Growth Management Act Compliance
RTC Certification Process Guide and Checklist Adopted
As the state-designated RTPO for the region that includes Clark County, RTC has certain responsibilities under the state’s Growth Management Act. These responsibilities include certification of local Comprehensive Plans. On March 1, 2016, the RTC Board adopted a Guide to RTC’s Certification Process that clarifies RTC’s role in certifying local plans as part of Washington State’s growth management planning process. The Guide includes a checklist for local jurisdictions to complete to help them and RTC fulfill certification requirements. (See sidebar for downloads.)
What does RTC’s certification mean?
In summary, this is a step that has to be completed in order for local jurisdictions to comply with the state’s Growth Management Act and for RTC to fulfill its duties as an RTPO as required by the Growth Management Act.
There are 4 key elements to the certification process:
- Guidelines and Principles for certifying the local transportation elements of Comprehensive Plans are established.
- RTC must certify conformity of local Comprehensive Plan transportation elements with the Growth Management Act’s requirements.
- RTC must certify consistency between local Comprehensive Plans and RTC’s Regional Transportation Plan.
- RTC must certify that locals have met the requirements of the state’s Level of Service Bill.
RTC has worked alongside local jurisdictions in Growth Management planning since the Growth Management Act was passed in 1990. RTC’s adopted guidance document provides description of the required certification process and the checklist provides a simple framework for local jurisdictions to prove the transportation elements of their Comprehensive Plans meet GMA requirements as they work with RTC to complete the Plan Certification step.
