We are working with a committee of economic development and workforce agencies, ports and community colleges to assess the business needs and gaps in the boat and ship building industry in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and San Juan Counties. The project includes identifying the marine clusters and subclusters that support this industry, determining performance indicators and developing a regional model to track the industry’s performance over time, creating a regional database directory, and developing a Cluster Strategic Plan to help the sector grow and reach its full potential. The Plan addresses infrastructure, workforce, business expansion, and regulatory and marketing strategies.

Development of 15-year fiscal model of the City of Tumwater and one of its potential annexation areas for the Beaver Creek Acquisition Company, which has entered into a purchase and sale agreement for a large piece of property in Tumwater’s potential annexation area. We used our proprietary fiscal annexation model, which employs current land-base data at the parcel level and projects future development using information provided by Thurston County and Beaver Creek. The model estimates expected revenues and expenditures based on scenarios for staffing needed at annexation and at full buildout. Our report detailing the project also involved study sessions and hearings with the Tumwater City Council. Based on our report, the City Council unanimously approved the annexation in Mach 2007, forwarding it on to the Thurston County Boundary Review Board. The City annexed a total of 1600 acres, the largest annexation in the City’s history, and the second largest in Thurston County since 1980.

We developed a flexible, interactive financial model to support business planning and Board decision making on new housing development options and operating costs for . The cash flow model allows for analysis of various development, revenue and operating scenarios; development fees earned by the agency; line of business pricing; fundraising revenue potential; organizational cost structures and other elements of economic sustainability for this hard working and very successful non-profit housing organization.

An economic and fiscal benefit assessment of the proposed King County Events Center was conducted on the behalf of the City of Renton. The focus of this analysis was on the identification of potential benefits of the Events Center from the local, county and state perspectives. This study modeled how the proposed King County Events Center might operate, identifying total spending and income associated with events and building operation. The analysis then categorized the flow of money to distinguish between “new money” (dollars that originate outside the area of study) and “local money,” which originates within the study area. Our Finance & Economics staff summarized the study’s analytic findings in presentations to staff and legislators in Olympia, and to the media.

With the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad indicating its intent to abandon a section of its East King County rail line, the Puget Sound Regional Council commissioned a study of the alternative uses for this rail corridor. Our role in the study was an Economic Impact Assessment of three scenarios, including eliminating rail service and converting the line into a regional trail; creation of a trail alongside current rail operations; and creating a regional trail alongside increased rail service. For each scenario, the economic impact on potentially-affected parties was analyzed and assigned a degree impact—large, medium, or small—for different time periods. Analysis was performed for current users of the rail corridor, potential new users, users of the surrounding transportation network, property owners, and communities as a whole. Further research was performed on railbanking, providing information about other railbanked corridors and the potential ease or difficulty of reverting back to rail use once a corridor has been converted into a trail.

We designed and are now implementing a two-phase outreach process to collect informed community input into the ’s comprehensive planning process and to promote dialogue between City residents and elected officials. Phase 1 focuses on the opportunities, challenges, and tradeoffs involved in growth management and on gathering public input to the Comprehensive Plan. We will convene two engaging public meetings and summarize the results of an electronic community questionnaire. Based on community input, we will draft a Vision Statement and guiding principles for the Comprehensive Plan and facilitate a joint City Council and Planning Commission Workshop. In Phase 2, we will summarize the Draft Comprehensive Plan for public comment, facilitate a community-wide Open House and solicit e-feedback through the City’s website. Outreach in this project includes launching and maintaining a content-rich project website, building the City’s resident contact database and distributing e-newsletters, building relationships with community leaders and stakeholders to serve as community ambassadors, posting fliers and posters across the community in strategic locations, and keeping the local media informed through frequent press releases and advisories.

The King County Library System (KCLS) has reciprocal borrowing agreements with multiple library districts in western Washington. The agreements allow library patrons from one system to obtain library cards and freely use the services of the other system. To measure this circulation cross-use and its corresponding costs, we conducted studies of the cross-use between KCLS and The Seattle Public Library, and between KCLS and the Renton Public Library. The two studies involved development of new data collection methods and analytic frameworks to determine levels of patron cross-use at specific facilities and systemwide, and financial analysis of the costs to each system for maintaining the agreements. The results of our work have been policy changes to library system operations and business practices, and new interagency cost-sharing agreements.

