Read first time 01/21/2004.   Referred to Committee on Local Government.

     AN ACT Relating to establishing permit processing timelines and reporting requirements for certain local governments subject to the requirements of RCW 36.70A.215; amending RCW 36.70B.080; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the timely issuance of project permit decisions by local governments serves the public interest. When these decisions, that are often responses to land use and building permit applications, are issued according to specific and locally established time periods and without unnecessary or inappropriate delays, the public enjoys greater efficiency, consistency, and predictability in the permitting process.
     The legislature also finds that full access to relevant performance data produced annually by local governments for each type of permit application affords elected officials, project proponents, and the general public the opportunity to review and compare the permit application and processing performance of jurisdictions. Furthermore, the legislature finds that the review and comparison of this data, and the requirement to provide convenient and direct internet access to germane and consistent reports, will likely foster improved methods for processing applications, and issuing project permit decisions in a timely manner.
     The legislature, therefore, intends to continue and clarify the requirements for certain jurisdictions to produce and provide access to annual permitting performance reports.

Sec. 2   RCW 36.70B.080 and 2001 c 322 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Development regulations adopted pursuant to RCW 36.70A.040 ((shall)) must establish and implement time periods for local government actions ((on specific)) for each type of project permit application((s)) and provide timely and predictable procedures to determine whether a completed project permit application meets the requirements of those development regulations. The time periods for local government actions ((on specific)) for each type of complete project permit application((s)) or project type((s)) should not exceed one hundred twenty days, unless the local government makes written findings that a specified amount of additional time is needed ((for processing of)) to process specific complete project permit applications or project types.
     ((Such)) The development regulations ((shall)) must, for each type of permit application, specify the contents of a completed project permit application necessary for the ((application of such)) complete compliance with the time periods and procedures.
     (2)(a) Counties subject to the requirements of RCW 36.70A.215 and the cities within those counties that have populations of at least twenty thousand ((shall)) must, for each type of permit application, identify the ((types)) total number of project permit applications for which decisions are issued according to the provisions of this chapter. For each type of project permit application identified, these counties and cities ((shall)) must establish and implement a deadline for issuing a notice of final decision as required by subsection (1) of this section and minimum requirements for applications to be deemed complete under RCW 36.70B.070 as required by subsection (1) of this section.
     (b) Counties and cities subject to the requirements of this subsection also ((shall, through September 1, 2003,)) must prepare ((at least two)) annual performance reports that include, at a minimum, the following information for each type of project permit application identified in accordance with the requirements of (a) of this subsection:
     (i) Total number of complete applications received during the year;
     (ii) Number of complete applications received during the year for which a notice of final decision was issued before the deadline established under this subsection;
     (iii) Number of applications received during the year for which a notice of final decision was issued after the deadline established under this subsection;
     (iv) Number of applications received during the year for which an extension of time was mutually agreed upon by the applicant and the county or city; ((and))
     (v) Variance of actual performance, excluding applications for which mutually agreed time extensions have occurred, to the deadline established under this subsection during the year; and
     (vi) The mean processing time and the number standard deviation from the mean.
     (((b) Until July 1, 2003,)) (c) Counties and cities subject to the requirements of this subsection ((shall)) must:
     (i) Provide notice of and access to the annual performance reports ((required by this subsection)) through the county's or city's web site; and
     (ii) Post electronic facsimiles of the annual performance reports through the county's or city's web site. Postings on a county's or city's web site indicating that the reports are available by contacting the appropriate county or city department or official do not comply with the requirements of this subsection.
     If a county or city subject to the requirements of this subsection does not maintain a web site, notice of the reports ((shall)) must be given by reasonable methods, including but not limited to those methods specified in RCW 36.70B.110(4).
     (3) Nothing in this section prohibits a county or city from extending a deadline for issuing a decision for a specific project permit application for any reasonable period of time mutually agreed upon by the applicant and the local government.
     (4) The department of community, trade, and economic development shall work with the counties and cities to review the potential implementation costs of the requirements of subsection (2) of this section. The department, in cooperation with the local governments, shall prepare a report summarizing the projected costs, together with recommendations for state funding assistance for implementation costs, and provide the report to the governor and appropriate committees of the senate and house of representatives by January 1, 2005.