Chalk Line Magazine 2024 - Issue #3

THE ISSUE marketing

03

Letter from the Executive Officer, Angela White.

04

Letter from the 2024 OMB President, Chris Winters.

05 What's New: OMB At-A-Glance.

06 The Marketing Issue. Small Business Marketing Ideas on a Budget.

10 Women Build: Habitat for Humanity and Rex Award Winners.

11 Golf Tournament Registration Form and Sponsorship Opportunities.

13 OMB New and Renewing Members and Recruitment 14

CHALK LINE magazine

2024 EDITION - ISSUE #3

ANGELA WHITE EXECUTIVE OFFICER

In this issue of Chalk Line, you’ll find some great content on marketing your small business! As busy business owners I know sometimes marketing ends up at the bottom of your list of to-dos, but it is important to help your company stand out. Marketing is meant to connect your business to the best customers. And it is also meant to let customers know why your product or service is worth looking into.

Another benefit of on-going marketing is to make sure your past customers remember you and either use you again or recommend you. Memories can be short, that satisfied customer from 7 years ago may not remember your company name if you’re not regularly reminding them! Seems fickle but how well do you remember people you did business with years ago?

This issue of Chalk Line also has some fantastic information on the Comprehensive Plan reviews taking place in local jurisdictions. Please pay special attention to this information as it has a HUGE effect on how you’ll do business in the next 20 years. We are looking for members to get involved in reviewing the documents and helping OMB provide comments. Even if you only have a few hours to give please reach out to Jessie Simmons, OMB’s Government Affairs Director at ga@omb. org for more information! The more the merrier!

I hope you’ll find something that you’ll find useful in this issue of Chalk Line!

GET NOTICED! Chalk Line Magazine ADS

Chalk Line is OMB’s bi-monthly magazineavailable in print and online. Display Advertising Rates

Full Page $500

1/2 Page $275

1/4 Page $150 1/8 Page $100 Contact jill@omb.org for more information.

The Olympia Master Builders is a professional trade association representing 470 member companies located in Thurston, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Mason and Pacific Counties. Our members come from all sectors of the building trades and are committed to “building strong communities, one home at a time.”

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President – Chris Winters

First Vice President – Jeff Kuster

Second Vice President – Gina Carlson

Treasurer – Kim Asay

Associate Vice President – Rusty Ruiz

Second Associate Vice President – Daniel Berner

Secretary – Christina Janis

Immediate Past President – Becky Rieger

ELECTED DIRECTORS – TWO YEAR TERM

Builder Director – Daniel Doyle

Builder Director – Maddy Cantrell

Builder Director – Kai Fyrst

Associate Director – Nichole Saeger

Associate Director – Melissa Kirkeby

NATIONAL DIRECTORS – ONE YEAR TERM

Builder – Chris Winters

Builder – Daniel Doyle

Associate – Linda Mosier Vaudt

STATE DIRECTORS – ONE YEAR TERM

Builder – Chris Winters

Builder – Ryann Blake

Builder – Andrew Spear

Builder – John Johnson

Builder – Karen McClennen

Builder – Kai Fyrst

Builder – Rob Cook

Builder – Mark Shepard

Associate – Daniel Doyle

Associate – Janine Ezzell

Associate – Debbi Boyd

Associate – Chad Pearson

Associate – Bob Kagy

Associate – Melissa Stone

BUILDER AT LARGE Karen McClennen

GRAYS HARBOR CHAPTER OFFICERS

President – Ryann Blake, Chimney Techniques, Inc.

LEWIS COUNTY CHAPTER OFFICERS

President – John Johnson, Johnson Custom Homes

MASON COUNTY CHAPTER OFFICERS

President – Andrew Spear, Andrew Spear Construction, LLC

PACIFIC COUNTY CHAPTER OFFICERS

LEGAL COUNSEL

Teena Williams, Goldstein Law Office, PLLC

ASSOCIATION STAFF

Executive Officer – Angela White

Events Director – Brianna Bedell

Communications Director – Jill Williams

Membership Director – Jenn Wasson

Government Affairs Director – Jessie Simmons

Office Administrator – Rodolfo Bonilla Franco

Business Development Associate – Sallee Turner

2024

CHRIS WINTERS BOARD PRESIDENT

I’m really excited about this Chalk Line issue topic on Marketing. Marketing is an aspect of our industry that is extremely important in that marketing is what creates awareness, generates interest, and influences consumer behavior. It helps businesses like ours achieve our objectives by attracting customers and building an identifiable brand image.

