Drafter
Clerk 06/12/2025
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to implementation of the 2025 Strategic Climate Action Plan; and amending Ordinance 17096, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 4A.700.700, Ordinance 16147, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 18.17.010, Ordinance 19402, Section 8 as amended, and K.C.C. 18.17.050, Ordinance 19052, Section 2, and K.C.C. 18.22.010, Ordinance 17270, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 18.25.010, Ordinance 17166, Section 2, as amended and K.C.C. 18.50.010, Ordinance 17971, Section 3, as amended and K.C.C. 28.30.020, and Ordinance 17971, Section 4, as amended and K.C.C. 28.30.030.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. King County has shown leadership in establishing climate, equity, and preparedness goals through the completion of its 2025 Strategic Climate Action Plan ("SCAP"). The 2025 SCAP sets commitments that advance King County's leadership in equitable climate solutions, create opportunities for all residents, reduce climate risks, and protects the natural environment for everyone who lives here today and for those who follow us.
2. The transportation sector is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas and air pollution in the Puget Sound region. Air pollution from transportation emissions is linked to increased rate of heart attacks, asthma, strokes, cancer, and premature deaths. Accelerating the rate of adoption of electric vehicles will help to reduce the harmful air pollution from exhaust emissions and greenhouse gas emissions.
3. The 2025 SCAP commits the county to reducing emissions in the transportation sector by supporting electrification of vehicles across King County and in county-owned fleets. Electrification of county-owned fleets requires the availability of vehicle technology to meet the operational needs to provide services to county residents.
4. The updated 2025 SCAP sets forth new performance goals and targets for electric-vehicle adoption that reflect current market conditions for electric vehicles and the slower-than-expected availability of medium-duty and heavy-duty weight class vehicles, as well as preferred charging locations for the public.
5. In addition to the availability of vehicles, the availability of charging stations is a key factor for electric vehicle adoption. The fee structure for King County-owned public electric vehicle charging stations has not been updated in over a decade and is out of sync with the rest of the region in terms of price, as well as current industry standards in terms of methodology to determine the cost. That includes aspects such as the establishment of differing user fees, the process for managing user fees and penalties, and the frequency of updating the user fees.
6. The fees support the cost and maintenance of these charging stations for the department that owns and operates them. The current code states that electric vehicle charging stations are to be owned and operated by the Metro transit department ("Metro") and sets targets for charging stations to be sited on park-and-rides. In practice, however, electric vehicle charging stations are owned and operated by Metro and the facilities management division of the department of executive services at a variety of county-owned facilities. Additional flexibility in the siting, ownership, and operations of those charging stations would increase the adoption rate for electric vehicles in King County.
7. After transportation, the built environment is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and one of the largest sources of energy consumption in King County. Green building has made significant contributions to reducing energy and the consumption of materials, both of which are key goal areas of the 2025 SCAP. Green building can also be a means to integrate equity and social justice opportunities, reduce water use, source sustainable materials, improve stormwater management, and improve habitat restoration.
8. Green building and sustainable development practices support the goals of King County-adopted plans and laws, including, but not limited to, growth management, economic development, historic preservation, fiscal responsibility, environmental protection, access to public transportation, social equity, stewardship of resource lands, climate change initiatives, efficient energy and other natural resource uses, preserving fish and wildlife habitat, reducing and creating resources from wastes, and protecting and improving public health.
9. The 2025 SCAP lists several priority actions that require updated standards for capital projects. Providing additional clarity around existing code requirements for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, also known as LEED, certification levels, as well as expanding the types of projects that are required to attain these certifications, and the minimum diversion rate for construction and demolition of materials will support the integration of green building and sustainable development practices into King County's capital project management and permitting processes.
10. King County reduces greenhouse gas emissions at two levels: countywide or community scale emissions, which include all residents and businesses, and County government operations emissions, which come from services the County operates, such as wastewater treatment and transit buses. Reducing operational emissions was first established as a priority in the 2015 SCAP. The 2015 SCAP provided guidance for King County to prioritize strategies that avoid, reduce, and replace greenhouse gas emissions from its operations, followed by strategies that remove or sequester emissions, and King County departments were required to limit the purchase of offsets to achieve operational greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The 2025 SCAP reprioritizes operational emission reduction strategies that avoid, reduce, or replace greenhouse gas emissions over investment in carbon offsets.
11. Finally, the current King County Code contains a number of outdated or complete requirements, clerical errors, and administrative updates related to the SCAP development process. Ensuring accuracy and clarity with current requirements and best practices will enable smoother implementation and efficient use of resources.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 17096, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 4A.700.700 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. User fees are established for public use of electric vehicle charging stations ((stalls)) located on property owned or leased by King County.
B. ((The Metro transit department)) In accordance with this section, each custodial agency shall ((set)) recommend the user fees for the use of electric vehicle charging stations ((stalls in accordance with this section)) under the control and authority of the custodial agency. The county may choose, pursuant to written agreement, to allow a third party to operate and maintain electric vehicle chargers at County properties.
