Read first time 01/21/13.   Referred to Committee on Local Government.

     AN ACT Relating to providing a process for county legislative authorities to withdraw from voluntary planning under the growth management act; amending RCW 36.70A.040, 36.70A.060, and 36.70A.280; and providing an expiration date.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 36.70A.040 and 2000 c 36 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Each county that has both a population of fifty thousand or more and, until May 16, 1995, has had its population increase by more than ten percent in the previous ten years or, on or after May 16, 1995, has had its population increase by more than seventeen percent in the previous ten years, and the cities located within such county, and any other county regardless of its population that has had its population increase by more than twenty percent in the previous ten years, and the cities located within such county, shall conform with all of the requirements of this chapter. However, the county legislative authority of such a county with a population of less than fifty thousand population may adopt a resolution removing the county, and the cities located within the county, from the requirements of adopting comprehensive land use plans and development regulations under this chapter if this resolution is adopted and filed with the department by December 31, 1990, for counties initially meeting this set of criteria, or within sixty days of the date the office of financial management certifies that a county meets this set of criteria under subsection (5) of this section. For the purposes of this subsection, a county not currently planning under this chapter is not required to include in its population count those persons confined in a correctional facility under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections that is located in the county.
     Once a county meets either of these sets of criteria, the requirement to conform with all of the requirements of this chapter remains in effect, even if the county no longer meets one of these sets of criteria.
     (2)(a) The county legislative authority of any county that does not meet either of the sets of criteria established under subsection (1) of this section may adopt a resolution indicating its intention to have subsection (1) of this section apply to the county. Each city, located in a county that chooses to plan under this subsection, shall conform with all of the requirements of this chapter. Once such a resolution has been adopted, the county and the cities located within the county remain subject to all of the requirements of this chapter, unless the county subsequently adopts a withdrawal resolution for partial planning pursuant to (b)(i) of this subsection.
     (b)(i) Until December 31, 2015, the legislative authority of a county may adopt a resolution removing the county and the cities located within the county from the requirements to plan under this section if:
     (A) The county has a population, as estimated by the office of financial management, of twenty thousand or fewer inhabitants at any time between April 1, 2010, and April 1, 2015;
     (B) The county has previously adopted a resolution indicating its intention to have subsection (1) of this section apply to the county;
     (C) At least sixty days prior to adopting a resolution for partial planning, the county provides written notification to the legislative body of each city within the county of its intent to consider adopting the resolution; and
     (D) The legislative bodies of at least sixty percent of those cities having an aggregate population of at least seventy-five percent of the incorporated county population have not: Adopted resolutions opposing the action by the county; and provided written notification of the resolutions to the county.
     (ii) Upon adoption of a resolution for partial planning under (b)(i) of this subsection:
     (A) The county and the cities within the county are, except as provided otherwise, no longer obligated to plan under this section; and
     (B) The county may not, for a minimum of ten years from the date of adoption of the resolution, adopt another resolution indicating its intention to have subsection (1) of this section apply to the county.
     (c) The adoption of a resolution for partial planning under (b)(i) of this subsection does not nullify or otherwise modify the requirements for counties and cities established in RCW 36.70A.060, 36.70A.070(5) and associated development regulations, 36.70A.170, and 36.70A.172.
     (3) Any county or city that is initially required to conform with all of the requirements of this chapter under subsection (1) of this section shall take actions under this chapter as follows: (a) The county legislative authority shall adopt a countywide planning policy under RCW 36.70A.210; (b) the county and each city located within the county shall designate critical areas, agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands, and adopt development regulations conserving these designated agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands and protecting these designated critical areas, under RCW 36.70A.170 and 36.70A.060; (c) the county shall designate and take other actions related to urban growth areas under RCW 36.70A.110; (d) if the county has a population of fifty thousand or more, the county and each city located within the county shall adopt a comprehensive plan under this chapter and development regulations that are consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan on or before July 1, 1994, and if the county has a population of less than fifty thousand, the county and each city located within the county shall adopt a comprehensive plan under this chapter and development regulations that are consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan by January 1, 1995, but if the governor makes written findings that a county with a population of less than fifty thousand or a city located within such a county is not making reasonable progress toward adopting a comprehensive plan and development regulations the governor may reduce this deadline for such actions to be taken by no more than one hundred eighty days. Any county or city subject to this subsection may obtain an additional six months before it is required to have adopted its development regulations by submitting a letter notifying the department ((of community, trade, and economic development)) of its need prior to the deadline for adopting both a comprehensive plan and development regulations.