When I started as a business owner, marketing your business was pretty simple. You had a logo, business cards, and maybe a brochure or two. We placed ads in the local newspaper and on the local radio stations. But marketing today is a completely different beast - and, truthfully, it can be impossible to keep up with - and very overwhelming.

Nowadays, having a business website and social media presence is imperative. Some of it is

OMB Members in the Community.

manageable in-house, but many of us are finding that it’s much harder than we thought and have to look outside for additional marketing help. I recently hired a social media manager to help keep up with our outward-facing digital marketing. It’s been a weight lifted to know that side of our business is being represented, and I’m not the one having to do it!

There is also another world of digital marketing that isn’t so familiar. This includes areas like Google ads, Google listings, search engine optimization, geofencing, Facebook pixels, etc. Fortunately for us, this issue of Chalk Line will help us comprehend a few of these terms and make educated choices on what and where we decide to spend our marketing dollars.

I hope you get as much out of this issue as I have, and that the new world of digital marketing won’t feel as foreign as it has for many of us in the past.

We want to share outstanding efforts from OMB members giving back to our community. If you have a story to share, please reach out to Jill Williams at jill@omb.org so we can spotlight you on our Outreach page on the omb.org website and in Chalk Line Magazine and Chalk Talk e-newsletter.

Find Your Future with Oakville School District

On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, John Erwin of JER Remodeling & Custom Homes delivered a powerful talk to a group of Oakville School District kids about “Finding Your Future.” His words resonated with the students, sparking a new interest in the trades and potentially shaping their future career paths.

New Market Try-A-Trade Event

Members and staff from Olympia Master Builders participated in the New Market Skills Center in Tumwater’s “Try-A-Trade” construction career fair on Thursday, May 2, 2024! It was a fun day of hands-on activities and practice with heavy equipment, as well as a great opportunity for today’s youth to get excited about careers in the trades! Thank you to Debbi Boyd of Real Estate of the South Sound and Tameka Brown of Homes First.

WHATS NEWat-a-glance

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS! WHY PARTICIPATE?

• Meet hundreds of potential customers as they walk through your home!

• Be a part of OMB’s extensive marketing campaign for the event!

• Receive a profile page in the Tour Guide - a publication that is distributed throughout our local community!

Deadline to Register:

Wednesday, July 26th

For more information and a tes timonial video, please visit: omb. org/events/tour-of-homes/

Conversations with Candidates

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10th - 5:00-7:30pm

marketing THE ISSUE

your business

One of the greatest benefits of being an OMB member, is the opportunity to learn from other members in our industry. Here is a snapshot of where other OMB members are finding success in their marketing endeavors:

“In today’s world people get news and information in so many places, so it’s important to diversify where you advertise. From local news and lifestyle publications to digital platforms, social media, search engine marketing (SEM) and community events, we strive to meet people where they’re at and connect with our shared values and demonstrate our commitment to making this place we all call home even better.”

– Ryan Betz, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer, OlyFed

“Our primary source of marketing is word-of-mouth referral. We usually send a thank you note (with a coffee gift card) upon learning who referred us, and often a monetary gift or dinner certificate if a larger project is actually approved.”

– Cindy Cook, CFO, CPR INC

“Ours is very much a “relationship” business. While we do have a social media presence, the majority of our business is client relationships built over years of transactions.”

– Janine Ezzell, Sales Manager, Chicago Title of Washington

“SEM (Search Engine Marketing) works well for our company because it allows us to target high-intent customers actively searching for what we offer."

– Justin Herman, Office Administrator, John Erwin Remodeling INC

Small Business Marketing Ideas on a Budget!

Building Your Brand - Outside of the Box!

Marketing gives your business the competitive edge it needs to bring visitors to your website, call for an estimate, and raise awareness of your company. But, not all marketing needs to cost a fortune. Here are a few affordable small business marketing strategies that won't break the bank.

Launch a Contest

Contests are a popular way to get your customers involved in your brand. When brainstorming marketing strategies for a small business, consider various creative challenges you can pose to your audience. Maybe you invite them to create videos or photos using your products, or name a product or mascot.

