Tumwater staff resume urban forestry code update; RFP posted, consultant proposals due Jan. 21

City staff told the Tree Board on Jan. 12 that work on a combined Urban Forestry Code update — consolidating three code sections and the urban forestry plan — has resumed after a pause while state-level wildland-urban interface proposals were tracked.

"We wanna get this code adopted by November 1," the staff presenter said, laying out the project's scope: protect large trees, consider habitat and maintenance, clarify ownership responsibilities, and strengthen retention and replacement requirements. Staff said the effort will use a point-based system to provide incentives for keeping larger trees and that they are aiming for a code that streamlines permitting while remaining enforceable.

The city has posted an RFP and staff said proposals are due Jan. 21. The RFP calls for three deliverables: a substantive draft code, a peer-review copy, and an adopted final copy. Staff described a planned timeline of internal review, test-case scenarios, a public tour and joint sessions with the planning commission and city council during the April–September window, with the goal of adoption later in the year. Staff also said they will provide summary materials for the board and that draft materials will be circulated to commissioners before joint meetings.

Board members asked how long the draft will be and whether board members could see materials in advance; staff estimated the combined package could be lengthy but said packet materials and summary versions will be provided (staff estimated "a few hundred pages" as a high-end estimate). The presenter emphasized plain-language editing while keeping the code legally defensible.

Next steps: consultant selection and contract execution after the Jan. 21 RFP deadline, internal test-case review and a joint review process with planning commission and council in the spring/summer months.