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Council adopts six-month moratorium to study placement of less-restrictive post-release housing
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Summary
Benton City Council adopted a six-month moratorium May 17 on siting certain less-restrictive alternative housing facilities (secure community transition facilities) to give staff time to study legal limits, draft findings and hold a public hearing.
Benton City — The Benton City Council on May 17 adopted a six-month moratorium on permitting certain less-restrictive alternative housing facilities, a step proponents said is intended to allow time for legal review and local policy work.
A council member moved to approve resolution 2026-24, and a second was recorded. Staff explained the pause is meant to give the city time to study how state law applies and to prepare findings and a public hearing. “The safest bet is just to do a 6 month,” the staff member said, urging the shorter initial moratorium because an extension requires a work plan and additional hearings.
Why it matters: Council members said facilities of the type in question have appeared in other jurisdictions with little local process in place and that Benton City needs time to understand whether and how it can exercise local control without running afoul of state or federal law. Staff cited chapter 71.09 RCW and referenced statutory definitions for secure community transition facilities as part of the legal uncertainty the council wants to examine.
During the discussion members raised questions about whether church-run residences or existing facilities would be grandfathered and whether federal or constitutional limits might constrain local controls. One council member noted potential revenue incentives tied to placements and warned of likely legal challenges; staff warned the attorney general or other parties could seek injunctions in court.
Next steps: Under the resolution the council adopted findings and will schedule a public hearing within the statutory window discussed at the meeting (staff cited a hearing date during the discussion). The moratorium takes effect immediately to halt new siting or permitting of the specified facility type while the council and staff develop a local approach.
The motion to adopt the moratorium was approved at the meeting; no roll-call tally was announced in the transcript.
