SEPA Process

Below, you can see the SEPA Process. This chart was given to us by the city. On the surface this seems to be a fine system, but we believe it to be flawed. Though it is efficient in that all the information passes through only a handful of offices and individuals, this process greatly limits public input and consideration of the community as a whole.

Further, we have heard from City Council member Ann Heath (currently up for re-election), that the city council does not review any site plan documentation after there has been an approval. This statement was made at a League of Women Voters and Pullman Chamber of Commerce sponsored event to hear from candidates on October 27, 2005. We find this even more confusing still given that another City Council member, Kieth Bloom, stated that it would come before the City Council after it had appeared before the Hearing Examiner. This statement was made at a League of Women Voters forum on the development and site plan review process which ocurred on September 12, 2005.

So we ask our city leaders, which is? Does it, or does it not come before the City Council for review? Do you know? Why are there apparently condradictory statements made by City Council members? Why is our city government process so lacking in transparency that even members of the City Council can't agree on the lines of authority?