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Thurston Climate Collaborative postpones vehicle‑miles‑traveled gap analysis to 2026
Summary
Executive committee approved staff’s recommendation to delay the 2025 regional initiative — a gap analysis of plans and policies to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) — to 2026, citing staff capacity and alignment with updated comprehensive plan deadlines.
The Thurston Climate Mitigation Collaborative’s executive committee voted on April 28 to delay implementation of its 2025 regional initiative, a gap analysis of regional and jurisdictional policies to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), until 2026.
Staff recommended the delay to give the program team capacity to finish other underway initiatives — notably Energize Thurston and the Home Energy Score model ordinance work — and to align the gap analysis with updated municipal comprehensive plan timelines. Doctor Pratt, a staff presenter, told the committee that comprehensive plan deadlines had shifted later in 2025 and that waiting would allow the gap analysis to include the newly updated local plans.
Committee members expressed disappointment at the postponement but supported the rationale. Steven Bernath, a Community Advisory Workgroup member, told the committee that resource constraints at jurisdictions were a recurring challenge and urged additional staffing where possible to accelerate climate work.
After discussion, Thurston County Commissioner Emily Klaus moved to delay the initiative until 2026. The motion was seconded and adopted by voice vote with no recorded roll call.
Staff said no funds had yet been spent on a consultant or RFP for the VMT gap analysis; the main costs would be consultant procurement and staff time when the project begins. Jurisdictions that had budgeted funds for the project retain discretion to carry those amounts into 2026 or reallocate them through their own budget processes.
The committee asked staff to return with options on scheduling and on whether the Collaborative might change the cadence of future regional initiatives (for example, biennial planning) to reduce simultaneous demands on jurisdiction staff.
