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Council adopts amended wastewater comprehensive plan procedure in Resolution 13-27
Summary
Gig Harbor adopted Resolution 13-27 to clarify and return technical wastewater comprehensive plan amendment review to Public Works, shortening timelines for technical changes to Appendix B and reserving more intensive review under Chapter 19.09 for substantive changes affecting flows or land-use.
The Gig Harbor City Council on Jan. 27 approved Resolution 13-27, adopting an amended 2018 wastewater comprehensive plan process that clarifies how technical amendments to Appendix B are handled and returns responsibility for routine technical reviews to the Public Works Department. The motion passed unanimously, 7–0.
Public Works Director Jeff Langham presented the resolution and explained that section 1.4.2 of the wastewater comprehensive plan (added in February 2009) was intended to provide a streamlined technical amendment path. Following ambiguity that arose beginning June 2023, some amendment requests (notably a Summer Lane proposal) were processed under the City’s Chapter 19.09 comprehensive plan procedures, which extended the review timeline to about 18 months. The draft resolution restores the technical amendment path for changes that are strictly technical and do not significantly affect flows to the wastewater treatment plant.
Why it matters: The change is intended to shorten review timelines for technical boundary adjustments and to rely on Public Works’ technical expertise, while preserving the full Chapter 19.09 comprehensive plan process when amendments would change flows, land-use designations or otherwise have significant system impacts.
Langham told the council that when the Summer Lane amendment was processed under Chapter 19.09, Public Works concluded the proposal was not consistent with the wastewater comprehensive plan because it would not use gravity flow to the basin identified in Appendix B; that contributed to an 18-month review timeline. The resolution’s draft language includes criteria that would still send certain amendment requests through the full city comprehensive plan process (for example, changes that affect flows or land-use designations).
Council member Henderson welcomed the added flexibility, and Langham said the revised process will speed technical amendments while reserving the more rigorous process where technical changes have substantive effects on flows or land use. The resolution passed without amendment.
Ending: With Resolution 13-27 adopted, Public Works will resume processing technical amendments to Appendix B under the clarified procedure; staff and applicants seeking amendments should follow the updated process described in the adopted resolution and will be routed to Chapter 19.09 review only when the resolution’s criteria are met.
