CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the Office of Hearing Examiner; increasing Hearing Examiner filing fees; reorganizing the list of fees; and amending Section 3.02.125 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, the baseline filing fee for Office of Hearing Examiner appeals has not increased since 2012; and
WHEREAS, to account for inflation in the cost of living and a corresponding rise in the cost of filing, the Office of Hearing Examiner recommends raising the current base appeal fee from $85 to $120; and
WHEREAS, an increase in appeal fees would bring City appeals closer to, but still significantly lower than many other regional jurisdictions; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 3.02.125 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 126878, is amended as follows:
3.02.125 Hearing Examiner filing fees
A. The filing fee for a case before the City Hearing Examiner is $((85))120, ((with the following exceptions:)) unless listed otherwise in this Section 3.02.125.
B. The filing fee for floating home moorage cases (Chapter 7.20) is $85 per petitioner, to a maximum of $255. The filing fee for third party utility billing (Chapter 7.25) and refund anticipation loan (Chapter 7.26) cases is $5.
C. There is no filing fee for cases arising under the following laws:
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Basis for ((Case)) case |
((Fee in dollars)) |
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Admission Tax Exemption Revocation (Section 5.40.085) ((..... |
No fee |
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All-Gender Restroom Notice of Violation (Section 14.07.040) ..... |
No fee |
|
App-Based Worker Deactivation Rights Ordinance (Chapter 8.40) |
No fee |
|
App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance (Chapter 8.37) |
No fee |
|
App-Based Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance (Chapter 8.39) |
No fee)) |
|
Cable Communications (Chapter 21.60) ((..... |
No fee)) |
|
Cannabis Business Citation (Section 6.500.170) |
|
|
((Cannabis Jobs Retention Ordinance (Chapter 8.38) ..... |
No fee)) |
|
Dangerous Animals (Chapter 9.25) ((..... |
No fee)) |
|
Energy Benchmarking Citation (Chapter 22.920) ((..... |
No fee |
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Fair Contracting Practices Ordinance (Chapter 14.10) ..... |
No fee |
|
Fair Employment Practices Ordinance (Chapter 14.04) ..... |
No fee)) |
|
((Floating Home Moorages (Chapter 7.20) ..... |
85 per petitioner 255 maximum |
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Hazard Pay for Grocery Employees Ordinance (Ordinance 126274) ..... |
No fee |
|
Independent Contractor Protections Ordinance (Chapter 14.34) |
No fee)) |
|
Land Use Code Citation (Chapter 23.91) ((..... |
No fee)) |
|
Landmark Preservation Controls and Incentives (Section 25.12.530) ((..... |
No fee |
|
Marijuana Business Citation (Section 6.500.170) ..... |
No fee |
|
Minimum Wage Ordinance (Chapter 14.19) ..... |
No fee)) |
|
Noise Code Citation (Chapter 25.08) ((..... |
No fee)) |
|
Office for Civil Rights Ordinances (Chapters 14.04, 14.06, 14.07, 14.08, and 14.10) |
|
|
Office of Labor Standards Ordinances (Title 8, Chapters 14.16, 14.17, 14.19, 14.20, 14.33, and 14.34, and Ordinances 126274, 126091, and 126094) |
|
|
((Open Housing Ordinance (Chapter 14.08) ..... |
No fee |
|
Paid Sick/Safe Leave Ordinance (Chapter 14.16) ..... |
No fee |
|
Paid Sick and Safe Time for Gig Workers Ordinance (Ordinance 126091) ..... |
No fee |
|
Premium Pay for Gig Workers Ordinance (Ordinance 126094) ..... |
No fee |
|
Public Accommodations Ordinance (Chapter 14.06) ..... |
No fee |
|
Refund Anticipation Loan (Chapter 7.26) ..... |
5)) |
|
Relocation Assistance (Chapter 20.84) ((..... |
No fee)) |
|
SDOT Citation (Chapter 15.91) ((..... |
No fee)) |
|
Seattle Fire Department Citation (Section 110.4 of the 2018 Seattle Fire Code) ((..... |
No fee)) |
|
Tenant Relocation Assistance (Chapter 22.210) ((..... |
No fee)) |
|
((Third Party Utility Billing (Chapter 7.25) ..... |
5 |
|
Transportation Network Company Driver Minimum Compensation (Chapter 14.33) ..... |
No fee)) |
|
Type III or Type IV Land Use Application (Chapter 23.76) ((..... |
No fee |
|
Use of Criminal History in Employment Decisions (Chapter 14.17) ..... |
No fee |
|
Wage Theft Ordinance (Chapter 14.20) ..... |
No fee)) |
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Weed and Vegetation Citation (Chapter 10.52) ((..... |
No fee)) |
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Whistleblower Protection Code (Section 4.20.865) ((..... |
No fee)) |
((B.)) D. Filing fees are nonrefundable unless otherwise provided in this Code. The City Hearing Examiner may waive a fee if the person seeking the waiver demonstrates that the fee will cause financial hardship.
Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect on January 1, 2025.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2024, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this ________ day of _________________________, 2024.
____________________________________
President ____________ of the City Council
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Approved / |
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returned unsigned / |
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vetoed this _____ day of _________________, 2024. |
____________________________________
Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2024.
____________________________________
Scheereen Dedman, City Clerk
(Seal)