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University Place council backs staff pilot of 'Health and All Policies' tool, requests fiscal and quarterly updates
Summary
City staff proposed a streamlined "Health and All Policies" analysis form and recommended a 6–9 month pilot on planning documents; council members pressed for clear staff and fiscal impacts and asked for regular study‑session updates as the pilot proceeds.
University Place City Council members on July 6 reviewed a staff‑prepared "Health and All Policies" (HAP) analysis form intended to help the city consider health, equity and environmental effects when drafting policies and plans.
Lisa, the city's Administrative Services Director, told the council staff streamlined work from a Tacoma Pierce County Health Department template into a two‑page HAP form and recommended piloting the tool on near‑term items such as comprehensive plan elements, the PROS plan and the hazard mitigation plan. She said the hazard mitigation example showed where the form could highlight both benefits (improved community resilience) and short‑term downsides (construction disruptions and costs) and recommended expanded multilingual outreach to reach underrepresented residents.
Council members asked staff to attach clear information about expected staff time and fiscal implications before large projects use the form. "I'd like to see a staff and fiscal impacts" when the tool triggers implementation, Councilmember Figueroa said, emphasizing the importance of not surprising the budget. Mayor Stan Fleming asked for a regular update cadence: "I was thinking more of just a quarterly type report back to council," he said.
Several members supported a staff‑led pilot with periodic council review. Councilmember Boykin and others urged the city to begin with a small number of test cases and build feedback loops with commissions and stakeholders. Staff proposed a 6–9 month pilot period and offered to bring refined language and any edits back to the council after the initial trials.
The HAP approach grew from a council goal set in a June 17, 2024 resolution and is intended to integrate health considerations — social, economic and environmental — into policy decisions. Lisa said staff sought council direction on whether to adopt the draft form for an initial pilot and on the specific policies the council would like included.
Next steps: staff will incorporate council feedback (additions to the populations and languages list, clearer fiscal/staff impact reporting, and a suggested pilot schedule), begin pilot applications on near‑term documents, and return with progress updates and recommended refinements in the months ahead.
