The City of Lacey chose to put all of the power and responsibility in the hands of the Hearing Examiner. This gives them the excuse that they only listen to his decision and not to the citizens in the Lacey. Cities and counties in Washington State have statutory authority to establish a hearing examiner system. Under a hearing examiner system, a city or county hires or contracts with a hearing examiner to conduct quasi-judicial hearings, usually in place of local bodies such as the planning commission, the board of adjustment, the board of county commissioners, or the city council.
A board of county commissioners or a city council has considerable discretion in establishing how the hearing examiner system will operate. The position of hearing examiner (appointment, qualifications, termination, etc.), the type of issues the hearing examiner is authorized to consider and decide, and the effect of the hearing examiner's decisions are among the matters addressed by the local legislative body and set out in the enabling ordinance.
THIS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED! We can vote out the current city council but unless the Lacey Municipal Code is changed to limit the power of the Hearings Examiner and put the power back in the hands of the people and the council, this will continue! Read Lacey Municipal Code 2.30 Land Use Hearings Examiner.
And another point. How did the zoning get changed previously for those two particular parcels on Hicks Lake to allow this to happen? I've always been told "to follow the money". Maybe someone should do this. ???
Please explain the inappropriate content below.
