The Executive Board adopted the Policy Framework for the Puget Sound Regional Council's Project Selection Process.

The policy framework guides the selection of projects to receive regionally managed STP, CMAQ, and FTA funds. The framework focuses funds to projects in centers and connecting corridors, continues financial support for the rural town centers and corridors program, and calls for the development of a second list of priority projects to be used as backup in case any additional funding becomes available. About $90 million of STP and CMAQ funds will be distributed during this funding cycle. Some of this is taken off the top and given to countywide organizations, with 10% directed toward non-motorized projects and 7% of the STP funds going directly to Kitsap County because they are not able to receive CMAQ funds. Half of the remaining $78 million will be distributed in the regional project competition and the other half will go to the countywide competitions. Two million dollars of the regional pool will fund implementation of the new rural town centers and corridors program. The Transit Operators Committee is recommending a new project selection process for PSRC's FTA funds.

For more information, contact Karen Richter at (206) 464-6343 or krichter@psrc.org.

Among the new provisions approved by Kitsap County are the designation of downtown Silverdale and the South Kitsap Industrial Area as regional centers. Regional centers are areas targeted by local jurisdictions for housing and/or employment growth. Until now, Bremerton has been the only designated regional center in Kitsap County. The county's designation puts both centers in a better place to compete for federal transportation funds available through the PSRC.

For more information, contact Rocky Piro at (206) 464-6360 or rpiro@psrc.org.

The draft supplemental budget updates the Regional Council's transportation, economic and growth planning activities for the fiscal year 2005. The Operations Committee, chaired by Executive John Ladenburg, is overseeing the process.

For more information, call Mark Gulbranson at 206-464-7524 or mgulbranson@psrc.org.