Transportation Permit Efficiency and Accountability Committee

One-Stop Permitting Subcommittee

Need/Purpose:  When the environmental review and permit-decision process is duplicative and uncoordinated, projects are delayed, which increases project costs and decreases service levels, without necessarily improving environmental protection.

Vision:  One-stop permitting coordinates environmental review and permit decision-making among federal, state, and local agencies while involving stakeholders more efficiently and effectively. The end result is to reduce delays and their negative impacts.

Objectives: 

• Develop a new process focused on streamlining

• Apply new process to pilot projects

• Evaluate the pilots’ process for usability

• Institutionalize those identified improvements

Authorization:  Sec 4-1 of ESB 6188 directs TPEAC to “develop a one-stop permit decision-making process."

Primary Membership: 

• Co-Chairs:

  • Kristen Sawin, Association of Washington Business

  • Greg Kipp, Washington State Association of Counties

   

• Other members and agency staff have included:

  • WA Department of Ecology:  Patty Betts, Scott Boettcher, Loree Randall

  • WA Ferries:  Kojo Fordjour

  • WA Department of Fish and Wildlife:  Pat Chapman, Steve Kalinowski

  • WA Department of Natural Resources: Hugo Flores, Doug Peters, Judy Wilson

  • WA Department of Transportation:  Susan Camerer, Peter Downy, Linda Healy, Paul Krueger, Patty Lynch, Jim Prudente, Shari Schaftlein, Ken Stone, Virginia Stone, Beva Ubias

  • WA State Legislature:  Mary Bowen, Mary Fleckenstein (House Democratic Caucus), Senator Dan Swecker (Senate Republican Caucus), Jennifer Ziegler

  • US Army Corps of Engineers:  Tom Mueller

  • US Environmental Protection Agency:  Tom Eaton

  • US Federal Highway Administration:  Mary Gray

  • US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:  David Hirsch

  • Associated General Contractors of WA:  Willy O'Neil

  • Association of Washington Business:  Grant Nelson

  • Association of Washington Cities:  Ashley Probart, Tricia Thompson

  • Consulting Engineers Council of WA:  Carl Kassebaum

  • Washington State Association of Counties:  Jackie White

  • People for Puget Sound:  Bruce Wishart   

Products: 

• Two pilot projects using multi-agency interdisciplinary teams

• Development of draft Interdisciplinary Team Guidance

• Development of web-based permitting tools

Other Significant Events/Milestones:

• 9/01-3/02 Identified list of problems that occur during the permitting process based on surveys of WSDOT, resource agencies, and other organizations; reviewed models for a one-stop process; chose model (4 of 7 steps adopted by resolution)
• 5/02: TPEAC adopted revised 7-step One-Stop Process by resolution
• 11/02: Merged with Pilot Project Subcommittee to form Permit Delivery Subcommittee
• 2/02-12/02: SR 24 Pilot tests One-Stop Process
• 3/02-6-7/03: Hood Canal Pilot tests One-Stop Process

Level of Effort:  Initially, there was consistent participation by 18-25 people at every meeting.  Participation dropped off near the end of 2002; merger with Pilot Projects Subcommittee aimed to improve participation in both groups.