March-April 2024

In this Issue

Reading Time: Approximately 1 ½ minutes

It’s March! The clocks are changing, and the groundhog has forecast an early Spring. Despite his dismal record of 39% accuracy, you may be planning those home improvement projects that warmer weather brings. The 2024 WA State legislative session has closed, and we are headed towards implementation of 2021 Building Codes, which will begin on March 15, 2024. Learn more about it here.

In this issue, we will walk you through resources related to inspections of your building permit in A Permit’s Journey. Check out previous newsletters to learn more about the Single-Family Residence permit process. This is one of the items you mentioned wanting to understand better in our 2023 Community Development Customer Survey.

A big shout out to the 2023 Community Development Customer Survey participants, who generously donated their time to provide us with feedback about customer service and resources for permit applications. We value your time and information and are sharing how we are using your feedback in our next steps.

The Kitsap County Board of Commissioners public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan Preferred Alternative is scheduled. Read more about the upcoming hearing details. The Draft Critical Areas Ordinance update has recently been released. Find out more information, such as the comment period and a public hearing related to the draft.

You may have heard that Kitsap has the most extensive coastline, that is wrong, but we still have 260 shoreline miles. Shore Friendly Kitsap connects waterfront landowners with technical support and resources for bulkhead removal and soft-shore alternatives. Are you a waterfront homeowner, or do you have an interest in the health of our shorelines? Shore Friendly Kitsap has numerous ways to stay in touch with their activities and to learn more about shoreline health. View them all here.

2021 Building Code Implementation

There have been no further delays in implementing the 2021 Building Codes by the State Building Code Council or State Legislature. The effective date remains March 15, 2024. The Wildland-Urban Interface Code will not be included in this effective date. You must meet two deadlines to keep your structure under the 2018 Building Code. If you are interested in applying for a permit under the 2018 Building Code, you must submit a complete application to Community Development, ready to review, by March 14, 2023, at 11:59 pm. If you submit information after this deadline, you must go back to your architect to ensure any necessary changes have been made for the structure to meet 2021 Building Code standards. Another deadline you will want to ensure you meet to remain under the 2018 Building Code is April 30, 2024. This date is the deadline to pay for your permit. Suppose you have a permit waiting for payment and miss the deadline. In that case, you must begin your permit application again, including going back to your architect to meet the 2021 Building Code standards.

Inspections

Reading Time: Approximately 2 ½  minutes.

READY TO ISSUE Your permit's period under review has been completed. If your plans needed corrections or more information, you would have received an information request via email. After clarifications and corrections have been made and your project has been resubmitted and approved, you will receive an email notification indicating your permit is 'Ready to Issue.' The permit issuance is a crucial step to complete in the Online Permit Center. A permit is considered abandoned if 180 days pass without progress, including the initial issuance.[1]

AVOID PERMIT EXPIRATION In addition to issuing your permit, you will need to begin the approved work within a year of getting your permit. If you stop or leave the work for 180 days after starting,  your permit will become invalid. To prove that the work is in progress, you must pass required inspections every 180 days; an erosion inspection does not qualify. If you need more time, you can ask for an extension from the building official before the permit expires, but you must have a good reason.

WHAT INSPECTIONS DO I NEED? Your issued permit will contain a list of inspections your project must complete; the conditions listed will also need to be met to finalize the project. Our Inspections webpage has helpful resources, including inspection descriptions that help you identify when to request inspections and checklists to help you understand more about the inspection process and what our inspectors are looking for in the inspection.

SCHEDULING AN INSPECTION Inspection availability depends on the workload at the request time but is typically available within two days. If your inspection cannot be conducted on the scheduled date, you will be contacted and rescheduled for the following workday. Final inspections and occupancy approvals will not be scheduled for a next-day inspection.

There are two methods to schedule an inspection:

1. Online Permit Center – Schedule your inspection online.
2. Call (360) 337-5777

A printed version of your issued permit will need to be onsite, along with your approved plans for every inspection. Without these documents onsite, you risk a disapproved inspection. You can view all the applicants' responsibilities on the Inspections page to prepare yourself for your upcoming inspections.

VIRTUAL INSPECTIONS Virtual inspections are an option that you can self-initiate on a gypsum, wallboard, or insulation inspection. You can ask your inspector if a reinspection qualifies for a virtual inspection, or the inspector may indicate that on your permit status in the Online Permit Center. You can learn more about virtual inspections here.

REINSPECTION FEES Reinspection fees can be imposed for the following reasons:

• Failure to contain pets as indicated in the applicant's responsibilities above.
• Corrections requested after a previous inspection were not completed.
• Approved plans were not available on the job site.
• No access to the site.

RESOURCES

• Inspections webpage
• Inspection Descriptions
• Virtual Inspection Information
• Permit Extension and Reactivation Policy

2023 Community Development Survey Results

Reading Time: Approximately 3 minutes.

Overall, respondents agreed with the statements about Virtual Customer Service, In-Person Customer Service, the Permit Application Portal, and the Online Permit Center. You agreed to the statements including ease of use, lack of technical difficulties, and prepared to move ahead with confidence, approximately 50% of the time, were neutral approximately 30%, and disagreed approximately 20%.

