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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />2024 STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: April 8, 2024 <br />TOPIC: State Auditor Office GMA Permit Timeliness Performance Audit <br />ACTION REQUESTED: None <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Mark R. Cook <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Support proposed actions as proposed in response to state audit results. <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• The year long audit of the county's permit timeliness performance is concluded. <br />• Audit results recommend improvements to the county's permit issuance and <br />tracking system. <br />• Staff have responded to the State Auditor's Office with proposed mitigations. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The State Auditor's Office began an audit of Kittitas County's Growth Management Act <br />permit timeliness performance, the first quarter of 2023. Kittitas County and Snohomish <br />County were the two counties selected in the audit. The cities of Bellingham, Richland, <br />Shoreline, and Vancouver were also selected to be audited. The audit evaluates <br />jurisdictions performance against state mandated permit issuance timeliness (120 days). <br />Three permit types were selected for comparison: land use, civil, and building. Kittitas <br />County met the 120-day standard for the three permit types: 79%, 97%, and 96% <br />respectively. Civil permit performance was the best of all jurisdictions in the audit. <br />Building was the second highest, with land use falling in the top half. A copy of the final <br />audit results is attached as EXHIBIT 1. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />Overall, the county did well in meeting the 120-day permit issuance requirement. <br />Statewide mandatory permit issuance performance is set to change in 2025. The <br />following timelines are set to implement in 2025: <br />e 65 days for permits that do not require public hearing, <br />• 100 days for permits that require public notice but NOT a public hearing, <br />• 170 days for permits that require public hearing. <br />The process reinforces for management the need to convey the value to permitting staff to <br />utilize SMARTGOV more effectively when stopping the time clock for poor applicant <br />Page 1 of 4 <br />Public Works "Work Session StaffReporP', 2024 <br />