Title
Hearing Examiner Candidate Interviews
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Conduct interviews of candidates for the positions of Hearing Examiner and Pro Tem Hearing Examiner.
Report
Issue:
Whether to conduct interviews of candidates for the positions of Hearing Examiner and Pro Tem Hearing Examiner.
Staff Contact:
Tim Smith, Director, Community Planning and Economic Development, 360.570.3915
Presenter(s):
Tim Smith, Director, Community Planning and Economic Development
Background and Analysis:
The Land Use and Environment Committee (LUEC) directed staff to move forward with a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the services of both Hearing Examiner and Pro Tem Hearing Examiner at their meeting on December 18, 2025. The current Hearing Examiner contract will expire on April 30, 2026. The purpose for having a Pro Tem Hearing Examiner is to ensure land use matters can be heard if the Hearing Examiner has either a schedule conflict or is out due to illness.
The position of Hearing Examiner is established in Olympia Municipal Code (OMC) Chapter 18.82. The purpose of this Chapter, as stated in OMC 18.82.020, is to:
1. Separate the land use regulatory function from the land use planning process.
2. Ensure procedural due process and appearance of fairness in land use regulatory hearings and decisions.
3. Provide an efficient and effective land use regulatory system which integrates the public hearing and decision-making processes for land use matters.
4. Provide for consistency and predictability in land use decision making and the application of policies and regulations adopted by the City.
5. Establish clear and understandable rules governing the land use decision-making process.
The City posted an RFQ (attachment 1) on the City's website in December 2025. The RFQ was published in the Daily Journal of Commerce. The RFQ was also distributed to members of the Hearing Examiner Associatio...
Click here for full text