     (4) Any county or city that is required to conform with all the requirements of this chapter, as a result of the county legislative authority adopting its resolution of intention under subsection (2) of this section, shall take actions under this chapter as follows: (a) The county legislative authority shall adopt a county-wide planning policy under RCW 36.70A.210; (b) the county and each city that is located within the county shall adopt development regulations conserving agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands it designated under RCW 36.70A.060 within one year of the date the county legislative authority adopts its resolution of intention; (c) the county shall designate and take other actions related to urban growth areas under RCW 36.70A.110; and (d) the county and each city that is located within the county shall adopt a comprehensive plan and development regulations that are consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan not later than four years from the date the county legislative authority adopts its resolution of intention, but a county or city may obtain an additional six months before it is required to have adopted its development regulations by submitting a letter notifying the department ((of community, trade, and economic development)) of its need prior to the deadline for adopting both a comprehensive plan and development regulations.
     (5) If the office of financial management certifies that the population of a county that previously had not been required to plan under subsection (1) or (2) of this section has changed sufficiently to meet either of the sets of criteria specified under subsection (1) of this section, and where applicable, the county legislative authority has not adopted a resolution removing the county from these requirements as provided in subsection (1) of this section, the county and each city within such county shall take actions under this chapter as follows: (a) The county legislative authority shall adopt a countywide planning policy under RCW 36.70A.210; (b) the county and each city located within the county shall adopt development regulations under RCW 36.70A.060 conserving agricultural lands, forest lands, and mineral resource lands it designated within one year of the certification by the office of financial management; (c) the county shall designate and take other actions related to urban growth areas under RCW 36.70A.110; and (d) the county and each city located within the county shall adopt a comprehensive land use plan and development regulations that are consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan within four years of the certification by the office of financial management, but a county or city may obtain an additional six months before it is required to have adopted its development regulations by submitting a letter notifying the department ((of community, trade, and economic development)) of its need prior to the deadline for adopting both a comprehensive plan and development regulations.
     (6) A copy of each document that is required under this section shall be submitted to the department at the time of its adoption.
     (7) Cities and counties planning under this chapter must amend the transportation element of the comprehensive plan to be in compliance with this chapter and chapter 47.80 RCW no later than December 31, 2000.

Sec. 2   RCW 36.70A.060 and 2005 c 423 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) ((Except as provided in RCW 36.70A.1701,)) Each county that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, and each city within such county, shall adopt development regulations on or before September 1, 1991, to assure the conservation of agricultural, forest, and mineral resource lands designated under RCW 36.70A.170. Regulations adopted under this subsection may not prohibit uses legally existing on any parcel prior to their adoption and shall remain in effect until the county or city adopts development regulations pursuant to RCW 36.70A.040. Such regulations shall assure that the use of lands adjacent to agricultural, forest, or mineral resource lands shall not interfere with the continued use, in the accustomed manner and in accordance with best management practices, of these designated lands for the production of food, agricultural products, or timber, or for the extraction of minerals.
     (b) Counties and cities shall require that all plats, short plats, development permits, and building permits issued for development activities on, or within five hundred feet of, lands designated as agricultural lands, forest lands, or mineral resource lands, contain a notice that the subject property is within or near designated agricultural lands, forest lands, or mineral resource lands on which a variety of commercial activities may occur that are not compatible with residential development for certain periods of limited duration. The notice for mineral resource lands shall also inform that an application might be made for mining-related activities, including mining, extraction, washing, crushing, stockpiling, blasting, transporting, and recycling of minerals.
     (c) Each county that adopts a resolution of partial planning under RCW 36.70A.040(2)(b), and each city within such county, shall adopt development regulations within one year after the adoption of the resolution of partial planning to assure the conservation of agricultural, forest, and mineral resource lands designated under RCW 36.70A.170. Regulations adopted under this subsection (1)(c) must comply with the requirements governing regulations adopted under (a) of this subsection.
