This part contains rules for consulting, commenting, and responding on all environmental documents under SEPA, including rules for public notice and hearings. The city adopts the following sections by reference, as supplemented in this part:
WAC 197-11-500
Purpose of this part.
WAC 197-11-502
Inviting comment.
WAC 197-11-504
Availability and cost of environmental documents.
WAC 197-11-508
SEPA register.
WAC 197-11-535
Public hearings and meetings.
WAC 197-11-545
Effect of no comment.
WAC 197-11-550
Specificity of comments.
WAC 197-11-560
FEIS response to comments.
WAC 197-11-570
Consulted agency costs to assist lead agency.
(Ord. 2304 § 1 (part), 2013)
A. 
Whenever the city issues a DNS under WAC 197-11-340(2) or 197-11-355, or a DS under WAC 197-11-360(3), the city shall give public notice as follows:
1. 
When possible, public notice requirements under SEPA should be combined with notice requirements for an application. This notice shall state whether a DS or a DNS was issued and when all comments are due. (For example, if the timing for notice requirements for a subdivision or construction project coincide with the timing requirements under SEPA, then the city shall combine information on the application notice and have one time frame for all comments.) The city will use whichever notice requirements are greater except when issuing a DNS under the optional DNS process, in which case the requirements of WAC 197-11-355 shall be met.
2. 
The city shall give notice of a DNS or DS by using all of the following means:
a. 
Posting the property for site-specific proposals or mailing to property owners within three hundred feet of the proposal if the project is site-specific, or both, as determined by the responsible official. For posting, the applicant shall supply and erect an eight-square-foot notice board on all site-specific projects on all adjacent rights-of-way or in accordance with requirements set forth by the office of planning and community development; and
b. 
Publishing notice in the city's legal newspaper; and
c. 
Notifying public or private groups which have expressed interest in writing for a certain proposal or in the type of proposal being considered; and
d. 
Sending notice to agencies as directed by the responsible official (either general lists or lists for specific proposals for subject areas); and
e. 
Any other reasonable method calculated to inform the public and other agencies or required by statute or ordinance, as determined by the responsible official.
3. 
Whenever the city issues a DS under WAC 197-11-360(3), the city shall state the scoping procedure for the proposal in the DS as required in WAC 197-11-408 and in the public notice.
B. 
Whenever the city issues a DEIS under WAC 197-11-455(5) or a SEIS under WAC 197-11-620, notice of the availability of those documents shall be given by indicating the availability of the DEIS in any public notice required for a nonexempt license and all of the following methods:
1. 
Posting the property for site-specific proposals or mailing to property owners within five hundred feet of the proposal, if the project is site-specific, or both, as determined by the responsible official. For posting, the applicant shall supply and erect an eight-square-foot notice board on all site-specific projects in accordance with requirements set forth by the office of planning and community development; and
2. 
Publishing notice in the city's legal newspaper; and
3. 
Notifying public or private groups which have expressed interest in a certain proposal or in the type of proposal being considered; and
4. 
Sending notice to agency mailing lists (either general lists or lists for specific proposals for subject areas); and
5. 
Any other reasonable method calculated to inform the public and other agencies or required by statute or ordinance, as determined by the responsible official.
C. 
Whenever possible, the city shall integrate the public notice required under this section with existing notice procedures for the city's nonexempt permit(s) or approval(s) required for the proposal.
D. 
Notice of public hearings shall be published no later than fifteen days before the hearing. Notices shall be mailed to owners of property within three hundred feet of the site and posted as described in this section.
E. 
The city shall require an applicant to complete the public notice requirements for the applicant's proposal at the applicant's expense, compensate the city for costs of carrying out the public notice requirements on behalf of the applicant, or provide services or materials to assist the city in carrying out the public notice requirements.
(Ord. 2304 § 1 (part), 2013)
A. 
The responsible official shall be responsible for preparation of written comments for the city in response to a consultation request prior to a threshold determination, participation in scoping, and reviewing a DEIS.
B. 
The responsible official shall be responsible for the city's compliance with WAC 197-11-550 whenever the city is a consulted agency and is authorized to develop operating procedures that will ensure that responses to consultation requests are prepared in a timely fashion and include data from all appropriate city departments.
(Ord. 2304 § 1 (part), 2013)