A council must consist of at least 5,000 residents when created in a county with a population of over 1,000,000. The unincorporated area council is created by circulation of a petition, which sets the boundaries and number of members on the council. The petition must contain the signatures of at least 10 percent of the voters residing in the community who voted at the last general election. After certification of petitions, the county legislative authority must hold a public hearing and boundaries of the area council may be altered, but the alteration may not reduce the number of persons living in the community by more than 10 percent or below the minimum number of residents required to create an area council. The county legislative authority must call a special election to elect from five to nine area council members at the next general election.
Terms are for four years, after initial staggering of terms, and the positions are nonpartisan.
The unincorporated area council may develop and transmit a proposed subarea plan to the county legislative authority for its review. The council has the same powers and duties within its boundaries as a planning commission. The subarea plan must be consistent with the county's comprehensive plan and county shoreline master program. The subarea plan must address all the mandatory elements of a comprehensive plan and optional elements selected by the county. The proposed subarea plan must be based on the growth management projection made for the county by OFM, as allocated to the area served by the council by the county planning agency.