Council approves Ordinance To Streamline Long-Term Permit Process

Conlin’s initiative reduces burden of minor legislation that slows down businesses and costs taxpayers. The Seattle City Council approved a new city ordinance regarding long-term permits for the use of city streets and other public places that replaces 69 others and gets the same job done. In the past, the Council had to process material relating to those 69 ordinances as well as a section of Seattle’s Municipal Code. The new legislation now authorizes the director of the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to handle this administratively. The City Council approves permits for the construction of structures such as skybridges and tunnels over, under and across public rights-of-way. In the past, the Council issued a 10 to 30-year permit by ordinance, referred to as a “term permit.” There are currently more than 60 “term permits” requiring City Council action every five years at a minimum in order to increase fees to reflect inflation. “It’s time we stopped this undue burden of minor legislation,” said Councilmember Richard Conlin, who directed the preparation of this ordinance. “For too long it has unnecessarily slowed the legislative process and required businesses to jump through too many hoops,” he added. Replacing 69 laws (and a section of the Seattle Municipal Code) with one ordinance means that now the Council is no longer required to take action whenever fees need to be modified, insurance issues come up, when bond amounts need to be addressed or when renewals or transfers are requested. This new ordinance allows the director of SDOT the authority to, among other things, adjust minimum levels of liability insurance and surety bond requirements for term permits, to approve the transfer of permits, to increase fees to reflect inflation, and to renew most permits.