2024-04-08-minutes-public-works-study-session

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Pr Audit Re5alts �1C'.'��F.,T Ie- ; �` G . `l,ef r o r il-Lti('J -ir l', Washington law gives local governments two ways to make exceptions to the 120-day rule, but does not place many conditions around how they do so. Local governments may: Extend the time frame for specific projects with the agreement of the applicant. In certain cases, the government may ask the applicant to agree to an extension of the 120-day deadline by "a reasonable period of time" However, the law does not define "reasonable" or advise governments how to determine whether a period of time is reasonable. Establish different time frames in their city or county codes for permit types that are known to take more than 120 days. When it does so, the local government must also document why additional time is needed. However, state law does not define what is expected to be included in the documentation, nor the level of local authorization required to implement them. While most governments allowed extensions to permit deadlines for specific projects, none documented their process for doing so Most audited governments extended 120-day deadlines in certain circumstances. For example, when an applicant requested more time from Vancouver, the reviewer agreed to a two -week extension. A Shoreline manager said the city might accept a request for an extension if initiated by the applicant, but said the city does not attempt to initiate extensions because staff believe applicants would be unlikely to agree. Managers from three other audited governments said their reviewers sometimes use extensions. In their view, extensions can help both the applicant and the government, because if the government is held to a hard-and-fast 120-day deadline for a decision, it may be forced to deny the permit simply because it cannot be approved without additional work. That result benefits neither party. An applicant can appeal the denied permit or submit a new application, but either solution costs more time and money from both developer and city. However, none of the governments had policies or procedures in place to ensure extensions are used in a fair and consistent manner. Local governments typically let permit reviewers make the decision on a case -by -case basis to manage their workload. However, without standard procedures, permit reviewers may not apply extensions consistently across all applicants. Furthermore, without clear policies and documentation, the process might appear unfair to the applicants. Growth Management Act Audit Results 124