EXECUTIVE ORDER  73-03

Establishing the Office of Community Development and Ordering
Certain Implementing Actions to be Taken

WHEREAS, rapidly changing conditions in the urban, suburban and rural areas of the state, and changing structure and content of federal and state programs affecting the development of those areas necessitates greater cooperation among, and coordination of, federal, state, regional and local programs, activities and agencies relating to community development purposes, and

The continuing growth and change being experienced throughout the state has made evident new and significant problems as well as opportunities for governmental units to meet the social, economic and environmental needs of the citizens of the State of Washington; and

The need for improved coordination of the various state programs, activities and agencies involved in community development within the state requires the establishment of a more effective mechanism at the state level to administer both existing and future programs created to meet the challenges of present-day urban, suburban and rural life;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Daniel J. Evans, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Washington, do hereby proclaim the following Executive Order:

1. There is hereby created within the Executive Office of the Governor the Office of Community Development which office shall become operational July 1, 1973.

2. The Office of Community Development shall serve as the principal repository within the Executive Office of the Governor of various community affairs and community development functions and responsibilities of the Governor and agencies within the Executive Office of the Governor, in order that the Executive Office of the Governor may better

-provide appropriate financial and technical aid to urban, suburban and rural areas and local general purpose governments of the state;

-assist in coordinating the complex interrelationships among federal, state and local governments; foster cooperative solutions to governmental problems at all levels;

-focus attention on the need for comprehensive rural and community development programs and to supply planning and program development assistance; provide aid in the formulation of orderly land use programs;

-support cooperative and integrated approaches to community development that effectively and consistently involve citizens and that assist local governments in developing their capability to implement locally determined goals and objectives;

-make more efficient utilization of state agency resources available for community affairs and community development programs and activities; and

-assist in community planning and development which will promote the health, living standards and environmental welfare of the citizens of this state.

3. Subject to appropriate implementing measures of the agencies participating in this cooperative effort, the executive head of the Office of Community Development shall be a Director appointed by the Governor. The Governor or his designee shall act as the executive head of the Office of Community Development prior to the time the office becomes operational. The executive head of the Office of Community Development shall have the authority to act for and commit the Office of Community Development to perform any community affairs and community development functions and responsibilities assigned or delegated to it by Executive Order, contract or other agreement.

4. The executive heads of the Planning and Community Affairs Agency, the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Drug Abuse Prevention Office, and, in connection with the Comprehensive Area Manpower Planning System created by Executive Order No. 72-01, the executive head of the Department of Employment Security are hereby directed to meet with administrative personnel of the Executive Office of the Governor to secure on or before July 1, 1973, the full implementation of this Executive Order through functional transfers and/or cooperative agreements among the agencies and offices mentioned above.

5. The successful implementation of this Executive Order is dependent upon all personnel involved in activities and programs of state and local agencies that have an impact on community development maintaining close and continuing coordination with the Office of Community Development. All state and local agencies are hereby requested to cooperate with and give assistance to the Office of Community Development to enable it to carry out the purposes of this Executive Order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set
my hand and caused the seal of the State of
Washington to be affixed at Olympia this
24th day of May A.D., Nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

Daniel J. Evans
Governor of Washington

BY THE GOVERNOR:



Secretary of State

Back to Executive Orders Archive