For the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), we conducted a feasibility analysis of alternative governance and organizational models for a public health information technology coordinating board. The study focused on determining what systems, processes or structures would improve the coordination, integration and interoperability of public health information technology in Washington. Work included conducting stakeholder interviews with DOH and local health jurisdiction staff; researching and analyzing best practices in other states; a national literature review; and evaluating various models in terms of their financial, logistical, and political feasibility.

As part of our long-standing analytic and advisory services to the City of Burien, we analyzed potential impacts to the City of annexing the unincorporated North Highline area of King County. This is an important decision for the City, since with a population of 32,000, annexation of the entire area would double the City's size. The project involved detailed financial modeling of the City's cost and service structures, and development of a flexible software model to allow the City to examine a range of annexation scenarios. The analysis and model enabled the City to evaluate alternative policy choices and to test the implications of various assumptions about the future. Elected officials and the public now have reliable, accessible information to serve as a foundation for dialogue and decision-making.

We are collaborating with City staff to provide strategic analysis, outreach and communications assistance on this highly visible and important urban planning project for the City. Our multiple responsibilities include demographic and market analysis to understand the City's economic profile, and preparation of two reports synthesizing the history and facts behind Town Center planning efforts. We designed and facilitated community forums in three City neighborhoods, developed supporting public meeting notices and website content, and staffed a property owner/developers forum of key stakeholders. Finally, our team of information designers prepared a project folio the City will use in communicating and marketing the Town Center to interested developers and others.

Working with the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC), in partnership with Kitsap County, the City of Bremerton, the City of Poulsbo, and the City of Port Orchard, we analyzed urban service delivery challenges for the unassociated Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) in Kitsap County. Through a collaborative process with the project partners, two reports were prepared: The Association Analysis Template Report is an adaptable template to provide guidance in understanding, analyzing, and decision-making on urban service delivery for unassociated UGAs, including the fiscal implications for jurisdictions. The template report is expected to inform decision-making and interjurisdictional negotiations in the County, and possibly the State of Washington. The Central Kitsap UGA Association Analysis pilot-tested the template. The report analyzed options for urban service delivery and their fiscal implications, and recommended that the area be formally associated with the City of Bremerton. Our work is expected to provide the foundation for a joint resolution and future negotiations between the City and Kitsap County.

Following our much-discussed economic benefit analysis of Seattle's new Central Library, we were asked by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library to conduct a similar study for San Francisco. Our Benefit Study assesses both the quantitative and qualitative value of library services to the San Francisco community. Going beyond the traditional analysis of direct benefits, the study identified the indirect benefits accruing to the community by the ongoing presence and operations of the Library, considering such factors as urban redevelopment, community space, and the City's image and identity. The report quantifies the return on taxpayer investment and discusses the challenges and complexities involved in appropriately estimating the economic value of the Library system.

In 2003 we worked with Port staff and Commissioners to create the organization's 2004-06 Strategic Plan. The Plan involved development of a new planning framework; interviews with Port managers regarding strategic issues, opportunities, and challenges; design and facilitation of a senior staff strategic planning retreat; and development of updated strategic goals and objectives. For the 2008-11 Plan, we facilitated a staff workshop and Commission retreat, helped update and streamline the Port's mission statement, designed and facilitated a public outreach process, and led development of a new Plan, which was adopted by the Commission in September 2007.

In response to 2007 legislative direction, the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) commissioned several case studies to assess potential new ways for the State's counties to operate within their current financial constraints. We conducted comparative case studies on selected Washington counties, to evaluate potential cost savings, customer service improvements, and business efficiencies gained by the consolidation of certain functions or positions. The study also involved the conduct of best practices research on various interlocal agreements to determine factors that facilitate or hinder effective cooperative service provisions between counties.

In response to a 2007 legislative mandate, we worked with the Office of Financial Management (OFM) and other agency staff and stakeholders to comprehensively assess the State's current leased facilities planning and management practices, and to develop new agency plans, roles, and processes. The Implementation Plan provides a strategic framework and action plan for the new system. It delineates a new a Statewide leased facilities strategic planning process, defines a new oversight role for OFM, and details specific actions, agency roles, responsibilities, and reporting protocols to meet the requirements of SHB 2366, enacted by the 2007 Legislature.

