The Monroe Planning Commission unanimously directed staff on Aug. 11 to draft findings recommending that Monroe City Council approve proposed amendments to the city’s permitting rules to implement Washington Senate Bill 5,290 and related code clarifications.

The vote follows a staff presentation explaining changes to Monroe Municipal Code chapters that update permit types, statutory timelines and appeals processes to reflect the 2023 state law. Kate, a city staff member, told commissioners the package is intended to “increase housing capacity” by improving review efficiencies and aligning local procedures with state requirements.

The commission’s decision matters because the amended rules set new review clocks for different permit categories and add a partial-fee refund requirement when the city fails to meet statutory timelines. Kate said the new time clocks replace the older, generic 120-day standard with tiers tied to the level of public participation: administrative decisions (no public comment) are subject to a 65-day clock; administrative decisions with public comment are subject to a 100-day clock; and matters requiring a public hearing have a 170-day clock. She also said the state requires jurisdictions to report permit counts, timelines and stop-starts to the Washington Department of Commerce.

Staff walked the commission through chapter-by-chapter changes included in the packet. Amendments touched unified development regulations (definitions and permit-type tables), sign code departures, site plan tracks for projects with environmental or critical-area review, subdivisions (clarifying preliminary, civil and final steps and removing outdated council references), development agreements, and the permit-processing chapter (chapter 22.84). The code now distinguishes six permit types (administrative to legislative) and clarifies which matters go to the hearing examiner, city council or Growth Management Hearings Board on appeal.

Kate said the city had already been following the new timelines informally and had secured an expedited review from the Department of Commerce with no comments. She explained the statute includes a partial-fee refund requirement when a jurisdiction exceeds the allotted time and said the 20% refund applies when the city exceeds the time frame by more than 20%; she told commissioners she would confirm the statute’s lower-tier refund language.

Commissioners asked procedural questions; Commissioner Kazi confirmed there had been no substantive changes since the packet was last shared. No members of the public provided testimony; the commission opened and closed the public testimony portion and then voted on the motion. Commissioner Danny made the motion directing staff to draft findings of fact and conclusions recommending council approval; Commissioner Tony seconded. The motion carried unanimously with the chair joining the ayes.

The planning commission’s action sends the amendments to staff for formal findings and then on to city council for final decision; the ordinance and exact refund tiers will hinge on the council’s adoption and any further legal review. The packet included strike-through/underline drafts of the affected MCA chapters, a copy of Senate Bill 5,290, the public hearing notice and the Department of Commerce email documenting expedited review.