C.1. The user fees shall be calculated ((as single, per-use fee intended))to ((cover)) contribute to the county's cost of operations related to public use.
2. The county's cost of operations includes, but is not limited to, planning, outreach and administration, maintenance, charging station vendor costs, utility costs related to the charging stations, and facility enforcement costs.
3. Differing user fees may be established at particular locations and for uses other than typical daytime parking, such as overnight parking, monthly reservations, special event rates, and other specific circumstances.
4. As an employee benefit, the county may choose to impose a reduced rate user fee for employees charging a personal electric vehicle used for commuting.
D. ((The Metro transit department)) Each custodial agency shall review all user fees ((twice each year)) no less frequently than every two years and adjust the fees based on consideration for the costs established in subsection C. of this section. ((However, user fees shall not exceed five dollars per use.))
E. ((The Metro transit department)) Each custodial agency shall post user fees, rules for using the electric vehicle charging station stalls and the penalties for improper use of electric vehicle charging station stall at or near the stalls either via the electronic screen on the charging device or by signage affixed on or near the charging device. The ((department)) agency also shall post the fees, rules and penalties in an appropriate location on the ((department)) agency website.
F. Failure to pay the applicable user fee or remaining in an electric vehicle charging station stall longer than entitled as a result of the user fee paid, is a violation of this section.
G. The penalty for a violation under subsection F. of this section may result in a civil penalty in an amount established by the ((department))agency by rule, in accordance with K.C.C. chapter 2.98, not to exceed two hundred dollars. Notice and appeal of the civil penalty shall be as follows:
1. The ((department)) agency shall issue a notice and order and serve it as provided for in this section when the ((department)) agency determines that a violation described in subsection F. of this section has occurred. The notice and order shall contain:
a. a description of the vehicle parked in violation of this section, including make, model, color and license plate number;
b. date and time the notice and order was issued;
c. a description sufficient to identify the area where the vehicle was parked when the violation was discovered;
d. a statement that the vehicle is parked in violation of subsection F. of this section, with a brief and concise description of the conditions that established the violation;
e. a statement that the ((department)) agency is assessing a civil penalty, the amount of the penalty and a time certain by which the penalty shall be paid from the date of the order; and
f. statements advising that:
(1) the director of the ((Metro transit department)) custodial agency may review and reconsider the notice and order, but only if a request for review and reconsideration is made in writing as provided in this section and filed with the director within ten days from the date of service of the notice and order;
(2) the address to which the request for review and reconsideration must be sent; and
(3) failure to timely request director's review and reconsideration will constitute a waiver of all rights to any administrative hearing and determination of the matter;
2. The notice and order, and any amended or supplemental notice and order, shall be served by affixing the notice and order to the vehicle for which is the subject of the violation, in a conspicuous location on the vehicle;
3. Proof of service of the notice and order shall be made at the time of service by a written declaration under penalty of perjury, executed by the person effecting service and declaring the time, date and manner in which service was made. A copy of the notice and order shall be kept on file by the ((Metro transit department)) custodial agency;
4. A person served with a notice and order under this section may request in writing, within ten days of being served with a notice and order, that the director review and reconsider the notice and order;
5. The review shall be performed without a hearing and be based solely on written information provided by the person requesting review and by county personnel or agents;
6. Upon review, the director may uphold the notice and order or waive or reduce the fine or any other penalty contained in the notice and order;
7. The director shall mail the written decision to the person requesting review;
8. The decision shall notify the person requesting review of the right to appeal the director's decision in accordance with K.C.C. 20.22.080;
9. The King County office of the hearing examiner shall hear appeals of the director's decisions under this section;
10. The procedures for initiating and conducting the appeal shall be governed by K.C.C. chapter 20.22;
11. Enforcement of any notice and order of the ((department)) agency shall be stayed during the pendency of a director's review or an appeal therefrom that is properly and timely filed in accordance with K.C.C. chapter 20.22;
12. The registered owner of a vehicle is liable to pay any civil penalty imposed for a violation under this section. However, the registered owner of a vehicle may avoid liability if the owner proves that the vehicle was reported to the police as a stolen vehicle before the notice and order was issued, and the vehicle had not been recovered;
13. Except as otherwise provided in subsection G.12. of this section, a civil penalty imposed for failure to pay a user fee at a ((King County Metro transit department)) custodial agency facility is a personal obligation of the registered owner of the vehicle involved; and
14. If the penalties assessed by the ((department)) agency are not paid to King County within thirty days from the service of the notice, the mailing of the director's decision, or the mailing of the hearing examiner's decision, whichever occurs last, then the ((department)) agency may send a final warning letter to the registered owner of the vehicle to the address on file with the state Department of Licensing. If the civil penalties are not paid within ten days after the final warning letter is sent, then the ((department)) agency may pursue other applicable legal remedies. In pursuing payment of civil penalties that remain delinquent after the final warning letter is sent, and to cover administrative expenses associated with the pursuit of the penalties, the ((department)) agency may charge the registered owner of the vehicle an additional fee not to exceed fifty percent of the total delinquent civil penalties.
