to support planned economic development in advance of need, in order to accommodate and attract industrial and commercial operations in appropriate areas of the County.
(a) Policy 1. Support preparation of a “Strategic Infrastructure Development Plan” that when implemented, could prioritize capital facilities expenditures for strategic infrastructure investments that accommodate growth and encourage quality housing and economic development within appropriate areas.
(b) Policy 2. Identify state and federal funding and other support available for infrastructure projects, as well as resources of local special districts, such as school, water, and sewer districts that can assist in accomplishing community investment goals.
(c) Policy 3. Support widening US 101 to four lanes from Port Angeles to the Hood Canal Bridge and/or other appropriate transportation improvements to decrease commercial transportation costs and to improve safety.
(d) Policy 4. Develop joint service agreements and interlocal agreements with other agencies where feasible to co-finance capital projects.
(e) Policy 5. Lead the development of job-related public facilities within Clallam County, through utilization of the Opportunity Fund Program (OFP).
(f) Policy 6. Coordinate regional infrastructure provisions and financing among jurisdictions, developers, business owners and service providers. Facilitate development of a joint plan for infrastructure development to enhance industrial and commercial growth in designated areas.
(g) Policy 7. Recognize that barge transportation with accompanying upland support facilities needs to be explored to support transportation network.
Progress in meeting this goal and its policies will be measured by annual progress towards completion of projects listed in the Capital Facilities Budget, Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan or similar documents.
(3) Goal 3. Environmental Stewardship. Encourage economic development that fosters protection of the natural environment and water resources that are vital to sustaining the County’s tourism, natural resource-based industries, and quality of life.
(a) Policy 1. Make environmental protection a business opportunity by marketing our pristine environment as an ideal location for recreation and the conduct of environmental research.
(b) Policy 2. Protect the natural environment and utilize renewable resources for long-term sustainable economic development including protection of existing farmland.
(c) Policy 3. Implement cooperative and coordinated surface and groundwater management policies to ensure the future availability and quality of water throughout the County.
(d) Policy 4. Adopt and provide funding for implementation of a comprehensive storm water management ordinance.
(e) Policy 5. Support programmatic environmental impact statements in advance to determine the cumulative impacts of potential projects within established industrial parks and/or other subareas designated for commercial or industrial uses, in order to streamline permit review processes for those areas.
(f) Policy 6. Meet Clean Air and Clean Water Act standards.
(g) Policy 7. Ensure that the new industrial developments do not exceed existing State noise regulations.
Progress in meeting this goal and its policies will be measured by quality of life opinion surveys, scientific surveys, research activities and compliance with applicable local, State and federal environmental standards.
(4) Goal 4. Communication and Outreach. Establish and maintain productive relationships with the public, other government agencies and industry clusters. Promote and utilize multiple modes of communication and outreach.
(a) Policy 1. Participate with local business leaders and organizations like the Economic Development Council, chambers of commerce, real estate professionals, permit advisory boards, downtown associations, industry cluster teams, and other groups to address current and changing business and job requirements.
(b) Policy 2. Continue to solicit public input and review recommendations from advisory committees, focus groups and others.
(c) Policy 3. Engage tribal governments in economic development initiatives and conduct outreach to tribal communities.
(d) Policy 4. Use local and regional media, in cooperation with other economic development agencies or groups, to improve perceptions about Clallam County as a good place to locate a business or industry.
(e) Policy 5. Continue to improve the County’s website and provide links to other local sites hosted by other entities such as cities, tribes, chamber(s) of commerce, and the EDC to promote economic development opportunities within Clallam County.
(f) Policy 6. Explore the possibilities of providing permit, licensing, tax and fee payments, and other transactions available to the public on-line.
(g) Policy 7. Continue to support an industry cluster approach to economic development by assisting the Economic Development Council and others with efforts to improve community knowledge and understanding of the industry clusters, facilitating connection of resources between clusters, and supporting cluster group initiatives.
(h) Policy 8. Continue participation in the development of an economic development marketing strategy for the community.
Progress in meeting this goal and its policies will be measured by increased public participation in County activities, positive media coverage, increased public-private and intergovernmental cooperative economic development efforts, and wider use of secure Internet transactions by customers doing business with the County.
(5) Goal 5. Regulatory Framework. Implement Clallam County development regulation in a consistent, fair, predictable, and expeditious manner, and coordinated between governmental, business and other organizational entities.
(a) Policy 1. Enact regulations and standards which encourage development of appropriate commercial, business and residential areas, and regularly review such regulations to enhance their consistency, predictability, timeliness and to decrease business costs.
(b) Policy 2. Coordinate regulations, guidelines, infrastructure plans, and funding packages with other public agencies and communities within urban growth areas.
(c) Policy 3. Work with real estate and development interests toward common goals that are beneficial to the developer and the community.
(d) Policy 4. Advocate pre-application meetings with County staff to identify problems before significant resources have been invested in a project proposal.
(e) Policy 5. Provide a streamlined permitting system with consolidated review of permits, a single staff contact assigned to coordinate reviews for a particular project, and contracted review of applications, when necessary.
(f) Policy 6. Develop expedited permit procedures within designated development areas, where environmental and compatibility issues have been addressed through zoning performance standards, or conditioned through the plat review process.
(g) Policy 7. Maintain an active role in the implementation of Washington State permitting processes such as hydraulic or water quality permits.
(h) Policy 8. Support the Washington State Department of Ecology’s efforts to streamline the water rights application process.
(i) Policy 9. Provide for administrative review of small scale and low impact commercial project where feasible, through the adoption of specific performance standards and ongoing review and updates to the use tables in each respective zoning district.
(j) Policy 10. Continue to review the Comprehensive Plan and implement development regulations which accommodate population, housing and employment forecasts, and adjust as necessary to meet demands.
(k) Policy 11. Review County rules and regulations regarding economic development and eliminate or revise those which are not necessary for public health, safety, or well-being.
Progress in meeting this goal and its policies will be measured by reduced permit processing time, reduced permit appeals, and building permit activity.
(6) Goal 6. Improving Accountability. Continuously evaluate progress towards timely implementation of goals with the public, elected officials, economic development leaders and industry representatives.
(a) Policy 1. Invite and encourage broad representation from organizations and citizens in the review and update of the Clallam County economic development element and implementing land use regulations.
(b) Policy 2. Adopt specific performance measures with which to gauge progress in meeting our economic and community development goals.
(c) Policy 3. Provide County representation in economic development forums, in order to support the economic progress of the County and the Comprehensive Plan.
Progress in meeting this goal and its policies will be measured by (1) active participation of Economic Development Council, Chamber of Commerce, real estate, building and development, Downtown Association, and/or industry cluster team representatives on appropriate County boards, committees, task forces or other work groups involved in economic development, infrastructure, environmental protection or other activities described within this section; (2) active participation in economic development forums; and (3) measurable progress toward accomplishing all the implementation tasks outlined in the annual work plans.