Spokane Plan Commission recommends cutting routine newspaper notices in SMC 17G, asks city to notify public

The Spokane Plan Commission on Oct. 8 voted unanimously to recommend that City Council update Spokane Municipal Code chapter 17G to consolidate public-notice procedures, reduce several newspaper notice requirements and clarify how the city notifies neighborhood councils and nearby property owners.

The recommendation, which the commission approved 7-0 with two members absent, would remove routine newspaper notice for most development-code amendments and comprehensive-plan amendments, limit newspaper notice for plats to the single notice required under state law, and codify a set of standard notice types and timing in a new table in the code.

Planner Spencer Gardner, who presented the proposed code changes virtually, said the city found duplicate and inconsistent noticing rules scattered across code sections and that the current newspaper notice requirements often exceed state law. "The cost of noticing in the newspaper is something that we've been taking a look at," Gardner said, adding that a single newspaper run for a code amendment can cost "anywhere between $500 to a thousand dollars or more." He said the proposal would keep plat newspaper notices but align them with the state requirement that notice run at least once no later than 10 days before a hearing.

The proposal also creates one consolidated section for noticing and public involvement (presented as a new section in the 17G code series) and adds a definition table describing different notice types. One definition added to the code, and emphasized in the hearing, defines "neighborhood council notice" as "written notice to neighborhood councils impacted by a proposal, including all neighborhood councils within 600 feet of a site-specific proposal." Gardner said that definition was being consolidated into a single place to improve clarity rather than to change the existing 600-foot practice.

Commissioners raised concerns about residents who rely on the local newspaper for civic information. Commissioner Shook asked whether the commission could require additional newspaper outreach; several commissioners suggested the city pursue news articles or broader outreach rather than continuing the ad-style legal notices. Commissioner Greg suggested adding a dedicated notices page on the city's website and using subscription-triggered posts to reach people without incurring repeated newspaper costs. Gardner agreed to add language to the commission's findings recommending proactive public outreach, including print and nonprint channels, and confirmed staff can add that recommendation to the findings of fact.

Gardner noted that the city's official gazette remains available and is distributed by the city, and that the gazette is distributed at least weekly and by email. He said circulation numbers for the newspaper would need to be provided by the City Clerk's Office.

The commission's action directs the item to City Council for final consideration. Commissioners discussed phasing or communicating the change so residents have time to find the new notice locations; the commission agreed the findings should recommend proactive outreach and suggested the city consider parallel print stories or news releases while the code change is processed.

Votes at a glance: The commission moved to "recommend to the City Council the updates to the noticing requirements in SMC chapter 17G as presented" (mover and seconder not specified in the record). The motion passed unanimously: seven aye votes, zero no, zero abstain; two commissioners (Edwards and Tamouche) were absent.

The commission and staff said the updates would be reviewed again during the larger code rewrite expected over the next year, and that the consolidated tables and definitions are intended to make it easier for staff and the public to determine what notice is required for particular permit types or code amendments.

For the record, the action will be forwarded with a findings recommendation that staff and council perform proactive outreach to notify residents of the change in where and how notices will be published.