Tumwater council adopts ordinance pausing annual comprehensive-plan amendment cycle

The Tumwater City Council on March 4 adopted Ordinance No. 02025-004 to suspend the city’s annual comprehensive-plan amendment cycle while staff completes a state-mandated periodic update.

Brad, a city staff member presenting the item, told the council the pause responds to a previous 2022 suspension and a state deadline extension: “In 2022, the council suspended the annual amendment process for the comprehensive plan… the state legislature has extended our deadline to the end of this year, December 31, and we would like to extend this particular timeline for not accepting comprehensive plan amendments as part of this process to match that of the deadline for the periodic update.”

Council member Rauthausen moved adoption of the ordinance “amending chapter 18.6 of the Tumwater Municipal Code as recommended by the general government committee at their 02/18/2025 meeting.” The motion was seconded and the mayor called the voice vote; the motion carried.

The change means Tumwater will not run a formal annual amendment cycle in 2025; staff will continue to receive public requests and may incorporate them into the periodic update but will not process a separate amendment docket this year. Brad told the council they expect to restart solicitation for amendments during the year ahead of the next formal cycle, with the council making determinations toward the end of 2026.

Council members said the suspension had been vetted in committee. Council member Swartheu asked whether the city could still address urgent requests; staff responded that the process retains flexibility for immediate issues and that staff may fold public requests into the broader update.

The ordinance was presented and adopted during the regular meeting; the council recorded no roll-call tally in the available transcript.