(1)The purpose of this chapter is to outline the conditions and procedures by which the department of community, trade, and economic development will make available grants from the growth management planning and environmental review fund to local governments required to plan or have chosen to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 to assist them in complying with RCW 43.21C.240, 36.70B.050, 36.70B.060, and 36.70B.090.

(2) This activity is undertaken pursuant to RCW 36.70A.500 and 43.21C.240.

(1)"Applicant" means a local government that has submitted an application for a grant from the growth planning and environmental review fund.

(2) "Contractor" means an applicant which has executed a contract for receipt of growth management planning and environmental review funds with the department.

(3) "Department" means the department of community, trade, and economic development.

(4) "Growth management planning and environmental review fund" means the growth management planning and environmental review fund established pursuant to RCW 36.70A.490.

(5) "Integrated permit process" means a system for integrating environmental review with review of project permits, consistent with RCW 36.70B.050 and 36.70B.060.

(6) "Integrated plan" means a detailed environmental impact statement that is integrated with a comprehensive plan or subarea plan and development regulations.

(7) "Local government" means a city or county that is required or has chosen to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 and 43.21C.240.

(1) A grant may be awarded to a local government that is qualified pursuant to this section.

(2) A grant may be awarded to a county or city that is required to or has chosen to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 and that is qualified pursuant to this section. The grant shall be provided to assist a county or city in paying for the cost of preparing a detailed environmental impact statement that is integrated with a comprehensive plan or subarea plan and development regulations.

(3) In order to qualify for a grant, a county or city shall:

(a) Demonstrate that it will prepare an environmental analysis pursuant to chapter 43.21C RCW that is integrated with a comprehensive plan or subarea plan and development regulations;

(b) Address environmental impacts and consequences, alternatives, and mitigation measures in sufficient detail to allow the analysis to be adopted in whole or in part by subsequent applicants for development permits within the geographic area analyzed in the plan;

(c) Include mechanisms in the plan to monitor the consequences of growth as it occurs in the plan area and provide ongoing data to update the plan and environmental analysis;

(d) Be making substantial progress towards compliance with the requirements of this chapter. A county or city that is more than six months out of compliance with a requirement of this chapter is deemed to not be making substantial progress towards compliance; and

(e) Provide local funding, which may include financial participation by the private sector.

(4) In awarding grants, the department shall give preference to proposals that include one or more of the following elements:

(a) Financial participation by the private sector, or a public/private partnering approach;

(b) Comprehensive and subarea plan proposals that are designed to identify and monitor system capacities for elements of the built environment, and to the extent appropriate, of the natural environment;

(c) Programs to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the permitting process by greater reliance on integrated plans;

(d) Programs for effective citizen and neighborhood involvement that contribute to greater certainty that planning decisions will be implemented; and

(e) Plans that identify environmental impacts and establish mitigation measures that provide effective means to satisfy concurrency requirements and establish project consistency with the plans.

(1) Applications for growth management planning and environmental review funds shall be filed with the department.

(2) The department will specify the form and manner of application and will set the date and time for receipt of applications.

(3) Applications shall be filed in the form, manner and time specified by the department. Failure of an applicant to make application in the specified form, manner and time will cause the applicant to be ineligible for grant funds.

(4) Applications for grant funds shall contain a detailed strategy, budget, and timeline for meeting the department's application requirements.

(5) The department will review each application for eligibility under the criteria specified in WAC 365-200-030.

(6) In awarding grants, the department may consider:

(a) An applicant's ability and intent to develop an integrated planning process that will have applicability to jurisdictions with similar characteristics;

(b) A geographic balance of communities;

(c) A balance of urban and rural communities;

(d) A variety of permit processes;

(e) Diversity in population; or

(f) Other criteria that the department considers advisable.

(7) Applicants will be notified in writing of the department's decisions on grants.

(8) The department may offer a contract to an applicant with such reasonable terms and conditions as the department may determine.

The department should appoint a committee to assist it in evaluating the applications. The committee may include:

(1) Department staff;

(2) Department of ecology staff;

(3) Representatives of cities and counties; or

(4) A representative of private business.

(1)Grant allocations from the fund will be paid subject to the provisions of the applicable contract.

(2) All grant funds will be disbursed by June 30, 1997.