Team up and Promote Other Local Small Businesses

Get creative by reaching out to a brand that shares your values and customer base. Consider bundling your products and offering a package deal. Promote on both of your social media channels, and tap into each other’s audiences.

Experiment with Video

Think about your industry, niche, location, and ideal customer. Follow popular creators on TikTok (or Instagram) to see what kinds of videos are trending. Think about how you can make these trends your own - or identify one of your employees that may be a great fit for this. Remember to include hashtags associated with that trend.

Sponsor a Podcast or Guest Speak on a Local Podcast

70% of Millenials say they have been convinced to make a purchase by a podcast ad. When considering a podcast for sponsorship or to guest appear, pay special attention to those in your niche. Do their listeners align with your target customer? Does their overall tone match yours? Start small when marketing for small businesses.

Share Reviews and Testimonials

On Facebook and Instagram, you can share customer reviews as part of your Story Highlights. When a happy customer leaves a review, sends a DM, posts a video review, or tags you in a post, ask if you can share it on social media (or on your website).

Build an Email List

It’s never too early to start growing your subscriber list, and there are a few things you can do to encourage people to sign up. One of the easiest is by offering a discount code for subscribers.

Consider SMS

SMS or text marketing, like email marketing for small businesses, is a great way to stay top-of-mind among customers.

Host a Class or a Webinar

Create value for your customers by providing courses and how-tos using your products. It could be a live webinar, pre-recorded tutorial, or in-person event.

Start a Referral Program

Word of mouth is powerful, so consider creating a referral program for your existing customers.

Create an In-Person Experience

Offer Hard Hat Tours or consider tabling at local events and festivals. Think about the visuals, as well, as great swag to give away. If you can create an “Instagrammable” set piece, you’re more likely to get people sharing and talking.

Is Your Google Business Profile Up-To-Date?

More people search for businesses online than anywhere else, so it's important to make sure your local business listing can be easily found on Google and Google Maps. With a complete Business Profile, creating a great listing takes just a few minutes and doesn't cost a thing. You can also highlight products and services as well as post updates - just like social media but for Google users.

Digital Marketing Terms You Need To Know!

Digital marketing is an all-encompassing term for any type of online marketing that occurs through a digital device which is an internet-connected tool. Knowing the terms associated with the work helps to understand the actual process and progress in work by marketers.

A/B Testing

Also known as split testing – the process of testing two versions of digital content with a target audience, the preference is learned by measuring by conversion rate.

Affiliate Marketing

A strategy which rewards ‘affiliates,’ i.e., people or organizations outside the business for bringing new customers or visitors.

Brand Positioning

Building a brand identity and connecting to it as different from competitors through tone, voice, and visual design of ads, promotion, logo, representation in social media, etc.

Content Strategy

Planning and implementation of digital content to make it work towards a uniform end; includes creating and distributing content for digital marketing campaigns.

Conversion Rate

The percentage of users who completed the desired action; for instance, those who clicked on an ad. This digital marketing term is one of the most common parameters measured to determine the performance of any campaign.

Cost per Click (CPC)

A pricing model that measures the cost for each click on an ad– critical digital marketing metric showing how much a business pays for someone to click on their ad.

Call-to-Action (CTA)

Referring to a piece of content, such as a text, banner, form, button, or image on a web page (or email) prompting visitors to perform a specific action.

Click Through Rate (CTR)

The percentage of users who click on links placed in emails, ads, websites, etc.; measures the users actively engaging with linked content on a site.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

The process of optimizing a website to increase the percentage of visitors performing the desired CTA - creates a better user experience, generate quality leads, shorten time to close deals.

Engagement Rate

Metrics to track the involvement of the target market with a brand’s content; understood as the number of likes, comments, and shares or interactions with videos, updates, blogs, etc.

Facebook Pixels

A piece of code that you place on your website to data that helps you track conversions from Facebook ads, optimize ads, build targeted audiences.

Funnels

The sales funnel displaying the buying process from a lead to a customer.

Geofencing

A type of location-based marketing that uses virtual geographic boundaries to trigger targeted actions when a device enters or exits the boundary.

Google AdWords

A digital advertising platform that allows companies to display their website in search results when a user searches for a specific keyword.

Lead Generation

Educating visitors on product or service and the industry where visitors, in turn, provide information to help to capture qualified leads.

