Source: https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Tonasket/html/Tonasket18/Tonasket1804.html
Timestamp: 2018-10-16 08:33:26
Document Index: 719341536

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 4', '§ 4', '§ 4', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 6', '§ 7', '§ 7', '§ 7', '§ 7', '§ 8', '§ 9', '§ 10', '§ 10', '§ 10', '§ 11']

Chapter 18.04 STATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT GUIDELINES
18.04.010 Statutory authority.
18.04.020 Purpose of this article and adoption by reference.
18.04.060 Transfer of lead agency status to a state agency.
18.04.070 Additional considerations in time limits applicable to SEPA process.
18.04.090 Purpose of this article and adoption by reference.
18.04.100 Flexible thresholds for categorical exemptions.
18.04.120 Environmental checklist.
18.04.130 Mitigated DNS.
18.04.140 Purpose of this article and adoption by reference.
18.04.150 Preparation of EIS – Additional considerations.
18.04.160 Additional elements to be covered in EIS.
18.04.170 Adoption by reference.
18.04.190 Designation of official to perform consulted agency responsibilities for the city.
18.04.200 Purpose of this article and adoption.
18.04.210 Purpose of this article and adoption by reference.
18.04.220 Substantive authority.
18.04.230 Appeals.
18.04.240 Notice/statute of limitations.
18.04.250 Purpose of this article and adoption by reference.
18.04.260 Adoption by reference.
18.04.270 Purpose of this article and adoption by reference.
18.04.280 Environmentally sensitive areas.
18.04.290 Fees.
18.04.300 Adoption by reference.
A. The city adopts the ordinance codified in this chapter under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), RCW 43.21C.120, and the SEPA rules, Chapter 197-11 WAC.
C. The SEPA rules, Chapter 197-11 WAC, must be used in conjunction with this chapter. (Ord. 369 § 1, 1984).
(Ord. 369 § 2(1), 1984).
B. “Early notice” means the city’s response to an applicant stating whether it considers issuance of a determination of significance likely for the applicant’s proposal (mitigated determination of nonsignificance DNS procedures).
C. “Ordinance” means the ordinance, resolution or other procedure used by the city to adopt regulatory requirements.
D. “SEPA rules” means Chapter 197-11 WAC adopted by the Department of Ecology. (Ord. 369 § 2(2), 1984).
A. For those proposals for which the city is the lead agency, the responsible official shall be the city permit administrator.
B. For all proposals for which the city is the lead agency, the responsible official shall make the threshold determination, supervise scoping and preparation of any required environmental impact statement (EIS), and perform any other functions assigned to the “lead agency” or “responsible official” by those sections of the SEPA rules that were adopted by reference in WAC 173-806-020.
C. The city shall retain all documents required by the SEPA rules (Chapter 197-11 WAC) and make them available in accordance with Chapter 42.17 RCW. (Ord. 438 § 2, 1991; Ord. 369 § 2(3), 1984).
D. If the city or any of its departments receives a lead agency determination made by another agency that appears inconsistent with the criteria of WAC 197-11-922 through 197-11-940, it may object to the determination. Any objection must be made to the agency originally making the determination and resolved within 15 days of receipt of the determination, or the city must petition the Department of Ecology for a lead agency determination under WAC 197-11-946 within the 15-day time period. Any such petition on behalf of the city may be initiated by the city clerk-treasurer.
F. Any department making a lead agency determination for a private project shall require sufficient information from the applicant to identify which other agencies have jurisdiction over the proposal (that is, which agencies require nonexempt licenses?). (Ord. 369 § 2(4), 1984).
For any proposal for a private project where the city would be the lead agency and for which one or more state agencies would have jurisdiction, the city’s responsible official may elect to transfer the lead agency duties to a state agency. The state agency with jurisdiction appearing first on the priority listing in WAC 197-11-936 shall be the lead agency, and the city shall be an agency with jurisdiction. To transfer lead agency duties, the city’s responsible official must transmit a notice of the transfer together with any relevant information available on the proposal to the appropriate state agency with jurisdiction. The responsible official of the city shall also give notice of the transfer to the private applicant and any other agencies with jurisdiction over the proposal. (Ord. 369 § 2(5), 1984).
A. The city shall identify whether an action is categorically exempt within seven days of receiving a complete application.
1. The city should complete threshold determinations that can be based solely upon review of the environmental checklist for the proposal within 30 days of the date an applicant’s adequate application and completed checklist are submitted.
2. When the responsible official requires further information from the applicant or consultation with other agencies with jurisdiction:
a. The city should request such further information within 15 days of receiving an adequate application and completed environmental checklist;
b. The city shall wait no longer than 30 days for a consulted agency to respond; and
c. The responsible official should complete the threshold determination within 15 days of receiving the requested information from the applicant or the consulted agency.