H. ((All user fees and civil penalties collected from each electric vehicle charging station stall shall be distributed to the custodial agency in control of the electric vehicle charging station stall. Such fees and penalties shall be deposited into the custodial agency account associated with the maintenance of the electric vehicle charging station stalls under the custodial agency’s control and authority.
I.)) In addition or as an alternative to the civil penalty authorized in subsection G. of this section, the ((department)) agency may impound the vehicle without giving prior notice in accordance with the process provided in K.C.C. chapter 14A.60. When impoundment is authorized by this section, a vehicle may be impounded by a towing contractor acting at the request of the director or the director's designee. The director or the director's designee shall provide to the towing contractor a signed authorization for the tow and the impound before the towing contractor may proceed with the impound.
SECTION 2. Ordinance 16147, Section 5 as amended, and K.C.C. 18.17.010 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. Alternative green building rating system" means a third-party green building certification other than LEED or the King County Sustainable Infrastructure Scorecard. The following are accepted alternative green building rating systems, but the executive may also accept certification through other rating systems as appropriate:
1. Built Green Four-Star, Built Green Five-Star or Built Green Emerald Star, or any combination thereof;
2. Envision;
3. Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard;
4. Fitwel;
5. Greenroads;
6. Living Building Challenge;
7. Passive House;
8. Salmon Safe;
9. SITES; and
10. WELL.
B. "Built Green Four-Star," "Built Green Five-Star" and "Built Green Emerald Star" mean a third-party residential green building certification developed and administered by the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties.
C. "Capital project" means capital project as defined in K.C.C. 4A.10.100.
D. "Energy Star" means the energy certification rating system developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that focuses on energy efficiency.
E. "Envision" means a voluntary sustainable infrastructure rating system administered by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure and developed by the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, American Public Works Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Council of Engineering Companies for assessing sustainability and resilience in infrastructure.
F. "Equity" means equity as defined in K.C.C. 2.10.210.
G. "Equity and social justice credits" means credits awarded through the Sustainable Infrastructure Scorecard for actions that identify and account for equity and social justice practices and outcomes throughout the capital project development lifecycle. The credits recognize project team efforts to advance process, distributional and cross-generational equity.
H. "Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard" means a sustainable building program for affordable housing projects that receive housing trust funds, administered by the Washington state Department of Commerce according to RCW 39.35D.080.
I. "Facility" means all or any portion of buildings, structures, infrastructure, sites, complexes, equipment, utilities, and conveyance lines.
J. "Fitwel" means a third-party green building rating system administered by the Center for Active Design that provides a standard that supports health-promoting strategies in the built environment.
K. "Green building team" means a group that includes representatives from county agencies with capital project or building management staff including, but not limited to, the Metro transit department, the department of natural resources and parks, the department of executive services, the department of local services, permitting and road services divisions, public health - Seattle & King County, the historic preservation program, and the department of community and human services. The members represent staff with expertise in project management, construction management, architecture, landscape architecture, environmental planning, design, engineering, historic preservation and resource conservation, public health, building energy systems, building management, budget analysis, equity and social justice, procurement and other skills as needed. The green building team provides assistance and helps to disseminate information to project managers in all county agencies.
L. "Greenroads" means the third-party green building rating system administered by the Greenroads International nonprofit organization to measure and manage sustainability on transportation projects.
M. "GreenTools program" means the support team located within the solid waste division of the department of natural resources and parks that provides green building technical assistance to county divisions, cities and the general public within the county.
N. "Integrative process" means an approach to project design that seeks to achieve high performance on a wide variety of well-defined environmental and social goals while staying within budgetary and scheduling constraints. It relies on a multidisciplinary and collaborative team whose members make decisions together based on a shared vision and a holistic understanding of the project. It is an iterative process that follows the design through the entire project life, from predesign through operation.
O. "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" or "LEED" means a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings, created by the United States Green Building Council. The certification options are LEED Gold, LEED Platinum, Zero Energy, and Zero Carbon.
P. "LEED-eligible building" means any new construction or major remodel or renovation capital project with one thousand gross square feet or more of new, remodeled or renovated floor area that is occupied or conditioned and that meets the minimum program requirements for LEED certifications.
Q. "Living Building Challenge" means a voluntary green building rating system administered by the International Living Future Institute. The certification options are Full Living, Petal, CORE, Zero Energy, and Zero Carbon.
R. "Major remodel or renovation" means work that demolishes space down to the shell structure and rebuilds it with new interior walls, ceilings, floor coverings and systems, when the work affects more than twenty-five percent of a building's square footage and the affected space is one thousand square feet or larger.
S. "Minor remodel or renovation" means any type of remodel or renovation that does not qualify as a major remodel or renovation.
