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7/26/23, 7:50 AM newspaper -text (3).html Public Notice Kittitas County, Ellensburg WA REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS KITTITAS COUNTY HEARING EXAMINER SERVICES Kittitas County is seeking Requests for Proposals from individuals and firms interested in serving as the Kittitas County Hearing Examiner beginning October 2023. BACKGROUND: Unincorporated Kittitas County has a population of approximately 45,000 people. The County encompasses approximately 2,300 square miles. Urban and rural populations are nearly evenly split. The County is a growth management planning county. The County's Planning Department consists of five full-time employees. The County has operated for decades with a Board of Adjustment, Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners handling quasi-judicial review of various land use applications and related appeals, with the assistance of the Planning Department. The Board of County Commissioners adopted ordinances to implement a Hearing Examiner system for a majority of these matters effective with Ordinance 2007- 37. The Board seeks qualifications and proposals from individuals and firms desiring to provide the services of a Hearing Examiner serving the County's Board of Equalization beginning in October 2023. The Hearing Examiner will conduct quasi-judicial hearings on Board of Equalization matters on behalf of the County and makes decisions supported by findings and conclusions. The Hearing Examiner will be an independent contractor and not an employee of the County. Specific requirements regarding the Hearings Examiner position and hearing process is contained in Kittitas County Code Chapter 1.10.023 (available on the county's website). SCOPE OF SERVICES: The successful applicant with whom the County contracts shall perform the general duties of the Board of Equalization Hearing Examiner as set forth in Kittitas County Ordinance No. 2007-37 as now in effect or as hereafter amended, and the specific duties specified throughout the County code. In general, Kittitas County's Hearing Examiner will manage evidence, hold public hearings, and decide matters related to Board of Equalization applications and make recommendations to the Board of Equalizations on matters which include, but are not limited to: Duties described at Revised Code of Washington 84.48.010. Both daytime and evening hearings may be conducted on an as -needed basis. These hearings may be scheduled at the examiner's convenience but must conclude no later than October 31, 2023. Hearings may be conducted in person or via remote application. Hearing recording and other meeting support services to be provided by County staff. Decisions are generally required to be issued within 10 business days of the conclusion of all testimony pursuant to the County code. The County's Planning Department will provide preparation of case files and records; staff support during hearings; will set agendas in consultation with the Examiner; prepare legal notices; provide reproduction, mailing and distribution of notices and decisions. The Hearing Examiner will be responsible for preparing proposed Hearing Examiner Rules of Procedure for review and concurrence by the County and proposing any revisions to those that he or she believes are appropriate after the rules have been adopted. The Hearing Examiner's performance will be evaluated pursuant to the following guidelines and measures of effectiveness: 1. The logic of findings and conclusions and the reasoning of decisions. 2. The decorum, demeanor, and effectiveness of his or her management and conduct of the file:///C:/Users/candie.leader/Downloads/newspaper-text (3).html 1/4