3. When the city must initiate further studies, including field investigations, to obtain the information to make the threshold determination, the city should complete the studies within 30 days of receiving an adequate application and completed checklist.
4. The city shall complete threshold determination on actions where the applicant recommends in writing that an EIS be prepared, because of the probable significant adverse environmental impact(s) described in the application, within 15 days of receiving an adequate application and completed checklist. (Ord. 369 § 2(6), 1984).
A. For nonexempt proposals, the DNS or draft EIS for the proposal shall accompany the city’s staff recommendation to any appropriate advisory body, such as the planning commission.
B. If the city’s only action on a proposal is a decision on a building permit or other license that requires detailed project plans and specifications, the applicant may request in writing that the city conduct environmental review prior to submission of the detailed plans and specifications. (Ord. 369 § 2(7), 1984).
This article contains the rules for deciding whether a proposal has a “probable significant, adverse environmental impact” requiring an environmental impact statement (EIS) to be prepared. This article also contains rules for evaluating the impacts of proposals not requiring an EIS. The city adopts the following sections by reference, as supplemented in this article:
(Ord. 369 § 3(1), 1984).
A. The city establishes the following exempt levels for minor new construction under WAC 197-11-800(1)(b) based on local conditions:
1. For residential dwelling units in WAC 197-11-800(1)(b)(i): Up to four dwelling units;
2. For agricultural structures in WAC 197-11-800(1)(b)(ii): Up to 10,000 square feet;
3. For office, school, commercial, recreational, service or storage buildings in WAC 197-11-800(1)(b)(iii): Up to 4,000 square feet and up to 20 parking spaces;
4. For parking lots in WAC 197-11-800(1)(b)(iv): Up to 20 parking spaces; and
5. For landfills and excavations in WAC 197-11-800(1)(b)(v): Up to 100 cubic yards.
B. Whenever the city establishes new exempt levels under this article, it shall send them to the Department of Ecology, Headquarters Office, Olympia, Washington 98504, under WAC 197-11-800(1)(c). (Ord. 369 § 3(2), 1984).
A. Each department within the city that receives an application for a license or, in the case of governmental proposals, the department initiating the proposal, shall determine whether the license and/or the proposal is exempt. The department’s determination that a proposal is exempt shall be final and not subject to administrative requirements of this chapter. If a proposal is exempt, none of the procedural requirements of this chapter apply to the proposal. The city shall not require completion of an environmental checklist for an exempt proposal.
3. A department may withhold approval of exempt actions that would lead to substantial financial expenditures by a private applicant when the expenditures would serve no purpose if nonexempt action(s) were not approved. (Ord. 369 § 3(3), 1984).
A. A completed environmental checklist (or a copy), in the form provided in WAC 197-11-960, shall be filed at the same time as an application for a permit, license, certificate, or other approval not specifically exempted in this chapter; except, a checklist is not needed if the city and applicant agree an EIS is required, SEPA compliance has been completed, or SEPA compliance has been initiated by another agency. The city shall use the environmental checklist to determine the lead agency and, if the city is the lead agency, for determining the responsible official and for making the threshold determination.
2. The applicant has provided inaccurate information on previous proposals or on proposals currently under consideration. (Ord. 369 § 3(4), 1984).
C. The responsible official should respond to the request for early notice within 15 working days. The response shall:
1. If the city indicated specific mitigation measures in its response to the request for early notice and the applicant changed or clarified the proposal to include those specific mitigation measures, the city shall issue and circulate a DNS under WAC 197-11-340(2).
F. A mitigated DNS is issued under WAC 197-11-340(2) requiring a 15-day comment period and public notice.
I. The city’s written response under subsection (B) of this section shall not be construed as a determination of significance. In addition, preliminary discussion of clarifications or changes to a proposal, as opposed to a written request for early notice, shall not bind the city to consider the clarifications or changes in its threshold determination. (Ord. 369 § 3(5), 1984).
(Ord. 369 § 4(1), 1984).
C. The city may require an applicant to provide information the city does not possess, including specific investigations. However, the applicant is not required to supply information that is not required under this chapter or that is being requested from another agency. (This does not apply to information the city may request under another ordinance or statute.) (Ord. 369 § 4(2), 1984).
C. Cost-benefit analysis. (Ord. 369 § 4(3), 1984).
This article 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 article:
197-11-504 Availability of cost of environmental documents.
(Ord. 369 § 5(1), 1984).
A. Whenever the city issues a DNS under WAC 197-11-340(2) or a DS under WAC 197-11-360(3) the city shall give public notice as follows:
c. Notifying public or private groups which have expressed interest in a certain proposal or in the type of proposal being considered.
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:
3. Publishing notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, city or general area where the proposal is located;
4. Notifying public or private groups which have expressed interest in a certain proposal or in the type of proposal being considered.