Paid Ads

Generating website traffic through paid ads that ensure the marketing content will jump to the head of the line; include two main categories of social media ads and display ads.

Relevancy Score & Quality Score

To decide how relevant an advertisement is and how it compares to other similar ads on the platform.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Helping search engines understand your content, and helping users find your site and make a decision about whether they should visit your site through a search engine.

Target Audience

The ideal client persona while strategizing new ad campaigns or content – determining a target audience through paid and organic efforts helps to increase sales and grow the reach.

WIN NERS

Kitchen Under $40K First Finishers, LLC

Kitchen $40K to $70K

John Erwin Remodeling, Inc.

Kitchen $70K to $135K Kuster Homes and Remodeling, LLC

Bath Under $30K First Finishers, LLC

Bath $30,000 to $60K First Finishers, LLC

Bath $60K to $80K

Kuster Homes and Remodeling, LLC

Addition over $250K Dunamis Interiors & Design Build

Entire House Under $200K First Finishers, LLC

OMB Members Nail It at the South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity's Women Build Event.

On May 15, 2024, Olympia Master Builder's Professional Women in Building crew joined in on one of Habitat for Humanity's most popular and meaningful events, Women Build.

Women Build isn’t just about constructing homes; it’s about constructing dreams, breaking barriers, and empowering communities. This annual event, holds profound significance in the realm of affordable housing and gender equity. OMB members were honored to have the opportunity to volunteer their time and apply their skills toward such a impactful project.

Women Build serves as a catalyst for community engagement and collaboration. By bringing together volunteers, donors, and partner organizations, Women Build creates a shared sense of purpose and solidarity. Participants not only contribute to the construction of homes but also forge lasting connections, strengthen bonds, and cultivate a sense of belonging within our community.

Together, we can break down barriers, build bridges, and create a world where every woman has the opportunity to thrive.

Entire House

$200K to $500K

Brown Building Contractors, LLC

Aging In Place Under $35K

John Erwin Remodeling, Inc.

Aging In Place

$6K to $80K

Dickey's Remodel and Repair

Aging In Place Over $80K

Dickey's Remodel and Repair

Outdoor Living Over $150K

Brown Building Contractors, LLC

Historic Renovation

Dunamis Interiors & Design Build

Basements, Garages, and ADUs

Brown Building Contractors, LLC

G olf C lassic

Recruitment corner ONE IS NOT THE LONELIEST NUMBER! January and

Olympia Master Builders continues to grow its membership by leaps and bounds. As of February 2024, we are up 38 members over February of the previous year. This increase in members is a reason to celebrate and has left us wanting to grow even more! And this is possible if each our members go out and Recruit 1 New Member in 2024!

Every year it is natural to have members who retire, sell their business, or choose not to renew their membership. However, it is important to keep in mind that for every company that doesn’t renew, it takes TWO new members to continue to show growth. This is why it is vital for our current membership to be active recruiters. Peer to peer recruitment is the most natural way to get businesses to join OMB. An easy way to bring new members in is to think about the companies you do business with, and you feel would be a good fit, talk with them about the value and benefits of Olympia Master Builders and share with them how the association has helped you and your business. It’s that simple!

Membership recruitment is the best way to ensure the health and wellbeing of any association. The more members we have, the more we can do to help companies build their businesses, advocate for the building industry and fight for affordable housing. These are benefits to OMB as well as the communities it serves which is why it is important to make recruitment a priority in 2024.

If everyone takes the time to Recruit 1 New Member throughout the remainder of 2024, OMB will continue to grow!

NEW MEMBERS

MSGS Carve Architects Olympia, WA (360) 943-6774

catrinac@msgsarch.com

Sponsor: Kirk Haffner

Diamond Touch Construction, LLC

Tumwater, WA (206) 788-7345

diamondtouchlandscape@gmail.com

Sponsor: Daniel Doyle

Capital Development Company Lacey, WA (360) 972-2858 mattm@capdevco.com

Sponsor: Gina Carlson

Jump Box Mobile Storage Olympia, WA (855) 633-7701 billyw@jumpboxmove.com

Sponsor: Nichole Saeger

Projects By Piper Chehalis, WA (360) 523-8702 harlan.piper@projectsbypiper.com

Sponsor: Kai Fyrst

Honest Garage Doors Lacey, WA (360) 515-1438 honestgaragedoorsllc@gmail.com

Sponsor: Christina Janis

Promo Northwest Olympia, WA (360) 915-2065 lindsay@promonorthwest.com

Sponsor: Jeff Kuster

Dodie’s Design Co. Chehalis, WA (360) 880-2754 dodiesdesignco@gmail.com

Sponsor: Becky Rieger

Eagle Creek Siding Tumwater, WA (360) 570-0396 accounting@eaglecreeksiding.com

Sponsor: Rusty Ruiz

Northwestern Woodworks, LLC Centralia, WA (360) 529-1991 northwesternwoodworkswa@gmail. com

