AN ACT Relating to requiring a public hearing before a local government may remove a recorded restrictive covenant from land owned by the local government; and amending RCW 35.21.960, 35A.21.410, and 36.01.350.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 35.21.960 and 2017 c 119 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

Any city, town, or municipal corporation must hold a public hearing upon a proposal to remove, vacate, or extinguish a recorded restrictive covenant, or any known covenant from an unrecorded deed, from property owned by the city, town, or municipal corporation before the action is finalized. The public hearing must allow individuals to provide testimony regarding the proposed action. The city, town, or municipal corporation must provide notice of the public hearing at least ten days before the hearing at its usual place of business and issue a press release to local media providing the date, time, location, and reason for the public hearing. The notice must be posted on the city, town, or municipal corporation's web site if it is updated for any reason before the hearing date. The notice must also identify the property and provide a brief explanation of the ((restrictive)) covenant to be removed, vacated, or extinguished. Any member of the public, in person or by counsel, may submit testimony at the public hearing.

Sec. 2.  RCW 35A.21.410 and 2017 c 119 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

Any code city must hold a public hearing upon a proposal to remove, vacate, or extinguish a recorded restrictive covenant, or any known covenant from an unrecorded deed, from property owned by the code city before the action is finalized. The public hearing must allow individuals to provide testimony regarding the proposed action. The code city must provide notice of the public hearing at least ten days before the hearing at its usual place of business and issue a press release to local media providing the date, time, location, and reason for the public hearing. The notice must be posted on the code city's web site if it is updated for any reason prior to the hearing date. The notice must also identify the property and provide a brief explanation of the ((restrictive)) covenant to be removed, vacated, or extinguished. Any member of the public, in person or by counsel, may submit testimony regarding the proposed action at the public hearing.

Sec. 3.  RCW 36.01.350 and 2017 c 119 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

Any county must hold a public hearing upon a proposal to remove, vacate, or extinguish a recorded restrictive covenant, or any known covenant from an unrecorded deed, from property owned by the county before the action is finalized. The public hearing must allow individuals to provide testimony regarding the proposed action. The county must provide notice of the public hearing at least ten days before the hearing at its usual place of business and issue a press release to local media providing the date, time, location, and reason for the public hearing. The notice must be posted on the county's web site if it is updated for any reason before the hearing. The notice must also identify the property and provide a brief explanation of the ((restrictive)) covenant to be removed, vacated, or extinguished. Any member of the public, in person or by counsel, may submit testimony regarding the proposed action at the public hearing.

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