T. "New construction" means a new building or structure.
U. "Passive House" means a voluntary passive building energy standard certification program through either the PHIUS+ certification administered by Passive House Institute United States or the Passive House certification administered by Passive House Institute.
V. "Regional code collaboration" means interested jurisdictions across the Puget Sound region working together to develop building, energy, fire, residential, plumbing, mechanical and zoning codes supporting the advancement of green building practices.
W. "Retrocommissioning" means a detailed, systematic process for investigating an existing building's operations and identifying ways to improve performance. The primary focus is to identify operational improvements to obtain comfort and energy savings.
X. "Salmon Safe" means a voluntary peer-reviewed certification program, linking site development land management practices with the protection of agricultural and urban watersheds, founded by the Stewardship Partners.
Y. "SITES" means a voluntary sustainability-focused framework program administered by the Sustainable SITES Initiative and developed by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the United States Botanical Garden.
Z. "Social cost of carbon" means social cost of carbon as defined in K.C.C. 18.20.015.
AA. "Social justice" means social justice as defined in K.C.C. 2.10.210.
BB. "Strategic Climate Action Plan" means the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan adopted by Motion 15866, or any subsequent Strategic Climate Action Plan developed under K.C.C. chapter 18.25 and adopted by the council.
CC. "Sustainable development practices" are also known as green building and means whole system approaches to the design, construction, and operation of buildings and infrastructure that help to mitigate the negative environmental, economic, health, and social impacts of construction, demolition, operation, and renovation while maximizing the facilities' positive fiscal, environmental, health, and functional contribution. Sustainable development practices recognize the relationship between natural and built environments and seek to minimize the use of energy, water, and other natural resources while providing maximum benefits and contribution to service levels to the system and the connecting infrastructures.
DD. "Sustainable Infrastructure Scorecard" means a green building and sustainable development rating system developed by the green building team for capital projects that are not eligible for the LEED rating system.
EE. "Transit-oriented development" means a capital project on King County-owned property that includes the development of housing, commercial space, services, or job opportunities in direct proximity to frequent public transportation and that is wholly or partially planned or wholly or partially financed by the Metro transit department.
FF. "WELL" means a third-party green building rating system administered by the International WELL Building Institute's collaboration with Green Business Certification, Inc.
SECTION 3. Ordinance 19402, Section 8 as amended, and K.C.C. 18.17.050 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. Capital projects shall be subject to the following applicable green building standards and corresponding requirements; capital projects shall register with the applicable third-party rating system and achieve the appropriate certification. Small, related capital projects that are part of a program may be certified as a program rather than at the individual-project level:
1. Affordable housing capital projects subject to RCW 39.35D.080 that receive moneys from the King County department of community and human services or that are part of transit-oriented development shall achieve either Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard requirements or the highest rating in an applicable alternative green building rating system certification, or both;
2. Buildings owned or lease-to-own by King County, excluding those to which subsection A.1. of this section applies, shall achieve certification levels as follows:
a. New construction of a LEED-eligible building shall achieve either ((LEED platinum certification or the Living Building Challenge certification, or both)):
(1) LEED Platinum plus Zero Energy or Zero Carbon certification; or
(2) Living Building Challenge CORE plus Zero Energy, Energy Petal, or Zero Carbon Certification; and
b. A major remodel or renovation of a LEED-eligible building shall achieve either LEED gold certification or the Living Building Challenge certification, or both; ((and))
3. Capital projects owned or lease-to-own by King County that are not subject to subsection A.1.(( or)), 2., 3., and 4. of this section shall either achieve a platinum rating according to a King County or division-specific Sustainable Infrastructure Scorecard or achieve the highest certification through an applicable alternative green building rating system, or both;
4. Capital projects owned or lease-to-own by King County that are large scale infrastructure or site related projects, including: new construction of conveyance, combined sewer overflow and pump station projects from the wastewater treatment division; new RapidRide and bus base electrification charging infrastructure projects by Metro transit department; and heavy duty electrical infrastructure projects with ten or more direct-current fast chargers by the solid waste division, shall achieve Envision Platinum certification; and
5. Capital projects owned or lease-to-own by King County that are large scale infrastructure or site related projects by the Parks and Recreation Division, that are not subject to subsection A.1., 2., or 3., shall achieve or maintain Salmon Safe certification.
B. All capital projects to which subsection A. of this section applies:
1. Shall meet King County Surface Water Design Manual requirements, regardless of jurisdiction location. If a project is located in a jurisdiction where the surface water design manual standards and requirements are different than King County's, the project shall implement the more stringent requirement;
2. Shall achieve a minimum diversion rate of ((eighty percent for construction and demolition materials,))eighty-five percent ((diversion rate beginning in 2025))and shall achieve zero waste of resources with economic value beginning in 2030;
3. Shall achieve applicable King County equity and social justice credits for capital projects regardless of the rating system used;
4. Should use the practice of integrative process to maximize green building, sustainable development, community benefit, and financial investment opportunities over the life of the asset; and
5. Should use the social cost of carbon in life-cycle assessments and decision making related to facility construction and resource efficiency projects.
