The Monroe City Planning Commission closed a public hearing and unanimously directed staff to prepare findings of fact and conclusions of law recommending the City Council approve proposed amendments to Chapter 22.88 MMC to align with state commute-trip-reduction (CTR) requirements.

Anita, a city planner, explained that Washington state CTR law requires employers meeting the "major employer" threshold—defined in the draft as employers with 100 or more full‑time employees at a single worksite who begin the workday between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. on at least two weekdays for 12 continuous months—to implement plans that reduce drive‑alone commuting. Anita said the city is adopting a 2025–2029 CTR plan and the draft code amendments update definitions and require affected employers to choose at least five implementing measures from a menu of options, including at least one measure from each category.

Anita told commissioners the CTR plan must be updated every four years and that this local adoption must be completed by June 30, 2025. She said the plan has been approved regionally and that staff received no public comments on the draft code changes.

Commissioner Boyle moved to direct staff to draft findings of fact and conclusions of law recommending city‑council approval; the motion passed unanimously, with the chair casting an aye, recorded as 7‑0.

No public testimony was offered at the hearing. Staff asked the commission to close the hearing, and commissioners made the recommended motion to draft findings for council consideration.

The amendments would change local code language to reference the new 2025–2029 CTR plan and provide employers with a menu of strategies intended to lower single‑occupant vehicle trips, reduce vehicle miles traveled and improve air quality. If Monroe’s council follows the commission recommendation, affected employers will be required to implement the selected measures as described in the adopted local code.