Sponsor: Daniel Berner

Gold Standard Contractor Services Olympia, WA (360) 951-7230

npj4u2c@gmail.com

Sponsor: Gina Carlson

Cambria Kent, WA (253) 349-1358

josie.apostol@cambriausa.com

Sponsor: Margi Manning

Slingshot Construction NW, LLC

Tenino, WA (360) 972-5520

david.comnick@slingshotconstructionnw.com

Sponsor: Chris Arnold

Concrete Coating Experts

Chehalis, WA (360) 502-1986

derek.dodd2009@gmail.com

Sponsor: Dennis Harmon

Certapro Painters

Lacey, WA (360) 822-9975

saurich@certapro.com

Sponsor: Kim Asay

ForeverLawn Puget Sound

Olympia, WA (360) 455-9500

kelsey@foreverlawnps.com

Sponsor: Christina Janis

Realty On Group ALL-Stars

Aberdeen, WA (360) 480-5701

case4space@yahoo.com

Sponsor: Janine Ezzell

Ace Plumbing, LLC

Chehalis, WA (360) 219-6334

office@aceplumbingllc.net

Sponsor: Becky Rieger

Grasser Insurance Agency, LLC

Morton, WA (360) 496-6262

agrasser@farmersagent.com

Sponsor: John Johnson

Viking Prowash NW Exterior Solutions

Olympia, WA (360) 305-5503

vikingprowashnw@gmail.com

Sponsor: Karen McClennen

Dowers Power Wash, Exterior Cleaning, LLC

Centralia, WA (360) 791-3074 dowerspowerwash@gmail.com

Sponsor: John Erwin

Pacific Northwest Painting of Olympia Shelton, WA (360) 634-9717 pnwpaintingofolympia@gmail.com

Sponsor: Becky Rieger

Mason County Clean Outs & Junk Removal Shelton, WA (360) 712-1113

masoncountycleanouts@gmail.com

Sponsor: Chris Winters

Thanks

RENEWING Members!

1-4 YEARS

Alpine Ductless, LLC

MG Civil Engineering, LLC

AAA Septic, LLC

Urban Glass, LLC

Contract Furnishings Mart

Buds & Blades Landscape Company

Black Hills Drafting and Design, LLC

Quail Electric, LLC

Lakeview Contractors, Inc.

Mallard Brothers Construction

Material Masters Concrete

Capitol Painting Company

Navigate Financial

Shocking Difference, LLC

BECU

Lexar Homes (Centralia)

C.P.C. Stuff and Things

Sparrow Design Company

Pony Up Parking Lots, Inc.

3R Works, LLC

Moore Glass Company

Suprema Homes

Trestlewood Construction

American Plumbing Contractors, Inc.

Electrical Contractors, Inc.

Quality Geo NW, PLLC

CrossCountry Mortgage

Panza dba: Quixote Communities

A & A Carpentry

Cecilia Felix RE/MAX Advantage The

Four Seasons Group

Sigma Drafting and Design Services

Local Custom House Plans

TAGS Awards & Specialties

Nyco Construction, LLC

Yesterday’s Home Builders, LLC

Berner Law Office, PLLC

Live at Home on Your Own

R L Smith Logging, Inc.

Thurston County REALTORS Association

CPR Inc.

Wolbert’s, inc.

Le Mier Construction, LLC

Controlled Rain

Ferguson Enterprises, LLC-Tacoma

4th Dimension Construction, LLC

5-9 YEARS

Northfork Asphalt Paving

Revolution Mortgage

C & C Development Companies, Inc.

Puget Sound Welding

West Coast Plumbing Pumps & Filtration, LLC

All Star Windows

The Showroom Interior Solutions

DK Boos Glass, Inc.

In N Out Construction

Windermere Real Estate Westport

Epic Realty

Thurston County Title Co.