C.1. For leases by a King County agency for King County operations at non-King-County-owned facilities, the agency shall seek to incorporate the latest green building and sustainable development practices in the county-occupied space.
2. For new leases of King County-employee-occupied-space of longer than five years, including lease-to-own projects, King County shall lease buildings that are certified through the LEED rating system at silver level or higher, are Energy Star Certified or are certified through an alternative green building rating system, but only when those ratings are consistent with the operational needs of the function. Buildings that do not meet these standards can be leased by the county if plans and financing are in place at the time of signing that will enable the building to meet this standard within twenty-four months of lease signing.
D. As part of the county's green building program, the county shall preserve and restore the historic landmarks and properties eligible for landmark designation that are owned by the county, except in cases where a certificate of appropriateness is granted by the King County landmarks commission.
SECTION 4. Ordinance 19052, Section 2, and K.C.C. 18.22.010 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. The executive shall implement a "jump start" vehicle electrification strategy that seeks to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by the Metro transit department, by other county agencies and by residents. The strategy shall include goals and actions across county agencies. The following King County vehicle electrification goals are established:
1. A one-hundred-percent zero-emission revenue bus fleet by 2035;
2. A sixty-seven-percent zero-emission ADA paratransit fleet by ((2030)) 2040;
3. A ((one-hundred)) forty-percent zero-emission rideshare fleet by 2030 and one-hundred-percent zero-emission rideshare fleet by 2040;
4. Installation of one hundred twenty-five public chargers at King County-owned ((park and rides)) facilities by 2030;
5. Fifty percent of light-duty vehicles are transitioned to electric by ((2025)) 2030 and one hundred percent by ((2030)) 2035;
6. Fifty percent of medium-duty vehicles are transitioned to ((electric)) zero-emission vehicles by ((2028)) 2035 and one hundred percent by ((2033)) 2040;
7. Fifty percent of heavy-duty vehicles are transitioned to ((electric)) zero-emission vehicles by ((2038)) 2040 and one hundred percent by ((2043)) 2045; and
8. Installation of one hundred fifty ((chargers)) fleet charging ports by 2030 in county facilities.
B. The department of executive services shall:
1. Require that all new light-duty vehicles purchased are electric, unless the customer agency can demonstrate that there are no feasible alternatives that meet business needs and support delivery of county services;
2. To accelerate the electrification of the county fleet, the department of executive services shall develop an electric vehicle infrastructure analysis and implementation plan for King County facilities that supports the fleet electrification goals in subsection A.5. through 7. of this section. The study shall outline the necessary infrastructure development, financial investment, financing options, policy changes, and technical resources needed to support accelerated vehicle electrification. The electric vehicle infrastructure plan shall be developed in consultation with Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light. The executive must file the plan by September 14, 2020, in the form of a paper original and an electronic copy with the clerk of the council, who shall retain the original and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers, the council chief of staff and the lead staff for the mobility and environment committee or its successor; and
3. Work with county agencies managing medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to seek grant funding and collaborate with utilities and manufacturers to pilot use of medium and heavy-duty electric vehicles in support of achieving electrification of fifty percent of the medium-duty fleet by ((2028))2035 and fifty percent of the heavy-duty fleet by ((2038))2040.
C. The parks and recreation division shall increase the number of electric vehicle chargers at King County-operated parks with the goal of siting electric vehicle chargers at King County-operated parks to support electrification of county fleet vehicles and increase public access in areas with limited access to electric vehicle chargers.
D. When evaluating public charging infrastructure needs, the executive shall consider the charging infrastructure required for a range of electric vehicles, including light electric vehicles, such as electric bikes, scooters, or other battery-powered vehicles, used for transporting people from one place to another. The executive shall monitor trends in electric vehicle adoption and develop consistent policies and practices for public electric charging at King County facilities.
E. The executive shall implement this section and K.C.C. 18.50.010 consistent with Ordinance 16804, Section 3, relating to the development and use of electric vehicle charging stations at King County facilities and consistent with K.C.C. 4A.700.700.
F.1. To support the goals in subsections A. through E. of this section, King County, including the Metro transit department and the department of executive services shall engage with stakeholders, such as the King County climate and equity community taskforce. Stakeholder engagement will support efforts of local jurisdictions, regional governments, employers, charging infrastructure companies, utilities, and environmental and climate justice groups accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles while ensuring the equitable distribution of benefits of electric vehicles and promoting equitable access to mobility that prioritizes shared mobility solutions. King County will also participate in regional forums to support and continue to advocate for funding and enabling legislation.
2. ((The executive shall transmit a report on options to require, incentivize or otherwise ensure electric vehicle charging infrastructure in new multifamily construction and other development proposals that include expansion of parking areas in the unincorporated area and an ordinance that would establish requirements to ensure that new parking areas are designed to include some amount of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to account for increased use of electric vehicles in the future. The report and ordinance shall be developed in consultation with stakeholder groups, including representatives of the building and electric vehicle industries and utilities. The executive must transmit the report and recommendations by September 14, 2020, in the form of a paper original and an electronic copy with the clerk of the council, who shall retain the original and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers, the council chief of staff and the lead staff for the local services committee or its successor.
