BILL REQ. #:  H-2382.1 

READ FIRST TIME 03/07/05.   

     AN ACT Relating to allowing counties and cities one additional year to comply with the requirements of RCW 36.70A.130; amending RCW 36.70A.130; creating new sections; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature recognizes the importance of appropriate and meaningful land use measures and that such measures are critical to preserving and fostering the quality of life enjoyed by Washingtonians. The legislature recognizes also that the growth management act requires counties and cities to review and, if needed, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations on a cyclical basis. These requirements, which often require significant compliance efforts by local governments are, in part, an acknowledgment of the continual changes that occur within the state, and the need to ensure that land use measures reflect the collective wishes of its citizenry.
     The legislature acknowledges that only those jurisdictions in compliance with the review and revision schedules of the growth management act are eligible to receive funds from the public works assistance and water quality accounts in the state treasury. The legislature further recognizes that some jurisdictions that are not yet in compliance with these review and revision schedules have demonstrated substantial progress towards compliance.
     The legislature, therefore, intends to grant noncompliant jurisdictions demonstrating substantial progress towards compliance with the review and revision schedules of the growth management act twelve months of additional eligibility to receive grants, loans, pledges, or financial guarantees from the public works assistance and water quality accounts in the state treasury.
     The legislature intends also to establish a task force to study one-year extensions to the review and revision requirements for comprehensive plans and development regulations that are mandated by the growth management act.