Republic Services

Michael’s Roof Service

Gritton Building Company

Black Hills Excavating

Buck Electric, Inc.

South Sound Framing, LLC

GHB Insurance/Acrisure

RHD Enterprises, Inc.

Real Estate of the South Sound

Bucks Logging, Inc.

Jesfield Construction Company, Inc.

Shield of Armor Safety, LLC

Dunamis Interiors & Design Build

10-14 YEARS

K.T. Charboneau Trucking, Inc.

Premier Power Electric, LLC

Western Steel & Supply, Inc.

Lifespan Construction, Inc.

Whitehouse & Nichols Attorneys at Law, LLP

Integrated Claims Management, Inc.

Interior Dimensions

John Easter Roofing and Gutters, Inc.

Rosenbach Plumbing, Inc.

Habitat for Humanity of Mason County

CW Construction, Inc.

Kuster Homes and Remodeling, LLC

Michael’s Custom Woodworks, Inc.

Randle Woods, LLC

15-19 YEARS

Flying Colors Painting Co.

Olympia Construction, Inc.

BC Gas Repair

Advanced Heating & Air, Inc.

Americool Heating and A/C

Clifton Larson Allen, LLP

Morgan Stanley

KPFF Consulting Engineers

Cabinets by Trivonna

Kugel Construction

Capital City Stove & Grill Center

20-24 YEARS

Brodie Heck Construction, Inc.

Al’s Welding & Steel Fabrication, inc.

Fox Head Construction, LLC

SoundBuilt Homes, LLC

Washington Federal Homes Resource Co.

Creative Design Builders, Inc.

Mason County PUD #3

Summit Fence

Steve Crass Construction, LLC

Lacey Roofing, LLC

Northwest Containers, Inc.

Lillegard Construction

Black Diamond Roofing, Inc.

25 -29 YEARS

Bailey General Contractors, LLC

TwinStar Credit Union

Robbins’ Air, Inc.

Olympia Sheet Metal, Inc.

Pascher Construction, Inc.

Everson Asphalt Paving, Inc.

Moerke & Sons Pump & Drill, Inc.

30-34 YEARS

Bailey General Contractors, LLC

TwinStar Credit Union

Robbins’ Air, Inc.

Olympia Sheet Metal, Inc.

Pascher Construction, Inc.

Everson Asphalt Paving, Inc.

Moerke & Sons Pump & Drill, Inc.

40 + YEARS

Builders FirstSource-Olympia

Bayview Building Materials of Olympia Sunset Air, Inc.

INDUSTRY ADVOCACY

It’s Comprehensive Plan update time once again, and this is your chance to shape the future of your community for the next 20 years.

Why This Matters To You

Comprehensive Planning at jurisdictions will impact your ability to do business and build housing for the next 20 years. They include policy around economy, land use, zoning, housing and more. The overarching goal of the comprehensive plan is to place local control over local priorities. Make time to be part of the “locals” that are giving input! These plans are only available to update and edit every 10 years, and now is your time to determine what you want your community to look like shifting toward 2045, and to ensure that affordable housing for all economic segments of society is a priority!

Thurston County has begun work on their 2025 Comprehensive Plan, and successfully posted draft changes for the initial chapters on their Thurston 2045 website. Those chapters currently include the Introduction, Archaeological and Historic Resources, and multiple appendices. Thurston County is particularly important to watch as they often set the trend for communities across the South Sound region. We expect upcoming chapters like Land Use and Housing to become available online throughout June. And a newly required chapter of importance will surely be the Climate chapter expected to be available in June. The total package is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, with some minor adjustments in early 2025.

Information, schedules, and drafts are available at https:// www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/communityplanning-and-economic-development-cped/communityplanning/thurston-2045

Lewis County is making significant moves to plan for growth happening in several areas around the county. Most notably, they are focusing a great amount of effort on around growth happening in the Packwood community, as well as proposing a “Rural Housing Alternative” to ensure sustainable steps toward both building truly affordable housing and maintaining rural community character. Lewis County has created a Planned Growth Committee and is managing these efforts through the project “Lewis County 2045.”