3.)) The executive shall transmit to the council revisions to the King County Code that facilitate the electrification of county fleets.
((4.)) 3. The executive shall partner with utilities and community organizations on a pilot program to facilitate access to electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure, including shared mobility services, by low-income residents of King County.
((5.)) 4. The executive shall develop policies to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles by transportation network companies.
((6.)) 5. The executive shall work with cities within King County to share best practices and policies for encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles for their fleet and by residents.
((7.)) 6. The executive is encouraged to submit appropriations to the county council that will allow for installation of charging infrastructure for public use where legally permissible at ((park and locations, county parks with reasonable access to electricity and other)) county facilities used by the public. The executive, in coordination with utilities, is also encouraged to submit appropriations to the county council that also include incentive programs, to support the installation of at-home charging infrastructure in single and multifamily homes, including affordable housing projects where the department of community and human services has investment, with priority for funding given to providing charging infrastructure to low-income households.
SECTION 5. Ordinance 17270, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 18.25.010 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A.1. In order to guide the county's climate-related objectives and strategies, the executive shall develop an updated strategic climate action plan at least every five years. Each update to the strategic climate action plan shall be developed with an environmental justice framework in partnership with those communities disproportionately impacted by climate change and in a manner consistent with K.C.C. 2.10.200, 2.10.210, 2.10.220, and 2.10.230. The strategic climate action plan shall include the following:
a. the identification of specific goals, strategies, measures, targets, and priority actions for county services and operations to reduce emissions consistent with the countywide goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions fifty percent by 2030, seventy-five percent by 2040, and ninety-five percent by 2050, with net-zero emissions through carbon sequestration and other strategies by that year, compared to a 2007 baseline. The strategic climate action plan should address five goal areas for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: transportation and land use; building and facilities energy; green building; consumption and materials management, including the environmental purchasing program; and forestry and agriculture. Each goal area shall address environmental justice and ensure that the strategies promote an equitable distribution of any environmental benefit. The strategic climate action plan should establish explicit and, whenever possible, quantifiable connections between the overarching climate goals and specific strategies and actions;
b.(((1) a green jobs strategy. For purposes of this subsection A., a "green job" means a living wage position providing environmental benefits, such as clean energy deployment, in high-demand industry sectors such as construction, manufacturing, transportation, and professional services. The intent of the green jobs strategy is to encourage the development of green jobs along the career spectrum.
(2) the green jobs strategy shall be developed in consultation with members of the King County climate and equity community taskforce identified in subsection A.1.c. of this section, labor and workforce development organizations directed in subsection A.5. of this section, and representatives of an environmental justice and climate equity organization, education, business, building managers, utilities, scientists with knowledge of the latest research on strategies to reduce emissions, tribes, local governments, and regional groups such as the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration and the Puget Sound Regional Council, and shall include:
(a) specific actions King County and its partners can take to increase the number of green jobs and apprenticeships throughout the region, including jobs in energy efficiency, renewable energy, green vehicles, and carbon sequestration, and King County administrative, executive, policy, and technical jobs;
(b) a proposal for and budget to develop a green job pipeline that focuses especially on communities that have historically been underserved, and is informed by recommendations of the climate and equity community task force;
(c) identification of the industry sectors and job types with high-demand green jobs in King County; and
(d) actions King County can take to develop the green energy skills of King County's own workforce, such as collaboration on development of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs in sectors including energy efficiency, electrification, electric vehicle maintenance, the maintenance of electric vehicle infrastructure, and carbon sequestration technologies;
c.)) a community-driven strategy to achieve sustainable and resilient communities. In order to achieve a community driven strategy, the executive shall convene and partner with the King County climate ((and)) equity community task force to develop the sustainable and resilient community strategy. The King County climate ((and)) equity community task force shall be a racially and ethnically diverse group representing various communities in King County that are on the frontline of climate change. The task force shall develop goals and guide priority areas for climate action based on community values and concerns. The sustainable and resilient community strategy shall:
(1) identify how climate change will impact communities of color, low-income communities, and those disproportionately impacted by climate change;
(2) identify opportunities to take actions to address those impacts that could include increasing the number of affordable housing units, developing pathways to green jobs, preventing neighborhood displacement, increasing access to affordable energy efficiency and decarbonization, increasing access to green spaces, providing access to zero emissions mobility options, improving food security, reducing pollution, and addressing health disparities; and
(3) based on assessment of climate impacts and extreme weather events like heat waves on vulnerable communities, make recommendations for preparedness strategies and actions to include in county emergency response plans, the flood management plan and the regional hazard mitigation plan;
c. the current assessment of climate change impacts in King County and identification of goals, ((strategies, measures, targets and priority)) actions, and performance measures within county services and county operations to address climate change impacts. Each goal and strategy shall address environmental justice and ensure that the strategies promote an equitable distribution of any environmental benefit;
d(1) a climate and workforce strategy. The climate and workforce strategy emphasizes King County's dedication to ensuring greater access to career and economic opportunities stemming from climate action efforts, including, but not limited to, the strategic climate action plan. The intent of the climate and workforce strategy is to underscore the interconnectedness of climate initiatives and workforce and economic development, ensuring that both objectives can progress in tandem for the benefit of all county residents across the career spectrum.
