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<br /> 6/17/2025 <br />COMPREHENSIVE PLAN <br />ENGAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION ELEMENT <br /> Page 192 <br />is true for the Snohomish County on future annexation and the Health Department’s plans for improving <br />health outcomes in the community, and the Everett and Mukilteo School Districts’ long-term plans for <br />school service. Citizens can participate in partner planning efforts to help ensure that they are <br />supportive of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. <br />Comprehensive Plan Amendments <br />The Comprehensive Plan is a dynamic document. It provides predictability for citizens, developers, and <br />policy makers about the City’s long-term strategy for the next twenty years. The goals and policies in the <br />Plan provide the direction and foundation for City programs and regulations. Also, the Plan is reviewed <br />and evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that it addresses changing conditions, new information, and <br />updated state and regional policy guidance. The Planning Commission is responsible for reviewing the <br />plan and recommending amendments to the City Council. Locally adopted comprehensive plans must <br />be certified by the regional planning agency with oversight, the Washington State Department of <br />Commerce. <br />Annual Amendment Cycle <br />Amendments can include modifications to the future land use map, comprehensive plan text changes <br />and implementing development regulations. They can also involve the addition of new Plan elements. <br />As required by the Washington State Growth Management Act, a municipality’s Comprehensive Plan <br />generally can be modified only once annually; however, there are a few exceptions as outlined in <br />Everett Municipal Code 15.03.400. Proposed amendments are reviewed simultaneously so that the <br />cumulative effect of all amendments is considered. Both the Planning Commission and the City Council <br />hold public hearings on proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. <br />Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan can be initiated by property owners, city council, mayor or <br />designee, or planning commission. Application materials are typically available in May for the annual <br />amendment cycle (aka, docket) and are processed with public hearings in the fall of the same year. <br />Information and application materials can be found on the City’s Planning Services webpage and by <br />calling the Planning Services Division and talking with a planner. City initiated amendments usually <br />involve responding to State or federal laws, including changes to these laws, addressing deficiencies and <br />inconsistencies, updating information, responding to a change in existing conditions or community <br />desires, or addressing a combination of these factors. <br />10-Year Plan Revision Cycle <br /> In addition to yearly amendments, RCW 36.70.A.130 requires that the City revise its Comprehensive <br />Plan and development regulations every ten years. The revision process includes updating the plan to <br />reflect current growth targets, policy requirements, information, and conditions in the community. The <br />revision process provides the opportunity to conduct a more extensive update to the Plan than happens <br />during the yearly amendment process. As with yearly Plan amendments, citizen involvement is an <br />important aspect of the revision process. The next scheduled Comprehensive Plan revision is in 2034.