City administrator: Department of Commerce flagged comprehensive plan review timing; council told options include annual amendment or repeal-and-reapprove

The City Administrator told the council that the Washington State Department of Commerce notified staff the comprehensive plan had not been uploaded properly to Commerce27s portal at least 60 days before adoption, and Commerce provided comments as a result.

The administrator said the city has two primary options: amend the comprehensive plan during the annual amendment process to incorporate Commerce27s comments, or repeal the approval and restart the approval steps. The staff preference, the administrator said, is to pursue an annual amendment alongside a planned zoning code update.

The administrator told the council the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is expected to adopt certification in May and that staff have consulted the city attorney about next steps. "I have no belief or inclination that they are going to take away our certification, but it is a possibility," the City Administrator said during the staff report.

Council members were informed an additional public hearing will likely be required under either option; staff did not set final dates during the meeting. The administrator also noted the annual amendment allowance under the Growth Management Act as the basis for the preferred path.

The City Administrator also reminded the council about a town hall at the Buckley Fire Department on the Rainier School closure happening the same evening; the town hall was not conducted as part of the council meeting record.