We concentrated on your open-ended answers and suggestions to help us develop solutions. Also, because Community Development believes in continually evaluating through process improvement, some suggestions are already happening. Here is a review of generalized statements made during the open-ended portion, changes already occurring, and our next steps.

Implemented Changes Already Occurring

• #1 – Hire a third-party consultant to evaluate the current permit process.
  • A third-party consultant was retained and began their work in January 2024. The scope of the work was to document departmental strengths, constraints, and improvement recommendations to increase predictability and timeliness from permit intake to approval or issuance in the following areas:
    • Building & Fire Permits (Kitsap County Code Title 14)
    • Land Use & Development Permits (Kitsap County Code Title 21)
  • The timeline calls for findings and recommendations in April 2024 and implementation in mid-May 2024.
• #2 – It isn't easy to locate or navigate to the permit application portal
  • We have enhanced the website user experience by converting the homepage to an icon-driven system similar to an application system on a phone screen. This allows you to go directly to one of our top 9 sites, including the Permit Application Portal.
  • The Permit Application's Portal page has been reconfigured to promote entrance into the portal.
• #3 - Expand Community Development hours for accessibility
  • As of February 26, 2024, we have added open lobby hours on Mondays and Fridays from 9 am to noon. We will do our best to answer your questions, but no reviewers can meet on Mondays or Fridays. You can see a list of services available on our website.
• #4 – Novice users want a step-by-step understanding of the permit process.
  • Our newsletter series, A Permit's Journey, goes over a general single-family residence permit process. Please see previous issues for more steps beginning January 2023.

Next Steps

• #1 – Quick access to resources with the portal and more detailed questions are needed to minimize additional requests after review.
  • Enhance Permit Application Portal – We are continually reviewing the Permit Application Portal, improving accessibility and adding resources. Our next campaign, "Turn Your Building Dreams into Reality – Let our Portal be Your Map," will encourage people to dive into the application portal and allow it to be their guide through the process.
• #2 – Need more information about the more complicated processes related to permitting.
  • We will offer videos to help break down the complexities in some application processes, such as Stormwater worksheets, Site Development Activity Permits, and Energy Code worksheets.
• #3 – Ensure customers are confident about completing their application.
  • Next Steps for Success – a template for customers to note their next steps during in-person and virtual meetings.
• #4 – Add more communication to help customers understand where they are in the process and what is next.
  • Expand on existing communications to keep customers informed throughout the process.

Board of County Commissioners Public Hearing April 8th on Comprehensive Plan Preferred Alternative

The Board of County Commissioners will be holding a hybrid public hearing April 8, 2024 regarding a preferred alternative for the 2024 Comprehensive Plan update. The hearing begins at 5:30 pm, and public comment will be solicited. This hearing allows both virtual (via Zoom) and in-person attendance at the Board of Commissioners Chambers, 619 Division St., Port Orchard.

As of March 8, 2024 the Draft Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) Available for Public Comment and Review

Public comment may be submitted through a form provided on the CAO webpage, or may be sent directly to CodeUpdates@kitsap.gov.

An initial public comment period on draft code amendments will run through April 26, 2024. Comments received before that date will be reviewed by staff and compiled and summarized for the Planning Commission.

The full public comment period extends through the date of the Planning Commission public hearing, which is tentatively scheduled for May 21, 2024. Additional comments and written testimony may be provided at any time up until that date to be included in the record.

Get in Touch with Shore Friendly Kitsap

Shore Friendly Kitsap has worked with over 150 marine waterfront homeowners, empowering them with the knowledge to manage their property in the best way possible. This month Shore Friendly Kitsap is looking for property owners contemplating removal or changes to their bulkhead or seawall and want to learn about Shore Friendly alternatives. Get more information in their monthly newsletter.

There are several ways to keep in touch with Shore Friendly events and news. 

• Subscribe to the Shore Friendly Kitsap Topic to receive their newsletters.
• Follow the Shore Friendly Kitsap group on Facebook
• Visit the Shore Friendly Kitsap website.

Important Calendar Dates

• March 8th - Draft Critical Areas Ordinance available for public comment and review
• March 10th - Daylight Savings Begins - Spring Forward
• March 15th - 2021 Building Code Implementation
• March 25th-28th - Building and Fire Inspectors will attend professional training - Expect limited availability for inspections and review assistance in the Community Development lobby.
• April 8th - Board of County Commissioners Public Hearing on Comprehensive Plan Preferred Alternative
• April 30th - Deadline to pay for building permit to remain under the 2018 Building Code

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Kitsap County Department of Community Development
614 Division Street - MS36
Port Orchard, WA 98366

Media Contact: Alicia Adler

KITSAP COUNTY
Kitsap County government exists to protect and promote the safety, health and welfare of our citizens in an efficient, accessible and effective manner.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The mission of the Department of Community Development is to foster the development of quality, affordable, structurally safe and environmentally sound communities.