We developed a 20-year financial model to assess the potential fiscal impacts to the City of SeaTac associated with annexing King County's unincorporated North Highline area. The analysis included an assessment of long-term revenue streams and the incremental operating and capital costs of extending City services, including potential impacts to the fire department and police services contracted with King County Sheriff's Office.

Given that the City's Downtown Strategic Plan was adopted in 2001, it was time for a comprehensive update. We worked with the City to design a new Downtown Advisory Committee (DAC), and worked in close coordination with the DAC, Kirkland Downtown Association, Kirkland Chamber of Commerce, and downtown property owners to identify the district's strategic needs, assets, challenges, and opportunities. The project involved a holistic situation assessment including: analysis of the downtown retail, commercial and housing market; focus group and stakeholder interviews; facilitation of a community meeting; preparation of strategic communications materials; and briefings to the City Council.

In collaboration with a cross-disciplinary team of planners, urban designers, architects, and civil engineers, we prepared the economic development components of a 20-year land use master plan for the Port Madison Indian Reservation. Major elements included a strategic assessment of the strengths and challenges of the Suquamish properties relative to the competitive regional environment for retail, office, industrial, and housing uses; and a pro forma analysis of the development economics for key projects and parcels; all in the context of and with a strong appreciation for tribal economic, cultural, and land use goals and constraints. The final product is a Plan for future economic development investments, including the identification of opportunities and priorities in five-year phases.

For the City of Yakima, we led the effort to update the financial element of the Regional Transportation Plan. The Financial Plan identified all relevant transportation funding options for different transportation modes in the Yakima Valley, including federal, state, and local sources. The analysis included review and summary of transportation revenues and expenditures, fund sources, expenditures by capital, operations, maintenance, and administration category, and forecast over the life of the Plan; and organization of funding options according to the likelihood of securing funding. The summary financial program included a reassessment of the Plan and level of service standards, and an associated adjustment of project priorities and timing.

On behalf of the State Office of Financial Management, we comprehensively analyzed the Department's capital budgeting, planning and management processes. The analysis involved review of the Department's capital projects and contracts database, to identify trends, patterns and to develop a project delivery performance assessment; detailed data analysis using multiple graphs, charts and summary exhibits for busy decision-makers; a best practices profile and comparative assessment based on interviews with agencies across the country; and development of a prioritized set of recommended system and process improvements. Based on our recommendations, the 2007 Legislature approved a proviso asking the Department to prepare an Implementation Plan; we assisted the agency in responding to the proviso requirements.

In support of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee�s performance audit of the public health mission of the Department of Health, we researched, documented and evaluated the structure and organization of public health in all fifty states and provided in-depth profiles of the public health systems of ten states. In our national review of public health systems, we documented how responsibility and authority for public health activities is divided among state, local, and regional agencies in all states, and identified promising practices and the "most current thinking" on key organizational issues. For the in-depth profiles of selected states, we identified organizational characteristics that contribute to optimal system efficiency and effectiveness.

Working with the City and the Port, we undertook long-term financial analysis and a joint transportation funding strategy process. We developed 20-year transportation capital revenue projections for the City, and assessed the financial implications of proposed transportation system improvements for both agencies. This required analysis of the shifting air travel climate post-9/11 as related to the number of people using the airport and their parking patterns, and included preparation of dozens of alternative future financial scenarios. The final product was a comprehensive Plan of Finance for the preferred funding alternative, and presentations to the City, Port, and parking business operators affected by the alternatives.

Development of the Library District's 20-year Capital Facilities Plan, including demographic and policy analysis, report writing and presentations to the Library's Board of Trustees. We also assisted the District in forming a new stakeholder group;the Sno-Isle Libraries Capital Facilities Planning Advisory Board; and designed and facilitated the Advisory Board's meetings. Advisory Board members are community leaders representing rural, suburban and urban communities in Snohomish and Island Counties, including county and city elected officials and staff. The Final Plan includes a summary of contextual findings; population and usage trends; clear, directive District policies and goals to guide capital decision-making; a summary of facility needs; and a funding and implementation plan that establishes a financially feasible, time-based plan for the identified capital improvements. The Plan uses graphics and concise summaries to ensure accessibility and ease of reading.