Information on Lewis County 2045 can be found at: https:// lewiscountywa.gov/departments/community-development/ rezones/comprehensive-plan-and-development-regulationamendments/comprehensive-plan-periodic-update/

Mason County is also a fully planning jurisdiction and is required to evaluate the comprehensive plan and development regulations against updates in the GMA, case law, and changes in land use and population growth (RCW 36.70A.130(5). The county has begun this work through the Community Planning and Development department and will periodically send updates to stakeholders who have signed up to receive such information. Interested parties can look to the planning commission and commissioners to address each chapter individually and complete the process by June 2025.

To sign up for updates, access project information, and comment please go to: https://masoncountywa.gov/ community-services/planning/2025-comp-plan-update/

Several of the major jurisdictions within these counties are also conducting plan updates. The easiest way to get information from your jurisdiction is to go to the jurisdiction website and seek out their Community Planning and Economic Development Department (AKA building department). If your jurisdiction is due for a comprehensive plan update, a dedicated plan page will likely be found there.

Some examples include:

• City of Olympia: https://engage.olympiawa.gov/

• City of Lacey: https://cityoflacey.org/comprehensiveplanning/

• City of Tumwater: https://www.ci.tumwater.wa.us/ departments/community-development-department/ tumwater-comprehensive-plan

• City of Centralia: https://www.cityofcentralia. com/563/2025-Comprehensive-Plan-Update

For more information, or to sign up for advocacy updates, please contact OMB Government Affairs Director, Jessie Simmons, at ga@omb.org or (360)754-0912 ext. 102.

ADVOCACY REPORT

Say Yes to Energy Choice!

A broad coalition is collecting signatures to place I-2066 on the November ballot to protect natural gas as an energy choice, ensure energy stability and security, and prohibit natural gas bans in Washington.

The Problem: Recent actions by the Washington State Legislature have put in jeopardy the safety, comfort, and security of residents throughout the state. The unrelenting effort to ban natural gas will expose Washingtonians to the risk of becoming victims of the very thing these efforts are supposed to prevent. Banning natural gas removes a reliable and efficient source for warmth, for specialized ways of preparing cultural cuisine, and for simply providing hot water. When the extreme whether events that proponents say are coming do happen, Washington residents are at risk of truly being left in the cold. The facts of the matter are that the push for full electrification without first recognizing that we need to build out the infrastructure and capacity to get there will create a state of emergency of our own making. Energy companies will struggle to keep the heat on, and we could then expect power failures and blackouts that put all our neighbors at risk. This would create an especially dyer situation for the most vulnerable citizens of our state, and for some of the more rural areas that struggle to maintain services with minimal resources compared to population hubs like Seattle or Olympia. We know the outlook seems somewhat apocalyptic, but not all is lost.

What is TAHC (The

Affordable

Housing Council)

• TAHC is the Political Action Committee for the Olympia Master Builders (OMB).

• TAHC provides endorsements and financial support to political candidates who understand and support the mission of OMB – to provide affordable housing for all economic segments of society.

• Members of OMB can pay $125 to become a TAHC Trustee.

• TAHC Trustees play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the homebuilding industry in Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Grays Harbor, and Pacific Counties.

You Shape the Future!

• If you are part of the homebuilding industry in Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Grays Harbor, or Pacific County, TAHC should be an ESSENTIAL component of your business strategy.

• Your participation and support impacts REAL change in local government.

• Your local jurisdiction has the most immediate impact on the success of your business.

• TAHC is non-partisan and is focused on supporting “H” (for housing) candidates first.

Here is what you can do:

Support the efforts to get I-2066 on the November ballot by,

Signing one of the many petitions available at locations across the state. Take a few blank petitions of your own and gather signatures from everyone you know that is a registered voter in the state (including family, friends, co-workers, etc.). Encourage others to gather signatures by presenting petitions to all your local social groups, volunteer groups, and others.

Olympia Master Builders is a participating location where you can sign petitions, request petitions, and more.

-or-

Go to https://www.protectenergychoice.com/ to find all the valuable information on how you can protect energy choice!

• Joining TAHC instantly multiplies the power of your industry.

The Bottom Line…

• If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.

• Join TAHC TODAY!!! The best choice for the future of your business.

For more information, or to sign up for advocacy updates, please contact OMB Government Affairs Director, Jessie Simmons, at ga@omb.org or (360)754-0912 ext.102.

1211 STATE AVE. NE OLYMPIA, WA 98506

$1.25 per copy

360-754-0912 800-456-6473 www.omb.org