Planning Procedures and Practices

Contents

• Public Meeting Procedures
• Public Hearings: When and Where to Hold Them
• Planning Commissions
• Hearing Examiner System
• Permit Assistance
• Planning Fees
• Regulatory Reform/Permit Procedures
• Resources

Public Meetings Procedures

• Appearance of Fairness Doctrine
• Conflicts of Interest
• Open Public Meetings Act
• Robert's Rules of Order  
• Effective Meetings 

"Public Hearings: When and How to Hold Them"

Planning Commissions

• Planning Commissioners Journal Articles (articles are available on loan from MRSC)
• Planning Commission Bylaws/Rules of Procedure
  • Burien Planning Commission By Laws
  • Kitsap County Planning Commission Rules of Procedure (26 KB)
  • Redmond Planning Commission Rules
  • Seattle Planning Commission Bylaws (42 KB)
  • Tacoma Planning Commission Rules and Regulations (27 KB)
  • Tukwila Planning Commission By Laws

Hearing Examiner System

• Use of Hearing Examiners by Cities and Counties in Washington (MRSC Focus Publication) 
• Hearing Examiners List - used by cities and counties
• Hearing Examiner System in Washington

Permit Assistance

• Permit Assistance Related to RCW 36.70B.220 (SHB 2386)
• Permit Assistance Handout Examples

Planning Fees

Regulatory Reform/Permit Procedures 

• Regulatory Reform (ESHB 1724) Overview
• List of Regulatory Reform Provisions Adopted by Washington Cities and Counties
• Regulatory Reform Examples
• Permit Procedures Studies
• Permit Monitoring/Annual Development Permit Reports
• Examples of Measures to Streamline Permit Processing
• Planned Action

  Some local jurisdictions are conducting more detailed SEPA review and preparing EIS documents in conjunction with sub-area plans, consistent with RCW 43.21C.031 and WAC 197-11-164 through 197-11-172. Such up-front analysis of impacts and mitigation measures then facilitates environmental review of subsequent individual development projects. A planned action is a development project whose impacts have been addressed by an EIS associated with a plan for a specific geographic area before individual projects are proposed.

• Development Agreements
• Customer Service Policies
• Building Code/Permit Administration

Resources

• Governor's Office of Regulatory Assistance
• Community Trade and Economic Development Web Page: Permit Process,  including link to relevant statutes, handbooks and to Local Project Permitting Study prepared by Community Trade and Economic Development, Growth Management Services, January, 2005  
• HUD Regulatory Barrier Clearing House
• Massachusetts Permit Regulatory Council - Includes Best Practices Model for Streamlined Local Permitting