(2) The climate and workforce strategy shall be developed in consultation with members of the King County climate equity community task force identified in subsection A.1.b. of this section, labor and workforce development organizations directed in subsection A.5. of this section, and representatives of an environmental justice and climate equity organization, education and training providers, local businesses and contractors invested in clean energy deployment, building managers, utilities, tribes, local governments, and regional groups such as the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration and the Puget Sound Regional Council, and shall include:
(a) specific actions King County and its partners can take to increase clear pathways for members of historically underserved communities affected by climate change, informed by recommendations of the climate equity community task force, to access living wage roles providing environmental benefits, such as clean energy deployment, in high-demand industry sectors of construction, manufacturing, transportation, professional services and technology
(b) increase the number of sustainability and energy conservation career opportunities throughout the region, including jobs in energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and carbon sequestration, and King County administrative, executive, policy, and technical jobs;
(c) a proposal for and budget to develop career pathways that focuses especially on communities that have historically been underserved, and is informed by recommendations of the climate equity community task force;
(d) identification of the industry sectors and job types providing a living wage and environmental benefits, such as clean energy deployment, in King County every ten years; and
(e) actions King County can take to increase the sustainability and energy conservation credentials of King County's own workforce, such as collaboration on development of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs in sectors including but not limited to energy efficiency, electrification, electric vehicle maintenance, the maintenance of electric vehicle infrastructure;
e. performance measures and related targets for both operational emissions and implementation of priority strategies, including the ((green job)) climate and workforce strategy, that advance the strategic climate action plan and provide for assessment of progress relative to overarching climate goals at the community scale; and
f. an assessment of cost effectiveness for key county services and operations building on the pilot cost effectiveness assessment in the 2015 strategic climate action plan update.
2. The executive shall transmit updates to the strategic climate action plan to the council for adoption by motion.
3. In developing future updates to the strategic climate action plan, the executive shall continue to review climate change-related plans being developed by other municipalities, including the city of Seattle's climate action plan, and identify opportunities and strengthen recommendations for partnership with cities, businesses and nonprofit organizations to advance actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for and respond to climate change impacts.
4. Progress in achieving strategic climate action plan performance measure targets ((and a)) will be reported on a climate performance tracking dashboard. Accomplishment of priority actions identified in subsection A.1. of this section, as well as findings outlining recommendations for changes in policies, priorities and capital investments, shall be reported and transmitted to the council ((with the update of the strategic climate action plan and at the midpoint between updates)) at a midpoint between each update. The ((progress)) midpoint report shall ((be included as part of the report)) inform the strategies and actions for the next strategic climate action plan update, as required in K.C.C. 18.50.010.
5. The executive shall convene a strategic climate action plan labor advisory council or seek input from county labor and workforce development organizations, ((including the Martin Luther King, Jr. County Labor Council of Washington, the Seattle Building and Construction Trades Council and the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County,)) such as the Seattle King County Workforce Development Council and the Coalition for Climate Careers on recommendations for policies, programs and partnerships to strengthen career pathways ((to local green jobs)) and ((to) )provide guidance on each update.
6. The executive shall consult with Indian tribes, and shall collaborate with cities in King County through the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration, on each update to the strategic climate action plan.
B. Future updates to climate-related objectives and strategies should be informed by the most-recently adopted strategic climate action plan.
C. The executive shall electronically file the legislation and reports required by this section with the clerk of the council, who shall retain an electronic copy and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers, the council chief of staff, and the lead staff for the transportation, economy, and environment committee or its successor.