Sec. 2   RCW 36.70A.130 and 2002 c 320 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Each comprehensive land use plan and development regulations shall be subject to continuing review and evaluation by the county or city that adopted them. Except as otherwise provided, a county or city shall take legislative action to review and, if needed, revise its comprehensive land use plan and development regulations to ensure the plan and regulations comply with the requirements of this chapter according to the time periods specified in subsection (4) of this section.
     (b) Except as otherwise provided, a county or city not planning under RCW 36.70A.040 shall take action to review and, if needed, revise its policies and development regulations regarding critical areas and natural resource lands adopted according to this chapter to ensure these policies and regulations comply with the requirements of this chapter according to the time periods specified in subsection (4) of this section. Legislative action means the adoption of a resolution or ordinance following notice and a public hearing indicating at a minimum, a finding that a review and evaluation has occurred and identifying the revisions made, or that a revision was not needed and the reasons ((therefore)) therefor.
     (c) The review and evaluation required by this subsection may be combined with the review required by subsection (3) of this section. The review and evaluation required by this subsection shall include, but is not limited to, consideration of critical area ordinances and, if planning under RCW 36.70A.040, an analysis of the population allocated to a city or county from the most recent ten-year population forecast by the office of financial management.
     (((b))) (d) Any amendment of or revision to a comprehensive land use plan shall conform to this chapter. Any amendment of or revision to development regulations shall be consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan.
     (2)(a) Each county and city shall establish and broadly disseminate to the public a public participation program consistent with RCW 36.70A.035 and 36.70A.140 that identifies procedures and schedules whereby updates, proposed amendments, or revisions of the comprehensive plan are considered by the governing body of the county or city no more frequently than once every year. "Updates" means to review and revise, if needed, according to subsection (1) of this section, and the time periods specified in subsection (4) of this section or in accordance with the provisions of subsection (8) of this section. Amendments may be considered more frequently than once per year under the following circumstances:
     (i) The initial adoption of a subarea plan that does not modify the comprehensive plan policies and designations applicable to the subarea;
     (ii) The adoption or amendment of a shoreline master program under the procedures set forth in chapter 90.58 RCW; and
     (iii) The amendment of the capital facilities element of a comprehensive plan that occurs concurrently with the adoption or amendment of a county or city budget.
     (b) Except as otherwise provided in (a) of this subsection, all proposals shall be considered by the governing body concurrently so the cumulative effect of the various proposals can be ascertained. However, after appropriate public participation a county or city may adopt amendments or revisions to its comprehensive plan that conform with this chapter whenever an emergency exists or to resolve an appeal of a comprehensive plan filed with a growth management hearings board or with the court.
     (3)(a) Each county that designates urban growth areas under RCW 36.70A.110 shall review, at least every ten years, its designated urban growth area or areas, and the densities permitted within both the incorporated and unincorporated portions of each urban growth area. In conjunction with this review by the county, each city located within an urban growth area shall review the densities permitted within its boundaries, and the extent to which the urban growth occurring within the county has located within each city and the unincorporated portions of the urban growth areas.
     (b) The county comprehensive plan designating urban growth areas, and the densities permitted in the urban growth areas by the comprehensive plans of the county and each city located within the urban growth areas, shall be revised to accommodate the urban growth projected to occur in the county for the succeeding twenty-year period. The review required by this subsection may be combined with the review and evaluation required by RCW 36.70A.215.
     (4) The department shall establish a schedule for counties and cities to take action to review and, if needed, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations to ensure the plan and regulations comply with the requirements of this chapter. Except as provided in subsection (8) of this section, the schedule established by the department shall provide for the reviews and evaluations to be completed as follows:
     (a) On or before December 1, 2004, and every seven years thereafter, for Clallam, Clark, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom counties and the cities within those counties;
     (b) On or before December 1, 2005, and every seven years thereafter, for Cowlitz, Island, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, and Skamania counties and the cities within those counties;
     (c) On or before December 1, 2006, and every seven years thereafter, for Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Spokane, and Yakima counties and the cities within those counties; and
     (d) On or before December 1, 2007, and every seven years thereafter, for Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties and the cities within those counties.
     (5)(a) Nothing in this section precludes a county or city from conducting the review and evaluation required by this section before the time limits established in subsection (4) of this section. Counties and cities may begin this process early and may be eligible for grants from the department, subject to available funding, if they elect to do so.
     (b) State agencies are encouraged to provide technical assistance to the counties and cities in the review of critical area ordinances, comprehensive plans, and development regulations.
     (6) A county or city subject to the time periods in subsection (4)(a) of this section that, pursuant to an ordinance adopted by the county or city establishing a schedule for periodic review of its comprehensive plan and development regulations, has conducted a review and evaluation of its comprehensive plan and development regulations and, on or after January 1, 2001, has taken action in response to that review and evaluation shall be deemed to have conducted the first review required by subsection (4)(a) of this section. Subsequent review and evaluation by the county or city of its comprehensive plan and development regulations shall be conducted in accordance with the time periods established under subsection (4)(a) of this section.
     (7) The requirements imposed on counties and cities under this section shall be considered "requirements of this chapter" under the terms of RCW 36.70A.040(1). Only those counties and cities in compliance with the schedules in this section and those counties and cities demonstrating substantial progress towards compliance with the schedules in this section shall have the requisite authority to receive grants, loans, pledges, or financial guarantees from those accounts established in RCW 43.155.050 and 70.146.030. A county or city that is more than twelve months out of compliance with the schedules in this section is deemed not to be making substantial progress towards compliance. Only those counties and cities in compliance with the schedules in this section shall receive preference for grants or loans subject to the provisions of RCW 43.17.250.
     (8)(a) Counties and cities required to satisfy the requirements of this section according to the schedule established by subsection (4)(b) through (d) of this section may comply with the requirements of this section one year after the dates established in subsection (4)(b) through (d) of this section.
     (b) Counties and cities complying with the requirements of this section one year after the dates established in subsection (4)(b) through (d) of this section shall be deemed in compliance with the requirements of this section.
     (c) This subsection (8) applies only to the counties and cities specified in subsection (4)(b) through (d) of this section, and only to the requirements of this section that must be satisfied by December 1, 2005, December 1, 2006, and December 1, 2007.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The task force on one-year review and revision compliance extensions is established. The task force shall consist of four members, as follows:
     (a) One member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and
     (b) One member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
     (2) The task force members shall, by an affirmative vote of at least three members, select a chair from among its membership.
     (3) The task force shall consult with individuals from the public and private sectors and other interested parties, as may be appropriate, for technical advice and assistance and may ask such individuals to establish advisory committees or work groups that report to the task force. Those with whom the task force must consult include, but are not limited to, the following:
     (a) Representatives from cities;
     (b) Representatives from counties;
     (c) Representatives from the environmental community;
     (d) Representatives from the property rights community;
     (e) Representatives from the agricultural community;
     (f) Representatives from the building industry; and
     (g) Representatives from realtors.
     (4) The task force shall review relevant statutes, legislation, rules, court decisions, and studies and make findings and recommendations regarding one-year compliance extensions to the review and revision requirements of RCW 36.70A.130.
     (5) The task force shall use legislative facilities, and staff support shall be provided by the office of program research of the house of representatives and senate committee services.
     (6) The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the senate by July 1, 2007.
     (7) The task force expires July 1, 2007.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act takes effect August 1, 2005.