Chapter 14.20
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Sections:
14.20.010 Adoption by reference.
14.20.030 Designation of official to perform consulted agency responsibilities for the city.
14.20.010 Adoption by reference.
This chapter contains rules for consulting, commenting, and responding on all environmental documents under SEPA, including rules for public notice and hearings. The city adopts by reference the following sections of Chapter 197-11 of the Washington Administrative Code, as now existing or as hereafter amended, as supplemented in this part:
WAC 197-11-500 Purpose of this part.
197-11-502 Inviting comment.
197-11-504 Availability and cost of environmental documents.
197-11-508 SEPA register.
197-11-510 Public notice.
197-11-535 Public hearings and meetings.
197-11-545 Effect of no comment.
197-11-550 Specificity of comments.
197-11-560 FEIS response to comments.
197-11-570 Consulted agency costs to assist lead agency.
(Ord. 98-567 § 4.1, 1998)
14.20.020 Public notice.
A. Whenever the city issues a DNS under WAC 197-11-340 (2) or a DS under WAC 197-11-360(3) the city shall give public notice as follows:
1. If public notice is required for a nonexempt permit, the notice shall state whether a DS or DNS has been issued and when comments are due.
2. If no public notice is required for the permit or approval, the city shall give notice of the DNS or DS by publishing notice in the city’s official newspaper.
3. Whenever the city issues a DS under WAC 197-11-360 (3), the city shall state the scoping procedure for the proposal in the DS as required in WAC 197-11-408 and in the public notice.
B. Whenever the city issues a DEIS under WAC 197-11-455 (5) or a SEIS under WAC 197-11-620, notice of the availability of those documents shall be given by indicating the availability of the DEIS in any public notice required for a nonexempt permit; and at least one of the following:
1. Posting the property, for site-specific proposals;
2. Publishing notice in the city’s official newspaper;
3. Notifying public or private groups which have expressed interest in a certain proposal or in the type of proposal being considered;
4. Notifying the news media;
5. Placing notices in appropriate regional, neighborhood, ethnic, or trade journals; and/or
6. Publishing notice in agency newsletters and/or sending notice to agency mailing lists.
C. Whenever possible, the city shall integrate the public notice required under this section with existing notice procedures for the city’s nonexempt permit(s) or approval(s) required for the proposal.
D. The city may require an applicant to complete the public notice requirements for the applicant’s proposal at his or her expense.
(Ord. 98-567 § 4.2, 1998)
14.20.030 Designation of official to perform consulted agency responsibilities for the city.
A. The city clerk or his or her designee shall be responsible for preparation of written comments for the city in response to a consultation request prior to a threshold determination, participation in scoping, and reviewing a DEIS.
B. The city clerk shall be responsible for the city’s compliance with WAC 197-11-550 whenever the city is a consulted agency and is authorized to develop operating procedures that will ensure that responses to consultation requests are prepared in a timely fashion and include data from all appropriate departments of the city.
(Ord. 98-567 § 4.3, 1998)