SECTION 6. Ordinance 17166, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 18.50.010 are hereby amended to read as follows:
To track progress and prepare for each strategic climate action plan update, ((T))the executive shall transmit ((by June 30 of every other year)) a midpoint progress report on the county's major environmental sustainability programs intended to reduce energy use, climate emissions, and resource use, and prepare for the impacts of climate change, as required in subsections A., B. and C. of this section. The report shall also describe the progress made throughout the region on ((developing of green jobs)) implementing the climate and workforce strategy as defined in K.C.C. 18.25.010. ((In those years in which the update to the strategic climate action plan as required in K.C.C. 18.25.010 is transmitted, the information required by the report shall be included in the update to the strategic climate action plan.)) The executive shall electronically file the report with the clerk of the council, who shall retain an electronic copy and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers, the council chief of staff, and the lead staff for the transportation, economy, and environment committee, or its successor. The report shall be structured in a way that links actual performance to established goals and indicators and can inform policy choices, program priorities, and investments in capital projects. The report should address the following:
A. Greenhouse gas emissions reductions, including:
1. Progress towards achieving the overarching greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for both county government operations and the county as a whole;
2. Progress against targets and measures and updates on the implementation of strategies and priority actions in five goal areas for the strategic climate action plan: transportation and land use; building and facilities energy; green building; consumption and materials management, including the environmental purchasing program; and forestry and agriculture; and
3. A summary of major expenses associated with the climate impacts research, community-scale emissions inventories, climate change community engagement, and climate change and energy efficiency partnerships with businesses and cities;
B. An update on implementation of climate preparedness strategies and priority actions recommended in the current strategic climate action plan;
C. An update on the strategies and priority actions identified in the ((green jobs)) climate and workforce strategy as required by K.C.C. 18.25.010;
D. An update on the actions taken to achieve sustainable and resilient communities as required by K.C.C. 18.25.010;
E. Beginning in 2021, an update on the implementation of the "jump start" transportation electrification strategy required in K.C.C. 18.22.010. The update shall include a report on the Metro transit department's zero-emission fleet goal implementation, updating the implementation report to include modified or new milestones; strategies to accelerate implementation and interim milestones, strategic climate action plan modelling and goals, information technology advances and reporting on K.C.C. 28.94.085.B. The update shall also include any analysis completed in selecting the public charging infrastructure provided in King County-owned facilities and describe how the needs of a variety of different types of electric vehicles, including light electric vehicles, were considered in the analysis;
F. An update on the green building program, as required in K.C.C. 18.17.070.A.; and
G. The program to fund city projects to reduce energy demand, as required in Ordinance 18663, Section 3.
SECTION 7. Ordinance 17971, Section 3, and K.C.C. 28.30.020 are hereby amended to read as follows:
The wastewater treatment division and the solid waste division shall aggressively reduce both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from operations.
The department of natural resources and parks((shall achieve overall carbon-neutral operations by 2017.)), including ((T))the wastewater treatment division and the solid waste division, shall ((each achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2025. For purposes of calculating carbon neutrality, purchased offsets may only be included in the calculation only if those carbon offsets meet the principle of additionality)) focus their greenhouse gas emissions reduction actions on projects that reduce direct sources of greenhouse gas emissions, consistent with strategic climate action plan priority actions and performance measures, and in alignment with strategic climate action plan guidance on best practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions shall be accomplished through energy efficiency, investments in the use of renewable energy ((the production of renewable energy, carbon offsets consistent with RCW 36.01.250)) including solar, the use of low embodied emissions materials in construction projects, the use of clean vehicles and fuels, the reduction of fugitive methane emissions associated with landfills and the wastewater treatment process, the increase of the productive use of biogas, and other division projects that reduce or sequester greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the emissions of greenhouse emissions from operations.
The wastewater treatment and solid waste divisions shall annually calculate their greenhouse gas emissions and ((create an annual greenhouse gas inventory using recognized methodologies and protocols, to the extent available. The first annual greenhouse gas inventory shall be reviewed by an independent third party with proven experience in emission inventory calculations. Subsequent annual greenhouse gas inventories shall be reviewed, by an independent third party with proven experience in emission inventory calculations, periodically and when there is a material change in the wastewater treatment division's or solid waste division's operations or energy use or sourece)) include these emissions totals in the strategic climate action plan reporting of total greenhouse gas emissions from county operations.
SECTION 8. Ordinance 17971, Section 4, as amended, and K.C.C. 28.30.030 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. The King County Metro transit carbon offset and environmental attributes program is hereby created and shall be administered by the Metro transit department.
B. Transit carbon offsets shall be reviewed by an an independent third-party organization with proven experience in emission mitigation activities to ensure that transitcarbon offsets meet the requirements of RCW 36.01.250.
C. The Metro transit department shall make carbon offsets or environmental attributes available for purchase by individuals or public or private entities, if doing so is likely to be financially beneficial to the department.
D. ((The wastewater treatment division and the solid waste division shall evaluate the purchase of Metro transit department carbon offsets, as necessary, to achieve the requirements of this chapter.
E. When purchasing carbon offsets, the wastewater treatment division and the solid waste division shall ensure the offsets meet the requirements of RCW 36.01.250. In purchasing offsets, the wastewater treatment division and the solid waste divisions shall purchase offsets from the Metro transit department before purchasing carbon offsets from outside of the county if Metro transit department offsets are comparably priced.))
F.)) Revenue from the sale of carbon offsets or environmental attributes shall be used by the Metro transit department solely for the purposes of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through providing additional transit service hours or investments that reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from transit operations beyond standard operations, thereby achieving additionality.
((G.)) E. The executive shall ensure that transit carbon offsets or other
environmental attributes are not double counted in calculating the greenhouse gas emissions for King County.