D. The city may require an applicant to complete the public notice requirements for the applicant’s proposal at his or her expense. (Ord. 369 § 5(2), 1984).
A. The city clerk-treasurer 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 city clerk-treasurer 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 departments of the city. (Ord. 369 § 5(3), 1984).
This article contains rules for using and supplementing existing environmental documents prepared under SEPA or the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the city’s own environmental compliance. The city adopts the following sections by reference:
(Ord. 369 § 6, 1984).
(Ord. 369 § 7(1), 1984).
A. The policies and goals set forth in this chapter are supplementary to those in the existing authorization of the city of Tonasket.
5. Such conditions are based on one or more policies in subsection (D) of this section and cited in the license or other decision document.
3. The denial is based on one or more policies identified in subsection (D) of this section and identified in writing in the decision document.
D. The city designates and adopts by reference the following policies as the basis for the city’s exercise of authority pursuant to this section.
1. The city shall use all practicable means, consistent with other essential considerations of state policy, to improve and coordinate plans, functions, programs and resources, to the end that the state and its citizens may:
E. Except for permits and variances issued pursuant to the shoreline master program of the city, if any, when any proposal or action not requiring a decision of the city council is conditioned or denied on the basis of SEPA by a nonelected official, the decision shall be appealable to the city council. Such appeal may be perfected by the proponent or any aggrieved party by giving notice to the responsible official within 10 days of the decision being appealed. Review by the city council shall be on a de novo basis. (Ord. 369 § 7(2), 1984).
1. Any agency or person may appeal the city’s procedural compliance with Chapter 197-11 WAC for issuance of the following:
a. A final DNS. Appeal of the DNS must be made to the city council within 30 days of the date the permit or other approval is issued;
b. A DS. The appeal must be made to the city council within 30 days of the date a DS is issued;
c. An EIS. Appeal of the EIS must be made to the city council within 45 days of the date the permit or other approval is issued.
2. For any appeal under this subsection, the city shall provide for a record that shall consist of the following:
3. The procedural determination by the city’s responsible official shall carry substantial weight in any appeal proceeding.
B. The city shall give official notice under WAC 197-11-680(5) whenever it issues a permit or approval for which a statute or ordinance establishes a time limit for commencing judicial appeal. (Ord. 369 § 7(3), 1984).
A. The city, applicant for, or proponent of any action may publish a notice of action pursuant to RCW 43.21C.080 for any action.
B. The form of the notice shall be substantially in the form provided in WAC 197-11-990. The notice shall be published by the city clerk-treasurer, applicant or proponent pursuant to RCW 43.21C.080. (Ord. 369 § 7(4), 1984).
197-11-728 County/town.
197-11-746 Environmentally sensitive area.
(Ord. 369 § 8, 1984).
(Ord. 369 § 9, 1984).
This article contains rules for agency compliance with SEPA, including rules for charging fees under the SEPA process, designating environmentally sensitive areas, listing agencies with environmental expertise, selecting the lead agency, and applying these rules to current agency activities. The city adopts the following sections by reference, as supplemented by WAC 173-806-053 through 173-806-043 and this article:
(Ord. 369 § 10(1), 1984).
A. The city planning commission shall designate environmentally sensitive areas under the standards of WAC 197-11-908 and shall file maps designating such areas, together with the exemptions from the list in WAC 197-11-908 that are inapplicable in such areas, with the city clerk-treasurer and the Department of Ecology, Headquarters Office, Olympia, Washington. The environmentally sensitive area designations shall have full force and effect of law as of the date of filing.
C. Certain exemptions do not apply on lands covered by water, and this remains true regardless of whether or not lands covered by water are mapped. (Ord. 369 § 10(2), 1984).
A. Threshold Determination. For every environmental checklist the city will review when it is lead agency, the city shall collect a fee of $50.00 from the proponent of the proposal prior to undertaking the threshold determination. The time periods provided by this chapter for making a threshold determination shall not begin to run until payment of the fee. When the city completes the environmental checklist at the applicant’s request or under WAC 173-806-090(3), an additional $50.00 shall be collected.
2. The responsible official may determine that the city will contract directly with a consultant for preparation of an EIS, or a portion of the EIS, for activities initiated by some person or entity other than the city, and may bill such costs and expenses directly to the applicant. The city may require the applicant to post bond or otherwise ensure payment of such costs. Such consultants shall be selected by mutual agreement of the city and applicant after a call for proposals.
3. If a proposal is modified so that an EIS is no longer required, the responsible official shall refund any fees collected under subsections (B)(1) or (B)(2) of this section which remain after costs are paid.
E. The city may charge any person for copies of any document prepared under this chapter, and for mailing the document, in a manner provided by Chapter 42.17 RCW. (Ord. 369 § 10(3), 1984).
(Ord. 369 § 11, 1984).