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A RESOLUTION declaring the regional water quality committee's support of the Regional Wastewater Services Plan Update Charter.

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                     WHEREAS, the regional water quality committee recognizes the critical importance of maintaining and enhancing its wastewater utility services to ensure public health, environmental protection, and operational efficiency, and

                     WHEREAS, a comprehensive long-range plan for wastewater services is essential to effectively address current and future needs, including infrastructure improvements, regulatory compliance, affordability of long-term rates and sustainable practices, and

                     WHEREAS, the council adopted the Regional Wastewater Services Plan ("the RWSP") in November 1999 through Ordinance 13680, subsequently codified as part of K.C.C. chapter 28.86, and

                     WHEREAS, the RWSP identifies projects and programs needed to provide wastewater treatment capacity for homes and businesses in the wastewater treatment division service area through 2030, and

                     WHEREAS, the RWSP provides policy direction for the operation and continued development of the wastewater system, the wastewater treatment division capital improvement program, financial policies to guide forecasting, budgeting, and debt financing, and revenue to support the implementation of the RWSP, and

                     WHEREAS, the RWSP, a supplement to the King County Comprehensive Water Pollution Abatement Plan originally adopted by the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, serves as the primary framework for guiding the future of the county's wastewater utility and regional infrastructure, and

                     WHEREAS, the RWSP should be updated and the associated policies in K.C.C. chapter 28.84, Water Pollution Abatement, and K.C.C. chapter 28.86, Wastewater Treatment, should be examined to ensure investments in the wastewater system continue to improve water quality, ensure system performance, and to mitigate the impact of increasing sewer rates over the long term, and

                     WHEREAS, the wastewater treatment division has initiated the process to update the RWSP and review associated policies, and

                     WHEREAS, the regional water quality committee has a strong interest in ensuring the steps taken to update the RWSP are well coordinated and effective, and

                     WHEREAS, the wastewater treatment division developed a scoping document for updating the RWSP informed by comments and input received from the metropolitan water pollution abatement advisory committee, members of the regional water quality committee, and interested parties, and

                     WHEREAS, the scoping document describes the overall approach that will be used in the RWSP update, a timeline of major deliverables, and the major policy issues that will be analyzed, and

                     WHEREAS, on January 5, 2025 the regional water quality committee approved resolution RWQC2025-01 in support of the wastewater treatment division's Scoping Document for Updating the Regional Wastewater Services Plan Update and

                     WHEREAS, the plan update will benefit from a charter to describe the shared goals, roles and responsibilities, and agreed-upon process for the RWSP update, and

                     WHEREAS, a charter, the RWSP Update Charter, has been prepared by the wastewater treatment division and members of a working group comprised of staff representing members of the metropolitan water pollution abatement advisory committee, staff representing regional water quality members, and staff from the Sound Cities Association, and

                     WHEREAS, the RWSP Update Charter describes a framework for collaboration and process between the wastewater treatment division and the metropolitan water pollution abatement advisory committee to develop the Regional Wastewater Services Plan Update, and

                     WHEREAS, the RWSP Update Charter establishes shared goals and principles, establishes roles and responsibilities, outlines a process for the metropolitan water pollution abatement advisory committee and the regional water quality to provide input in the development of the RWSP update, and sets out schedules and milestones for the RWSP update, and

                     WHEREAS, the charter sets a tone of collaboration and partnership that is important for the multi-year process to develop the RWSP update and ensure broad support, and

WHEREAS, on January 22, 2025, the metropolitan water pollution abatement advisory committee voted to authorize the chair of the metropolitan water pollution abatement advisory committee to sign the RWSP Update Charter, and

                     WHEREAS, the regional water quality committee has reviewed and concurs with the approach proposed in the RWSP Update Charter, Attachment A to this resolution, that will be used by the division and the metropolitan water pollution abatement advisory committee to guide the collaborative development of the long-range Regional Wastewater Services Plan Update;

                     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the King County Regional Water Quality Committee:

                     A.  The regional water quality committee declares its support of the Regional Wastewater Services Plan Update Charter, attached as Attachment A to this resolution, which the division shall use to guide the process to update the Regional Wastewater Services Plan.

                     B.  The regional water quality committee requests the wastewater treatment division brief the regional water quality committee on any proposed substantive changes to the Regional Wastewater Services Plan Update Charter.