Municipal Research and Services Center

06/12/2026

🏗️ Have a clean energy project in mind? You could be eligible for cash-back tax credits — even if your organization doesn’t file taxes!

Through Washington’s Clean Energy Tax Assistance Program (CETCAP), tax-exempt entities can receive free legal and technical assistance to help navigate these powerful federal incentives.

✅ Start by filling out the program intake form today — don’t wait! This program is available for a limited time.

🔗 https://zurl.co/s71He

06/11/2026

With the FIFA World Cup drawing crowds to Washington this summer, many local governments are planning celebrations of their own. MRSC's Leah LaCivita's recent blog covers how to host a safe, compliant event.

Read the full post at https://zurl.co/Kb4JA

06/11/2026

Washington's new 23-hour crisis relief centers offer an alternative to the ER or a jail cell during a behavioral health crisis, with Centralia as a test case. The Chronicle's Jacob Moore reports on how it's working and the funding questions ahead: https://zurl.co/4kHB3

When a child breaks an arm, your friend gets in a car crash or you have a scary-high fever over the weekend, you turn to emergency medical services. You don’t want to pay for an ambulance or …

06/10/2026

June is ! MRSC appreciates our small cities.
https://zurl.co/Rk3RR

Just a few weeks after AWC's Small City Connector events, June is Small Cities Month at the National League of Cities. Washington's small cities and towns are coming up with innovative solutions to everything from infrastructure challenges to rapid growth. They're wonderful places to live, play, and...

06/09/2026

Washington's new SB 6002 sets the state's first legal limits on how agencies can use, share, and retain automated license plate reader (ALPR) data. Our legal consultant Harry Boesche breaks down what local governments need to know.

Read the full post at https://zurl.co/1bRHx

06/09/2026

Sidewalks are where laws on movement, safety, speech, and commerce collide, yet few communities manage them in one place. Streetsblog podcast makes the case for rethinking management.

Read the full article at https://zurl.co/LIDLy

Author Michael Pollack discusses why your city needs a Department of Sidewalks.

06/08/2026

A useful tool from !

https://zurl.co/iZ5Q2

06/05/2026

Missing middle housing made up nearly 20% of Spokane's permitted units in 2025, up from just 3% to 4% a few years earlier, reports . The jump follows zoning changes allowing more small multifamily homes.

Read more: https://zurl.co/npyK2

Recent laws making it easier and less costly to build smaller residential buildings are having their intended effect.

06/04/2026

An important survey from our friends at of Washington Cities! Be sure to share your thoughts before June 26th:

https://zurl.co/stuV2

AWC's biennial AWC Tax and User Fee Survey compiles statewide data to help you benchmark your city's municipal taxes and fees, planning and development fees, and utility rates. High response rates help us give members the most comprehensive and accurate information possible. We appreciate your parti...

06/04/2026

If your agency runs license plate readers, the rules just changed. SB 6002 limits how ALPR data can be used, shared, and kept, and bans collection at schools, courts, and health care sites.

MRSC's Harry Boesche shares guidance for staying compliant: https://zurl.co/oZDpM