     (d)(i) A county that adopts a resolution of partial planning under RCW 36.70A.040(2)(b) and that is not in compliance with the planning requirements of this section, RCW 36.70A.040(4), 36.70A.070(5), 36.70A.170, and 36.70A.172 at the time the resolution is adopted must, by January 30, 2017, apply for a determination of compliance from the department finding that the county's development regulations, including development regulations adopted to protect critical areas, and comprehensive plans are in compliance with the requirements of this section, RCW 36.70A.040(4), 36.70A.070(5), 36.70A.170, and 36.70A.172. The department must approve or deny the application for a determination of compliance within one hundred twenty days of its receipt or by June 30, 2017, whichever date is earlier.
     (ii) If the department denies an application under (d)(i) of this subsection, the county and each city within is obligated to comply with all requirements of this chapter and the resolution for partial planning adopted under RCW 36.70A.040(2)(b) is no longer in effect.
     (iii) A petition for review of a determination of compliance under (d)(i) of this subsection may only be appealed to the growth management hearings board within sixty days of the issuance of the decision by the department.
     (iv) In the event of a filing of a petition in accordance with (d)(iii) of this subsection, the county and the department must equally share the costs incurred by the department for defending an approval of determination of compliance that is before the growth management hearings board.
     (v) The department may implement this subsection (d) by adopting rules related to determinations of compliance. The rules may address, but are not limited to: The requirements for applications for a determination of compliance; charging of costs under (d)(iv) of this subsection; procedures for processing applications; criteria for the evaluation of applications; issuance and notice of department decisions; and applicable timelines.
     (2) Each county and city shall adopt development regulations that protect critical areas that are required to be designated under RCW 36.70A.170. For counties and cities that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, such development regulations shall be adopted on or before September 1, 1991. For the remainder of the counties and cities, such development regulations shall be adopted on or before March 1, 1992.
     (3) Such counties and cities shall review these designations and development regulations when adopting their comprehensive plans under RCW 36.70A.040 and implementing development regulations under RCW 36.70A.120 and may alter such designations and development regulations to insure consistency.
     (4) Forest land and agricultural land located within urban growth areas shall not be designated by a county or city as forest land or agricultural land of long-term commercial significance under RCW 36.70A.170 unless the city or county has enacted a program authorizing transfer or purchase of development rights.

Sec. 3   RCW 36.70A.280 and 2011 c 360 s 17 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The growth management hearings board shall hear and determine only those petitions alleging either:
     (a) That, except as provided otherwise by this subsection, a state agency, county, or city planning under this chapter is not in compliance with the requirements of this chapter, chapter 90.58 RCW as it relates to the adoption of shoreline master programs or amendments thereto, or chapter 43.21C RCW as it relates to plans, development regulations, or amendments, adopted under RCW 36.70A.040 or chapter 90.58 RCW. Nothing in this subsection authorizes the board to hear petitions alleging noncompliance with RCW 36.70A.5801;
     (b) That the twenty-year growth management planning population projections adopted by the office of financial management pursuant to RCW 43.62.035 should be adjusted;
     (c) That the approval of a work plan adopted under RCW 36.70A.735(1)(a) is not in compliance with the requirements of the program established under RCW 36.70A.710;
     (d) That regulations adopted under RCW 36.70A.735(1)(b) are not regionally applicable and cannot be adopted, wholly or partially, by another jurisdiction; ((or))
     (e) That a department certification under RCW 36.70A.735(1)(c) is erroneous; or
     (f) That a department determination under RCW 36.70A.060(1)(d) is erroneous.
     (2) A petition may be filed only by: (a) The state, or a county or city that plans under this chapter; (b) a person who has participated orally or in writing before the county or city regarding the matter on which a review is being requested; (c) a person who is certified by the governor within sixty days of filing the request with the board; or (d) a person qualified pursuant to RCW 34.05.530.
     (3) For purposes of this section "person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, state agency, governmental subdivision or unit thereof, or public or private organization or entity of any character.
     (4) To establish participation standing under subsection (2)(b) of this section, a person must show that his or her participation before the county or city was reasonably related to the person's issue as presented to the board.
     (5) When considering a possible adjustment to a growth management planning population projection prepared by the office of financial management, the board shall consider the implications of any such adjustment to the population forecast for the entire state.
     The rationale for any adjustment that is adopted by the board must be documented and filed with the office of financial management within ten working days after adoption.
     If adjusted by the board, a county growth management planning population projection shall only be used for the planning purposes set forth in this chapter and shall be known as the "board adjusted population projection." None of these changes shall affect the official state and county population forecasts prepared by the office of financial management, which shall continue to be used for state budget and planning purposes.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   Section 3 of this act expires December 31, 2020.