ORD NO. 2020-11 EXTENDING INTERIM OFFICIAL CONTROL SMALL WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIESPage 1 of 6
ORDINANCE NO. 2020-11
AN ORDINANCE of the City of Bainbridge Island, Washington, concerning
wireless communications facilities; leaving the effective date of the interim official
control adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15 unchanged; adopting a work plan; and
extending the duration of the interim official control adopted by Ordinance No.
2019-15, and previously extended by Ordinance No. 2019-31, for an additional six-
month period.
WHEREAS, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) adopted a Declaratory
Ruling, Order, and Regulation (“FCC Order”), which imposed limitations on local
municipalities, including the City of Bainbridge Island (“City”), regarding processing and review
of all permits associated with the deployment of small wireless facilities; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the existence of the federal regulations requires
the immediate enactment of administrative procedures and processes which comply with the
FCC Order; and
WHEREAS, on May 14, 2019, in response to the FCC Order, the City Council approved
Ordinance No. 2019-15, adopting an interim official control that created a new Chapter 18.10A,
establishing interim small wireless facility design standards, amended Table 18.09.020, BIMC
18.09.030, and BIMC 18.10.010, and repealed and replaced Chapter 18.11 BIMC; and
WHEREAS, the interim official control adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15 was
established for a six (6) month period, which the Council found to be necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety; and
WHEREAS, contemporaneous with the consideration of Ordinance No. 2019-15, the
City Council enacted amendments to its existing master permit code provisions, Chapter 19.02
BIMC, and adopted a new Chapter 19.10 BIMC in order to provide a clear permitting procedure
for the deployment of small wireless facilities; and
WHEREAS, on June 11, 2019, the City Council held a public hearing on Ordinance No.
2019-15 to receive public comment on the interim official control; and
WHEREAS, the adoption of aesthetic standards for deployment of small wireless
facilities and utilization of a concurrent process emphasizing administrative review enables
compliance with the federal presumptively reasonable time limits for review of proposed
deployments of small wireless facilities; and
WHEREAS, the City was required to enact administrative procedures and process to
comply with the new presumptive federal safe harbors on or before January 14, 2019; and
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WHEREAS, separately, federal law and regulation sets time limits on the processing of
applications for eligible facility requests to expand existing structures which do not substantially
change the height or profile of the structures used to collocate wireless communications
facilities, and which regulations will replace Chapter 18.11 BIMC; and
WHEREAS, on August 13, 2019, the City Council directed the Planning Commission to
begin work on permanent regulations to replace the interim official control adopted by
Ordinance No. 2019-15; and
WHEREAS, on September 12, 2019, the Planning Commission began consideration of
permanent regulations to replace the interim official control adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15;
and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission continued its discussion of permanent regulations
to replace the interim official control adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15 during its October 24,
2019, December 12, 2019, and January 23, 2020 meetings; and
WHEREAS, additional meetings before the Planning Commission may be required
before the Planning Commission recommends permanent regulations for City Council
consideration; and
WHEREAS, the City Council likely will need several meetings to review, discuss, and
consider adoption of the Planning Commission’s recommendation; and
WHEREAS, on October 8, 2019, the City Council set a public hearing on Ordinance No.
2019-31, extending the interim official control adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15 for six
months, on the agenda for the October 22, 2019 Council Meeting; and
WHEREAS, on October 22, 2019, the City Council held a public hearing on Ordinance
No. 2019-31, including the work plan included as Exhibit A to this ordinance; and
WHEREAS, on October 22, 2019, following the public hearing, the City Council
adopted Ordinance No. 2019-31, extending the interim official control until May 14, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the City is authorized by state law, including RCW 36.70A.390, to
expeditiously adopt interim official control ordinances due to a public emergency for the
protection of the public peace, safety, or health while permanent regulations are developed,
vetted, and processed through the City’s standard legislative procedures; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the adoption of the interim official control
adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15 allowed the City to put in place standards to come into
compliance with the FCC Order, while providing a meaningful opportunity for its residents to
provide input regarding design, concealment, and other aesthetic standards within the longer
timeframe permitted by use of an interim official control ordinance; and
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WHEREAS, the City Council finds that an additional six-month extension of the interim
official control adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15 is necessary to allow the Planning
Commission and City Council time to develop, vet, and process permanent regulations to replace
the interim official control and to solicit additional public comment from residents regarding
design, concealment, and other aesthetic standards within the longer timeframe permitted by an
extension of the interim official control; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that an additional six-month extension of the interim
official control adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15 is also necessary given that the emergency
posed by the spread of COVID-19 has forced the cancellation of meetings of both the City
Council and the Planning Commission and may require additional cancellations of such meetings
to protect the public health, safety, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, on April 14, 2020, the City Council set a public hearing on Ordinance No.
