AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The Planning Department unveiled a comprehensive 2024 budget during the Dec. 11 City Council meeting.
Principal planner Heather Trautman began the presentation with a candid acknowledgment.
“We’re just a simple department, funded through application fees, grants and funds,” she said.
The proposed budget outlined a decrease in application-fee revenue due to factors such as water concurrency, limited available residential lands and fluctuating interest rates.
Trautman said the revenue projection had dropped from $26,000 to $16.900.
“We have heard that interest rates have made it unattractive for developers to come in and develop,” Trautman said. “We have a surplus of funds, but we are anticipating that the number of applications will go down next year.”
The department will be relying on grant funds next year.
“We did get significant funds from our grants next year,” she said. “This year we have received a grant, and management funding from the chamber of commerce. The first year is $100,000.”
The Planning Department expenses saw notable changes, with salaries and benefits escalating from approximately $163,000 to around $211,000.
The presentation showcased several key projects, each with its funding sources and expected costs. The Craig Road Multimodal Path Design and Construction, the Sixth Avenue Extension Design and Construction, and the U.S. 2 Multimodal and Safety Project were all detailed, underlining the department’s commitment to enhancing transportation infrastructure.
The proposed 2024 Planning Department budget emphasized increases in grant-based funding for projects, the utilization of fee-based revenue for art and transportation initiatives, and reductions in development application-based revenues due to land and water limitations.
Trautman concluded her presentation, acknowledging the challenges th
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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