2020-11, extending the interim official control adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15, and initially
extended by Ordinance No. 2019-31, for an additional six months, on the agenda for the April
28, 2020 Council Meeting; and
WHEREAS, on April 28, 2020, the City Council held a public hearing on Ordinance No.
2020-11, including the work plan included as Exhibit A to this ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the interim official control promotes the public good and is necessary for
the protection of public health, property, safety and welfare, and the public emergency on which
the interim official control was imposed continues to exist and this ordinance does not change
the basis for the that declaration of emergency nor the effective date of the interim official
control, which is May 14, 2019.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAINBRIDGE ISLAND,
WASHINGTON, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Purpose. The purpose of this ordinance is to extend the interim official control
adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15 for an additional six-month period, unless terminated earlier
by the City Council, and to adopt an updated work plan for the adoption of permanent
regulations.
Section 2. Findings of Fact. The recitals set forth above are hereby adopted as additional
and supplemental findings of fact to the City Council’s initial findings of fact in support of the
interim official control, as initially established by Ordinance No. 2019-15.
Section 3. Duration of Interim Official Control Extended. The interim official control
is hereby amended, as also stated in Section 6 below, to extend the duration of the interim
official control until November 14, 2020, six months beyond the current expiration date set by
Ordinance No. 2019-31, which, without this extension, would be May 14, 2020.
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Section 4. Interim Official Control Work Plan and Hearing. As provided for under
RCW 35A.63.220 and RCW 36.70A.390, the City may renew an interim official control for one
or more six-month periods if a work plan has been developed, a public hearing has been held,
and findings of fact have been made. The City is hereby extending the interim official control as
described herein based on the work plan that has been developed and is attached and
incorporated herein as Exhibit A to this ordinance, the public hearing that was held related to
this ordinance, and the findings of fact related to this interim official control that have been made
in this ordinance, Ordinance No. 2019-31, and in Ordinance No. 2019-15.
Section 5. Severability. Should any section, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase of this
ordinance, or its application to any person or circumstance, be declared unconstitutional or
otherwise invalid for any reason, or should any portion of this ordinance be preempted by state
or federal law or regulation, such decision or preemption shall not affect the validity of the
remaining portions of this ordinance or its application to other persons or circumstances.
Section 6. No Change to Basis for Declaration of Emergency or Effective Date;
Extension of Duration. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force five days from and after
its passage and publication as required by law. Provided, that this ordinance is not intended to
change the basis of the emergency declaration stated in Ordinance No. 2019-15, which preceded
this ordinance. Pursuant to Matson v. Clark County Board of Commissioners, 79 Wn. App. 641
(1995), non-exhaustive underlying facts necessary to support this emergency declaration were
included in the “Whereas” clauses in Ordinance Nos. 2019-15 and those “Whereas” clauses are
adopted as findings of fact. This ordinance amending the interim official control shall extend the
duration of the interim official control for an additional six-month period, until November 14,
2020, unless terminated earlier by the City Council. This ordinance does not change the effective
date of the interim official control, which is May 14, 2019. The Council may, at its sole
discretion, renew the interim official control for one or more six-month periods in accordance
with state law. This ordinance or a summary thereof consisting of the title shall be published in
the official newspaper of the City.
PASSED by the City Council this 28th day of April, 2020.
APPROVED by the Mayor this 28th day of April, 2020.
ATTEST/AUTHENTICATE:
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FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: April 24, 2020
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: April 28, 2020
PUBLISHED: May 1, 2020
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 6, 2020
ORDINANCE NUMBER: 2020-11
Attachment: Exhibit A
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EXHIBIT A
WORK PLAN FOR PERMANENT REGULATIONS GOVERNING
THE DEPLOYMENT OF SMALL WIRELESS FACILITIES (April 10, 2020)
The City has developed, and is proceeding based on, the work program described below to adopt
permanent regulations to replace the interim official control adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15.
Q2 2020
Planning Commission:
On September 12, 2019, the Planning Commission began consideration of permanent
regulations. The Planning Commission continued its discussion of permanent regulations to
replace the interim official control adopted by Ordinance No. 2019-15 during its October 24,
2019, December 12, 2019, and January 23, 2020 meetings. Staff solicited comments from
industry representatives, which were provided to the Planning Commission for review.
On January 23, 2020, the Planning Commission requested that staff schedule a public hearing on
the draft permanent regulations to solicit community feedback. A public hearing will be
scheduled in Q2 2020, provided that such a public hearing can be held without threatening the
public health, safety, or welfare due to the emergency posed by the spread of COVID-19.
Following the public hearing, additional consideration before the Planning Commission will be
scheduled as needed.
Q2/Q3 2020
Planning Commission:
Additional consideration before the Planning Commission, as needed.
City Council:
City Council consideration of Ordinance No. 2020-11, extending the interim official control for
an additional six-month period.
City Council review and action on the permanent regulations recommended by the Planning
Commission.